Leaders Kick Off With Teamwork
NCBA and CBB presidents announce partnership.
by Kasey Miller for Angus Productions Inc.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 1, 2012) — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald promised three days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences at this 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 1-4. During the opening general session, Donald and Wesley Grau, Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) chairman, welcomed nearly 7,000 participants to the convention, where they said participants will put their heads together to accomplish a great deal.
Wesley Grau Photos by Kasey Miller
Grau reminded attendees to take advantage of the opportunities that arise this week while meeting with cattle producers nationwide. He mentioned that for 25 years, the National Beef Checkoff Program has worked to promote beef products, adding that many other organizations envy the widespread recognition of the beef tagline.
The checkoff and the beef industry have met some challenges recently, he acknowledged, asserting that to overcome those, some things had to change.
“Change is never easy,” he said, “but it does have a reputation for being a strong catalyst for growth."
Lauren Chase (left) and Bill Donald
Donald involved the audience while recording a “Bill on Beef” segment, a weekly video posted on the Montana Stockgrowers Association’s facebook page. He changed his original content to share the exciting news that the Department of Labor announced that afternoon that it is going to re-evaluate the legislation limiting youth agricultural labor. He said that there were so many responses that it “melted the system.” He added that agricultural labor is something that employers look for, because farm and ranch kids have a great work ethic.
Donald said that there have been many success this year. He mentioned that the NCBA and CBB have a partner approach, saying that it wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. He told participants to take home the message that “checkoff dollars are working, as they should be, with a high degree of accountability and respect, and we’re not going to be fighting and fussing at each other anymore.”
Donald said that the thing that impressed him the most from his year as president was the passion that he saw in every sector of the industry.
“We raise the most delicious, nutritious product known to man. We do it in a sustainable fashion — we do it year after year after year.”
He concluded that in order to continue educating consumers, researching, and promoting beef products, we need a governmental environment that gives us a positive business environment. Profitability is needed for sustainability, which allows producers to pass on their farms and ranches to the next generations to come.
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