When you have a product to sell – whether its athletic shoes or beef cattle – you need to know market trends. Did you know Millennials have overtaken Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation? That equates to $2.45 trillion in buying power! It also explains why beef producers like Scott McGregor of Nashua, Iowa, are allocating more resources toward reaching this important target market.

Scott and his wife, Tracy, live on the home place purchased in 1936 by Scott’s grandfather. Tracy teaches physical education and music at Nashua-Plainfield Elementary. Scott farms with his two brothers, David and Allan, as well as his nephew Patrick. Scott and Tracy’s sons both graduated from Iowa State University. Brendan earned a degree in marketing and works in Des Moines. Chet earned a degree in Ag Studies and helps a neighbor farm and raise cattle.

“As beef producers, our message to millennials needs to include information about the nutritional profile of the beef. I want people to feel confident about the food they eat,” explains Scott, who represents the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as co-chair of the Consumer Trust Committee, a joint committee between the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the NCBA. “We need consumer trust to market our products, so we’re placing more emphasis on the safety and quality of our beef.”

Younger consumers are trending toward more health-conscious eating, so American beef producers are using social media and digital advertisements to get out the message that beef is part of a healthy diet. One serving of beef, which is 3 ounces or about the size of an iPhone, provides our bodies with nearly half of its needed protein plus 10 essential nutrients including zinc, iron, protein (ZIP) and B vitamins.

Consumers want to know the food on grocery store shelves is safe and nutritious. Today’s shoppers look for food labels to help them feel better about their food choices. That’s why Scott, who was recently appointed to the National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Task Force, believes more beef producers will become certified than ever before in the 25-year history of BQA. New beef harvesting facilities will only buy from BQA-certified producers. Plus, QR codes could allow cattle to be traced back to the farm of origin.

“So many consumers have lost sight that food on the grocery store shelves comes from a farm,” explains Scott, past chairman and currently federation director for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “BQA can help them connect the food on their table right back to the farm where it was raised.”

This fourth generation Iowa farmer is so passionate about connecting the farm gate to the dinner plate that he’s spent time in the classroom each year for the past 10 years, teaching history to 11^th graders taking an Iowa Studies class at the Nashua-Plainfield High School. Scott makes beef production relate-able to each student in the class by giving samples of beef sticks or jerky and delivering a presentation entitled, “My Cheeseburger Came from the Farm.”

Is it any surprise that a tenderized ground round patty made from Certified Angus Beef® like he raises is one of Scott’s favorite quick meals? You can create a similar sandwich by asking the person behind your local meat counter to run ground round through the tenderizer before making it into patties.

Make a stop at the store, and fire up that grill!

We become what we practice… Some children pretend to fly a spaceship to the moon or treat their tricycles like they’re fire trucks. Others, like Andy Edson, practice becoming a business owner.

“A part of me has always thought like an entrepreneur,” says Edson, who farms with his parents Dave and Connie near Nashua in Northeast Iowa. “One of my favorite toys as a kid was a cash register. I’d take my sisters things and charge them to get it back,” he says as he gives a dimpled smile.

It wasn’t long before Andy’s interests moved into farming and raising cattle. He purchased his first heifer calf when he was 14 years old and a member of the Bradford Eager Beavers 4-H Club. He showed “Girl” in the 4-H Beef Show at the Chickasaw County Fair, and she became the foundation for his beef herd.

When Andy became old enough to join the Nashua-Plainfield FFA Chapter, beef became his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). He put so much time and effort into recordkeeping that he earned both the Iowa and the American FFA Degrees. Andy also had the honor of being named an American Star Farmer Finalist at the 2012 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

“Andy is an outstanding leader and has developed one of the most extensive SAE programs I have had the opportunity to work with in my 29 years of teaching agricultural education,” said FFA advisor Ron Zelle in a 2012 interview.

“I grew up around cattle. Dad always had about 50 Holstein steers, and I have great memories of helping him do chores from the time I was barely big enough to carry a bucket,” says Andy. “I started my own beef herd with one 4-H heifer and had 20 cows when I went to college. I didn’t think it was fair that my dad had to do so much of my work during the week, so I thinned down my herd. Girl is still a part of it, and she’s expecting her 10^th calf any day.”

