Latest / CattleUSA Daily / 296: What Your Checkoff Dollars Are Doing for Beef Demand Right Now with Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst

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296: What Your Checkoff Dollars Are Doing for Beef Demand Right Now with Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst · CattleUSA Daily

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We are welcoming on Doctor Cheryl De Beast to the podcast
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today. And Cheryl is here to talk about
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beef demand, what we are seeing currently in beef demand.
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And Cheryl is a producer herself and also an AG economist.
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And Cheryl comes today to share just so many insights about beef
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demand, what we're seeing in the economy right now, and also her
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recent appointment as the Cattlemen's Beef Board chair for
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this year. Cheryl comes on today to share
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so many things, whether it be getting involved as a producer,
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what she's seen in the ag economy, or some really awesome
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things and some programs that our beef check off dollars are
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going directly towards to help with that beef demand and what
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we are seeing on the research side as well.
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Before we hop into this episode with Doctor de Viste, if you are
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watching on any of our podcast platforms, make sure you take a
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second to, if you're on YouTube, subscribe to our channel and
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like this episode. And if you're on any of our
0:57
other podcast platforms, make sure you take a second to follow
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follow the show and go rate and review it as well.
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Without further ado, let's go ahead and hear from Doctor
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Cheryl Davis. Welcome to the Cattle USA Daily
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podcast, your go to source for the latest livestock markets,
1:15
industry insights and the updates shaping agriculture
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today. I'm your host, Lauren Moylan, a
1:20
passionate advocate for agriculture here to keep you
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informed and connected. Now let's dive into today's
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episode. Cheryl, welcome to the podcast.
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I am so excited to have you on to chat a little bit more about
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your new appointment ship and what you're doing these days.
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But you were just elected to the Cattlemen's Beef Board and I am
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really excited to come on and just kind of hear a little bit
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more about those steps that got you there, some of the things
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that the beef Board is doing and all of the things.
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But could you just share a little bit more about kind of
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who you are and a little bit of your background in agriculture
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as well? Well, thank you and I'd love to
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share a little bit about myself. I actually, if you can tell by
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my lack of accent, I'm not a native Oklahoman, although we
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live in Oklahoma now and I grew up on a dairy farm in Indiana.
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And while I'm a little atypical for the beef board, I haven't
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been in the beef industry my whole life.
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I have been in the agricultural industry for my whole life and
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have stayed involved in agriculture, grew up on a dairy
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farm like I said, but through different job locations for my
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husband and myself. We ended up in Oklahoma and we
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have a small operation here in Oklahoma where we work with our
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neighbors of our land is really important to us to leave it
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better for the next generation. And so we do a lot of work with
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our pastures in our land and work with a lot of our neighbors
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to help them out with pastures and help out us with our labor
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needs and things like that. So it's one of the great things
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about working in the beef cattle industry is that you get to
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partner with your neighbors around you to really make
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everyone's livelihood better. 100%, I could not agree more to
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all of that. What actually brought you guys
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to Oklahoma and what kind of got you guys settled there well?
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My husband and I are both agricultural economists and so
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we both work at Oklahoma State University.
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I currently am the department head of Agricultural Economics
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here at Oklahoma State and while mostly administrative areas fill
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my time now, it is agricultural finance and food marketing were
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my areas of interest and partially because of the food
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marketing part, I got involved with a group of young ladies to
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help lead them as they grew in their leadership potential in
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the beef cattle industry, the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattle
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Women. And then I got further involved
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with other organizations within the state, and so it led to more
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involvement with Oklahoma Cattlemen and Oklahoma Cattle
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Women and the American National Cattle Women.
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So that all led to where I am today with the Cattlemen's Beef
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Board. Absolutely.
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It's a very exciting year for the Cattlemen's Beef Board
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coming up and you guys are really starting to get a lot of
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initiatives like off the ground running right now.
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So as you kind of step into your new role with CBB as the chair
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this year, what are some of those main things that you guys
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are focused on as we head into 2026?
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Well. One of the things that I have
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been really focused on since actually my leadership of the
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evaluation committee is helping producers to understand the
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amount of transparency and the review of the contractors and
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the work that goes on. I want producers to know that
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their beef check off dollars are invested into projects that are
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going to make a difference for strengthening beef demand.
