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Kit shows the way ahead

Our check off has always been refundable but was used for research and development ie (VIDO developed a scour vaccine) and many other beneficial projects. It has since been hijacked by a new organization that is using it for mileage and per diems. The act they were formed under even includes medical and dental benefits and pensions for directors.

I'm requesting mine back and giving it to the SSGA or who I deem most beneficial to the ranching industry.
 
One of the problems I have with the checkoff is how does it help me? They don't really do much to promote the type of beef I produce (grassfed), but more importantly, they can come up with all these nice cuts that I'd love to offer my customers, problem is the butcher shops I have available aren't willing to do anything new or take the time to look at the training materials offered by the beef checkoff. I was even willing to purchase the training materials.

Also, as you have States passing HR's on State Rights (such as the gun stuff from Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Tennessee) it's designed to challenge the commerce clause. That logic applies to the beef checkoff for producers like myself who's products is produced from calves born in Maine, killed in Maine and sold in Maine. Therefore, a federal mandate shall not apply as it is null and void. I wonder if this was part of the reason for the Montana Beef label?

I can guarantee you that not a single one of my customers found me with any help of Beef Checkoff promotional materials, they found me from websites like Eatwild.com and reading books like Omnivore's Dilemma.
 
I remember when the Beef Check-off started. What you fellas may
not remember is the bad press Beef recieved from most all of the
women's magazines. It was fashionable to avoid meat. Since there
had been no advertising money throw at those magazines, it was
okay to bash beef. When the check-off started, it targeted women's
magazines. Wasn't long before GOOD things about beef began to
appear. Sometimes we are helped obscurely by things we don't
think about. I have been in advertising for 30 years. I know how
it works. When the magazines had something to lose (Beef check-off
dollars) they sure did a better job of portraying beef; they ran
positive articles, they added beef recipes, they quit having so many
actors/actresses stories about how they avoided meat/beef.

So I think we have all been helped, perhaps not directly.
The mood is much better for beef consumption. If we don't
care about promoting beef, who does? :shock: :?
 
Faster horses said:
I remember when the Beef Check-off started. What you fellas may
not remember is the bad press Beef recieved from most all of the
women's magazines. It was fashionable to avoid meat. Since there
had been no advertising money throw at those magazines, it was
okay to bash beef. When the check-off started, it targeted women's
magazines. Wasn't long before GOOD things about beef began to
appear. Sometimes we are helped obscurely by things we don't
think about. I have been in advertising for 30 years. I know how
it works. When the magazines had something to lose (Beef check-off
dollars) they sure did a better job of portraying beef; they ran
positive articles, they added beef recipes, they quit having so many
actors/actresses stories about how they avoided meat/beef.

So I think we have all been helped, perhaps not directly.
The mood is much better for beef consumption. If we don't
care about promoting beef, who does? :shock: :?
Click to expand...
Disagree, red meat has a negative image in the media, medical profession and government. Heart attacks = saturated fats = red meat...a lie, but that is what the public is being told.
 
No more than the freezer full of meat that is always there. I think I could live on steak and eggs for quite some time. We could kill the odd hen for a change up for those that eat chicken. Have to admit I kind of skimmed over it after he said I could increase my net by 200 to 400%. He wasn't the first to institute some form of low cost ranching. I'll bet Robert Mac and Dylan Biggs were on this track independent of Kit. We sure were. Having said that, Kit speaks many truths.
 
My dear wife has the pantry well, well, stocked at all times. I swear we could run a general store out of our house. And like per we have our freezer full of meat, not just beef, though if it was just beef, that would be fine by me.
 
Dylan Biggs said:
My dear wife has the pantry well, well, stocked at all times. I swear we could run a general store out of our house. And like per we have our freezer full of meat, not just beef, though if it was just beef, that would be fine by me.
Click to expand...
Kind of comforting knowing the wife has things under control. :-)
 
per said:
Dylan Biggs said:
My dear wife has the pantry well, well, stocked at all times. I swear we could run a general store out of our house. And like per we have our freezer full of meat, not just beef, though if it was just beef, that would be fine by me.
Click to expand...
Kind of comforting knowing the wife has things under control. :-)
Click to expand...

