BBQ Event connects the farm to fork

The annual BBQ Championship sponsored by Sam’s Club in Bentonville drew a huge crowd during the first Saturday of October. The Arkansas Beef Council brought in Clint and Amber Bowen with their boys to connect the farm to the beef consumers purchase in the wholesale chain. Sam’s Club markets angus beef through their fresh meat case. The Bowen’s with their boys, raise and show registered angus cattle in Garfield, Arkansas.

The Bowen’s interacted with the attendees during the event, talked about how they cared for their animals and answered questions. Clint and Amber were interviewed by Mr. Steve Gile, Fresh Beef Buyer for all Sam’s Clubs in the United States. Cargill, a beef supplier for Sam’s Club, works with the Kansas City BBQ Society, who sanctions the Championship event, is also a sponsor and recorded the interviews for digital communication online and in social media.

The Arkansas Beef Council helped in setting up for the cattle display. A huge THANK YOU goes out to the Bowen Family for their contribution to the beef industry and their commitment to educating consumers! Thank you also Johnny Gunsaulis with the Cooperative Extension Service!

Dietetic interns get down on the farm

The Arkansas Beef Council and Midwest Dairy Council partnered up in mid-September to put together a dairy/beef farm tour for 38 dietetic interns and their instructors from the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The interns visited the Simon Dairy Farm first in Conway, Arkansas and were able to see everything from the milking parlor to the silage and minerals fed to the cows to the baby calves.

After lunch, the group visited the Kenny & Rebecca Simon Beef Farm (a distant cousin of the Simon Dairy) located between Conway and Vilonia. Here the interns were able to take a walking tour to see the differences between a dairy farm and a beef farm. The grazing plan was highlighted showing how the animals graze on a rotation plan to help the environment. and are able to graze a majority of the year. The interns were impressed with how the farmers took care of their animals and how much work goes into caring for each. They were even treated with the sights of a brand new baby calf.

After the tours, the interns met on the UCA campus talk about messaging and the media. Ashley Anderson with Midwest Dairy brought the interns through several scenarios and helped them develop their message about healthy eating and where their food comes from for their future clientele.