By Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
July 24, 2018
While the vast majority of American citizens are disconnected from production agriculture, a cultural movement over the last decade has urged consumers to be more interested in their food and how it was produced. This interest in food and agricultural production has coincided with the introduction of the Millennial generation into the consumer market. Millennials differ from previous generations, as they are expected to be the “largest consumer spenders in history” and they are known as trendsetters in the agricultural marketplace (B. D. Johnson, 2016, p. 1).
Millennials want to live healthy lifestyles, and they are influencing not only their generation’s eating habits but also their children’s and parents’ eating trends (G. Johnson, 2016b). Scott Muchkin, a food trends researcher at Wolfe Research in New York, stated that the best advice farmers could follow was to have transparency in their farming operations (G. Johnson, 2016a). Munhkin stated modern consumers want to know everything about how their food was produced. Companies like Tyson Foods and Wendy’s have listened to the demands of the consumer and are setting goals to achieve transparency and high standards of beef production.
Tyson Foods harvests and processed “25 percent of the US beef market share” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1). Wendy’s is “now the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the U.S.” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1). Both corporations announced that beginning in 2019, all “cattle they purchase must originate from producers and feedyards who are Beef Quality Assurance certified” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1).
The Ohio State University Extension Offices in Adams, Brown, Clermont, and Highland Counties will be offering Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification trainings for area beef producers along with local sale barns and veterinarians. These BQA certification trainings will allow for cattle to be sold to companies, like Tyson and Wendy’s, that will require BQA certification in 2019.
Four BQA certification trainings will be offered in Hillsboro, Ohio. Dates and locations of the upcoming BQA certification trainings are:
- Tuesday, August 14, 2018, Noon, Union Stockyards, Hillsboro
- Tuesday, August 28, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Union Stockyards, Hillsboro
- Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro
- Thursday, October 25, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro
Call your local Ohio State University Extension Office to register for the date and location of the BQA training of your choice. The Highland County Extension Office can be reached at 937-393-1918.
References
Johnson, B. D. (2016, June 9). Future Food: What Will It Be? Retrieved April 16, 2017, from Successful Farming: http://www.agriculture.com/farm-management/future food-what-will-it-be
Johnson, G. (2016a, February). Food Trends: Consumers Want Healthy, Local Foods. Successful Farming.
Johnson, G. (2016b, February 19). Meet Your New Boss: The Millennials. Successful Farming.
OSU Extension Beef Team. (2018). Beef Quality Assurance. Beef Team Blog. Retrieved from https://u.osu.edu/beefteam/bqa/
Upcoming Events:
Ohio Hop Growers Guild 2018 Hop Yard Open House will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. The public is welcome to attend and experience how hops are commercially grown in Ohio. Sign up at the Ohio Hop Growers Guild Facebook page. Three regional hop yards will be participating:
Scott Hop Farms
9681 U.S. Route 68
Georgetown, Ohio 45121
http://www.scottfarmsohio.com/hops.html
Little Miami Farms
3391 Cemetery Road
Xenia, Ohio 45385
Ohio Valley Hops
8329 S. State Route 48
Maineville, Ohio 45039
The Ohio State University will be hosting the Hops Field Night at the South Centers in Piketon on August 8, 2018, from 5:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. The cost is $15 per person and dinner will be served at 5:30 P.M. The deadline to register is Monday, August 6, 2018. The field night will be geared toward all growers, new and experienced. Some topics that will be discussed included galvanized trellis systems, mechanical harvesting demonstration, drying demonstrations, insect and diseases, and pest management. To register, contact Charissa Gardner at gardner.1148@osu.eduor at 740-289-2071 ext. 132.
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