Farmers/Ranchers Alliance Information Part Of Bovine Connection Presentations

We all know that many urban folks really don’t understand production agriculture. We also know that many organizations and groups have made it their goal to target production agriculture. Fortunately, the Montana Beef Council, along with other beef organizations, seeks to educate consumers about beef and works to combat the misinformation put out by those who wish to undermine agriculture.

Because of the negative information circulating about agriculture, and in efforts to learn more about how to combat this misinformation, the Bovine Connection committee has invited Charlene Rich, Montana Beef Council executive director, to discuss the formation of a new group that will highlight positive aspects of production agriculture and will attempt to better educate consumers. Rich will speak at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the new Richland County Extension/EARC facility, 1499 N. Central Ave., Sidney, presenting her talk explaining the new U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

“This alliance is made up of a group of people that plan to counteract organizations that are anti-agriculture,” Rich says. “We need to build trust in the delivery chain and resolve problems together.”

Rich explains that the beef industry has initiated this alliance as part of its long range goal to get more people eating beef more often. “I’m going to focus on one thing we are very passionate about here in Montana-strengthening the image of beef and the beef industry,” she says. “Some of the social issues we are familiar with, such as beef’s impact on the environment and how beef is raised, are attracting more and more consumer interest, and not necessarily in a positive way. This awareness is likely the result of someone directly or indirectly who told them they should be worrying more about where their food comes from.”

This is where the new alliance fits into the picture. “This alliance is a movement that gets farmer and rancher voices heard in a cluttered conversation about food that is largely happening without us right now,” Rich says. “The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance has as its mission the rebuilding of public trust in agriculture. We know that consumers trust individual farmers and ranchers, but they don’t trust agricultural practices and the industry overall.”

Rich will explain the new alliance, what it is, and how producers will benefit from it.

Rich will also touch on some new fresh cuts of beef now available to consumers. “Three fresh beef cuts are now certified to display the coveted heart-check mark on retail cuts, signifying they met the American Heart Association’s criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol,” Rich remarks. “I will talk about these three new fresh cuts of beef.”

As executive director of the Montana Beef Council, Rich’s responsibilities include the collections and compliance aspects of the checkoff as well as coordinating the education, promotion, and research activities for beef and beef products in Montana.

Born and raised on a family ranch, Rich has spent the past 16 years as the director of the Montana Beef Council. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois, a Master of Science degree from Montana State University, and she has completed post graduate work in marketing for organizations at Cornell University, New York.