11/26/07 Idaho cattleman honored for his BQA effort

Kudos to an Idaho member of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. Carl Crabtree has been honored by Beef Magazine with its Trailblazer Award for his work in Beef Quality Assurance through the Beef Board. BQA, which is funded through beef checkoff dollars, is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. Ken Stielow of Kansas is the beef board chairman. STIELOW "Carl took it upon himself to say 'you know we can do better.' We can energize a new generation by giving them the right tools to do it right. He's headed our evaluation committee also. I'm really proud of him as one of the members of the beef board that has really stood up and been recognized in the industry." Stielow says audits shows there have been major changes in the industry thanks to the implementation of BQA. STIELOW "I believe five years later after a round of Beef Quality Assurance it was just a huge drop in the incidents of defects in the carcass." Producers who embraced Beef Quality Assurance said it was the right thing to do and it has also allowed them to gain increased profitability. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott