Staff from the Arizona Beef Council (ABC) recently attended the annual Partnerships in Action (PIA) conference, October 12-14, to learn about national Beef Checkoff programs and discuss ways those efforts could be expanded in Arizona.   

More than 80 state staff from 30 state beef councils participated in the event, which was held near Denver in the offices of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.   

Topics of discussion over the three days included 2023 program strategy, current consumer trends and preferences, and an overview of upcoming Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. promotions. Attendees also received hands-on training related to advocacy, communications, video and audio content creation and more.   

“This event gives state beef councils the opportunity to share ideas and learn about national programs that can be extended in our state,” said Lauren Maehling, ABC executive director. “We are always looking for new ways to effectively and efficiently reach consumers with information about beef’s nutrition, versatility and taste.”   

The PIA conference is Checkoff-funded and coordinated by the Federation of State Beef Councils, which is supported by, and provides support to, state beef councils across the country including the Arizona Beef Council. The Federation, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023, was established by grassroots producers as a more concerted and focused effort to conduct national beef research and promotion programs.   

For more information about how the Arizona Beef Council is driving the demand for beef, visit www.ArizonaBeef.org.

###

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.

About the Federation of State Beef Councils 

The Federation of State Beef Councils is housed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), which is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 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 retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.