The first calf drops on the Edson farm during March Madness and, if everything goes according to plan, they’re done calving before corn planting begins in April. Andy’s original plan was to sell club calves, but those plans changed when he had the opportunity to farm more ground.

Andy began renting farmland his freshman year of college. When an opportunity to rent a neighbor’s farm was presented during Andy’s senior year of college, he arranged his schedule so he didn’t have classes on Fridays or Mondays. That allowed him to make the two-hour drive home from college on Thursday night, so he could spend four days straight on his farm.

“I knew there was a future here for me. My dad is a good mentor, and I enjoy being my own boss. It just felt right for me to pursue farming fulltime,” says Andy. An internship through Iowa State’s Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative also helped confirm his decision because he missed the farm when he way away.

As a student in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS), Andy majored in Agricultural Business with a minor in Agronomy. Iowa State CALS pairs incoming freshmen with upper classmen mentors, and Andy was partnered with Carly Cummings and Elizabeth Burns-Thompson. Both Carly and Elizabeth were Ag Business majors, who were active in the student NAMA (National Agri-Marketing Association). They recruited Andy to the ISU NAMA marketing team. He was on the team for four years and was a member of one team that won the national competition!

“To prepare for the competition, we spent a lot of time finding research to help us make decisions. It was fun to see the marketing – not commodity marketing – side of agriculture. It helped me understand how different companies place products and why they’re targeting certain audiences,” says Andy.

“So much work goes into those marketing plans,” Andy goes onto explain. “Just learning the ‘whys’ behind the marketing decisions that a company makes can be applicable to any business. It really taught us a decision-making process.”

Andy puts those decision-making skills to use daily in his farming operation. His future plans include his family’s farming legacy.

“I hope to contribute to our operation and strengthen it while staying sustainable through the adoption of new technologies and exploring new business ventures,” says Andy. “Though my operation’s focus will continue to be on growing corn and soybeans, I’ll always keep a few cows around. They’ve always been a part of my life and there’s something about calving that never fails to give me a renewed appreciation for nature and the way of life that God has blessed me with.”

After working hard all day, Andy enjoys a home-cooked meal. Today he’s sharing two of his favorite recipes with us.

“I like recipes that are simple and delicious and both of these fit the bill,” says Andy. “This pot roast comes out tender and full of flavor while the bars provide a perfect end to the meal with a sneaky-good balance of sweet and salty.”

Celebrate the return of seasonal spring temperatures by firing up the grill! May is Beef Month, and the perfect time to enjoy an All-American juicy hamburger or a thick, delicious, mouth-watering steak. A great meal starts with proper food safety and grilling preparations, so today we’re sharing a few tips from the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Storage and Preparations

Pick up beef just prior to checking out. If it will take longer than 30 minutes to get home, transport beef in an iced cooler to ensure it remains cold. Upon arriving home, refrigerate your meat as soon as possible. Place beef packages on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator on a plate or tray to catch any juices.

To avoid cross-contamination and to prevent foodborne illnesses while preparing food, follow these few guidelines:

• Wash your hands well in hot, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and other fresh foods.
• Keep raw meat and meat juices away from other foods, both in the refrigerator and during preparation.
• Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces and counters with hot, soapy water after contact with raw meat.
• Keep carving boards separate from other food preparation areas and serving platters.
• Lastly, take beef directly from the refrigerator to the grill for cooking.

Grilling

Trim visible fat before grilling to help prevent flare-ups, and grill over medium heat. If the food is grilled over too high heat, the exterior can become overcooked or charred before the interior reaches the desired doneness.

For charcoal grilling, spread charcoal out in single layer once the coals are ash-covered (approximately 30 minutes). Then check cooking temperature by cautiously holding the palm of your hand above the coals at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away; approximately 4 seconds for medium heat. Gas grill brands vary greatly, so grilling times may need to be adjusted.

Determining Proper Doneness

To determine the proper degree of doneness for ground beef, horizontally insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the center for patties to ensure an internal temperature of 160°F. NOTE: Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

For steaks that are 1/2 inch or thicker, insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally from the side to penetrate the thickest part or the center of the steak without touching bone or fat. After cooking, let steaks rest before serving to achieve desired degree of doneness, which may range from Medium Rare (145°F), Medium (160°F), and/or Well Done (170°F).

