I’m proud to pass on a great article about a fellow friend and Colorado-ranch girl, Jen Johnson, who was featured in the Wall Street Journal today: Beef Industry Carves a Course I’ve gotten my Master of Beef Advocacy and it is a great program!
 |
| The Johnson family |
Colorado native Jen Johnson loved raising cattle and eating steak, a lifestyle some of her friends at Princeton University found a bit hard to swallow.
Ms. Johnson tried winning them over with sheer enthusiasm. But she soon realized she needed help persuading her salad-nibbling sorority sisters to order steaks. So she went back to school to get her MBA—Masters of Beef Advocacy.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which represents beef producers, launched the MBA two years ago. The course trains ranchers, feedlot operators, butchers, chefs—anyone, really, who loves a good, thick rib-eye—in the fine art of promoting and defending red meat.
Nearly 2,000 graduates have completed the program. The cattlemen aim to train at least 20,000 more, in the hope of building a forceful counterweight to the animal-rights advocates who denounce beef production as inhumane, and the vegetarian activists who reject beef consumption as unhealthy.
The advocacy effort comes at a tough time for the beef industry. Beef consumption in the U.S. plunged from a high of 94 pounds a person in 1976 to less than 62 pounds in 2009, according to the American Meat Institute, a trade group representing beef processors.
School districts across the country have adopted “Meatless Mondays” and are dishing out bean burritos in lieu of burgers. And this winter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued new dietary guidelines advising consumers to replace some of the meat in their diet with seafood.
Meanwhile, veggie evangelists at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have turned heads with ever-more-racy campaigns, including sending models clad only in strategically placed leaves of lettuce to hand out tofu hot dogs on street corners nationwide.
PETA says its tactics work. Last year, the nonprofit fielded 850,000 requests for “vegetarian starter kits” packed with recipes like Tofu Tamale Pie and testimonials from celebrity supporters like actress Natalie Portman.
“We’re winning,” said Bruce Friedrich, a PETA vice president.
Not so fast, the MBAs respond.
Beef has its own celebrity backers—actor Matthew McConaughey has done radio spots—but industry strategists decided that the best way to promote the product was to put the men and women who produce beef front and center.
Their goal: convince skeptical consumers that the shrink-wrapped sirloin tips in the supermarket aren’t artery-clogging commodities mass-produced on factory farms, but wholesome meals turned out with great care by hard-working families. To that end, MBA students are encouraged to strike up conversations with strangers.
Ranchers are urged to talk about the hours they spend caring for cattle—all those trips to the pasture at 3 a.m. to help a laboring cow give birth. Retailers could mention nutritional facts—that a three-ounce serving of eye-round roast has just slightly more fat than a skinless chicken breast, for example.
Ms. Johnson, 26 years old, has taken to sending email blasts to her friends from Princeton, describing a morning she spent artificially inseminating cows or explaining how grazing helps ranch land thrive. The majority of beef cattle in the U.S. are raised on grass on family-owned ranches before they are sent to feedlots for fattening and then on to the slaughterhouse for processing.
“We can change the dynamic of the discussion going on with the consumer with two phrases: We care and we’re capable,” Daren Williams, an executive at the cattleman’s association, told a recent MBA class in Denver.
But critics of the industry say true transparency about how burgers come to be may backfire.
Constant reminders that a juicy quarter-pounder was once a wobbly-legged, big-eyed calf may put some people “in the mood to have a steak,” said Michael Pollan, who has written several books critical of modern beef production. “For others,” he said, “it puts them in the mood to become a vegan.”
To get their degrees, MBA students must listen to six online lectures on beef production and do homework assignments such as writing a pro-beef letter to the local paper. Most also attend a daylong in-person training that serves up tips on taking beef boosterism online through blogs, tweets, Facebook campaigns and YouTube videos.
At the Denver training, South Dakota rancher Troy Hadrick—one of the first MBA graduates—told students about one of his recent triumphs.
It came about after Mr. Hadrick learned Yellow Tail wine had donated $100,000 and pledged $200,000 more to the Humane Society of the U.S., an animal-rights group that has embarrassed the cattle industry with undercover videos of slaughterhouse abuses.
