MBA Provides Training for Ranchers

MBA Provides Training for Ranchers

I’m KayDee Gilkey with today’s Open Range.

One thing many of us in agricultural are thankful for are those farmers and ranchers who are willing to be advocates for agriculture, or agvocates. They often are using social media channels as well as striking up conversations with many whom they met to share their personal ag story.

Executive Director of Communications for the National Beef Cattlemen’s Association Daren Williams shares for beef producers or others there is a training available to help learn how to become a better agvocate -- the MBA.

Williams: “The MBA is a Master of Beef Advocacy -- now this isn’t a real master’s degree but it is a series of six online courses that you go through on your own computer, on your own time to really learn how to be a good advocate for beef. By that I mean to really be able to talk to consumers about beef nutrition, about animal care, environmental stewardship. Really all the things that go into producing a great tasting wholesome steak.”

Williams says that although anyone can participate in the program and that many chefs, nutritionists and others have completed their MBA, some of their strongest participants are beef producers.

Williams: “Farmers and ranchers who raise beef. Farmers and ranchers have a degree of credibility with consumers and consumers want to know who is raising their food. So if you can reach out and have a conversation with a consumer about the beef that you raise we can really turn on more consumers to be beef lovers.”