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Tag: CAB News

Breeding for the brand

New thresholds, familiar program guide bull buyers

By: Miranda Reiman

“Just because.”

It’s rare that anything great happens just because.

Sure, there are instances where a nonchalant approach turns out better than expected, but more often it’s a goal—a lofty aspiration, with progress along the way.

The Targeting the BrandTM program helps commercial cattlemen find bulls that will incrementally improve their carcass quality, and their ability to hit the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand specifications.

For those who keep a scorecard, it helps them win.

“If a bull buyer wants a calf crop that has a greater chance of making CAB, it helps him identify the genetics that will help him do that,” says John Grimes, owner of Maplecrest Farms and CAB board chair. “The trait that sorts cattle out of CAB quicker than anything is lack of marbling.”

Flipping through a salebook or semen catalog, the Targeting the Brand logo shows up on bulls that excel in marbling (Marb) expected progeny difference (EPD) and the Grid Dollar Value Index, or “dollar G” ($G).

That’s been its purpose since 2017.

“It’s important to let people know which bulls meet the criteria that CAB is looking for,” says John Teixeira, of Teixeira Cattle Company. “There’s no premium for Select, there’s less premium than there used to be for Choice, but more for CAB and Prime. We’ve got to allow these bull customers to have the opportunities to know these might bring them a premium.”

His family’s ranches in California and Oregon have used the mark to identify bulls the past three years. Those who retain ownership will reap the benefit directly, he says, while those who sell at weaning can count on buyers putting more stock in that as time goes on.

The Teixeira sales were two of more than 130 that used the logo during the 2019-2020 sale season—that number up 76% in two years—to identify more than 6,500 Angus bulls with a likelihood of siring brand qualifiers.

Breeders who took advantage of the Targeting the Brand designation did it as a service to their customers, as a marketing avenue to showcase the quality in their offerings and as a way to elevate the importance of meeting consumer demand, says Kara Lee, CAB production brand manager.

“We have tremendous tools available to registered breeders through the Association, and they all serve a purpose, but we also know digesting all that information can be a challenge for the average commercial producer,” Lee says. “Targeting the Brand is a way to help those looking to keep a focus on carcass quality.”

Teixeira wants his genetics to build cow herds, maintain moderate growth and increase marbling.

“Our bull customers get so much information that it’s easy to be overwhelmed. When you put this label on there, it’s an easy way for them to identify, ‘Hey, I don’t have to know what their parameters are, but I know this bull meets them,” Teixeira says. “We do a lot with our eyes and it’s a quick visual that says, ‘Hey, this bull is in the world that I need.”

Beyond 35%

The CAB acceptance rate for the 2019 fiscal year averaged 35% of all Angus-type cattle. The CAB team is driving toward 50%, Lee says, as they push to meet consumer demand for quality and hit two billion pounds of sales in the next decade.

“If everyone wants to get a piece of the pie, we have to keep making the pie bigger,” Lee says. “That’s a cliché that a lot of people use, but the bigger the CAB pie becomes, the more room for commercial producers to capitalize on the value of buying high-quality registered Angus bulls.”

The better the ability to build bull-sale demand, the better the pull-through model works.

“The one-billion-pound mark seemed unachievable not too long ago. What can we do to keep that growth curve going up?” Grimes asks. “Breeders have done a great job of increasing the percent of cattle that qualify for CAB, but to get to that lofty goal of two billion pounds? We’ve got to do better.”

How do we get there?

One goal: encouraging more use of the Targeting the Brand logo within the seedstock sector, and communicating with their customers how to use it, Lee says.

Another step is updating the calculations behind the logo requirements. Until now, the standards were based on bulls at breed average or better for both Marb and $G.

“If we could keep moving average higher, that was a step in the right direction, and we based that on the best information we had available,” Lee says.

But actual carcass data provided a real-world, high-volume case study.

“We feel a sincere need to continue to encourage breeders to turn in phenotypes, because the numbers are only as good as the phenotype they’re based on,” Lee says.

That proved true when an Angus Genetics Inc. analysis of 8,600 sire-identified carcass records found the combined Marb and $G threshold most likely to produce CAB from at least half of a calf crop. As of the May 29 EPD update, the requirements for Targeting the Brand are now +0.65 for Marb and +55 for $G.

That is slightly higher than the previous breed average threshold, so one in four non-parent Angus bulls now qualifies for the designation. Those numbers will be evaluated every two years, and adjusted based on the most current information.

A place to start

“These are just minimums,” Lee says. Producers who already get 50% or higher CAB acceptance rates should aim higher.

“We know marbling is highly heritable. We know that genetics impact roughly 40% of the marbling potential in those cattle; but that said, there’s another 60% not explained by genetics,” Lee says. When environment plays a role, high-quality management has to match to get intended results. “The Targeting the Brand logo is not a guarantee that progeny from any animal will hit CAB. It’s an indication that the genetic potential is higher with that animal.”

And the sire is only half the equation.

“There are some people out there who will say, ‘All Angus grade high,’ or, ‘The average Angus is good enough,’” Grimes says. “But we don’t feel like average is good enough. The database says we have to up our game.”

Don’t mistake that for a marbling-only message though.

“These numbers give producers a lot of latitude to place emphasis on carcass but still select for other traits that we know are really important,” Lee says. “We always discourage producers from single-trait selection.”

History shows progress can be made on multiple fronts at the same time, Grimes says.

“People used to think we couldn’t have calving ease and high growth, and breeders have shown that they can do that. So it’s not realistic to think we can’t do the same with elite carcass merit and maternal function,” he says.

But multi-trait, focused selection doesn’t happen “just because.”

It happens every time a breeder gives it attention and helps their customers do the same.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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Targeting excellence

Targeting excellence

by | Oct 4, 2021

First-generation seedstock producers Kevin and Lydia Yon, along with their children, Drake, Sally, and Corbin, have been continuously improving their farm since they drove the first fence posts on what was a 100-acre abandoned peach orchard in 1996. 

One tour at a time

One tour at a time

by | Sep 22, 2021

Telling their story to the cattle curious was awkward at first for John and Gaye Pfeiffer. Now, they look forward to hosting hundreds of people every year, sharing everything about the beef cattle life cycle and why they choose Angus cattle on their central Oklahoma farm. Their dedication to teaching and connecting with those further down the supply chain earned them the 2021 CAB Ambassador Award.

Targeting excellence in all they do

Targeting excellence in all they do

by | Sep 22, 2021

Establishing a world-class seedstock operation in the Southeast didn’t happen overnight, and the family humbly insists they’re no different than many others. Indeed, their vision, use of technologies, and dedication to deliberate improvement make them unique.

Certified Angus Beef ® launches new consumer loyalty program

By: Nicole Lane Erceg

Ford or Chevy? Red or Green? Mac or PC?

These questions inspire fierce debates and passionate conversations, as the brands we trust most tend to do. You buy it because you always have, because your Dad did or because they treat you right. It’s not just a product, it’s a relationship.

Deep consumer loyalty was something only legacy brands were able to earn as brands spanned generations. In the digital age, consumers now become deeply passionate about brands at a much faster pace.

It’s the card that’s always in your wallet, the only marketing emails that go undeleted and the coffee mugs, t-shirts and stickers that confirm pride in a brand you don’t own, but personally identify with.

As more companies work to deepen the understanding of their shoppers and keep them coming back, reward programs have popped up in retail stores and coffee shops, both online and on the street.

Americans love these—80% of adults in the U.S. belong to a loyalty program based on a Synchrony Financial poll—and U.S. consumers hold 3.8 billion loyalty memberships, averaging 8 per household.

So could this model work to help drive beef demand?

The Certified Angus Beef ® brand thinks so. The brand just launched Steakholder Rewards™, offering members exclusive VIP experiences like a chef to help plan a holiday dinner, or a trip to visit a ranch and access to exclusive merchandise.

“Research shows that consumers are willing to pay more for our brand and drive farther to businesses offering it,” says Tracey Erickson, vice president of marketing. “This is a fun way to engage our loyal fans and make them feel an even bigger part of our brand, from family farmers and ranchers to their tables.”

Loyalty programs such as Steakholder Rewards make consumers more likely to do business and feel more satisfaction with a brand, according to MaCorr Research. About 86% of shoppers using the programs say they shop more with those brands and 71% are more likely to say good things about brands with good loyalty programs.

“Each person’s experience and rewards will be based on their individual tastes and preferences,” Erickson explains. “Members can choose to make the experience more personal by sharing information about their beef and shopping preferences, as well as dates for celebrations, such as birthdays and anniversaries.”

It’s easy and free to register at rewards.CertifiedAngusBeef.com. Participants earn and track points for activities like referring a friend, sharing recipes, watching videos, answering surveys or just following the brand on social media. Those points are like currency, to be redeemed for rewards.

Members can also earn 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases of brand products from participating grocery stores. Program members simply upload receipts to their loyalty account.

The program creates a more intimate brand relationship with consumers who are already brand fans, driving them to purchase the brand more often.

“Consumer expectations are expanding,” says John Stika, president of the brand. “As we work to drive demand for registered Angus cattle, this is just another step in adding value on top of the premium product cattlemen work to produce. It’s an added incentive for our consumers to purchase the brand more often, but also to learn more about who we are and become loyal and vocal advocates for our brand.”

It’s not just for traditional consumers. Stika invites cattlemen to become Steakholders and earn rewards, too.

“It’s exciting to be able to offer this extended digital experience to our consumers and we look forward to the value it will add for the brand and breeders who make it possible,” Stika says.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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Future Focused Business

Future Focused Business

by | Sep 18, 2023

Pilot partners in CAB’s Ranch to Table program, these North Dakota ranch families took some of the market volatility into their own hands in April 2022. Their leap of faith provides high-quality beef options for their communities and diversifies their income. Now they sell their finished cattle, as well as those of their customers, through Dakota Angus, a direct-to-consumer beef business.

Building Bonds

Building Bonds

by | Sep 18, 2023

A dozen members of the Meijer communications team arrived to experience, first hand, how the beef they sell in their stores is raised. They touched and felt and tasted and smelled every aspect of the cattle business from the delicious flavor of Certified Angus Beef ® ribeyes to the slippery sensation of you-know-what on their shoes. Questions of every nature were asked and answered by true cattlemen and champions for CAB, Bruce, Scott and Andrew Foster.

Breaking the ‘IF’ question

Certified Angus Beef’s path to 2 billion pounds in sales

By: Abbie Burnett

“If” is a big word. “If” can be daunting. “If” was used at the turn of the century in planning at the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand.

“If we reach a billion pounds.”

If became obsolete in 2016, when the brand reached that milestone two years before its 40th anniversary and four years before its targeted goal.

The next question seemed unfathomable: “Will we reach 2 billion pounds?” There are no “ifs” anymore. It’s all about when. But can the industry respond?

“Yes,” says Mark McCully, longtime CAB vice president of production and current CEO of the American Angus Association. “It’s not a matter of arrogance. It’s a matter of confidence in Angus producers, what we’ve learned about demand, the growing equity in the brand and about this premium beef marketplace.”

Amazed at the industry response that led to the billion-pound level, McCully admits being a “huge skeptic” 20 years ago. However, given the rapid rise in beef quality in the last 10 years, producing and marketing 2 billion pounds of CAB product doesn’t seem that far away. The brand projects crossing that threshold by 2030.

“Oh, I’d say you’d hit it before then,” CattleFax Vice President of Industry Relations and Analysis Kevin Good ventures, citing projected cattle numbers, increased cattle weights and continued improvements in genetics.

The Key

The obvious place to search for supply is through cattle numbers. Currently, Good says, the industry is in an extended expansion (sixth year) in the cattle cycle. If that peaks next year, history suggests the next decade will feature declining cattle inventory.

“We know brand supply has benefitted from the most recent herd rebuilding,” McCully says, “but that’s not necessarily going to be the case for the next five to eight years as we head into this cycle downturn.”

Good allows that, although this expansion phase of the cycle is “a little long in the tooth,” it could continue for another year or so before making that downturn. “Only Mother Nature and prices will determine that.”

That comment recalls the prolonged 16-of-18-year liquidation phase from 1996 to 2013 related to severe drought. But unlike those cycle years, the country is as clear of drought conditions as ever and prices are holding historically strong, the CattleFax analyst says.

The downfall? The opposite of drought has delayed corn planting across a wide area, but it’s too soon to predict a short- or long-term effect.

“Right now,” Good says, “corn prices are going higher and typically, when corn prices have gone higher, calf prices are going lower.”

Assuming these weather issues are short term, McCully projects fed cattle supplies will peak at 26.8 million head and then decline by a couple million to the cycle bottom. At that peak, however, there should be 8 million certified head – the magic number to reach 2 billion pounds.

In the brand’s early days, supply was increased by simply licensing another packer, McCully notes. Today, 85% of North American packing capacity is licensed and expected to remain steady at that level. So where will the cattle come from?

The answer lies in two key points: Angus influence and an increased CAB brand acceptance rate.

The Angus influence has grown steadily in the last 20 years. In the 1990s, about a third of the herd was black hided versus roughly two-thirds today.

“I don’t see reaching too much Angus influence,” Good says, “but it all depends on what kind of Angus you’re talking about. Just like with other breeds, it all comes down to quality.”

