Category: News

News

Busting Beef Myths by Blog…

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As part of the checkoff’s online promotion of “Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet” (BOLD) study results to consumers, five bloggers accepted the checkoff’s challenge to incorporate lean beef into their diet every day for a week and write about the results. One of them – Heather from “Then Heather Said’ – took the challenge one step further by posting three times and busting three common consumer myths about eating beef: nutrition and weight management, cost and preparation intimidation. Her honesty and ability to connect with her readers succeeded in providing beef information to consumers throughout her posts, including links to multiple checkoff resources.

(shared via: My Beef Checkoff News, Friday, August 10, 2012)

News

Shared today Via New Mexico Stockman’s Magazine…

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Please contact your congressman NOW. They could be voting on HR 8 to extend the death tax considerations TODAY

Talking points:

• I strongly encourage you to support a tax package that maintains the current estate tax relief levels at $5 million and 35% tax rate. American agriculture cannot allow the estate tax to revert to the $1 million exemption level and a 55% tax rate.

• 96 percent of Ameri

can farms and ranches are owned and operated by families.

• The value of most farms and ranches is tied up in assets like land, which we use to feed the world.

• Farm land values are significantly increasing across the country. (see attached spreadsheet)

• While land value is a major factor for calculating the value of an estate, that does not take into consideration the total value of farm implements, vehicles, livestock, crops, etc. that are part of the total estate value. 

• This is not a tax on the wealthy elite in America. The wealthy can afford accountants and estate planners to help them evade the tax. It’s a death warrant for small-to-medium sized family businesses. 

• Farmers and ranchers are good at working with unpredictable conditions like the weather and input costs, but the tax code should not be an unpredictable condition. 

• Until full repeal of and relief from the death tax can be achieved, at minimum, please maintain current estate tax policy with an exemption level at $5 million and the maximum rate of 35%.

News

August President’s Message

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We took the month of July off (except for the parade on the 4th) and I didn’t know how much I needed a break until I realized we didn’t need a newsletter or minutes or a meeting place and finally relaxed.  We have really been busy this year (I am so proud of us!) and if we are tired, it is understandable.

I think the Shindig was a huge success even if I haven’t heard yet what the final figures are.  It was well attended, the food was great, the auction was awesome, the dessert table was decadent (thank you Rosella) and the band was terrific and well received.  Kim has already booked the Yarbrough Band for next year, so stay tuned!

Thanks to Beverly, Bobbie and Mary Jo we went right into the 4th of July Parade with our rodeo float and we won 3rd place!  It was very gratifying to hear people yell their support as we traveled along saying “I love beef! where’s the beef? What’s for dinner? yeah cowbelles! yeah Shindig!”  It almost made me cry.

I attended the Mid-year Meeting in Ruidoso on June 25 and 26th.  It was a very worthwhile event but the best part for me was being there to vote yes! when Aubri Allen was nominated for a Pat Nowlin Scholarship.  Congratulations Aubri!

A big thank you to our June hostess Judy dePedro assisted by Arley Howard.

Pat Hunt, President

News

President’s Message

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Well, the Shindig is fast approaching…hope you are all out there selling tickets and encouraging your friends to attend.

We were a huge success at the Rodeo Parade even if the parade wasn’t what I would call a huge success. Thank you to Beverly and her family and my husband for all their help.  And thanks to Bobbie and new member, Lucinda Billings (and her 2 boys) for being there and to Joan for sending all her grandkids to ride the float.  WARNING:  Bobbie and Bev want to put our float in the July 4th parade!

I have asked myself what to say when someone blasts the Forest Service for letting the Whitewater Baldy fire get out of control.  I don’t blame the Forest Service for this mess, I blame 20 years of mis-management that is the result of this agency being micro-managed by politicians buckling under to environmental groups that had lots of opinions and no experience.  My husband says, “this was inevitable” and unfortunately he is right.  We haven’t seen the last of wildfires in the West and it certainly is going to affect us all.  Hard to sleep at night sometimes.

A big thank you to our May hostesses, Arley Howard and Wanda MacInnis

Pat Hunt

News

President’s Message

Grant County Copper CowBellesLeave a comment

I am very proud of how our beef community handled the recent case of BSE.  It seemed to be noted, explained and taken care of in a matter of hours.  I wish I could say the same for the finely textured beef (FTB) episode.  It has been interesting to see the advertising campaigns of places like Burger King and McDonalds trying to distance themselves from the controversy.  31 years ago Eldon Roth’s Beef Products Inc (BPI) bought tons of fatty scraps left over after cattle were carved into steaks and roasts.  He found a way to use centrifuges to spin the fat away and quick-freeze the meat into pink pulp that made ground beef leaner when mixed in. Last Fall he was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame.  Then last month a news article referring to FTB as “pink slime” caught the eye of a food blogger and due to her online campaign to have it banned from school lunches, the rest is history.  Roth’s customers began abandoning him, he was forced to start laying employees off..…we have always been told that words, like a stone, cannot be brought back once thrown.  In this day and age of internet super speeds, we are advised to be careful what we say.

A big thank you to our April hostesses Gale Moore and Marcia Carlson (sorry you were sick, Marcia!).  We had a wonderful roast beef dinner at Eat Your Heart Out Catering.

Pat Hunt

PS: May Meeting, Tuesday, May 8th, Red Barn, Hostess: Arley Howard.