From the Field
The Checkoff is invaluable. There are tens of thousands of producers across the United States, and the Beef Checkoff brings us together as a unifying effort to spread the word about what beef is and beef promotion. I think on the Federation side, it really just ties all these individual states, 43 different state councils, together with one voice. And the Federation also ties us together to communicate, work together, and it magnifies the dollars we have to make them go farther.
Peter Lehning New York Producer and Federation Director
Consumer Information State Beef Councils Supplement: $ 437,200
The Federation advances consumer information efforts including thought leader engagement; nutrition, health and medical expert outreach; and public relations. This area leverages the content from other Checkoff – funded programs and places it in a variety of media outlets across the country to ensure beef isn’ t lost in the noise, ultimately generating more than 1 billion opportunities for consumers to see that content annually.
Examples include supporting states by placing speakers at annual dietetics meetings; sending beef toolkits to physicians and health professionals; creating content partnerships with food-focused digital media outlets that utilize influencers; and organizing Satellite Media Tours which reach consumers through their local news stations.
The Federation is at Your Service
In addition to the funds invested which supplement the integrated state / national plan, state beef council investments also provide services for states and support the governance of the Federation. A variety of services are available at no additional cost to state beef councils, including creative and design services, communications assistance, IT and website support, human resources facilitation, as well as staff and leadership development, training and education.
Nutrition Seminar Program
The program works in collaboration with SBCs to provide influential, credentialed health and nutrition experts to speak on cutting-edge issues at State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics meetings, as well as other statewide meetings and conferences whose audiences include credentialed health professionals. A wide range of topics and speakers are available and can be tailored to meet each state ' s needs. In 2026, 26 states requested speakers.
Building Connections
The Federation of State Beef Councils organizes a variety of events each year to bring state beef councils together and build connections. Events such as Partnerships in Action, Federation Forum and Federation Director Orientation provide opportunities for states to engage with each other and learn about extending national efforts. The cornerstone for every activity is to share ideas, best practices and ways to effectively and efficiently drive demand for beef. Each year, staff and producer leaders from nearly every state beef council attend at least one of these popular events.
Consumer Insights Dashboards
State Consumer Insights Dashboards are annual projects that measure and compare consumer behaviors and preferences related to beef and other proteins in different states to a national benchmark. The data is collected through the Consumer Beef Tracker survey, gathered through a representative survey panel that is in-field 365 days a year. The results provide a directional read with historical trends and can be used as one of many tools to help states plan for their respective fiscal year. The service is offered for free to all states through NCBA’ s Market Research team.
For more information, visit www. ncba. org / federation.
Photo courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner. com
Photo courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner. com.
30 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN DIRECTIONS 2026