Avoiding the too-much scenario means staying in the “sweet spot” between great quality grades and demand for premium beef. Good points to a strong correlation over the last 15 years between Angus genetics and better quality beef.

“Keep that on track and add a bit more muscle and there’s nothing to worry about,” he says.

Surveys show Angus influence in the North American cow herd has grown by a percentage point each year for decades, McCully says. But cattle are fit to their environments and in some regions that means crossing with Brahman or bos indicus not eligible for CAB evaluation.

“Even though we’ll see an increase in Angus type, it’s not enough to offset what we predict for a drop in cattle inventories,” he says. That could mean fewer head identified as brand eligible even with Angus influence at an all-time high.

The solution: increase the rate of brand acceptance, and that’s already happening.

“Quality and consistency equals better demand,” Good says. “The better product we have as an industry, the more we improve overall demand… you’ve got ample supplies going forward as far as more cattle qualifying.”

McCully and Good say they see the quality and consistency coming from seedstock operations across the country. Their access to better genetic tools have helped shorten the time it takes to see which cows and bulls produce the kind of calf that qualifies for the brand.

Their focus still includes selection for marbling, McCully says, and those genetics are going to be out in the commercial population in the next three to six years.

“There’s nothing that indicates a handful of years from now we’re going to see anything other than a continuation of high-marbling potential in genetics,” he says, “especially after another generation of selection pressure.”

The Demand

Beyond quality and head counts, there’s another variable in play. As brand sales keep growing and supplies become tighter, the carcass utilization (pounds sold from each) will rise. It’s been a struggle in recent years of rapidly increasing supply to maintain high carcass utilization, but McCully says demand will take care of this in the future.

“Demand has kept pace with supply, and we have every reason to believe that will continue,” he says. “Access to more product has helped us grow demand in a significant way over the past five to 10 years, and we think that will be the case in the future. When we have more supply, it allows us new customers. We can access new markets.”

That should keep up the premium value spread between CAB and Choice beef.

McCully sites demand coming from a 31.2% increase in CAB brand Prime sales as well as brand growth in international sales, domestic foodservice and retail businesses.

All of that points to sales of more than 2 billion pounds of the brand by 2030 or sooner.

Not there yet

McCully admits no one has a perfect crystal ball, “but it’s fun to think about what it could look like.”

Just as weather affected the last long cattle cycle, a severe winter followed by severe flooding and a wet spring in the Midwest affect the heart of cattle and corn country.

Other genetic trends could take hold, too, but it’s nothing that the Angus industry needs to worry about immediately.

It took almost 40 years for CAB to reach a billion pounds, but now 2 billion could be less than a decade away.

“Every indication is that when we produce 2 billion pounds, there will be healthy demand and consistent premiums paid for it,” McCully says. It’s up to each producer to decide if they will be part of that supply chain.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

by | Nov 8, 2023

As drought conditions persist across much of cattle country, farmers and ranchers are at a pivotal juncture in the cattle industry’s landscape. What impact does this prolonged dry spell have on the nation’s herd numbers? When will heifer retention begin? How will industry dynamics influence the spring bull sale season?

CAB Brand Sales Third Best in 45-Year History

CAB Brand Sales Third Best in 45-Year History

by | Oct 25, 2023

In this CAB Insider,shifting market dynamics have already marked trend changes in the 2023 cattle and beef markets. These shifts are most succinctly summarized through two factors, fewer cattle and higher prices, that will further entrench themselves in near term trends.

Retailers in cattle country

A brand to hang their hat on

By: Natalie Jones

Mick Varilek doesn’t do much of the grocery shopping for his household, but one day he heard a radio ad that sent him straight to his closest retail store.

The magic keywords? “Now selling Certified Angus Beef ®.”

At first the Geddes, S.D., cattlemen thought it was too good to be true. The meat department hadn’t yet been branded with case dividers or signage, so he almost doubted if the product was indeed the brand he and every American Angus Association® member across the country owns.

So Varilek checked into it, and was pleased to learn the partnership was in its early stages.

Now the cattlemen can drive a half hour to Platte Food Center in Platte, S.D., or go the other direction in the same time to Buche Foods in Wagner, S.D. Either way, he’ll find a meat case full of the product his bulls help create. And the marketing materials quickly caught up, so his neighbors are now well aware that it is the CAB® brand.

“I mean it’s recognized now in my backyard,” he says. “Even though we produce a lot of it in our part of the world, it really wasn’t heard much about until the last year or so.”

An expanding sales map

Doubling CAB brand supplies in little more than a decade, cattlemen responded to demand from the big cities. Many, like Varilek, saw the brand selling in 50 other countries long before local family and friends could buy it in their own communities. But that’s changing.

In the last few years, CAB has licensed more than 100 grocery stores in rural Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. Those brand partners have much in common with the families that supply their beef, including passion and roots that run deep.

Lou’s Thrifty Way, 48 years in Norfolk, Neb., just joined as a CAB partner in 2018. A year later it stood out for months as the largest independent retailer for the brand on the planet.

To the northwest, Buche Foods signed up in late 2018 with its 115-year family legacy and five locations in the heart of ranch country.

That was partly because of common membership in Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) a distributor cooperative with Lou’s and with White’s Foodliner, a 67-year-old Kansas family business and CAB partner since 2016 in its five locations across the western half of the state.

Another commonality: They sell beef in communities where more than a few customers could stock their deep freeze from their own herds.

How they sell beef in ranch country stems from who they are.

Lou’s Thrifty Way

Founded by Lou Brtek in 1972, Lou’s Thrifty Way serves a large and still-growing base of shoppers at its 20,000-square-foot store on the west side of Norfolk in the Elkhorn River Valley.

It’s always sold a high volume of beef in “The Beef State,” but offering the CAB brand with its 95% consumer recognition made a big difference. The bustling town of 25,000 is home to competition from three major grocery chains.

Lou’s son Mike grew up watching his dad and learning how to run the store. After graduating from Creighton University in 1986, it was back to work for a couple of decades until he and wife Nancy bought the store in 2010. They operate it with the help of their second-born son Nathan, the third generation building the tradition.

Mike Brtek first heard about CAB at an AWG food show in Omaha. At the time, a competitor was winning price wars with lower quality beef of the commodity brand they both sold.

“People didn’t perceive the change in quality so much, mostly just that our beef was $2 a pound more,” Brtek recalls. Brands mean a lot to Lou’s, but it always comes back to quality.

“The CAB brand fit right in with my philosophy at the store and the quality, so that’s when we switched,” he says. Worldwide sales records suggest it was the right decision; local customers are willing to pay more for the consistent quality. “And everybody in the community knows their Angus producing friends and neighbors are raising those animals.”

