In April, the New York Beef Industry Council, along with industry partners, hosted a “New York Veal/Dairy Tour 2010”. The tour was made possible with funding by the beef checkoff through a grant from the Federation Initiative Fund of the Federation of State Beef Councils. And for industry influencers who have a connection with the consumer, this event offered the opportunity to gain a better understanding of animal agriculture from pasture to plate and the relationship between veal and the dairy industry.
The event kicked off with tours of Noblehurst Farms (dairy), O-AT-KA Dairy, Provitello Veal Farm and Palmer’s Food Service/Retail. The group of 55 participants concluded the first day’s activities with a cutting demonstration at the New York Wine and Culinary Center. Day Two featured an additional demonstration at the Wine and Culinary Center where attendees explored how veal interacts in the marketplace; and, gave them a hands-on kitchen experience to create their own veal masterpiece.
“If we can duplicate this tour in every state, and get more of the key retail and foodservice decision makers to attend, we can enhance the image of the veal industry. Those that attended learned the connection between the veal and dairy industries, and gained an appreciation for the sophistication and care that goes into feeding, raising and harvesting the animals,” says Tony Longino, Director of Sales and Marketing for Catelli Brothers, Inc., one of the largest veal and lamb companies in the U.S. “They also gained some insights on why the category, though small, can play a very important role in the success for their business.”
Post-tour evaluations show that industry influencers now feel better equipped to explain how veal is produced to a customer, understand the unique benefits of veal in developing a signature dish for a restaurant operation, understand the type of customer that would request veal and believe veal calves receive an appropriate level of animal care.
Click here to view a veal tour and cooking video, and for more information, visit VealMadeEasy.com or www.nybeef.org.
The Federation of State Beef Councils represents Qualified State Beef Councils and works to coordinate state and national programs designed to strengthen the beef industry’s position in the marketplace.
For more information about checkoff-funded programs, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.
# # #
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program