Page 20 - MWC 04-22-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 22, 2021 · P20
Total Quality Management – A Foundational Approach of BQA

By Bob LeValley - Oklahoma BQA Coordinator
One aspect of “quality” is meet the requirements of many of which go all the way of the industry. By doing so,
providing products that meet cattle feeders for perfor- back to the cow/calf opera- it helps to assure consumers
or exceed expectations and mance, health, potential car- tion. that the cattle shipped from
established requirements. cass characteristics and food The Beef Quality Assur- a beef production unit are
Established product require- safety. Fed cattle must meet ance program focuses on healthy, wholesome, and safe.
ments in the beef industry the expectations of beef pro- many of the “quality” factors
may differ somewhat from cessors for health, carcass that producers will influence
one segment of the industry attributes and food safety. in each production segment
to the next, but there are Commodity beef products
some common expectations must meet requirements of
fundamental to each. beef purveyors for fat cover,
The commercial cow/calf marbling, carcass size, safe-
operator sells weaned calves, ty, and lack of defects such as
cull cows and bulls. Weaned injection site blemishes, dark
calves should possess perfor- cutters, etc. Beef sold to the
mance, health and potential consumer, must meet expec-
carcass characteristics that tations for both food safety
satisfy stocker operators and and eating satisfaction.
cattle feeders, while meeting The common theme is that
food safety requirements. quality in the beef indus-
Culled breeding stock must try includes and goes well
meet the food safety and car- beyond food safety. Animal
cass characteristic require- performance, health, carcass
ment of market cow and mar- characteristics and eating
ket bull processors. satisfaction are often the re-
As products of stocker op- sult of various and cumula-
erations, feeder cattle should tive management decisions,

BIDEN when state and local govern- letter of support for the 30 x Barb Bierman Batie is a
continued from page 16 ments are taken out of the 30 plan, making it seem like freelance journalist who grew
bilize landowners and county conversation and decision there already is support for up near Battle Creek, Ne-
government officials on how making process, the results the issue. braska, and now farms row
to fight back. could be devastating. Do your research and be crops with her Platte Valley
She noted that there is no At the Valentine meeting informed. It is always wise Farmer, Don Batie, northeast
constitutional or statutory participants were urged to to be an advocate for your of Lexington.
authority cited for the pres- reach out to their county gov- farm and/or ranch and keep agupdate.com
ident, the Department of the ernment officials and make in touch with local, state and
Interior or the Department them aware of the 30 x 30 national elected officials.
of Agriculture to set aside agenda. Byfield’s group has
and permanently preserve developed a resolution that
that much land. Also missing can be passed by local gov-
are citations to the science ernments, which can then
reasoning for such a move. be forwarded to Washington,
With one-third of the United D.C., where Congressional Keeping Your Name Out
States already permanently members and senators fight-
protected through national ing the 30 x 30 agenda will be There Doesn't Cost...
parks, monuments, wilder- able to show grassroots sup-
ness areas, wildlife refuges port doesn’t exist for Biden’s
and other private conserva- executive order. IT PAYS!
tion efforts, many groups are It will be an uphill battle
calling this a “blatant land as the League of Conserva-
grab.” tion Voters has gotten indi-
While no one argues that vidual elected officials across
conservation is a bad word, the nation to sign on to a