Hamburger and ribeye are favorites, but the store runs weekly features and sales, still growing the volume sold.

“Being No. 1 in the world just shows that our customers love everything,” Brtek says. “And they buy a lot of it.” Among the more popular special cuts are a 20-oz. steak called “Lou’s Lunker,” along with a bone-in tomahawk and the traditional T-bone.

Brtek promotes the brand on a big electronic billboard on busy 13th Street (U.S. 81), not far from his business on the same north-south route.

Once inside the store, the meat case boasts all of the CAB case dividers and rail strips as well as TV monitors constantly sharing videos about the brand with cooking and serving ideas.

Lou’s highlights that it is the only full-service grocery store in northeast Nebraska. That includes meat cut to specification, staff who bag and carry groceries to the car and an extensive delivery service with four vehicles serving 120 homes each week in a 15-mile radius. One of those sports an eye-catching Certified Angus Beef logo, and everyone for miles around knows its home base.

Brtek gives back to his town and stays involved in the larger beef community, even buying the grand champion heifer at the local Beef Expo in Norfolk.

Lou’s meat counter features the personal touch, from Brtek shaking hands with customer-friends, to the four cutters and two meat wrappers working to minimize waiting.

“The guys behind the meat counter also know our customers by name, and they’re trusted advisers on marbling and various cuts,” Brtek says. “I think of my customers and employees as family. I care about my employees, I care about my customers.”

White’s Foodliner

Retailers in cattle country try to keep pace with the variety, quality, pricing, mobile technology, big data and services of commerce giants like Amazon by localizing all those strategies successfully.

Kingman, Kan., 50 miles west of Wichita, is headquarters for White’s Foodliner and third-generation grocer Jordan White. The rural chain spans western Kansas with five locations, but the company’s roots go back to the first store White’s grandparents Joe and Frances purchased in Coldwater, Kan., in 1953.

The stores always carried USDA Choice, but when presented with the CAB brand in October 2016, the whole management team knew: “We wanted to have the best beef we could offer our customers, and it was the best line hands down,” White says.

Times are tough in rural America and the biggest challenges facing retailers are remaining consistent or better while evolving to compete in the marketplace.

Retailers battle with price/value decisions daily. White’s Foodliner keeps choosing the CAB brand’s quality—even if it does come at little bit higher price—and so do the customers.

Social media marketing and a customized app for mobile phones anchor the company’s advertising connection. The app is a loyalty platform with more than 14,000 customers viewing ads monthly, then utilizing rewards and digital coupons.

Marketing specialists with the Certified Angus Beef brand helped tailor mobile advertising for prime rib through the app during the holidays, resulting in sales six times greater than the 2018 Christmas weeks with no app.

“I think the advantages of our marketing is, we’re young, we’re open, we’re students of the business. We’re trying to learn things as we go and we’re adaptive,” White says.

He knows virtually all American consumers have their phones with them 24/7, which is why the app has been such a major part of success for his company and CAB.

In-store customers also see plenty of CAB flair. Every package in the meat case has a branded sticker, divider and full-on marketing materials. Shoppers recognize the brand, and White says they notice its quality with confidence.

As a grocer, White says the best thing about CAB is the consistency. 

“If you buy a ribeye from me you’re getting a Choice CAB every time. That’s important. There’s no swings up and down (such as lower Choice).”

All of White’s Foodliner locations are in cattle country, typically in communities of 3,000 and at least 30 miles from any major city.

Buche Foods

Cattle raising families instill passion and dedication in their young from an early age. That tradition holds true for the Buche family, based in Wagner, S.D.

GF Buche Company fourth-generation president RF Buche goes by initials, in keeping with the business name his great-grandfather Gus established in 1905 at nearby Lake Andes, S.D.

Young RF loved to go to the store with his father (Robert F. Buche, Jr.). At the age of four, he snuck out of the house and walked two miles in a blizzard, just to be with his dad. RF hasn’t been able to keep himself out of the grocery store ever since.

It wasn’t until about a year ago that Buche Foods started carrying CAB, after discussions with AWG and other founding members of that brand partner distributor.

Buche admits to some skepticism at first, mainly due to the higher price point than competition.

But good news travels fast—Varelik is proof—and customer buying choices soon affirmed the decision because they can count on the product.

“If you give it to the people to try, I just think that that makes all the difference in the world,” Buche says after the first year.

Customers regularly get CAB samples and observe in-store cooking demos as a kind of live-experience advertising. Last fall the retailer began giving a free steak or roast to customers who have never tried CAB.

Buche identifies those customers through an interactive app where shoppers share profiles and purchasing habits. Feedback from the app lets Buche Foods change its marketing approach and better communicate with customers.

“It was really easy for us to go in and market CAB and hang our hat on it,” Buche says.

Full circle

Kurt Brockhaus, executive account manager for the brand, covers seven states from Missouri to the Dakotas and works with distributors to bring beef to rural retailers.

“These top retail partners are in the heart of cattle country. Their managers and staff know how hard the ranchers work to hit our marks and get cattle accepted into the CAB brand,” he says. “The numbers are growing and it’s exciting to watch what they’re doing.”

Varilek is not only happy his community can buy the brand, he’s an engaged customer himself.

The cattleman used to drive 130 miles to Sioux Falls, S.D., to get beef for his bull sale. This year, he went to the meat manager he knows by name and got his top sirloin. Varilek told customers what they were eating is now available locally and it’s what his family orients their herd toward. It’s what he wants to help his customers produce.

It’s a full circle.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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Looking Ahead: Tomorrow’s Leaders

by | Sep 29, 2023

There are three ways CAB promotes leadership and growth for the next generation within the beef industry. Internships, events and scholarships can help invest in the next generation who are the future ranchers, chefs, and beef industry professionals.

Michigan Angus Family Earns Ambassador Award

Michigan Angus Family Earns Ambassador Award

by | Sep 25, 2023

Seldom Rest Farms in Michigan, known for show-ring success, receives the CAB 2023 Ambassador Award for sharing their beef production story with Meijer grocery communications team and other CAB partners. The Foster family shares their passion for Angus cattle while fostering connections within the beef supply chain and promoting the Angus breed and CAB’s role in the industry.

North Dakota Partnership Earns CAB Progressive Partner Award

North Dakota Partnership Earns CAB Progressive Partner Award

by | Sep 25, 2023

The Bruner and Wendel families earned the 2023 CAB Progressive Partner award by selling high-quality beef through Dakota Angus, LLC, as part of the CAB Ranch To Table program. They focus on their commitment to quality, data-driven decisions, achieve impressive CAB and Prime percentages and offer high-quality beef directly to consumers in their communities.

