Recently broadcasters from across the country gathered in Kansas City for the annual meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.  Representatives of the Beef Checkoff Program were on hand at the meeting to thank the broadcasters for their hard work, and to further share messages of what the checkoff is doing.  Monte Reese is chief operating officer for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program.  He says it was a valuable meeting to attend.

Cut #1         :21          Outcue: "...those checkoff dollars."

According to Reese, attending the meeting wasn’t just about visiting with the broadcasters.

Cut #2         :37          Outcue: "...gifts this year."

Reese has his own memories of farm broadcasting.

Cut #3         :20          Outcue: "...what it is today."

When it comes to how the news is reported, it’s all about balance and accuracy, Reese says.

Cut #4         :29          Outcue: "...the checkoff’s doing."

Informing beef producers as to how their checkoff dollars are spent is a responsibility of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, as is administering the $1-per-head Beef Checkoff Program. Oversight for this program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
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.