Checkoff-Funded Storytelling Builds Consumer Trust by Closing the Gap Between Producers and Outdoor Enthusiasts

By Becky Potmesil

Today, fewer than 1.5 percent of U.S. residents make their living by farming or ranching. This is a far cry from when my husband’s ancestors first homesteaded Potmesil Ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills and my grands and great-grands farmed the fertile soil in Illinois.

My husband Scott is the fifth generation here, managing our Angus cow/calf operation with a focus on genetics, leading to easier calving and lower birth weights but higher weaning weights. 

Like the generations before us, we pay close attention to temperature, weather patterns, rainfall, the onset of cool and warm-season grasses, bird migration and other ecological events. 

We’ve kept handwritten records for decades because we know the land tells a story, if you’re paying attention.

But it’s not just about observing the land, it’s about preserving it. We avoid overgrazing, rotate pastures, lease land in dry years and supplement our cattle’s feed as necessary to reduce pressure on our native grasses. 

Our goal is always the same – to leave the land better than we found it. And I know most other ranchers feel the same way. I read somewhere farmers and ranchers not caring for the environment would be like carpenters destroying their tools, and I agree.

This is why the “Voices of the Outdoors” video series from “Beef.It’s What’s For Dinner,” funded by the Beef Checkoff, really caught my attention. 

This series explores the commitment to land stewardship beef producers, outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists share. 

As a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and co-chair of the Beef Checkoff’s Consumer Trust Committee, I was eager to see how these seemingly disparate groups could come together over their mutual passion for nature.

“Voices of the Outdoors” shows how beef producers like us care deeply about the land, and it does so by pairing us with outdoor enthusiasts – hikers, climbers, hunters and even surfers – who love the land in their own way.  

These individuals ultimately leave with a better understanding of how beef production can go hand in hand with careful, sustainable land management. They and the series’ viewers learn how cattle grazing actually contributes to environmental conservation by preserving open spaces, protecting wildlife habitats, mitigating wildfires and sequestering carbon. 

Ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts may not always see eye to eye, but the series shows how we can come together over the mutual desire to keep open spaces healthy and beautiful.

Some producers may ask, “Why does the Beef Checkoff fund a video series like this?”

My answer is because it’s exactly the kind of content that builds consumer trust. Many people may not go online to specifically find information about beef production or environmental stewardship, but they might be served this kind of content on YouTube or Instagram because of an interest in farming, horses, recycling or cooking. 

When they see “Voices of the Outdoors,” it may spur more positive feelings about beef production and encourage them to choose beef over other proteins.

It’s been estimated the vast majority of Americans have little to no firsthand knowledge about how their food is produced. This lack of understanding creates space for misinformation and negative assumptions, but when we show who we really are – land stewards, animal caretakers, people who live by the weather and work by the seasons – we start to close the gap.

The “Voices of the Outdoors” video series helps people see the bigger picture of what we do every day, and in my view, it’s a strong example of how our checkoff dollars can be used to build trust – through storytelling that connects with consumers who might have little personal connection to agriculture. 

Efforts like this, alongside other vital checkoff programs, help ensure beef remains relevant, respected and a top choice at the meat counter.

Becky Potmesil of Alliance, Neb. is a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and the Beef Checkoff’s Consumer Trust Committee. This opinion column was originally published by CBB on June 10.