Fire up the grill this weekend! Here are a few recipes to get you started:

• Maple-Bacon Beer Burgers
• Greek-Seasoned T-Bone Steaks with Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• Beef Kabobs with Grilled Pineapple

For beef recipes and additional inspiration for beef meals, visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

“Amplify: Boost your impact” is the theme of the 88^th annual Iowa FFA Leadership Conference, which will be held April 17-19, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Not only does that conference theme serve as a rally cry for the more than 5,000 FFA members who will gather from across the state, but it’s the mantra of Sam Sturgeon of Dows.

“I first decided to join FFA because I love helping on our farm,” says Sam, whose grandfather raises seed beans for Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. Her father, Eric, is a Latham® seed dealer. The family also grows corn and runs a cow-calf operation. “FFA is becoming an important way for me to develop leadership skills. I’ve been reporter the past year. Chapter officers lead events and activities throughout the year, plus COLT (Chapter Officer Leadership) Training allowed us to meet officers from all chapters in our area.”

A junior at Belmond-Klemme High School in Belmond, Sam has been active in FFA since seventh grade. Sam’s younger brother, Caleb, also joined the chapter in seventh grade. Both of them are carrying on the tradition set by their father and grandfather.

And just like her Grandpa Ron and Great Grandpa Gene Sturgeon, Sam will receive the Iowa FFA Degree. Next week when Belmond-Klemme FFA members travel to Ames for the state leadership conference, Sam will be awarded the highest rank a state association can bestow upon a member.

Qualifications for the Iowa FFA Degree include:

1. Recipient of the Chapter FFA Degree and having been an active FFA member for at least two years.
2. Participation in at least 25 unduplicated hours of community service. Sam’s community service projects included: working the concession stand and cleaning up after sporting events at school, (coordinating or participating in?) a food drive for the food pantry and the Summer Backpack food program, as well as providing a calf and working at the petting zoo during Klemme Ag Days.
3. Achieving a satisfactory scholastic record as certified by the local agricultural education instructor, the principal or superintendent.
4. Demonstrated leadership ability:
   1. Performing 10 procedures of parliamentary law.
   2. Giving a six-minute speech on a topic related to agriculture or the FFA.
   3. Serve as an officer, committee chairperson or participating member of a chapter committee.
5. Completion of at least two years (360 hours) of systematic school instruction in Agriculture Education of above the ninth grade level, including a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. Through the SAE program, a student must have earned and productively invested at least $1,000 or worked at least 300 hours in addition to the class time or a combination thereof.

For her Beef Production Placement SAE project, Sam helps her grandparents with 43 Maine Anjou-Angus cow-calf pairs. Calving begins in February and wrap up as planting season begins.

“This year was especially exciting,” says Sam. “We did a lot of embroyo implants, so I stayed busy watching heat cycles. I enjoyed helping select semen from the bull we wanted. I was so excited to see what the calves would look like this year! I’m pretty excited about what we’ll have to work with.”

At the 2015 Wright County Fair ,Sam and Caleb won Champion Cow-Calf Pair. They show cow-calf pairs for FFA and market beef through the Pleasant Progressors 4-H Club.

While Caleb likes showing beef cattle, he really enjoys helping with crop production. His lifelong dream is be the fourth generation on his family’s North Central Iowa farm.  Sam prefers livestock production and plans to become a veterinarian. She volunteers nearly every Saturday, as well as on days when there isn’t school, at the Hampton Veterinary Clinic. She assists with surgeries and goes on farm calls. She helps spay and neuter pets, too.

The Sturgeons stay busy outside of school and farming. Sam also works part-time at Fareway. Caleb is a member of the football and basketball teams. In the off-season, he lifts weights.

Every cattle producer knows the way to boost your energy levels and fuel your body is by eating beef! One serving of beef, provides our bodies with nearly half of its needed protein plus 10 essential nutrients including zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins.

In anticipation of May Beef Month – and in celebration of Sam earning the Iowa FFA Degree – today the Sturgeon is sharing with us of one of their family’s favorite beef recipes.