Thursday, May 31, 2012

David Gazda's Letter to the Editor


David Gazda, GCA President-Elect


Below is the letter by Georgia Cattlemen's Association President-Elect David Gazda that appeared in the Athens Banner-Herald on May 29, 2012.


As a local cattleman, I’d like to offer a few facts that the writer of a May 23 letter to the editor headlined “To eat meat or not” may not have understood.

The latest research on heart health and lean beef, by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presents a new way of thinking: lean beef can be part of a solution to one of America’s greatest health challenges. The Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) clinical study showed that when included as part of a healthy diet, lean choices — such as top sirloin, tenderloin, T-bone steak and 95-percent lean ground beef — can reduce risk of heart disease.

Additionally, a Cancer Detection and Prevention meta-analysis published in February 2009 concluded that there is “no epidemiologic evidence to support a causal association between consumption of red meat or processed meat and kidney cancer.”

And, raising beef is environmentally sustainable. New research published in the Journal of Animal Science shows beef’s environmental footprint is shrinking. Each pound of beef raised in 2007, as compared to 1977, used 19 percent less feed; 33 percent less land, 12 percent less water and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy.

The carbon footprint of beef was reduced by more than 16 percent from 1977 to 2007. This year, more corn was used in ethanol production than for livestock feed. More beef from fewer animals maximizes resources like land and water, while providing essential nutrients for the human diet.

As a local cattlemen, I take pride each day in providing excellent care for my animals so that consumers in Georgia and around the world can enjoy beef that is safe, affordable, healthy and delicious.

David Gazda, Athens
Gazda is a local producer and president-elect of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Charles Floyd: GCA Commercial Cattleman of the Year

Each year, Georgia Cattlemen's Association selects one commercial producer who stands out from the rest of the herd. This year the honor went to Charles Floyd, a member of the Mid-Georgia Cattlemen's Association chapter. Floyd is from Smarr, Ga., and owns a commercial Angus operation.


This video played at the 51st Annual Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention & Trade Show and 15th Annual Beef Expo in Perry, Ga., on April 6, 2012.

Charles Floyd, right, receives his Commercial Cattleman of the Year award from GCA Past-President Steve Blackburn

GCA congratulates Floyd on his accomplishment! You can read more about him and his operation, Double F Farms, in the May issue of the Georgia Cattleman magazine.

Monday, May 21, 2012

How to Beef Up Your Beef Month



Georgia Beef Board sponsored a "Beef Up Your Beef Month" promotion and media training for Georgia Cattlemen's Association members on May 19.

Here's some ideas taken from the chapter roundtable discussion on how YOUR association can spread the word about our favorite protein!

  • Marquees are great eye-catchers: Use at a local business or farm bureau
  • Host a Beef Day for a local summer camp or vacation Bible school where students learn about cooking, nutrition and food safety
  • Have a Hamburger Day or ribeye steak sandwich sale
  • Visit a local festival: Ring a cowbell as you walk around and hand out recipe brochures!
  • Start a local CattleWomen's chapter -- the women will talk more!
  • Bring a live calf to a local library or camp to teach about beef
  • Send your junior members to senior centers to talk about beef
  • Help sponsor a "Cowboys for Jesus" vacation Bible school theme
  • Help local Girl Scouts get their Beef badge
  • Bring cattlemen to cookouts and other events: People like to put a face with their beef
  • Have booths at Farmer's Markets, whether it's to sponsor a specific local farmer's product or the association
  • Get at least one member ServSafe certified 
  • Give out gummy hamburgers to kids during events
  • Do a drawing for a sponsored or donated gift, such as a grill or steakhouse gift certificate
  • Utilize members who speak other languages, especially Spanish! They can be great assets if your area has a large Hispanic population at events
  • Buy those red Georgia Beef Month shopping bags to give out or sell at grocery stores
  • Start a chapter Facebook or Twitter account and share GBB and GCA information on it. Even better, make it a chapter officer or specific junior responsibility to update this regularly.
  • Enter local parades with beef floats
  • Sponsor a freezer for a local food bank so it an give away fresh meat cuts
  • Donate processed beef products, such as beef soup, to food pantries. These are easier for people to prepare than fresh beef at times.
  • Sponsor banners and concessions at high school sporting events, and grill hamburgers to sell!
Whatever your chapter does to promote BEEF throughout June Beef Month (or any other time of the year!) be sure to send us pictures and a short write-up so we can include them on our social media pages, website and the Georgia Cattleman magazine.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Welcome to Georgia Beef Blog!



Welcome to Georgia Beef Blog! We're so glad you found us. GABeefBlog will be the news hub for everything happening with Georgia Cattlemen's Association, Georgia Beef Board, Georgia CattleWomen's Association and Georgia Junior Cattlemen's Association.

"Like" our pages on Facebook and find us on Twitter: @GACattlemens and @GABeefBoard. You can also visit our YouTube channel.

We'll use this blog to post relevant stories, links and who knows what else, but our No. 1 goal is to keep you informed of news and recipes from Georgia's beef industry! For questions or post suggestions, contact dallas@gabeef.org.