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And that also those dollars are reviewed, that there is a lot of
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time spent making sure that those contractors actually use
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those dollars in the ways that they said they would and that
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they have objectives that they're working toward.
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And we evaluate that and we make sure that they're using those
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dollars to build beef demand. And in the end, when you build
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beef demand that is growing the bottom line of producers or at
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least helping them to have greater profitability on their
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operations. Yeah.
6:19
One of the big things that the beef Board does is releases an
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impact report every year. Can you touch a little bit on
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the impact report from 2025 and what stood out to you?
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And then kind of maybe some things that you guys are really
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focusing on as you go into 2026 with that as well?
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Well, someone laughed at me before the beef impact report.
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I always have it. Even here on my desk.
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I carry one with me. It shows both the financial
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side, so the financial report and also the evaluation of the
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programs. So it really is available for
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producers to see what is happening with their check off
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dollars. It goes through all of the
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contracted projects and those projects give some highlights of
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what happened in those projects and then also shows the complete
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financials. So we are audited and those
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complete financials then are presented so that people can see
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where their dollars were invested and how that money was
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used to help grow beef, demand. Some of the exciting things that
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have been going on. I'm sure you've all heard about
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the new dietary guidelines. Well, nutrition research has
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been going on for decades. And when I say nutrition
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research, I'm talking about the nutritional aspects of beef and
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how that helps the human body and whether that's for infants
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or teens or even into the elderly population, and how that
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helps with the protein needs that we have and helps our
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growth potential for our youth, their brain activity, all of
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those things that beef provides. And really that, like I said,
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that research has been going on for decades and now it's really
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being used in the dietary guidelines.
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And we, we're really happy to celebrate that when we saw those
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dietary guidelines come out. We just need to continue this
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work though, to make sure that that doesn't revert back to the
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thought that for some reason red meat is bad for you.
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It really is not. And nutrition research sponsored
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by the Beef Check Off has helped to get that done.
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I could not agree more on everything you just said.
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It's such an exciting thing that happened.
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And I think so often in the beef industry, we let something
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exciting happen and we're like, oh, yeah, it happened.
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And then we're like, OK, what's the next thing?
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And we don't let ourselves celebrate a win as massive as
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that and really take a second to kind of step back and say what
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all went into this. Like this wasn't just someone
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coming to the table and saying, oh, I think I'm going to switch
9:17
things up today. It was a lot of science, a lot
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of research, a lot of lobbying and work that went into really
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making that change and making, like you said, Cheryl, that
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lasting impact as well. Something that is proven and
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seen as we continue to go through administration changes
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in the coming years. And it doesn't get reverted
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because of science saying something else.
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When we look at one thing that you guys really focus on with
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research, there's the beef demand monitor.
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Can you talk a little bit more about that and also just kind of
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beef demand in general and what we're seeing since we've seen
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these nutrition guideline changes we.
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Always need to have a really a strong guideline to help us
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follow to make sure we know where the focus of research
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should be, where our consumers are looking for their
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information. And one of the contractors we
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have sponsors the meet demand monitor and the beef check off
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dollars go into that. And it's Doctor Glenn Tonser at
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Kansas State University who is the lead on the meat demand
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monitor. And monthly he surveys 2000
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consumers to find out their willingness to pay for different
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protein sources. And time and time again we find
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out that beef is preferred, that they love the taste.
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The price is important, but taste really is king for our
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beef consumers and they are willing to pay a certain amount,
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whether that be for ground beef or for steaks or other cuts of
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beef that they show that they still, even though we are at a
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time when beef prices are high, they are still willing to pay
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for that and demand beef. It's really great to see that at
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this point in time. It really helps us to understand
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that, OK, maybe they're looking for some economical choices.
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They still want beef, but now we need to focus some dollars on
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getting some recipes out there for those roasts maybe that are
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a little less expensive than a rib eye steak and figure out the
11:45
ways that we can help our consumers.
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After we have gathered that information that Doctor Townser
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gleaned from getting that idea of consumers still really want
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to pay for beef. They're willing to pay for it.
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They love the taste of it and now let's figure out how to get
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it to them and have them have meals that they can prepare at
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home to be able to provide that to their families.
