Learn How Your Food is Grown and Raised

On Monday, November 14, 2011, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), funded in part by the Beef Checkoff, launched the "Learn How Your Food is Grown and Raised" initiative through a partnership with Discovery Communications. USFRA and Discovery Communications created three, 60-second videos and one longer form piece (4-7 minutes), featuring everyday American consumers paired with farmers and ranchers from across the country. Rancher Jeff Fowle from California represented the beef community. In the videos, the farmers/ranchers and the consumers sit down to a meal and discuss where the food came from, how it was raised and how farming is evolving.  The videos focus on three primary themes:

• Join the Dialogue
• Continuous Improvement
• Healthy Choices

The documentary-style videos began airing across the Discovery Communications' networks (TLC, Discovery, Discovery Science, Discovery Fit & Health, Identification Discovery, Planet Green and Animal Planet) on November 14 and will continue through December 25, 2011.

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Myths Promoted at "End Factory Farming" Conference

About 300 activists representing the animal rights, environmental, and public health movements converged in Arlington, VA on October 27-29 for the first-ever “Conference to End Factory Farming”. More than 25 speakers attempted to gain the attention of decision makers in Washington, D.C. with sessions titled “The Hidden Costs of Factory Farming”, “Inside the Industry”, and “Building Coalitions for Change”. The goal of the event? To create synergy between competing activist campaigns and frame their extreme goal of eliminating today’s animal agriculture industry as a mainstream effort.

The event was co-hosted by Farm Sanctuary and the ASPCA and sponsored by a wide variety of extremist organizations and companies including the Humane Society of the United States, Mercy for Animals, Compassion Over Killing, A Well Fed World, Compassion in World Farming, E: The Environmental Magazine, Discovery’s TreeHugger, and Whole Foods Market.

Many speakers revealed just how out of step with American values during their presentations.  For example, Holly Cheever, of HSUS’ Veterinary Medical Association Leadership Council said that “slaughterhouses are a kind of Auschwitz”. This equating of human suffering with agricultural practices not only diminishes the horrors inflicted on the victims of the Holocaust, but is a sentiment commonly expressed by PETA and other extremist groups. Jonathan Balcome, author of Pleasurable Kingdom and a former HSUS and PETA employee, referred to the the push for animal rights as comparable to “African colonialism, slavery, women’s rights, and the civil rights movement”. Many of the extremists seemed to realize that while their beliefs are not mainstream, they could still seek to influence the public through emotional appeals. As speaker Nick Cooney of The Humane League put it:  “revolution is not a question of virtue, but of effectiveness.”

Notably, the single presenter who suggested compromise to target large-scale producers rather than eliminating animal agriculture in entirety, Dr. John Ikerd of the University of Missouri, was met with ridicule from the audience and fellow presenters. HSUS Senior Director of Farm Animal Protection Paul Shapiro responded to Ikerd by saying that “combating factory farming and promoting veganism are not exclusive concepts”.

Promoting veganism – and as speaker Mark Bekoff claimed, sharing the idea that meat is a “who” rather than a “what” – was a main goal of the meeting. Farm Sanctuary President Gene Baur elaborated on this ambition during a pre-conference media interview, saying:  “But at the end of the day, it’s not necessary to eat any animal products. We’ll continue to hold up the vegan ideal, but we will also support and encourage any steps that move away from the industrial factory-farming model.”

The activists discussed tactics to intimidate farmers and ranchers using litigation and legislation while promoting the “factory farm” stereotype to the public. Nathan Runkle, Director of Mercy for Animals, indicated that undercover videos represent the “lifeblood” of the organization. Speaker David Wolfson, a partner with the Milbank Tweed law firm and professor at NYU’s school of law, said that providing pro bono work to activist groups is one of the most important things lawyers can do to help the movement. He also elaborated on the legal strategy used during California’s Proposition 2 campaign, saying that “if a farmer came out in criticism of the ballot initiative, they would be subject to undercover investigation and sued”.  

