The National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Beef 101 series is in full swing. Beef 101 is a beef educational series exclusively for members of Congress and their staffs. The program was developed to bridge the knowledge gap between elected policymakers and the U.S. beef industry. According to NCBA Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts, a recent session was the first in 2011 and focused on the basics of beef production in the United States.
Dr. Tom Field, Executive Director of Producer Education for NCBA, explained to those present the notion of factory farms was an attempt by extremists to muddy the facts. When decisions are made that hurt the beef industry, it isn't so-called factories that go out of business. It's family farmers who suffer. These families are going to be tasked, in the not-so distant future, with feeding a population equivalent to two Chinas. We can't afford to lose them.