Mr. Hadrick, outraged, set a video camera on a fence post and filmed himself dumping a bottle of Yellow Tail onto his snowy pasture while blasting the donations as an affront to ranching families.
Mr. Hadrick’s video went viral on YouTube—at least among fellow cattlemen, who bombarded Yellow Tail with protest emails. Chagrined, the winery withdrew its $200,000 pledge to the animal-rights group.
MBA graduate Suzanne Strassburger, who sells steaks to high-end New York City restaurants, hasn’t tried YouTube advocacy yet, but she says the course has helped her pump up her sales pitches. “It gives me more confidence” to talk about how the meat was produced, she said. And talk she does: Beef “is my love and my passion,” Ms. Strassburger said. “This is what I get up for.”
Go online to comment, or write to Stephanie Simon at stephanie.simon@wsj.com.
I have learn a few just right stuff here. Certainly value
bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how a lot attempt you
place to make this type of fantastic informative site.
Wow, amazing blog format! How long have you been blogging for?
you made running a blog glance easy. The total look of your web site is wonderful, as neatly
as the content!
I’m gone to tell my little brother, that he should also visit this webpage on regular basis to
take updated from most recent information.
each time i used to read smaller content which as
well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this article which I am reading here.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following.
unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you
shield this hike.
Hi there, every time i used to check weblog posts here early in the
morning, because i love to find out more and more.
I’ve been browsing online greater than three hours these days, but I by no means found
any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is pretty price enough for me.
Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made good content material
as you did, the web will be much more helpful than ever before.
I’ll right away grab your rss as I can not in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or
newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me understand in order that I may subscribe.
Thanks.
Hi to all, because I am truly eager of reading this website’s post to be updated regularly.
It consists of fastidious data.
Thanks for finally writing about > Beef Industry Carves a Course: Featuring a Colorado-ranch girl – ag on the forefront < Loved it!
My brother suggested I may like this blog. He was totally
right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine just how
so much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more
enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did
you hire out a designer to create your theme? Great work!
Whats up are using WordPress for your site platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to
make your own blog? Any help would be really
appreciated!
I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog.
Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Either way keep up the excellent quality writing,
it’s rare to see a great blog like this one today. adreamoftrains best web hosting company
Fantastic blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a
little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress
or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused
.. Any suggestions? Bless you!
What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively helpful and
it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & aid other users like its aided me.
Good job.
Howdy great website! Does running a blog similar to this require a
lot of work? I’ve absolutely no expertise in computer programming however I was hoping to start my own blog in the near future.
Anyhow, if you have any suggestions or techniques for new blog owners please share.
I know this is off topic however I simply wanted to ask.
Thanks a lot!
Howdy, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback?
If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you
can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any assistance is very much appreciated.
First off I would like to say terrific blog!
I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing.
I’ve had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas
out there. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually wasted just trying
to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or
hints? Cheers!
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering
troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand why I can’t join it.
Is there anybody having the same RSS problems? Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond?
Thanks!!
Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this website.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and
appearance. I must say that you’ve done a superb job with
this. Also, the blog loads super fast for me on Chrome.
Outstanding Blog! cheap flights 3gqLYTc
We’re a gaggle of volunteers and opening a new
scheme in our community. Your website offered us with useful info
to work on. You have done an impressive task and our whole community will probably be thankful to you.
3gqLYTc cheap flights
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after checking through some of
the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it and
I’ll be book-marking and checking back often! cheap flights y2yxvvfw
Hurrah! At last I got a website from where I
be capable of actually obtain useful data regarding my study and knowledge.
cheap flights 31muvXS
Greate post. Keep writing such kind of information on your page.
Im really impressed by your site.
Hi there, You’ve performed an excellent job. I will definitely
digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I’m sure they will be benefited from this web site.
Yes! Finally someone writes about black mass.
I all the time used to read piece of writing in news papers but now as I am a user of web therefore from now I am using net for posts, thanks
to web.
I think this is among the most important information for me.
And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things,
The web site style is wonderful, the articles is
really excellent : D. Good job, cheers