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I. Think so often as producers we
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can get in a mindset of where conceptually we're like, yes,
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it's important that we have demand and that our consumers
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are buying beef. But for me and my operation, I'm
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a Cal calf operation and so I raise my calves, I take them to
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the sale barn, I sell my calves and my job is done, right.
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Like that's sometimes the trap and the cycle that we can get
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stuck in as producers and not focus enough on the end product
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and how we're communicating that.
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So can you talk a little bit to our producer population on why
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they should care about things like the meet demand monitor and
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that their check off dollars are going to things like that?
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I already mentioned I'm an economist.
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And so one of the things that is really important to understand
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is that, yes, we have a product, we have a supply of that
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product. But if we don't have demand on
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the consumer end pulling that product through, there really is
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no need for our calf that we just had hit the ground.
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That calf grows and becomes our beef that goes on the plates of
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our consumers. So it really is important to
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understand our consumers have to demand our product.
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They need to be saying, you know what, it's a little more
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expensive right now, but I still want my beef.
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That's my favorite protein. So I need, I really want to go
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out and buy that beef. Our producers, her cow calf
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producers, our seed stock producers have to understand
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that while their segment of the industry might not immediately
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be connected to that retail location or that consumer with
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it, the beef on the plate, the reason that they are producing
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that animal is to feed the consumer.
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We're not growing our calves as pets.
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We have them for the beef industry and we have to make
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sure that the messaging that we get out to our consumers is
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factual and that it is that message that is helping them
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understand the reasons why they want to buy beef.
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So it really is a full channel. A lot of people talk about a
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supply chain. I like to talk about the demand
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chain. If we don't have the consumers
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demanding our product, whether it's internationally or locally,
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we don't have that pull through of demand I.
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Absolutely could not agree more. And I think it's just really
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important sometimes for us to take our producer hats off for a
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second and really look at the beef industry as a whole.
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And on that note, someone who is both a beef producer and an
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economist, I would just love to hear your thoughts on the beef
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industry right now and kind of the next year that we have in
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front of us. Well.
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Here in Oklahoma, it's dry, might hit 95° today, beautiful
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sunny, you know at 95°, but it is dry.
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We're looking at that had those different weather patterns all
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across the country and we're thinking about the rebuilding of
15:45
our beef herd. So we have to think about the
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supply of beef that we do have. Some people say that, well,
15:54
prices are high just because of lower supply right now.
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You still have to remember that demand is all about the
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willingness and ability to pay. And like we talked about with
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the Meat Demand Monitor, that willingness to pay is critical.
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And so as we continue to think about the beef industry, it's
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important that we're sharing the factual information, the good
16:21
news about nutrition, other areas that we are sharing with
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consumers for them to still have that willingness to pay for them
16:32
to demand our product so that we can continue building our beef
16:38
herds back up. Hopefully.
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I think we're we're getting that going slowly but surely to to
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regrow our supply of beef for our consumers both domestically
16:51
and internationally. They want our product, our beef
16:55
producers are producing the best product out there and so we need
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to continue investing our beef checkoff dollars to to make sure
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that that demand continues to grow.
17:07
Absolutely. So as you kind of step into this
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next year as chair of the Cattlemen's Beef Board, what is
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a message that you are just really focusing on and want to
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leave with producers about the beef check off?
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Well, first of all, the beef check off was created by
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producers. It's a board of producers who
17:30
govern the dollars who make the decisions about where those beef
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check off dollars are invested. There is transparency in the
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whole process and while we are reviewed by auditors, we are
17:48
reviewed by USDA. It is producers who make those
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decisions and you can get online at any point in time, get online
18:00
to driving demand for beef.com and see the impact report.
18:05
You can see all of the meetings that are coming up.
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You can request to take part in a meeting.
18:13
Any of those things are available to you as producers
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because this is your check off. These are your dollars to help
18:23
promote the industry that we are all part of.
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And it's critical to remember that we are one industry.
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We are united not fighting against each other, but united
18:38
to bring a high quality product to our consumers could.
18:43
Not agree more on everything you just said there.
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And I think it's so important that we remember that right now
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we're I think the latest numbers were 1.9% of the population is
18:54
agriculture as a whole. And then the beef industry of
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that 1.9% is an even lower percentage.
