Liberty Belle
Well-known member
I found this in the Rapid City Journal this morning and thought you might like to see it. I know and greatly respect Myron Williams and have never known him to spread misinformation:
How the checkoff program works
By Myron Williams, a Wall beef producer and chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils Division, National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
WALL - There's a lot to be learned from talking with U.S. cattle producers. As chairman of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Federation of State Beef Councils Division, I've found visiting with producers is always enjoyable. And sometimes frustrating.
Most frustration comes from confusion that still exists about who does what in the Beef Checkoff program. Although the checkoff has operated the same way since its inception in 1986, rumors and half-truths spread about the program have kept many producers in the dark about how it really works.
Here are the facts:
The Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board administers the Beef Checkoff program. Not NCBA. Not the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Beef Board is made up of 107 checkoff-paying beef producers who sign off on every dollar spent through the Beef Board-administered program.
The producers who serve on the Beef Board are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. These individuals are dedicated to seeing that checkoff funds are used wisely.
The USDA oversees the actions of the Beef Board. All programs administered and budgets set by the Beef Board must first go through USDA scrutiny and receive USDA approval. This assures that the Checkoff Act and Order are followed, that programs are based on facts and that the Board is representing all beef producers paying into the program. Furthermore, by law checkoff dollars cannot be used for lobbying or in any other way influence government policy or action.
State Beef Councils are crucial to the success of the Beef Checkoff program. This seems to be overlooked in discussions about the checkoff. Forty-five qualified state beef councils that make up the Federation of State Beef Councils collect the $1-per-head checkoff assessment in their states and keep 50 cents to do promotion, information and research programs. The other 50 cents is sent to the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
Checkoff programs are implemented through a partnership between national industry organizations and state beef councils for a wide reach and impact. None of the participating organizations may profit from the checkoff. Instead, contractors provide the services at their cost, and are reimbursed for those costs only.
In-state checkoff programs are certainly an important element of the state's 50 cents. Some cattle-producing states, however, recognize the fact that the dollars are more effectively spent where there are more consumers. The Federation of State Beef Councils allows each state council board to combine some of the state "keep home" checkoff funds with dollars from Cattlemen's Beef Board contracts, creating cost-effective, expanded programs nationally and internationally.
Representatives from the federation, a division of the NCBA made up of state beef councils, participate in joint committees with Beef Board members to make recommendations to the Beef Board on spending of checkoff dollars in research, promotion and information.
States share national checkoff budget-establishing and decision-making power with the Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA. The Beef Promotion Operating Committee, by law, recommends the budget for the national Beef Checkoff program and - makes recommendations to USDA as to which programs and projects that budget will fund. Ten of the committee's 20 members are elected by the Federation of State Beef Councils and 10 are elected by the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
When the Operating Committee deliberates on advisory committee recommendations, it requires acceptance by two-thirds of the Operating Committee members to approve a program or project. These are then sent on to the USDA for final review and approval.
This is the way the mandatory checkoff - approved by 79 percent of producers in 1988 - has always worked. And while we'll never please 100 percent of producers, the level of producer support for the checkoff has always been higher than 60 percent. That's based on independent research conducted twice a year every year the checkoff has been in existence.
Those facts can be verified. Now that the Supreme Court has confirmed the constitutionality of this effort, it's important that we get them out to producers throughout the country.
It has been my goal as chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils Division to better communicate the important distinctions between the participating organizations and the separation of roles that help keep the checkoff program accountable. When producers know how the process operates, they more fully appreciate the overall power of the checkoff to benefit their operations.
November 26, 2005
http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/11/26/news/opinion/opin933.txt
How the checkoff program works
By Myron Williams, a Wall beef producer and chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils Division, National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
WALL - There's a lot to be learned from talking with U.S. cattle producers. As chairman of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Federation of State Beef Councils Division, I've found visiting with producers is always enjoyable. And sometimes frustrating.
Most frustration comes from confusion that still exists about who does what in the Beef Checkoff program. Although the checkoff has operated the same way since its inception in 1986, rumors and half-truths spread about the program have kept many producers in the dark about how it really works.
Here are the facts:
The Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board administers the Beef Checkoff program. Not NCBA. Not the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Beef Board is made up of 107 checkoff-paying beef producers who sign off on every dollar spent through the Beef Board-administered program.
The producers who serve on the Beef Board are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. These individuals are dedicated to seeing that checkoff funds are used wisely.
The USDA oversees the actions of the Beef Board. All programs administered and budgets set by the Beef Board must first go through USDA scrutiny and receive USDA approval. This assures that the Checkoff Act and Order are followed, that programs are based on facts and that the Board is representing all beef producers paying into the program. Furthermore, by law checkoff dollars cannot be used for lobbying or in any other way influence government policy or action.
State Beef Councils are crucial to the success of the Beef Checkoff program. This seems to be overlooked in discussions about the checkoff. Forty-five qualified state beef councils that make up the Federation of State Beef Councils collect the $1-per-head checkoff assessment in their states and keep 50 cents to do promotion, information and research programs. The other 50 cents is sent to the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
Checkoff programs are implemented through a partnership between national industry organizations and state beef councils for a wide reach and impact. None of the participating organizations may profit from the checkoff. Instead, contractors provide the services at their cost, and are reimbursed for those costs only.
In-state checkoff programs are certainly an important element of the state's 50 cents. Some cattle-producing states, however, recognize the fact that the dollars are more effectively spent where there are more consumers. The Federation of State Beef Councils allows each state council board to combine some of the state "keep home" checkoff funds with dollars from Cattlemen's Beef Board contracts, creating cost-effective, expanded programs nationally and internationally.
Representatives from the federation, a division of the NCBA made up of state beef councils, participate in joint committees with Beef Board members to make recommendations to the Beef Board on spending of checkoff dollars in research, promotion and information.
States share national checkoff budget-establishing and decision-making power with the Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA. The Beef Promotion Operating Committee, by law, recommends the budget for the national Beef Checkoff program and - makes recommendations to USDA as to which programs and projects that budget will fund. Ten of the committee's 20 members are elected by the Federation of State Beef Councils and 10 are elected by the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
When the Operating Committee deliberates on advisory committee recommendations, it requires acceptance by two-thirds of the Operating Committee members to approve a program or project. These are then sent on to the USDA for final review and approval.
This is the way the mandatory checkoff - approved by 79 percent of producers in 1988 - has always worked. And while we'll never please 100 percent of producers, the level of producer support for the checkoff has always been higher than 60 percent. That's based on independent research conducted twice a year every year the checkoff has been in existence.
Those facts can be verified. Now that the Supreme Court has confirmed the constitutionality of this effort, it's important that we get them out to producers throughout the country.
It has been my goal as chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils Division to better communicate the important distinctions between the participating organizations and the separation of roles that help keep the checkoff program accountable. When producers know how the process operates, they more fully appreciate the overall power of the checkoff to benefit their operations.
November 26, 2005
http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/11/26/news/opinion/opin933.txt