10/18/05 "Not Just Any Beef" logo

American Rancher October 18, 2005 Earlier this year the Cattlemen's Competitive Market Project, which is part of the Organization for Competitive Markets, unveiled a "Not Just Any Beef...USA RAISED BEEF...Ask For It" logo and publicity initiative. Lee Engelhardt is a Washington cattle producer, president of the Cattle Producers of Washington and on the Board of the Organization for Competitive Markets. Engelhardt: "We have the CCMP, which is Cattlemen's Competitive Market Project. That is a voluntary, self-help checkoff program that we are trying to promote. That it will help promote voluntary country of origin labeling and to show consumers what U.S. beef is. That USDA label does not necessarily mean U.S. beef. When USDA labels that is just a specification as to quality. It has nothing to do with the country it came from. This program is based on it has to have USA raise beef to get the label." Engelhardt says there has been acceptance from producers all over the U.S. and some retailers in the Midwest are running pilot programs. He says getting wholesalers who can verify the source of their product has been a challenge in the northwest but Cattle Producers of Washington has its own label which it verifies back through its organization. By getting consumer involvement and increasing awareness the hope is to engage all consumers in demanding mandatory country of origin labeling. I'm Bob Hoff.