College and high school-aged young people who hope to make the beef industry their life’s work are looking for ways to excel in their chosen profession.  For those who hope to promote the industry, the checkoff-funded Beef Ambassador Program has been very helpful.

Anna Groseta, whose family ranches near Cottonwood, Arizona, was a Beef Ambassador in 2005.  She says the experience helps solidify confidence in a life choice.

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The Beef Ambassador Program is coordinated on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by the American National CattleWomen.  Groseta says the knowledge level of participating young people is being strengthened from the beginning of the contest.

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Beef Ambassadors travel the country to talk with both producers and consumers about beef and the beef industry.  Groseta thinks the best part of the job is being out front for her fellow producers.

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Groseta hopes to take what she learned as a Beef Ambassador through her entire life.

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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.

The American National CattleWomen, Inc. is a trade association of America's affiliated CattleWomen, with the primary focus of promotion and consumer education regarding beef as a safe and nutritious food, and the production of beef cattle as an industry.