Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, amongst the largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the world, is Northern Arizona University (NAU), a school known for its studies in forestry, education, hotel and restaurant management, applied linguistics, environmental sustainability, engineering, and physical therapy. Another vital program of study NAU is the Master of Public Health: Nutrition, which allows students the opportunity to take a deep dive into nutrition, learn how food affects our lives, and then, eventually, the chance to test and become registered dietitians. This group of students is one to whom others will look for dietary advice. 

The Arizona Beef Council (ABC), with generous funding provided by the Iowa Beef Industry Council, has identified this group of students as future influencers to reach with research and science proving beef is part of a healthful diet. ABC staff hosted eight students and faculty for a tour of a working cattle ranch and presentation focused on beef and how it affects human health. 

The December 8, 2023 tour started at the University of Arizona’s V Bar V Ranch, located south of Flagstaff, with ranch manager Keith Cannon. Tour attendees learned about public land management and rotational grazing practices. Displaying a map of the ranch, students gained perspective of the vast nature of Arizona ranches and how pasture rotation works in this environment. Animal health and welfare were covered in detail, including the lifecycle of cattle on the ranch and how they are cared for during each stage. A walking tour of the cattle working facilities took attendees down the cattle working lanes between pens and into the tub and chute system designed with Dr. Temple Grandin’s principles in mind. Each person walked through the system to understand how cattle are handled. An in-depth question and answer session wrapped up the tour, allowing students to chat with Keith about further concerns they may have had. 

A great lunch from Diablo Burger was waiting for all attendees back at the Northern Arizona University campus. Rochelle Gilman, a registered dietitian with the Iowa Beef Industry Council, gave a talk called “Not Your Father’s Beef,” covering the evolution of beef over the past half a century and producers' response to consumer demands. Rochelle covered many common misconceptions about eating beef and gave correct information that disputes those myths. A common concern is the myth that Americans eat too much beef. MyPlate, the infographic representing the United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommends adults consume 5-6.5 ounces of lean protein daily. On average, Americans consume 1.7 ounces of beef daily (1). A surprising fact shared was that more than half of beef’s fatty acids are monounsaturated (good) fat – the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil. 1/3 of beef’s saturated fatty acid is stearic acid, a neutral fat that does not raise cholesterol levels, and 10% or less of saturated fat and total fat in the American diet comes from beef (2).

Each participant was asked to complete a pre and post-tour survey to gauge the effectiveness of the tour in sharing scientific research about cattle production and beef with attendees. This group of students tends toward skepticism of the beef industry, and this group was no different when filling out the pre-tour survey. 

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest perception of beef, 90% of survey responses fell into the 2 and 3 categories. When asked the same question on the post-tour survey, the responses shifted, with 50% showing they perceived beef in the 4 bucket, a significant increase in the more positive categories. 

When asked how often participants will recommend eating beef to clients, patients, friends, and family, the pre-tour survey showed a resounding 80% would recommend beef less often than other proteins, and only 20% would recommend beef as often as other proteins. After hearing from experts during the tour, attendees were asked to think about what they had learned and answer the same question on the post-tour survey. The less often category dropped a steep 30%, and the recommendation of eating beef as often as other proteins jumped to 50%. 

Open-ended questions are essential to the surveys, with questions like, what participants will remember about their experiences on the tour, both at the ranch and in the presentation? One tour attendee shared, “Cattle seemed to be very humanely raised on family-owned and run cattle ranches.” Another said, “That the marbled fat within beef has monounsaturated fat.” Yet another remarked on how much passion, hard work, and dedication goes into raising cattle. 

Without the generous support of the Iowa Beef Industry Council, this valuable Gate to Plate tour wouldn’t be possible, and it would mean missing a chance to build relationships with a significant group of future nutrition professionals. Arizona Beef Council board and staff are proud to continue these events and look forward to next year’s tour! 

(1) Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2015. Zanovec M, et al. Lean beef contributes significant amounts of key nutrients to the diets of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999- 2004. Nutr Res 2010;30:375-81. 

(2) Source: Hunter JE, Zhang J, Kris-Etherton PM. Cardiovascular disease risk of dietary stearic acid compared with trans, other saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91(1):46-63. Based on 3-ounce cooked serving, composite of trimmed retail cuts, all grades, 0” trim, separable lean only. USDA, ARS, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28. Version Current: September 2015. Zanovec M, et al. Lean beef contributes significant amounts of key nutrients to the diets of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. Nutr Res 2010;30:375-81  

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. For more information, visit BeefBoard.org.             

About the Arizona Beef Council           

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

About the Iowa Beef Industry Council     

The Iowa Beef Industry Council is funded by the $1-per-head national Beef Checkoff Program and the $0.50-per-head Iowa State Beef Checkoff. Checkoff dollars are invested in beef promotion, consumer information, research, industry information and foreign market development, all with the purpose of strengthening beef demand. For more information, visit iabeef.org.