That is like here, we could be snowed in for a year and still not starve. 4 freezers full of beef ,pork, chicken ,some fish and home grown veggies. Hubbies family suffered through ww2 in the Netherlands ,they were fortunate as they were farmers and had enough to eat but you should always be prepared to feed you yours and your friends and neighbors JIC..

The wine cellar helps as well.. :lol:
 
hillsdown said:
per said:
Dylan Biggs said:
My dear wife has the pantry well, well, stocked at all times. I swear we could run a general store out of our house. And like per we have our freezer full of meat, not just beef, though if it was just beef, that would be fine by me.
Click to expand...
Kind of comforting knowing the wife has things under control. :-)
Click to expand...

That is like here, we could be snowed in for a year and still not starve. 4 freezers full of beef ,pork, chicken ,some fish and home grown veggies. Hubbies family suffered through ww2 in the Netherlands ,they were fortunate as they were farmers and had enough to eat but you should always be prepared to feed you yours and your friends and neighbors JIC..

The wine cellar helps as well.. :lol:
Click to expand...

JIC could be my wife's nick name. Yes per it is comforting, and fortunate someone has things under control. :lol: :lol:
 
Each time I go to BJ's Wholesale club I pick up a little extra, grabbed an extra case of carrots and case of beans last trip. We have 4 freezers.
 
Woke up thinking of the need for these reserves. The power or gas could be off for an extended time too. Here we have diesel and gas generators, solar and wind power. Pellet and Propane backup to the natural gas. If all that fails an alternative energy outfit that lives off the grid totally is only a few miles down the road. We could bring our supplies and move in.
 
FEAR some people thrive off instilling fear in people or customers. Snake oil salesmen come to mind.
 
I agree with you on the Fear Sales Denny and I am not trying to perpetuate it. There are however several things in every one's area that could cause several weeks of service interruptions. Ice storms, Katrina's, Blizzards (I remember one year we watched the Stanly Cup last playoff series with generator power), Nuke meltdowns, and even some sort of Oil and Gas infrastructure interruption from what ever cause. It's not a bad idea to be somewhat prepared. To paraphrase Alan Nation speaking about his Katrina experience. "The Veneer of Society is very thin". So being prepared is never a bad thing.
 
Denny said:
FEAR some people thrive off instilling fear in people or customers. Snake oil salesmen come to mind.
Click to expand...

Denny I agree. Using fear as a marketing ploy though very effective is IMO a very distasteful, under handed form of marketing. Our govt's uses it exceptionally well to manufacture public consent for all sorts of policies, the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, organized religion, the health food industry, some may even argue that our own branded beef program benefits from fear of mainstream foods. It could be argued that just stating the fact that we don't use artificial growth promotants in our program, capitalizes on a fear factor.

So its hard to tell or decide decisively in this advertisement saturated world
where honest marketing ends and snake oil begins.

I don't think Kit is intentionally trying to capitalize on fear to assist his marketing efforts. Though I can see how it might be perceived that way.
I agree with per about being prepared JIC. Its one of those strategies that can't hurt anyone. A good old Boy Scout or Girl Guide axiom.
 
I read Kit's email and totally agree that we all need more disaster preparedness. We have been living that way for 30+ years. Everything from installing small hydro power to gravity house water.

First off you need to prioritize your needs ie. house and cattle water. If that comes from a well and you pump with electricity then you need backup electricity as a very high priority. For backup generators we use only Lister powered or Military. These small generacs are a bad joke. There are Listers that have been powering small Alaskan villages and have been running 24/7 for 50+ years.

We have gravity house and cattle water 10 months of the year so we need backup power 2 months for water and 12 months for refrigeration which is another high priority. We only run our diesel generators for about 2 hours per day when needed 7-8 am 6-7 pm. to save on fuel. If you are careful the reefs won't warm upon this program.

We are not off grid but can be in a few hours. Don't forget to disconnect from the grid before you power up your generator.

We have always heated with wood and can cook with it as well. The local Wal*Mart now has a section of foods for long term storage. We stock way too many dry beans but what the heck. Frozen meat beans and water plus the treat of venison, we could get by.

If you are taking any kind of necessary medicine you better have an extended supply on hand. :D
 

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