A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 28, 2003
Grants Awarded To Aid
Farmers With Disabilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. More
than $3.5 million in grants to 24
states for stalling and operating
AgrAbility projects were an-
nounced by Agriculture Secretary
Ann M. Veneman.
AgrAbility educates and assists
farmers with disabilities through
extension programs in collabora
tion with disability service pro
viders.
Since initial funding in 1991,
USDA’s Cooperative State Re
search, Education and Extension
Service (CSREES) has awarded
grants to more than 30 states, re
sulting in on-farm assistance to
more than 10,000 farmers while
educating thousands of profes
sionals on how to accommodate
disabilities in agriculture.
Eligible grant applicants in
clude land grant universities with
Dairy Beef Quality Assurance
Program Announces First Meeting
LOYSVILLE (Perry Co.) The Pennsylvania Beef Council
will conduct a Dairy Beef Quality Assurance (DBQA) training
session on July 15, in Perry County.
The session will be held at Duane Hertzler’s Farm in Loy
sville. It will begin at 10 a.m. with a classroom session followed
by the chute side session. Lunch will be served.
The classroom training is the first part of a two-part program
that enables producers and others to become DBQA certified.
The second part or chute-side session will be held immediately
after lunch. Upon completion of the two-session course, a pro
ducer will become DBQA certified and is eligible for QA ear
tags, a farm sign, and the program reference manual.
More than 800 Pennsylvania producers are certified.
With training and evaluation, extension and industry profes
sionals assist producers in taking the necessary steps to insure
safety and quality of beef. Fort Dodge animal health specialists
will also be on hand to assist with the program and answer ques
tions.
For questions, contact Scott Wright at the Pennsylvania Beef
Council, (717) 939-7000, or Dave Swartz at the Perry County
Extension Office, (717-582-5150).
Forums Lay Foundation
For Cattle Conference
DENVER, Colo. A series of hold their separate board meet
spirited, issues-oriented forums ings on Saturday, July 26.
will highlight this year’s Cattle In addition to the business and
Industry Summer Conference in educational sessions, conference
Dallas, Texas, July 22-26. participants will have an oppor-
More than 1,000 people are ex- tunity to get re-acquainted with
pected to attend the conference, fellow beef producers from across
which features the summer meet- the country in a variety of social
ings of the National Cattlemen’s settings.
Beef Association (NCBA), Cattle- p or more information about
men’s Beef Promotion & Re- the 2003 Cattle Industry Summer
search Board (CBB) and Amen- Conference, contact the NCBA
can National Cattle Women, Inc. Conventions and Meetings De
(ANCW). partment at 303/694-0305
The nine forum ses
sions will address such
topics as country-of
origin labeling, inter
national trade, beef
safety, consumer
friendly beef,
markets/prices and
farm programs. Pre
ceding the sessions,
scheduled for Thurs
day, July 24, Cattle-
Fax representatives
will offer a market
outlook.
In addition to these
sessions, the CBB,
NCBA and ANCW
will hold meetings for
their respective mem
bers, directors and of
ficers during the week
to review current pro
grams of the organiza
tions and discuss plans
for fiscal year 2004,
which begins Oct. 1.
All committee, sub
committee meetings
are slated for Friday,
July 25
CBB members and
NCBA directors will
nonprofit disability organization
partners. The typical award pro
vides $150,000 per year for up to
four years.
Beef Rep Sought
WASHINGTON (Washington
Co.) The Washington County
Cattlemen’s Association is ac
cepting applications for the
2003-2004 beef representative.
Any youth member of the
Washington County Cattlemen’s
Association between the ages of
16-20 may apply. Serving as the
beef representative provides an
excellent opportunity for any
boy or girl interested in promot
ing the beef industry.
Applications are available and
must be submitted by July 1. For
questions, please contact June
Leech at (724) 345-3707.
Web Site Offering Consumers A
Chance To Buy Veal Re-Launched
DENVER, Colo. A Website
for veal has been redesigned to
make it more user-friendly and
easier for consumers to quickly
and conveniently purchase veal
on-line.
