Betty Jo Gigot, Editor and Publisher

It doesn’t seem possible but it’s time for the Gypsy Wagon and Happy the Bus Driver to leave for the “gathering” of calves across the country. One of the best parts of my year is meeting the cow-calf people whose calves we will tend for the next 200 or so days, literally showing them greener pastures than they would have at home this time of year. The sophistication of ranchers and their interest in the welfare of their animals exemplifies the quality of people who provide the building blocks for the beef business. Lest we forget, without both the raw material at one end and the customer at the other, there would not be a market or a livelihood for any of us.

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Small communities struggling to attract and develop new industries should look to Hereford, Texas, as an example. By taking advantage of the area’s natural resources, which certainly isn’t scenery, the entire community is on a roll and, as we all know, success begets success. I am in awe of the community’s commitment and expertise and can only hope all of us can enjoy the luxury of small-town living, but with economic growth that fits and enhances our life style.

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My trip to Chicago for the Beef Value Cuts Ag Media Days was a strong reminder of the value of the beef checkoff and the reason all of us fight so hard to retain it. Held by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at the New Product & Culinary Center, the bottom line of the entire exercise was that the new beef value cuts, developed with checkoff funds, have added $50 to the value of every carcass.

The program took time, from the introduction of muscle profiling research in 1999, to 2005 when the resulting new cuts such as Flat Iron and Petite Tender are gaining mainstream retail momentum. But consider the expense and difficulty of making changes in the processing line.

Ann Marie Bosshamer, director of marketing for the Nebraska Beef Council, detailed the process from the research conducted at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln to the day that ABC World News Tonight took the news to the world.

Fast forward to mid-September when it was announced that Kroger, one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, debuted the Flat Iron Steak in 116 Houston-area stores in late July. The beef checkoff program partnered with the Texas Beef Council, Tyson Feeds and Kroger on a major promotional campaign, resulting in a terrific response from customers.

Most won’t miss the seven-blade roast, but the small, tender, inexpensive steaks that can be reclaimed from those muscles will be welcome … to all of us.