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And we really need to be able to provide a united front as we go
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out and as we communicate with our consumers and continue to
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drive that beef demand so that we as producers can continue to
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go to that sale barn, can continue to market our product
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and get the price that we deserve for that product.
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That for years and years and years, it has been a struggle to
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be a cattle producer in this industry.
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And we're finally seeing a healthy demand for our product
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and therefore healthy numbers that we're getting at that end
19:32
product. And I think it's just so
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important that we remember that we have a voice in this
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industry. We need to stay united when it
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comes to sharing that message to our consumers.
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And that we also need to get involved in that because it
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can't just be a select group of 10 people that are begrudgingly
19:51
raising their hands to lead. Like it needs to be 10 people
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that are excitingly raising their hands to lead and then the
19:58
hundreds of people behind them that are.
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You to help how can I continue to get involved or share my
20:03
voice or just share my opinions and thoughts too?
20:06
Because I think that as an industry, so often we get stuck
20:09
in this head on head situation rather than actually sitting
20:13
back and saying, how can we have a conversation about this and
20:16
share each side of our story and each of our thoughts?
20:19
Because for you ranching in Oklahoma, Cheryl, it is
20:22
different than for me ranching in Northeast Kansas and it's
20:25
different for my friends ranching in Arizona or Florida
20:28
or things like that. And so we need people from all
20:31
different sectors and thoughts of the industry to be able to
20:35
raise their voices and share about their lives and really get
20:38
involved in the industry. And it is.
20:40
Great on the board, getting to meet people from all across the
20:45
country and hearing what roadblocks they're finding.
20:49
Being able to help celebrate their successes.
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But all sit down at a table, learn from each other and work
20:58
together to grow beef demand. Another thing that I would like
21:02
to say is that beef that I'm producing, I'm feeding it to my
21:07
grandchildren just like other producers are producing beef and
21:12
feeding it to their families. Consumers need to understand
21:16
that that we are working on creating the highest quality
21:22
product that we can so that we can all be better and that we
21:27
can help create stronger, healthier bodies and at the same
21:31
time a stronger agricultural community and beef industry.
21:36
Yes, you. Said it so eloquently and so
21:39
perfectly there. And I think it's just such an
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amazing story that we continue to see the need to share with
21:46
our consumer population and just share the story of beef.
21:49
So this has been such an amazing conversation.
21:52
I've had so much fun learning more about you and your life and
21:55
your role on the Beef Board and just the future of the beef
21:57
industry through the Beef Board. Is there any closing comments
22:00
that you would like to leave with our audience members as we
22:04
wrap up the podcast today? Just like I said.
22:06
Driving Demand for beef.com is a great website to go to, to find
22:12
out all kinds of information. And there you can actually sign
22:16
up for our quarterly newsletter, The Drive.
22:20
It is an award-winning newsletter actually.
22:23
But also you can find out what is happening with your beef
22:27
check off dollars and just thank you for being able to serve you
22:33
all of the beef producers across the country to help build beef
22:38
demand. Cheryl, thank you.
22:39
So much for your time today and to all of our audience members,
22:42
everything Cheryl talked about today, I'm going to have link
22:44
down in the show notes so that you guys can easily go access
22:47
that, whether it's signing up for the Drive newsletter or just
22:50
looking into that impact report. Or maybe you have a roast in
22:53
your freezer that you're like, I want to make a really good meal
22:56
for my family this week and you don't just want to throw it in
22:59
the crockpot like you always do. I will also have some really
23:02
great links that you guys should definitely go check out as
23:05
producers because guess what? Those because recipes aren't
23:07
just for our consumer population.
23:09
I have multiple recipe cards in my recipe box in my house that
23:13
we are constantly bringing out in this household as well, just
23:17
to shake things up a little bit on our dinner plates.
23:21
So I will have all of those linked down below for you guys.
23:24
Cheryl, once again, thank you for your time on this podcast
23:27
and also thank you for your time serving the beef board and
23:30
serving the producer population as well.
23:32
All of our audience members. Thanks for listening to another
23:35
episode of The Cattle USA Daily Podcast.
23:37
We will see you all next time.