Consumers can now go to
www.vealstore.com and find a
variety of veal cuts to fit every
meal occasion.
The site was created with
checkoff dollars and was devel
oped for the Cattlemen’s Beef
Board by the National Cattle
men’s Beef Association. Guid
ance and direction for the project
was provided by the industry’s
Joint Veal Committee.
“We’re excited about the re
launch of vealstore.com, which
should certainly help improve the
ability of consumers across the
country to purchase high quality
veal items,” according to Betty
McCullough, chair of the Joint
Veal Committee.
McCullough, an Ohio veal pro
ducer, pointed out that not all re
tail stores in the country have the
highest selection of veal, and
there are potential veal customers
that will benefit from this service.
She also praised the new easy
navigation for the Website, which
will make it easier for consumers
to use.
Veal producers around the
country are getting behind the re
vamped Website, McCullough
says. For instance, Wisconsin
veal producers had signs made
for cattle feed and delivery trucks
that promote veatstore.com.
Committee Recommends Beef Checkoff Budget
LOUISVILLE, Ky The Beef ministrative budget in fiscal
Promotion Operating Committee 2003.
recently recommended a $50.5 The breakdown of the budget
million beef checkoff budget for recommendation, which must be
fiscal year 2004, including approved by the full Beef Board
$700,000 in unallocated funds and USDA before any funds are
that will be earmarked based on expended, includes the following
any proposals that might be sub- budget elements: promotion
mitted between now and the ($26.5 million); research ($6.1
committee’s meeting in Septem- million); consumer information
ber. ($5.8 million); industry informa-
The budget recommendation
reflects an increase of about 4.3
percent from the $48.4 million
budget for fiscal 2003 not be
cause checkoff revenue increased
but for a combination of other
reasons, such as, revenue is ex
pected to exceed the original pro
jection for the current fiscal year;
the cost of some projects this
year were completed for less than
was approved for expendi
ture; and the Beef Board
will not spend all of its ad-
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This website makes it easy for consumers to pur
chase veal on-line.
“Veal producers have always
stood behind the end product,
and this is just another way to in
crease visibility of the delicious
veal cuts available to the final
consumer,” said Tom Klingbeil, a
Wisconsin veal grower and presi
dent of the Wisconsin Veal
Growers Association. “Consum
ers will find the site valuable, as
well.”
For instance, partners in the
site can provide consumers added
value through special offers. Now
on vealstore.com is an offer from
Lobel’s of New York City, a
major veal retailer, for a $5O
credit on future veal purchases
through the www.lobels.com Web
site.
Additional offers will be avail-
tion ($1.5 million); foreign mar
keting ($5.2 million); producer
communications ($1.9 million);
unallocated program funding
($700,000); evaluation
($210,000); program develop
ment ($110,000); USDA over
sight ($230,000); and administra
tion ($2.25 million). The 2004
fiscal year begins Oct. 1,2003.
“We think that this budget
will give us the best possible re-
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able in the future, McCullough
says.
McCullough also points out
that vealstore.com also highlights
top chefs and their dishes.
“With our national veal public
relations program launched this
spring, it’s a perfect time to be
promoting this site,” she says.
“We will be able to capitalize on
the top chefs and veal dishes fea
tured in both efforts, and maxi
mize interest in veal.”
The www.vealstore.com Web
site is also connected to www.vea
l.org, which provides nutrition in
formation and other facts about
veal.
That site features the “Veal.
Eat Smart. Eat Well.” theme.
turn on our checkoff dollar,” said
Beef Board Chairman Andy
Tucker, a cow-calf producer
from Florida and chairman of
the Operating Committee.
“It will allow us to continue
concentrating on building de
mand for beef and, thus, improv
ing producers’ opportunities for
profit by focusing,on a combina
tion of promotion, research and
information efforts that keep
beef top-of-mind for consumers.
At the same time, it leaves the
door open for some creative new
ideas that may enhance those ef
forts.”
In the coming stages of the fis
cal 2004 budgeting process, the
Beef Board will be asked to ap
prove a budget at its meeting in
Dallas in late July.