Retro Rad Georgia Tour de Beef: You're Invited!

The Georgia Beef Board is teaming up with 2012 Next Food Network Star finalist Emily Ellyn for a Retro Rad Georgia Tour de Beef this week to promote June Beef Month. Four hamburger restaurants in four cities were selected for this inaugural tour and will be featured in the upcoming June issue of Georgia Cattleman magazine.

"I'm looking forward to the Rad Tour de Beef - I know I will have a 'fabMOOlous' time on my quest to find the best burgers in Georgia," Ellyn says. "When asked to eat the best burgers around Georgia with the Georgia Beef Board and Georgia Cattleman magazine I replied, 'This is MOOsic to my ears!' How could I resist such a rad opportunity?"

The tour begins Tuesday, April 23, in Macon with lunch at The Rookery, followed by supper in Savannah at the Green Truck Pub. Wednesday includes lunch in Augusta at Sports Center and supper at Stuffed Burger in Athens. The public is encouraged to attend -- a limited number of autographed recipe cards will be given out at a meet-and-greet with Ellyn at each stop, and there will be plenty of beef recipes and freebies given out as well.

"Georgia Beef Board is excited to team up with Emily Ellyn for this tour," says Josh White, executive vice president of Georgia Beef Board. "Beef is an excellent source of 10 essential nutrients while only contributing 10 percent of your daily caloric intake. We are looking forward to the opportunity to share this and more information with consumers as they visit these burger restaurants with us."

The restaurants chosen are past winners of "best burger" contests put on by local publications.

RETRO RAD GEORGIA TOUR DE BEEF

Official Schedule

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

LUNCH: The Rookery

11:30 a.m.

543 Cherry Street Macon, Ga.

DINNER: Green Truck Pub

5:30 p.m.

2430 Habersham Street Savannah, Ga.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

LUNCH: Sports Center

11:30 a.m.

594 Broad Street Augusta, Ga.

DINNER: Stuffed Burger

5:30 p.m.

1860 Barnett Shoals Road Athens, Ga.

RSVP on Facebook!

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Georgia Beef Board is one of 45 state beef councils funded by the Beef Checkoff. It is an organization working for Georgia's beef producers in areas of education, promotion and research. It is overseen by an 11-member board of dairy producers, beef producers, livestock market association members and Georgia Farm Bureau members. Georgia Beef Board is funded through the Beef Checkoff, where a mandatory $1 is collected for every head of cattle sold in the state. Visit Georgia Beef Board

Emily Ellyn is a celebrity chef based out of Orlando, Fla. She is the owner of Emily Ellyn Productions, Inc., and is a doctorate student in food service education at Rosen College. Visit Emily Ellyn

Georgia Cattleman magazine is the official monthly publication of Georgia Cattlemen's Association, the membership and policy organization for beef producers in Georgia. Visit the magazine page

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.