A shared goal

CAB annual conference brings segments together

By: Miranda Reiman

There’s often a shared understanding among cattlemen. In a career that comes with some of the highest highs and the lowest lows, you need only breathe a word of a specific tragedy or triumph and others just know.

But conveying that to a ballroom filled with 700 people from packer to processor, retailer to restaurateur? That takes building on common ground.

It’s an important role producers had at the 2019 Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand’s annual conference in Asheville, N.C., in September.

“This conference has evolved over the years into a meaningful annual gathering,” said CAB President John Stika. “Special because it literally brings together an entire community of people from farm to plate, each one of us necessary to deliver this brand to the tables of consumers around the world.”

In between motivational speakers like former Blue Angels pilot John Foley and important sales-marketing inspirations, producers took to the stage to share some humanity from cattle country.

Kansas Angus breeders Chris and Sharee Sankey and Neal and Marya Haverkamp represented the “Brand the Barn” campaign in a live interview.

The Sankeys grew up in the Angus business. Married the year the brand began, their son and daughter were raised in “the Angus family,” Sharee said.

A big part of that was the show ring, which Chris said is to the cattle business “a bit like NASCAR is to the auto business.” He added, “We all like to compete at something.” 

It’s part ad campaign, part showing off “the latest prototype.”

Neal shared the many uses of their barn, from processing cattle, to calving and even office work. He said they’re excited to showcase the logo on it because of what CAB means to them.

“It’s important because first of all, it gets us a premium for our cattle, but it builds demand for our bulls along the way. And that’s the focus for our operation,” Neal said.

 He started his herd in high school, but when Marya entered the picture, she shared his dream. Watching her husband do what she knows he’s meant to do?

 “It’s overwhelming,” she said, before adding some levity. “Now don’t get me wrong—on the days we work cattle, I have to remind myself I love him, even though I don’t really like him right now. But my heart is full when I see him helping the kids and it’s full circle.”

The session brought to life pages from the new book, “Sheltering Generations: The American Barn,” set for a December release. The coffee-table tome is full of photos and stories of the families who own 40 barns painted with the CAB logo in 2017 and 2018. Every penny from book sales will go to support a new Rural Relief Fund that lets CAB contribute to organized efforts during times of natural disasters such as floods or wildfires.

South Dakota cattleman Troy Hadrick shared a slice of what it’s like to literally weather a storm, describing this April’s devastating blizzard on his Faulkton, S.D., ranch.

Videos and pictures on the main screen showed the conditions, while Hadrick conveyed the heartache.

“You’ve got this unwritten, unspoken contract with your cows that you’ll take care of them and they in turn take care of you. We didn’t save them all, but we did the best we could,” Hadrick said.

During the storm, his wife Stacy and their three kids were all working together to save calves, digging their way over to the calving pasture and back home, riding in the bucket of the tractor looking for babies to bring inside. After going through the night, they took a quick reprieve to warm up, and Hadrick told the kids to get something to eat.

“Whatever you want, you want ice cream for breakfast? I don’t care. Find a candy bar, eat it. You just, you got to get something in you,” he recalls. That’s when Hadrick looked over and saw his daughter, head in her hands, sobbing. “We had just pushed her a little too hard. She was kind of emotionally and physically exhausted.

“That was tough for a dad to see,” he said.

People could feel the sentiment, many were moved to tears. 

But it wasn’t just about showing who ranchers are, it was about explaining what they do.

During a sustainability session, panelists put a face on how the production sector is improving animal care and environments. James Henderson, Bradley 3 Ranch; Tom Jones, Hy-Plains Feed Yard; Chris Ulrich, Ulrich Farms; and Sara Place, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, each shared examples ranging from experience in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to feeding cattle in western Kansas.

Henderson said they hit a turning point when a range specialist visited their Childress, Texas, ranch in 1995.

“At the end of the day, he made a comment that cut to the bone,” Henderson recalled. “He said, ‘This is the most under-stocked, overgrazed ranch I’ve ever been on.’ That’s not what you want to hear as a rancher.”

They made a 20-year plan, where they developed water, implemented aggressive brush control and planted native forage. Increased carrying capacity shows it’s working.

Ulrich had his own stories of fencing out creek beds and introducing contour strips on his Pennsylvania farm ground. Jones described collaborative work at his feedyard’s education and research center, and building up the next generation through internships.

Place put the numbers and media hype in perspective.

“In 2018, it took 36% fewer cattle to make the same amount of beef as we did in the 1970s,” she said. “Those are huge reductions in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, the amount of natural resources, everything else it takes to make it a really high-quality product.”

The panel took questions from the audience, addressing the ideas of eating local, land use for beef production and even cow farts.

“It all comes up the front end of the animal,” Place said. “The gas that gets produced is methane gas and methane is a greenhouse gas…” but it’s a compound that is easily broken down in 10 to 12 years. And with a fairly consistent number of cows in production over that timeframe, the beef industry isn’t increasing those emissions.

“It’s kind of like the idea of a bathtub. You’ve got a single water level. If you get water coming in and going out at the same rate, the level is going to stay constant,” she said.

There were more questions than time to answer, but the entire conference encouraged one-on-one interaction among people from different parts of the beef business. Conversations continued in the hallways and during shared meals.

CAB recognized leaders in packing, retail, foodservice, value-added processor and production with annual awards. They announced new programs, such as Steakholder Rewards—a new consumer-brand-loyalty program—and Meat Speak, a podcast showcasing culinary expertise. Marketing staff gave updates on major initiatives and the sales team equipped people selling the brand with more tools and tactics for success.

“I really believe this brand was the lead that changed what was going on in our market,” said Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO, during his market update. “Somebody had to say we are not going to be an ingredient. We have a story to tell.”

Since 1998, consumer spending on beef has increased by $62 billion, more than the increase in outlays on pork and poultry combined, he said.

“There are some out there who will make you think people have quit eating beef. We have record consumption in the U.S.,” Blach said, and beef quality is the highest it’s ever been.

That helped supply the brand, Stika said, which hit a record 1.25-billion pounds of sales, with 3.1% growth for the fiscal year ending in September.

 “What I continue to find absolutely energizing about this event every year is that when you bring this many people together in one place focused on one brand, there arises a creativity, a momentum that fosters great ideas and only serves to further fuel an even-stronger pursuit of excellence moving forward,” he said.

A shared understanding of a shared goal.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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by | Sep 25, 2023

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Lights, camera, cook!

Chefs encourage with home cooking videos

by Maeley Herring

June 17, 2020

Kitchens comfort us with memories, conversation, teaching and learning. But the COVID-19 pandemic and its lack of options for dining out changed the home kitchen’s role in daily lives.

With society running on a new schedule, chefs at the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand explored different ways to connect with consumers.

Senior corporate chef Michael Ollier and Test Kitchen manager Gavin Pinto started by meeting consumers where they are—in the comfort of their homes.