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Selected Conference Quotes:

“For modern animal agriculture, the less the consumer knows, the better.”
– Dr. Michael Greger (HSUS)

“Slaughterhouses are a kind of Auschwitz.”
– Dr. Holly Cheever (HSUS)

“The lifeblood of Mercy For Animals is our undercover investigations of animal agriculture.”
– Nathan Runkle (Mercy for Animals)

“In California, if a farmer came out in criticism of the ballot initiative, they would be subject to undercover investigation and sued.”
– David Wolfson (Milbank Tweed)

“Meat consumption shouldn’t be normal.”
– Gene Baur (Farm Sanctuary)

“Everyone can agree that cutting down on animal consumption is better for the public.”
– Paul Shapiro (HSUS)

“We need the poultry industry not to exist.”
– Wenonah Hauter (Food and Water Watch)

“Agribusiness… they’re the radicals!”
– U.S. Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA)

“Let’s hear about veganism as an alternative. Taking on meat should be the real war.”
– Dr. James McWilliams (The Atlantic)

More Publicity for Alabama's Best Burger

Consumers in Alabama continue to hear about a beef promotion event hosted this year by the Alabama Cattlemen's Association; the "Alabama's Best Burger" contest. More than 800 people voted in the statewide contest which drew positive attention to restaurants around the state for their ability to serve up great tasting burgers. With the five finalists having been named, we're all waiting for the judges to announce who really has Alabama's best burger. That overall winner will be announced soon.

Click the link below to see a video on two of the top winners produced by Montgomery's NBC affiliate, WSFA Channel 12:

http://www.wsfa.com/story/16054090/cr-12-battle-for-bamas-best-burger









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Fruit & Vegetable Stir Fry Wins National Beef Cook-Off

With her stir fry recipe, Vegetable-Mango Beef Stir Fry, amateur home cook Sheryl Little of Sherwood, Arkansas won the 29^th National Beef Cook-Off^® $25,000 “Best of Beef” grand prize, topping recipes from 19 other finalists around the country.  Sheryl was announced as the grand prize winner today at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington D.C. Her winning recipe, along with other finalist recipes, will be demonstrated on the show floor by top chef’s and food experts, Mary Beth Albright, Food Network Star finalist, season seven; Susan Holt, chef and instructor at CulinAeire; and Aviva Goldfarb, founder and author of The Six O’Clock Scramble. 

This year’s contest encouraged all home cooks and entertaining enthusiasts to submit their delicious recipes demonstrating the convenience, nutritional and versatility benefits of cooking with beef. The winning Vegetable-Mango Beef Stir Fry recipe featured boneless beef top sirloin steaks, fresh sugar snap peas, red bell peppers and fresh mango tossed with garlic and low sodium soy sauce and served over brown or white rice.  In addition, the dish is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, zinc and choline. 

Each contest recipe was submitted in one of four categories, including the 5:30 PM Dinner Crunch, Retro Recipes Revived, Fuel Up with Beef or Stir Crazy Solutions.  Recipes were judged by a panel of esteemed food journalists and bloggers back in July of this year.  Criteria included: taste, appearance, convenient preparation and nutritional balance.  The judges raved about Little’s recipe because of its unique combination of fresh fruit and vegetables and grain ingredients and her use of one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts. 

The 2011 judges included: Julie Miltenberg, editor, Family Circle; Niesha Lofing, food editor, Sacramento Bee; Sandy Hu, founder, Special Fork.com and Kristina Vanni, writer, Better Recipes.com. 

“I am thrilled to be named the winner of this year’s Cook-Off,” said Little.  “I grew up in the kitchen and there is nothing I’d rather do than create new recipes.  I enjoy working with beef too because it’s a great source of protein and the wide variety of cuts give you countless ways to get creative in the kitchen.  The Stir Crazy category gave me the opportunity to use fruits and vegetables that really compliment the beef and also create a colorful, beautiful and delicious recipe.”      

Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Beef Cook-Off showcases Americans’ love of beef. During its 35-year history, the Cook-Off has received accolades and the support of many notable culinary experts and is considered to be among the top three cooking contests in the nation.