The Angus Journal® is a monthly magazine known for in-depth coverage of American Angus Association® programs and services; the Angus business; herd management; and advertising reflecting genetics and herd philosophies.
Issue link: http://angusjournal.epubxp.com/i/529629
C onfusion surrounds the word natural, especially when used in conjunction with production agriculture. The meaning is often lost in translation between producers, feeders, packers, consumers and the media. As consumers begin to question the origin of their food and the stories of those who produced it, demand and premiums associated with natural programs rise. For some producers, natural could become synonymous with profi t. "Natural is minimally processed with only natural ingredients — but at the point that it becomes a carcass," said Cara Gerken, program auditor with IMI Global. "When people think of natural, they all see it differently. The reality is that it depends on the program." IMI Global, a third-party auditor and division of Where Food Comes From Inc., qualifi es producers for value-added programs, including natural, organic and grass-fed. "Whatever the consumer wants, we have the fl ex and intuitive ability to provide that to them," Gerken said. "While I am with a client, we will cover everything from feed to the packaged product in order to enable them to meet USDA and customer requirements." A few of the more commonly recognized programs are the Global Animal Partnership Standards (GAP) and Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC). GAP involves requirements including animal care and handling standards, the use of growth promotants and antibiotics, and monitoring how the producer manages available forage. NHTC, a standard required by the European Union (EU) for importation of beef products, specifi es that cattle not be treated with growth promotants and be traceable to the ranch of origin. "To qualify for any of these programs, the cattle must be third-party verifi ed from a USDA-approved vendor," said Gant Mourer, beef value enhancement specialist at Oklahoma State University (OSU). "The auditing process is more about good recordkeeping on the producer's side. People are concerned that it is an invasive process, but actually they just verify what you are already doing." Audits are done face-to-face with producers to help guide them through the certifi cation process and verify their production practices. Gerken explained that after the producer qualifi es for programs with stricter requirements, they can always qualify calves at lower levels. This offers protection against having to treat sick calves or accidents. "The length of the audit depends on the program and how far we have to travel to see cattle," Gerken said. "If the ranch has all of their records, it could take as little as a few hours." After the cattle are certifi ed for the producer's program of choice, the next step is fi nishing the calves at a feedyard. "If you have verifi ed those animals as natural, they need to be fed at a feedlot that 56 � ANGUSJournal � July 2015 35 Keys to Success Marketing Commercial Cattle Enhancing value through natural beef programs. Story & photos by Raney Lovorn, editorial intern Beef