“We want to be sensitive to the reality people are facing,” Ollier said. “They may see store shelves that are empty or prices that alarm them.”

The chefs saw a light through the chaos, opportunities for shoppers to learn how to prepare different cuts of beef, bond with family and share lifelong skills.

For Ollier, the silver lining is being home with family.

“We’ve got two boys, 12 and 16, and those are great ages to be there as a dad,” he said. This spring, he’s had the chance to pass down techniques and “critical life skills” at a critical time.

“Just like that, the boys will be out of the house,” Ollier thought. “What skill sets have I passed on? Are the guys properly prepared? They need to be able to cook a steak and cook it well.” 

Behind the scenes

To better connect with consumers, CAB chefs decided to shift their focus and outreach to reflect the 2020 realities by bringing consumers into their own kitchens.

“We started thinking of different topics,” Ollier said. “We wanted to share our personal experiences and what home is like for us right now.”

They drew on what home is like for many consumers, stocking their freezers with beef to take advantage of good deals. That brought up freezing and thawing techniques.

“I’ve always been kind of a meat hoarder,” Pinto said, “so it’s not unusual for me to have weeks’ worth of meat in the freezer.” Naturally, he shared how to properly package and freeze beef to preserve its quality and flavor. “Air is your enemy when freezing, cool water your friend when thawing.”

Pinto emphasized pantry and family-style meals. “When people were really hunkered down hard, I focused on things they might’ve had around the house, instead of fresh herbs and things like that.”

From ramen noodle Hamburger Helper to chicken-fried steak fingers, Pinto made recipes easy and fun for families.

Although they are only a few minutes long after edits, the videos take several hours to create.

“I have to clean my kitchen,” Pinto said with a smile. “Then I have to plan the meal, prep the filming equipment and cook the dish. An eight-minute video takes two hours to record.”

kid eating beef jerky
Chef Michael Ollier’s son has learned “critical life skills” while staying at home with his dad.

A new studio

Like most, the normal routine and work environment for CAB chefs changed with stay-at-home orders.

They had to get creative.

Instead of highly-produced video from the Certified Angus Beef ® brand Test Kitchen, the chefs turned to simple home cooking—from their cell phones.

“We went from five videographers and three vantage points,” Pinto says, “to an iPhone on a tripod with one light and a mic.”

They had to recruit a new studio crew. Wives, kids and grandkids turned into videographers, sous-chefs and stand-up comedians.

Pinto’s favorite thing about the home videos is the help from his son, Aidan.

Between beef jokes and whisk “sword fights,” the nine-year-old added his unique touch. “He jumped right in,” the proud dad said. “It was his idea to help me—he looks forward to being in the videos.”

Corporate chef Peter Rosenberg took social distancing to a new level. Though separated by more than 1,300 miles, he cooked a Mother’s Day breakfast with a five-year-old granddaughter through the Zoom app.

They fixed a CAB tenderloin breakfast sandwich and chocolate-covered strawberries.

“Goodbye from Ohio,” Rosenberg said to his granddaughter at the end of the call. “Goodbye from Texas,” she responded. Online viewers could add their own closing notes.

Future production

The CAB chefs plan to apply what they have learned this spring to their operations back at the brand’s Test Kitchen and Culinary Center.

“We are producing real, accessible content from our homes with our iPhones,” Ollier says. When they get back to a full crew and all the available tools, they’ll keep the focus on authentic content.

Pinto added, “You don’t want to lose that person-to-person feeling.”

The ultimate goal for everyone is consumer success, he said. “We want people to have confidence at home to cook a quality piece of meat—to feel like they can tackle anything they find in the store because they know enough about it or have seen our videos.”

That success increases demand for the world’s leading premium beef brand, which adds comfort to the cattlemen and women who supply the meat.

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Building Bonds

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A dozen members of the Meijer communications team arrived to experience, first hand, how the beef they sell in their stores is raised. They touched and felt and tasted and smelled every aspect of the cattle business from the delicious flavor of Certified Angus Beef ® ribeyes to the slippery sensation of you-know-what on their shoes. Questions of every nature were asked and answered by true cattlemen and champions for CAB, Bruce, Scott and Andrew Foster.

VanStavern’s legacy as helper

Like Christopher Columbus among flat-worlders

By: Laura Conaway

For beauty I am not a star;

There are others more handsome by far.

But my face, I don’t mind it,

For I am behind it

—It’s the people in front that I jar.

With a camera in his face and another to the side, Bobby “Dr. Bob” VanStavern kicked off a 2019 interview with a limerick. To everyone who crossed his path, the Ohio State University professor showed a face of kind helpfulness with a dose of self-deprecation.

The Buckeye meat science legend, friend and family man passed away February 21 at 90.

In 1976, the Extension emeritus professor welcomed Mick Colvin through his door to discuss plans for a brand that could build on the natural advantages of the Angus breed.

The rest is legendary within the Certified Angus Beef ® brand community born from that conversation.

Colvin wanted to talk about specifications that day, when VanStavern famously quipped, “We don’t need to talk, I got ’em right here in the drawer.”

The bottom-right desk drawer to be exact, drawn from 20 years of collected research data he’d referenced in presentations with conclusions he wholeheartedly shared with the cattle and beef industries.

“It was my job to share them. To teach. To help,” he often said.

Time would show his success. Those original specifications became the backbone of the world’s leading beef brand.

VanStavern wouldn’t make much of any praise for his role or where it led, like worldwide acceptance of his product specifications or a brand that relies on them to market more than a billion pounds a year. He would just deflect with some device like that poem.

Dr. Bob didn’t see himself as a pioneer, rather a vessel to help others and celebrate their victories.

The people’s champion

Perhaps it was his upbringing, losing his mother at age 4 to be raised on his grandparents’ West Virginia farm and educated in a one-room schoolhouse. Maybe it was his time as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Wherever that confidently able but humble helper came from, CAB President John Stika says he’ll be sure to pass it along to his own growing boys.

“Define your success in life by how much success you create for others,” he says. “That’s a goal I think we should all try to emulate. As an educator, through his contribution to the brand, think of how many people he brought with him and the pride he took in their notoriety before his own.”

VanStavern emanated goodness and wholesomeness, Stika says, not just in food specifications, but in life.

You might remember the PhD by those CAB specs or the “Science Behind the Sizzle” presentation he created to introduce the brand to thousands.

Stika says he’ll remember the proper way to live a caring, giving life. Care about quality product, but more importantly, just care about being around quality people.

“That’s who he was,” Stika says.

A champion of others, a listening ear, an unwavering rock, yet a jokester and warm presence, VanStavern was a trendsetter of goodness.

