Registered dietitians are committed to the health and wellness of the clients they serve and are integral to helping our population stay healthy. Their dedication to learning the most current nutrition information is impressive, and the Arizona Beef Council is proud to be a part of that continued education by annually hosting Gate to Plate tours, with grant funds and support from the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC). 

This year, the dietetic interns, those who are in a program to become registered dietitians from the University of Arizona, joined us for not one but two days of tours and learning. The first tour took the interns to two stops, the first being Santa Rita Ranch with Drew and Micaela McGibbon. This tour allowed the students to learn how cattle are raised in the first stage of life. Drew and Micaela shared all aspects of their ranch, from the importance of proper vaccinations to how they use, care for, and conserve the land. The next stop on tour was the University of Arizona Food Product and Safety Lab with Dr. Sam Garcia. Students toured the facility and learned about the research conducted there, food safety protocols, and the stages of the harvesting process. 

The students were asked to complete a pre-tour survey which was then compared to a post-tour survey. Before the tour, when participants were asked how often they would recommend eating beef to patients, 66.7% said they would recommend eating beef less often than other proteins like chicken, fish, or plant-based proteins. After the tour, that number dropped to 22.2%, and 77.8% said they would recommend eating beef as often as other protein sources. When asked what participants will remember about how cattle are raised after their experience, one person said, "I learned that raising cattle has a low environmental impact and that farmers and ranchers treat cattle humanely." 

The second tour was experienced virtually, visiting Pinal Feeding Co. with assistant feed yard manager Rebecca Laemmel. Rebecca shared animal care, the steps taken to ensure their lowest impact on the environment, the upcycling capabilities of cattle, and how the feed yard uses that to lower the overall carbon footprint of raising cattle. This tour was followed by a beef nutrition presentation by Riley Peterson, RD, of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. This tour’s post-tour survey asked participants what they will remember about beef and nutrition and one shared, "I'll remember how beef promotes health and prevents nutrient inadequacies, as well as the unique role cattle play in our food chain by upcycling inedible plants into high-quality protein." 

After tours were completed, participants were invited to compete in a recipe demo video contest in which they chose a beef recipe from www.BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com. They were asked to use the information they had learned throughout the tours and clearly communicate the importance of nutritious, balanced diets using their own messaging while preparing the recipe. Entries were judged on clear and concise sharing of accurate information while demonstrating a nutritious recipe along with creativity. The video submissions were creative and showcased the students’ zeal for teaching nutrition. 

These tours reach future nutrition professionals whose careers will have a large sphere of influence over others' dietary choices. Beef and beef's nutrition is often a tiny part of nutrition curriculum, so the Arizona Beef Council and the Iowa Beef Industry Council, find these tours necessary and a wise investment of our Beef Checkoff dollars to ensure accurate beef information is presented to registered dietitians and shared with those they reach. The University of Arizona dietetic intern program continues to be a great partner in these goals, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

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 About the Beef Checkoff Program     

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA Approval.       

About the Arizona Beef Council    

The Arizona Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors representing cattle growers, cattle feeders, and dairy farmers, and are appointed by the Governor of Arizona. These volunteers oversee Arizona’s beef checkoff and checkoff-funded programs.