CAB Mythbusters
What they thought they knew that just ain't true.
When I hear experts sharing their opinion on the news, I always pause for a moment to think about whether these people really have the credentials for that title — especially when they're commenting on things like food production or medical issues. How many times have you seen a famous journalist telling the nation how their food is raised, after they visited one farm? Or a celebrity giving suspect diet advice?
It's pretty scary to think about the number of people who take these uninformed accounts as gospel, so I welcome and encourage folks to use their critical-thinking skills whenever they read/hear/see anything.
That questioning mind-set does, however, lead some in the cattle industry to think there's no way they could get credible advice from a group that's owned by the leading breed association. See if I can change your mind on this one:
Myth: The CAB Supply Development team just spews Angus propaganda, regardless of the facts.
Fact: We do want you to use more Angus in your herd, but only because we truly believe it will lead you down the trail of profitability.
Our team shares what they've learned with producers because we genuinely want YOU to be more successful.
Almost all of us come from a production background, and most of us continued that early education with advanced study in the agriculture field, some holding master's degrees and doctorates. Heck, our president isn't just a marketing whiz. John Stika is a Kansas farm boy, still firmly grounded by his advanced study of meat science.
We have looked at the numbers on everything from how having more Angus influence in your herd affects quality grade to how the breed has improved its growth traits. When somebody asks us about implant recommendations, we crunch the numbers and then ask for outside opinions.
We lean on a wide and varied network of university and private researchers to provide us with information that we can share with you.
Of course, it's always going to talk about quality. We are paid to increase the long-term supply of the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand, but I certainly didn't take this job to spew propaganda. I'm sure my teammates would agree: We all want you to succeed. If you want to do that by producing a darn tasty product that pays premiums, we're here to share with you all that we know (and all that the true-blue experts know) about getting that done.
May your bottom line be filled with black ink.
Editor's Note: To get a regular dose of this feature, visit the Black Ink Blog at www.blackinkwithcab.com.
