I’m at Denver International Airport pretty early getting ready to fly back to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, and then head north to Dickson, Oklahoma .  Our tand dogs/horses and Metallic cat are there.

I just spent a very enjoyable two days with some  of “The best”.  NCBA was filming an episode of “Cattleman to Cattleman” on Beef Quality Assurance.

I’ve said it before, I’m not really into the politics of the beef industry.  I believe in supply and demand are the things that matter.  We need to concentrate on creating more demand, and providing the desired product the consumer demands.

That is what the Beef Quality Assurance program is about. Creating a product that is desired.  Simple.

The number of people that have been through BQA training has really risen into the hundreds of thousands.  It’s a voluntary program but many employees are required to get certified for the job.  No matter how or what the reason, it’s worth the effort and time to get the knowledge provided to be certified.

Let’s go back about fifteen years.  I was doing a colt starting demo back East somewhere.  Somehow there was a cattle meeting with it and they euthanized a chronic calf that had been purposely given  many injections (good and bad)a few days before and then posted it(skinned and opened up carcass).  I have never been so shocked at what I saw.  The effects of vaccines and antibiotics in the muscle and under the skin were horrible.

I have been a believer in BQA and proper injection management since then.

The buzz words these days are “Best Management Practice”, and that’s what we are talking about here.  Doing things in the best way to get the best results.

Over the past thirty plus years BQA has evolved from injection site placement to many different areas, including transportation and cattlehandling, and that’s my fit, and I am so glad to be a part of it.

The group of folks they put together for the show were really good at telling the story of BQA.  I got to thinking about it and  they were part of “The Best” in the beef industry.  I was the only one there that was not very highly educated with a college education. I was around a lot of very smart, good country folks that care about people, animals and the industry.

I do have a PHD, but I use it for setting posts for my corrals and fences. I think with my part of Beef Quality Assurance, cattlehandling, the post hole digger (PHD) education is very helpful.  Being able to relate and communicate with animals and also people that dig post holes is a big part of getting it done.

Im not sure when it airs, but ill let you know or you can watch for it on RFD TV.

Keep getting better