Montana Beef Council pledges $200,000 to MSU animal bioscience project
Funds return support to home state beef industry research
By Charlene Schuster, Executive Director Montana Beef Council, February 2005
Montana — longtime home to cowboys and cattle ranches, and a good place to eat a steak. Here, in a state where our historical, cultural and economic foundations are based in beef production, it is only appropriate that money from this industry is returned to invest in its future.
With that philosophy driving their decision, the Montana Beef Council recently announced a pledge of $200,000 toward the establishment of the Montana State University Animal BioSciences research project.
The money will come from the $.25 Fund, which, prior to the establishment of the national beef check–off, collected funds from Montana cattle producers through the original Montana Beef Research and Marketing Act. Funds were designated for use in scientific research, education, advertising, promotion and publicity of the beef industry.
The Montana Beef Council wants to emphasize the distinction between funds from the original check–off, and today’s national $1/head check–off program. People may well recognize projects of the $1/head beef check–off: programs such as a national partnership with Quizno’s promoting steak sandwiches and research that has developed new ready–to–eat beef entrees. However, funds from the original $.25 Fund are designed to stay solely in Montana, to benefit our producers and our industry here.
This led to the decision to support Montana State University’s new biosciences research project, a cutting edge facility with equipment and faculty to lead the industry in beef research.
Mac White, a cattle producer and cattle feeder from Two Dot, serves as vice chair of the Montana Beef Council and also chairs the Montana Research Committee, which oversees the Montana–specific fund. The producers who make the decisions about these dollars felt it was appropriate to join other beef industry groups in supporting this outstanding Montana project. As chair of the Montana Research Committee, he felt that if Montana was going to be a player in the cattle business, what better way to support the product than by establishing a top notch cattle and beef research facility in their own state.
There is a correlation between this research project and improving beef products. This project will include research on functional genomics and studies of gene clusters that control tenderness and disease resistance, all which will contribute to a safer, higher quality, more consistent supply of beef for consumers. All of these objectives that fall in line with the purpose of the $.25 Fund.
Jim Peterson, Interim Associate Dean for Development and External Relations at the MSU College of Agriculture told the Council that MSU recognized these beef dollars were intended for research and education and this effort will be a major step in carrying out that mission.
The Montana Beef Council joins other noted beef industry organizations such as Montana Livestock Ag Credit, Inc., the Dan Scott Family Foundation, and Farm Credit Services in support of the new MSU Animal BioSciences facility.