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National Convention…it was marketed as Get Your “Ticket to Ride” the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention & NCBA Trade Show, and what a ride it was!
The PA Beef Council was there in full force with Darwin Nissley and Diane Hoover, Producer Federation Directors; Kristin Wilkins and Christie Brown, MICA contract; Nichole Hockenberry, National Dairy BQA award; and myself, representing our state beef council.
It was a tremendous time to be from PA. We had a clean sweep in every award category! Logan Bower, Blain, won the Dairy BQA award (the third national winner from PA), Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, won the National Environmental Stewardship Award (the first national winner from Region 1 and PA), Penn State University Quiz Bowl team took top honors and the PA Beef Council was awarded both Federation Program Grants applied for by Kristi Kassimer and Kristin Wilkins.
As first-timers to the event, Darwin, Diane, Nichole and myself were amazed at the crowd of over 8,100 fellow cattlemen and industry partners gathered in one place under one roof! According to NCBA, 2012 was a banner year with a record crowd! The last crowd record was set in 1998 during the centennial convention so it was good to be part of history in the making!
Imagine a sea of cowboy hats and you’ll have the picture of the opening general session on Wednesday, February 1. We all gathered to hear the heroic, emotional and mind-boggling account of Operation Redwing told by the “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal. Marcus bravely shared his account of the events, in 2005, that led up to his rescue from Eastern Afghanistan. Google his name to learn more…simply incredible!
The second general session, “How to Stop the Partisan War that is Destroying America” featured Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic strategist, and Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist. They examine the contentious issues that divide this nation along partisan lines, seeking common ground that can advance the stalemate for the benefit of us all. More like a conversation between friends than debate between enemies, they inspire the audience to find the common ground in their own beliefs, and put aside politics as usual. Liberals and conservatives can work together to put America back on track. The session was entertaining and even light-hearted at times but always thought provoking.
Darwin especially enjoyed meeting cattlemen from other states and learning about their operations. He also said the hotel was awesome, but a real challenge trying to find his way around to the meeting rooms. So, he just followed anybody with a cowboy hat thinking they must be going his way…he said it worked sometimes.
Diane said she was a bit overwhelmed with the facts, figures, new faces and especially with a hotel that required a GPS to get where you were going. She really appreciated what J.D. Alexander, incoming NCBA President, had to say during his opening remarks. He said, “If you are not at the table, you risk being on the menu.” Diane felt that summed up the mission of our industry and cattlemen best.
All of us enjoyed the committee meetings and the business agenda before our industry in the upcoming months. This collaboration of producers and industry partners was nothing short of exhilarating….a fine-tuned machine in motion fueled with respect and dedication. We all left the convention impressed and ultimately inspired by the level of synergy within our industry. So much intellect combined with talent hard at work within the Beef Community! A ride none of us will soon forget!
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Lean Beef and Low-fat Dairy—the perfect way to start the day!
My mother has always told me—“breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” As a registered dietitian, I even know why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. For instance, I know research has proven many times that you perform better at school or at work if you start your day with a meal. I also know research shows skipping meals, especially breakfast, can make weight control more difficult. So why do so many Americans rush off to work or send their children to school in the morning without breakfast?
Many people use the excuse that they simply do not have time in the morning. To me, this isn’t a good enough reason to completely skip a meal. Set the alarm fifteen minutes earlier than usual and grab a bite to eat. Eating your morning meal will more than make up for those few minutes of lost sleep by making you more efficient in your daily activities.
For me, the reason I used to walk out the door in the morning with just a cup of coffee is because I am not a fan of pre-packaged cereals, typical breakfast meats or worse yet, pop tarts. However, during the past month, with a little planning, I have been successful with eating a hot breakfast on a daily basis. I have also discovered that lean beef, and low-fat dairy make the perfect partner for breakfast favorites such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I know what you’re thinking…beef for breakfast!?! Trust me – try it, you’ll like it!
And now that there are 29 lean cuts to choose from, you can be sure beef fits perfectly into a healthy breakfast.
My new favorite recipe is a beef breakfast burrito. I always make the meat and vegetable mixture as well as the lime-cilantro cream the night before and store them in the refrigerator. With a little planning, this can be a quick, healthy, delicious way to start the day!
Check out www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com for the beef breakfast burrito recipe and dozens of others featuring that dynamic beef and dairy combination.
http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=3907
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