Tennessee Livestock Producers

Checkoff-funded Beefmobile Reaches Out to Producers at Tennessee Livestock Producers’ Somerville Market

John Anthony and Brooks Joyner of Collierville, Tenn. stopped by the Beefmobile during its visit to Somerville Livestock Sales in Somerville, Tenn., on April 25, 2006.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 26, 2006) -- Beef producers at Somerville Livestock Sales in Somerville, Tenn., on Tuesday, April 25, 2006, were hand-delivered information about how their beef checkoff dollars are invested on their behalf when the checkoff-funded Beefmobile visited the auction barn.

During the Beefmobile’s visit, producers were given three key opportunities to learn about their checkoff investment. A brief presentation by Beefmobile wrangler Holly Branecky focused on top-line uses of checkoff funds. In addition to interacting with the wrangler at the industry’s tabletop display, producers were encouraged to pick up literature highlighting checkoff research and promotional programs and projects. Producers were also asked to provide input regarding how their checkoff dollars should be invested.

The Beefmobile project is conducted on behalf of America’s beef producers and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by the National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA). NLPA serves as one of the Beef Board’s contractors for checkoff-funded programs.

“The Beef Act and Order of 1985 mandates that those contributing to the Beef Checkoff Program know how their dollars are invested,” states Jay O’Brien, chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “While advertisements and newsletters in various publications and information provided at different state and national meetings meet the needs of some audiences, the Beefmobile was created as a grassroots producer communications effort that targets an extremely important audience: the rank-and-file producer who sells primarily through his or her livestock marketing facilities.”

O’Brien urged producers who could not attend their local livestock marketing facility when the Beefmobile stopped by to visit the Beef Board’s Web site: www.beefboard.org. This site features news releases about checkoff-funded research and promotional efforts, has a frequently-asked-questions section, explains the Beef Act and Order, and lists leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Beefmobile wrangler Branecky said that it is important to give producers the opportunity to visit with a Checkoff representative.

“In addition to providing producers with information about checkoff research and promotion efforts, it’s always fulfilling to help producers understand how checkoff dollars can and cannot be used,” Branecky states. “Checkoff dollars can be used for research, foreign marketing, promotion, delivering nutritional data and other information to consumers, new product development and other efforts that directly related to strengthen the beef industry's position in the marketplace and to maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for beef and beef products. By law, however, checkoff dollars cannot be used to influence government policy or action, including lobbying. Many producers don’t realize this, so it’s great to be that conduit of information. There continues to be much confusion on the Checkoff structure and it is important to provide producers with accurate information.”

Branecky adds that she appreciated the Tennessee Beef Council in assisting with the Beefmobile’s producer communications efforts.

To learn about other stops the Beefmobile will make at livestock marketing facilities around the country, contact NLPA at 1-800-237-7193.

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The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.

The National Livestock Producers Association, founded in 1921, is an organization of livestock marketing cooperatives and credit corporations representing more than 200,000 livestock producers nationwide.

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