DENVER — As families and communities prepare for summer grilling season and celebratory gatherings again, U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers continue to work tirelessly to provide the best care for their cattle and land. Consumers should feel good about the beef on their grills, knowing that U.S. cattle production is the most environmentally sustainable in the world.
As the farm to table revolution has swept America, it is no surprise that people want to know more about where their food comes from – and it’s good news for beef. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gas from beef cattle only represents 2% of emissions in the U.S.1 This is in large part due to decades of improvement and innovation by cattle ranchers like Jim Strickland of Blackbeard’s Ranch in Southwest Florida, the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award winner.
“By caring for cattle, we not only produce high-quality protein, we have the opportunity to maintain open space and natural ecosystems, allowing the native environment to thrive,” said Strickland. “Whether it’s the wetlands we maintain so that clean water can run down stream or managing invasive species that allows our native habitat to be restored, cattle ranchers play a significant role in sustainability and that benefits communities near and far.”
Not only do cattle ranchers care for the land, cattle themselves also help in the sustainability effort. Cattle, thanks to their unique digestive systems, can graze on forage and consume plant leftovers and byproducts that would otherwise go to waste – upcycling it into high-quality protein. In fact, 90% of what cattle is inedible for humans, and thus, they enhance natural ecosystems while creating high-quality protein.2 3
While cattle help the land and reduce food waste, they can also be an important part of a healthy, sustainable diet. A 3-ounce serving of lean Beef provides 10 essential nutrients in about 170 calories, including high-quality protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins: No other protein source offers the same nutrient mix.4
James Beard Award winner, restauranter, and author Chef Hugh Acheson partnered with the experts at the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand to showcase beef with two delicious recipes sure to kick off grilling season with a sizzle. His Grilled Beef Tri-Tip steaks with grilled romaine lettuce and salsa rossa brings a blast of color and flavor to any event. The red sauce brings smokiness and a blast of color to this summer grilling favorite. And Chef Acheson’s Grilled Beef Tenderloin with sweet onion, corn, and tomato salad features a perfect crust, while making those around hungry to dig in.
“When you’re cooking from scratch and using amazing beef, it’s easy to put a crowd-pleaser on the table – something that’s not only delicious, it’s nourishing, too,” said Chef Hugh Acheson. “The success of these two recipes comes down to two simple things: Resting your meat so that is the perfectly prepared star of the show and pairing it with delicious fresh produce.”
For Chef Acheson’s featured Beef recipes and more information on how U.S. cattle are raised, go to www.Beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
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About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported Beef and Beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
About Rancher Jim Strickland
Jim has six decades of ranching experience and comes from a family that has been ranching in Florida since the Civil War. Jim grew up ranching with his father along the west coast of Florida. When his father died in the 1960’s Jim took over the family cattle operations at the age of 17, primarily leasing land for cattle. His passion for conservation began at a young age, as increasing development pushed him farther and farther inland. Jim is the owner of Strickland Ranch and managing partner of Big Red Cattle Company and Blackbeard’s Ranch, a 4,530 acre cow/calf operation that borders Myakka State Park and contains slough systems that feed the Myakka River and drinking water downstream. He is pursuing state and federal conservation easements on Blackbeard’s Ranch and is involved in local food initiatives. Jim’s goal is to develop Blackbeard’s as a model for sustainable agriculture and conservation. Jim is a passionate advocate for Florida agriculture and conservation, and is a spokesperson for ranchers across the state on the need for conservation funding to protect Florida. He served as president of the Florida Cattleman’s Association, past chairman of the Florida Cattleman’s Foundation, chairman of the National Cattleman’s Beef Association PAC and he currently sits on the board of the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park and numerous other agricultural committees. Jim’s son, J.J. Strickland, daughter in law Sara and granddaughter Quinn reside in Washington D.C.
About Chef Hugh Acheson
Hugh Acheson is the chef/owner of 5&10 located in Athens, GA, as well as Empire State South and By George. He is also the founder of Seed Life Skills, a living, multimedia curriculum built to serve the needs of the modern Family & Consumer Sciences (founded as Home Economics) classroom. Acheson’s fresh approach to Southern food has earned him a great deal of recognition including Food & Wine’s Best New Chef (2002), the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Restaurant of the Year (2007), a five-time (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) James Beard Award nominee, and 2012 winner for Best Chef Southeast. In 2007, Hugh was named a Rising Star from StarChefs.com and in 2012 he won the StarChefs Mentor Award. Hugh has also been in Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Garden & Gun, Fine Living, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Maclean’s, Art Culinare, and Saveur. In 2010, Hugh competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” season 3. He returned to the hit show as a judge on “Top Chef,” seasons 9 – 13, as well as “Top Chef: Duels.” He also hosted Bravo’s online complement to “Top Chef Masters” season 5, called “Battle of the Sous Chefs.” Acheson is also the author of five cookbooks.
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| 1 US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy. Version Current: April 2018. Internet: /nea/bhnrc/ndl |
| 2 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: Eighth Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/19014 |
| 3 Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). 1999. Animal Agriculture and Global Food Supply. Task force report N. 135 July 1999, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. Available at: https://www.cast-science.org/wp-content/uploads/1999/07/CAST_R135_Animal-Agriculture-and-Global-Food-Supply.pdf |
| 4 US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy. Version Current: April 2018. Internet: /nea/bhnrc/ndl |