Mick Colvin, retired cofounder of the brand remembers a man with grit who was a great golfer and an even better friend.

“Dr. Bob, to me, was a person who was always there,” Colvin says. Of those early, dismissive rejection letters, he said he’d look to VanStavern to hear him say, “Well, at least we know where he stands.” Then they would move on to the next prospect.

“I could count on him, even if it was to remind me, ‘If it was easy, Colvin, someone would have done it a long time ago.’”

They were a team that VanStavern once said, “didn’t know it couldn’t be done.” So they just did it.

Jim Riemann, Colvin’s successor as CAB president, recalls his first impression of VanStavern at a late-1970s meats conference. The moment coincided with Riemann’s first introduction to the brand idea.

“Dr. Bob was presenting the CAB brand to attendees, many of whom were prominent professors, university meat scientists and government officials actively involved in different campaigns in the cattle industry, explaining why those specifications were so important,” Riemann says, “and they just really went at him hard. They said this is absolutely the opposite direction of where the industry should be headed.”

What stood out most to Riemann? “He just would not bend.”

He stood firm and defended those specifications saying, “Folks this is what we need to be delivering to consumers and this is the direction that we need to go, and this brand is going to work.”

More than four decades later, Riemann recalls the air in the room and the stance of the man who could not be shaken.

 

Then and now

“He was on an island,” Stika says of his old friend in those early days. “It’s easy to read the Angus Journal today and say, ‘Well, it’s not that impressive to set a marbling spec at Modest 0.’ But go back 42 years ago and appreciate how visionary that was.”

The 1970s saw a strong push toward lean, Continental-type cattle, a fear of fat and little appreciation for taste in a time when packers paid a flat rate regardless of quality.

VanStavern had data that suggested consumers wanted more, that marbling mattered.

“It’s like Christopher Columbus among people who thought the world was flat,” Stika surmises. “That’s how I think of Dr. Bob. When a big portion of the population thought the world was flat, Dr. Bob didn’t.”

When everyone else finally saw the land, VanStavern wasn’t one to point out his foresight.

Riemann says, “His stature within the industry and academic world was huge, but he never ever wore that on his shoulder.” Rather, he recalls watching and later working with an extremely humble man, respectful of others and always willing to help, only giving advice when asked.

Nobody would dispute the accomplishments now: he helped change the beef industry for the better.

Some reputations rise above the rest, especially when accolades others bestow on them gain universal acceptance.

Still, as Dr. Bob said in that February 2019 interview, “It’s not about me. It’s about the staff, the leadership and the participants in the program, particularly including those good ole breeders who’ve stood up. It wouldn’t work without them. I just think about that [CAB] program and thank God I was fortunate to be a part of it.”

The man will be remembered as teacher, Sue’s husband of nearly 67 years, Tom and Jan’s father and his grandchildren’s grandpa. As the guy who threw “by golly, my goodness and gee whiz” into modern conversation and made it sound just right. As a man who made others feel lifted high.

Editor’s note: Laura Conaway is a freelance writer from DeLeon Springs, Fla.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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Angus producers, brand protectors

It takes the entire Angus community to build and protect the Certified Angus Beef ® brand

By: Morgan Marley

Folks in Ohio wondered what happened. A rural steakhouse across the country that had been a great licensed partner with the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand suddenly stopped buying product. They could not be reached by phone or email.

Finally, production brand manager Kara Lee called an Angus rancher 15 minutes from the business. Within three days, she had a picture of the menu and note that the restaurant was closed from a fire six months prior. Without boots on the ground, CAB may have never resolved the purchasing issue.

The brand owned by 20,000-plus Angus producers sells more than a billion pounds each year through nearly 20,000 partners around the world and pays cattlemen nearly a million dollars in the marketplace.

It takes vigilance to keep all that on track. The official kind led by CAB staff and, increasingly, Angus producers who keep a sharp eye on ads and menus, reporting possible “issues” to the company.

Great taste is a brand promise that must be ensured.

“All the value that the CAB brand creates is based on a pull-through model, from the consumer all the way back to the ranch,” Lee says.

When someone orders a CAB steak and thoroughly enjoys it, that builds a mental bond, she says. As a result, the restaurant keeps buying the brand, which builds demand for Angus genetics.

“On the other hand, for the consumer who has a subpar eating experience and then sees our marks on a menu, that has created a negative connotation,” she says.

There is a lot of “Angus confusion,” with dozens of brands claiming an Angus connection, but not all meet carcass specifications. “We started with Angus,” Lee says, “but that is where a lot of other brands stopped.”

Amanda Barstow, CAB director of brand engagement, has spent more than 24 years tracking production, sales, distribution and use. Only about 5% of company staff work on her team, “brand police” protecting 19 trademarks in nearly 100 countries.

“We also monitor for other use of our marks or anything similar by different entities that aren’t licensees,” Barstow says. If not for such efforts, trademark integrity can be lost in any country where it’s registered but not monitored.

That takes a lot of data and audited reporting on every pound, starting with USDA grading certification and the count at each licensed plant.

“From there, the packer gives us specific information for each case and the number of cases in total pounds sold to each of their customers,” Barstow says. “Then down the line, every distributor and processor reports their sales to us as well. It’s like balancing your checkbook, only with pounds versus dollars.”

It comes down to making sure restaurants that advertise CAB are actually buying it. Misrepresentation at that level is the most “common” infraction, but uncommon in that it affects just 2% of customers. Still, Barstow says protecting consumers is her first priority.

Anyone can purchase the brand from licensed distributors, but not all buyers are licensed. They must be in order to use the brand’s trademarks and not just CAB or “Certified Angus,” as seen on a lot of menus—both incorrect references, Barstow points out.

Last year the brand conducted research to see which uses resonate most with consumers.

“We found ‘Certified Angus’ felt more generic or maybe even lower quality than ‘Certified Angus Beef,’” Barstow says. “They were completely turned off by the ‘CAB’ acronym because they didn’t know what it meant. In the end, they liked the formality of the full brand name.”

That’s in contrast to cattlemen who know the meaning and see the CAB premium listed on a harvest report.

When consumers see the logo, they don’t need to read anything else, she says, but many high-end restaurants only use the three-word brand name.

“I love the pride that our Angus producers have in the brand,” Lee says. “I get a lot of folks who will call or send me a picture of a Certified Angus Beef brand ribeye steak and they’ll ask where the logo is.”

“A lot of cattlemen think it’s a problem when it just says Certified Angus Beef, when in fact, we’re thrilled if it has all three words,” Barstow says.

Angus producers are eyes and ears for their brand, going into stores and restaurants in rural America where the brand’s sales team may never stop.

“Brand protection sits squarely on all of our shoulders because if we’re not all doing our part to maintain brand integrity, the foundation begins to erode one brick at a time,” Lee says.

