Federation Initiative Fund awards beef promotion grants

The Federation of State Beef Councils executive committee has awarded $181,325 in grants from its Federation Initiative Fund for beef promotional events in high population areas of 10 states.

The awards were announced Jan. 31, just prior to the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, TN.

Grants are awarded twice a year to support the Federation's long-standing commitment to invest checkoff dollars "where the people live," according to Federation Chair Craig Uden, a cow-calf operator and cattle feeder from Elwood, NE.

Included among the grants in the midwest were:

• Indiana Beef Council - $6,000, for a retail/radio/social media beef promotion to more than 375,000 consumers a year who attend the TinCaps home baseball games;

• Michigan Beef Industry Council - $13,000, for Beef Alternative Merchandising and beef nutrition events in 10 grocery stores;

• Ohio Beef Council - $10,000, for on-campus educational events to inform high school students and teachers about healthy beef;

• Ohio Beef Council - $12,000, to reach nearly 700,000 Clipper baseball fans during 72 home games in a partnership with local media and the team;

• Minnesota Beef Council - $1,825, to reach more than 3,000 health influencers at the first Nutrition Expo sponsored in part by the Minnesota Dietetic Association; and

• Minnesota Beef Council - $5,000, to conduct farm and ranch tours for health and nutritional professions in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud area; project includes partnership with the Midwest Dairy Association.