The Increasing Need for Producer Involvement

Posted: 9/17/2009

Posted by South Dakota Cattleman Membership & Communications Coordinator, Kelsey Nagel

Beef and the practices used to raise beef cattle have received much media attention this summer.  Unfortunately, we haven't been recognized for our delicious and affordable meal options or the work done by operations like Daybreak Ranch in Highmore. 

Instead, consumers hear about beef through articles like those published in TIME magazine.  The TIME article, titled "The Real Cost of Cheap Food" does an excellent job of repulsing potential meat consumers and paints conventional farmers and ranchers as heartless, mindless and greedy corporate pawns.  If you have yet to read this article, I urge to you to log on to time.com.

The NCBA and the Checkoff did try to educate the author and editor of this TIME magazine article.  Unfortunately, our industry leaders were not considered competent or to have a broad enough understanding of the beef industry and a majority of their comments were left out of this article. 

Like so many individuals involved in the media today, the author of this article approached the subject with an agenda and little regard for factual information.  Unfortunately, this is the approach that a majority of today's media as taken towards beef. 

SDCA, NCBA and the Checkoff continue to promote beef and our producers, educate consumers with factual information and provide convenient and affordable methods to prepare beef for the entire family. 

Although much of our work is done on a larger scale, state and nationwide, we still need the individual voices of producers.  SDCA's membership numbers continue to drop even though the number of issues impacting our industry are dramatically increasing, both in numbers and threat level.  Our industry is facing a number of issues that have the potential to radically change the way we do business.  If you know of a member that has recently let their SDCA membership lapse or an individual that has yet to join SDCA I encourage you to reiterate the increasing need for producer involvement in our industry.