Even the most painstaking audit can miss remote details. “Don’t assume we know,” Barstow says.

That’s why it helps to have active monitoring through Angus members.

“If you are at a restaurant or see an ad about the brand and notice our marks being used incorrectly, let us know,” Barstow requests: Take a picture of every page of the menu, write down the restaurant or retailer address, and issue, then email it to menus@certifiedangusbeef.com. That goes directly to a staff member who monitors these issues and will follow-up with the account.

“It’s like that old saying about our kids, ‘it takes a village,’” she says. “But truly you have to have people interested in maintaining the brand everywhere.”

It takes the whole Angus community to protect their brand.

Originally ran in the Angus Journal.

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​CAB intern Herring draws on passion, heritage, education

June 2, 2020

Sharing agriculture’s stories effectively takes more than just the right words or a stunning photograph. Deep passion for the life, enterprises and people drive the professionals who commit to ag communications. They often draw on family heritage and personal experiences that spark a desire to connect people with ideas.

Maeley Herring will aim to do just that as the 2020 Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand summer intern.

maeley herring“When we find someone who has both firsthand ag experience coupled with writing talent—that’s the magic combination,” says Miranda Reiman, director of the producer communications team. “Her background, education and creativity are helping us connect with the cattlemen and women who produce for the brand.”

The fifth-generation cattle rancher from Archer County, Texas, recently earned a degree in ag communications from Texas Tech University (TTU) and plans to return this fall to continue those studies toward a master’s degree.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this team,” Herring says. “The internship lets me gain valuable experience and meet incredible people.”

She brings a rich understanding of the cattle business and a heart to match.

“My passion for cattle started at a very young age,” she says, noting fond memories with her family. “I loved going to feed cows with my dad while singing along to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ in the old feed truck, and the trip we made to purchase my first registered Angus show heifer. Today, I cherish every chance to take a break from college and help around the ranch.”

While at TTU, Herring interned two years with the Texas Tech Alumni Association’s Texas Techsan magazine, and recruited for the university’s College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.

Those experiences and her ranch background make a solid foundation for this summer’s efforts with the team at CAB. Working from the ranch, Herring produces news releases, feature stories and video scripts along with social media and website updates, with opportunities to contribute photos and video.

New thresholds for Targeting the Brand™

by Miranda Reiman

May 28, 2020

When you have better data you, you can make better decisions.

That’s why the Targeting the Brand™ program was recently updated: so that commercial cow-calf producers better find sires that help them hit Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand specifications.

“If a bull buyer wants a calf crop that has a greater chance of making CAB, it helps him identify the genetics that will help him do that,” says John Grimes, owner of Maplecrest Farms, Hillsboro, Ohio, and CAB board chair. “The trait that sorts cattle out of CAB quicker than anything is lack of marbling.”

Since 2017, breeders and bull studs have used the Targeting the Brand logo to denote bulls that excel in the marbling (Marb) EPD (expected progeny difference) and the Grid Dollar Value Index, or “dollar G” ($G).

The standards had been based on bulls at breed average or better for both measures.

“If we could keep moving average higher, that was a step in the right direction, and we based that on the best information we had,” says Kara Lee, CAB production brand manager.

But 8,600 actual carcass records recently provided real-world measurements and supported the move to refine those thresholds.

Angus Genetics Inc. analyzed the records to find the combined Marb and $G minimum levels likely to produce CAB from at least half of a calf crop. The updated Targeting the Brand requirements—now at +0.65 for Marb and +55 for $G—align with that analysis. Targeting the Brand requirements

Slightly higher than the previous breed average requirement, one in four non-parent Angus bulls now qualifies for the designation. Those numbers will be evaluated every two years, and adjusted based on the most current information.

Why a 50% CAB acceptance rate?

“Today’s nationwide average is 35%, but we are really looking at how we continue to meet and grow demand,” Lee says, noting a two-billion-pound sales goal the next decade or so.

“If everyone wants to get a piece of the pie, we have to keep making the pie bigger,” she says. “That’s a cliché a lot of people use, but the bigger the CAB pie becomes, the more room for commercial producers to capitalize on the value of buying high-quality registered Angus bulls.”

The more demand, the better the pull-through model works.

“The one-billion-pound mark seemed unachievable not too long ago. What can we do to keep that growth curve going up?” Grimes asks. “Breeders have done a great job of increasing the percent of cattle that qualify for CAB, but to get to that lofty goal of two billion pounds? We’ve got to do better.”

He encourages breeders to use the marks, and make sure their customers know what they mean.

“These are just minimums,” Lee says. Producers who already get 50% or higher CAB acceptance rates should aim even higher.

“We know marbling is highly heritable. We know that genetics impact roughly 40% of the marbling potential in those cattle; but that said, there’s another 60% not explained by genetics,” Lee says. When environment plays a role, high-quality management has to match to get intended results. “The Targeting the Brand logo is not a guarantee that progeny from any animal will hit CAB. It’s an indication that the genetic potential is higher with that animal.”

And the sire is only half the equation.

“There are some people out there who will say, ‘All Angus grade high,’ or, ‘The average Angus is good enough,’” Grimes says. “But we don’t feel like average is good enough. The database says we have to up our game.”

Don’t mistake that for a marbling-only message though.

“These numbers give producers a lot of latitude to place emphasis on carcass but still select for other traits that we know are really important,” Lee says. “We always discourage producers from single-trait selection.”

History shows progress can be made on multiple fronts at the same time, Grimes says.

“People used to think we couldn’t have calving ease and high growth, and breeders have shown that they can do that. So it’s not realistic to think we can’t do the same with elite carcass merit and maternal function,” he says.

More than 130 sales used the logo during the 2019-2020 sale season—that number up 76% in two years—to identify more than 6,500 Angus bulls with a likelihood of siring brand qualifiers.

“We have tremendous tools available to registered breeders through the Association, and they all serve a purpose, but we also know digesting all that information can be a challenge for the average commercial producer,” Lee says. “Targeting the Brand is a way to help those looking to keep a focus on carcass quality.”

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One tour at a time

by | Sep 22, 2021

Telling their story to the cattle curious was awkward at first for John and Gaye Pfeiffer. Now, they look forward to hosting hundreds of people every year, sharing everything about the beef cattle life cycle and why they choose Angus cattle on their central Oklahoma farm. Their dedication to teaching and connecting with those further down the supply chain earned them the 2021 CAB Ambassador Award.

Targeting excellence in all they do

by | Sep 22, 2021

Establishing a world-class seedstock operation in the Southeast didn’t happen overnight, and the family humbly insists they’re no different than many others. Indeed, their vision, use of technologies, and dedication to deliberate improvement make them unique.