The 2022 Ohio Beef Expo was back in full swing on March 17-20 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) had a booth in the tradeshow providing Expo attendees an opportunity to learn more about how their $2 checkoff is helping to drive the demand for beef. The booth was staffed by beef producers who serve on the OBC board and volunteered their time to share checkoff information with others in the industry. A total of 380 producer contacts were collected to be used for producer communications programs and newsletters to continue providing information on checkoff investments. 

OBC recently published its 2021 annual report, providing results of Ohio Beef Checkoff programs to producers in Ohio who invest in this demand-building program. Included in the annual report is an overview of revenues and expenditures for fiscal 2021 and summaries of programs for the year. This publication aims to provide financial transparency to Ohio’s beef producers who invest in the checkoff.

The national beef checkoff program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill and assesses $1-per-head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Under the law that guides the checkoff, 50 cents of each Ohio checkoff dollar must go to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for national programs. The OBC Operating Committee, consisting of 15 Ohio cattlemen and women appointed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, invests the other half dollar in state-based programs. In March 2014, Ohio beef producers voted to add a refundable $1-per-head state checkoff to the federal dollar, for a total Ohio beef checkoff of $2-per-head collected at the point of sale when ownership changes.

To request a copy of the annual report, please email beef@ohiobeef.org or call 614-873-6736. The annual report can also be viewed here.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage introducing meats, like beef, to infants at around six months of age. NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is leading efforts to update physicians on the importance of including beef in the early years.

Through a recent collaboration, e-Newsletters and advertisement educational materials were distributed to more than 249,000 health professionals. Toolkits featuring Early Years educational materials and feeding tips reached 3,225 pediatric offices around the nation, eventually reaching more than 150,000 health professionals, parents, and caregivers.

OBC attended the Benjamin Logan Elementary School Ag Day, presented by the Benjamin Logan FFA. There were 156 second graders in attendance for the event, and they were educated on many of the various aspects of agriculture. Each group of students had a dedicated 25 minutes to learn about beef cattle and ask questions. The students had a session where they focused on “moo-cabulary;” and learned the difference between a cow, calf, bull, steer, and heifer. They learned what different types of food beef animals eat and where their favorite beef dishes come from on a cow. The star of the Ag Day was the calf that each student had an opportunity to bottle feed. Each student got to take home an activity book, stickers, and pencil courtesy of the Beef Checkoff. The Ag Day event impacted the students and educated them on the lifecycle of cattle and where their food comes from. 

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) sponsored the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Family Medicine Celebration on January 15 attended by 75 Ohio physicians. OBC was also a sponsor of the Ohio Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference on April 8. This event was attended by over 125 dietitians, dietetic technicians, and nutrition students. The Ohio Beef Council and the beef checkoff sponsored a beef lunch. 

At both events, attendees visited the Ohio Beef Council exhibit to engage with Nutrition Coordinator and Registered Dietician, Anna Gest. She shared information about beef’s nutritional benefits, beef production, and beef cooking. 

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) joined 30 other state beef councils (SBCs) to learn about the Beef Checkoff and share ideas during the annual orientation hosted by the Federation of State Beef Councils. Bret Layman, director on the OBC Operating Committee, and Consumer and Digital Marketing Manager, Nicole Schultz, participated in the SBC Staff and Director Orientation held April 6 in Denver. 

New SBC staff members and directors came together to learn about their roles and responsibilities as stewards of the Beef Checkoff. Attendees learned about the Beef Act & Order, Checkoff history, fiduciary responsibility, and Checkoff payment compliance. 

Staff from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) also provided recent campaign results of Checkoff-funded programs and discussed the robust financial firewall that exists between policy and Checkoff spending. The event also served as a way for SBCs to network with one another, meet NCBA staff, and learn about available Federation resources.

The vision of the Federation of State Beef Councils is to build beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national Checkoff partnership. The Federation, organized in 1963, represents the 44 Qualified State Beef Councils and is housed by the NCBA, which is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.