Beef industry reaches new milestone in grassroots advocacy and education efforts.
The Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hit 20,000 graduates this week. Created in 2009, the MBA program is a free, self-guided online course that provides members of the beef community – from farmers and ranchers to students, supply chain members and consumers – with the tools and resources needed to become a strong advocate for the beef community.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly removed from agriculture and understanding where their food comes from,” said Paul Dybedahl, Associate Director of Communications for the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program. “This is an exciting milestone because it shows that consumers and cattle producers alike want to learn more and share their stories, and the MBA program is here to help.”
2021 was a big year for the MBA program and Dybedahl credits the launch of MBA NextGen for much of the success and continued growth of the program. NextGen, which was launched in January, updated training modules, splitting the course into five online lessons:
- The Beef Community – Context of raising beef from pasture to plate with a focus on the community of people involved throughout the beef lifecycle.
- Raising Cattle on Grass – An introduction to the first step in the beef lifecycle and the many benefits of raising cattle on our country’s vast grass pasture resources.
- Life in the Feedyard – A discussion on the role of feedyards, including animal care, nutrition and environmental stewardship, at this important step in the beef lifecycle.
- From Cattle to Beef – An in-depth look at the slaughter process and the humane handling and safety measures in place at today’s beef processing facilities.
- Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. – A primer on choosing and cooking the right cuts of beef and the important role of beef in a healthful diet.
The updated training modules make it easy for a new generation of farmers and ranchers to learn about the beef industry and answer tough questions about beef and raising cattle.
After completing the course, MBA graduates can remain involved in the growing community with monthly newsletters and access to a variety of resources and additional lessons of beef’s nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare. Graduates can also join the program’s Facebook community where updates are given on the latest consumer trends.
Anyone interested in learning about beef’s journey from pasture to plate is invited to enroll today.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff 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. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
NCBA news release