A very visible producer communications tool for the Beef Checkoff Program is touring Montana right now, and will visit many other states after the first of the year.  The Beefmobile, a colorful van that travels throughout the country on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, has made an impression since it began, according to Tracey Orsburn (OARS-burn), the “Wrangler” who piloted the Beefmobile this past year.

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Coordinated by the National Livestock Producers Association, the Beefmobile has been seen by lots of people along the road, but its primary audience is those who pay into – and need to know about – the checkoff.

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Orsburn says she gets many types of questions from producers.

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This past year Orsburn traveled to meet with producers in 38 states and drove tens of thousands of miles as a result – and says she enjoyed the trip.

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Orsburn, a native Nebraskan, says she recognizes the value of what she is doing.

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The Beefmobile will be cloned in 2006, as a second Beefmobile will be put into service.  Two new Wranglers are currently in training to assist Tracey with carrying information on what the Beef Checkoff Program is and does. For more information on the Beefmobile, and to find out when it might be in your area, go to www.beefmobile.com.

The national Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, a group of 108 beef producers appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.  They represent producers from coast-to-coast and volunteer their time to help identify programs that can help increase beef demand.  The checkoff was created in the 1985 Farm Bill, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle and a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.