Certified Hereford Beef

[smnherf]

It seems like everyone knows about the CAB program and they have become the standard of the industry, but you hear very little about the CHB program. I thought I would throw this letter out there for your thoughts.

This was an unsolicited letter and by the way CHB allows select graded beef into their program.



To: Hereford Beef Producers

From: Stan Dickman – Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Re: An Open Letter to Hereford Beef Producers

On behalf of the customers, sales & marketing team and the entire Harker's organization, I want to take this opportunity to express the genuine enthusiasm and pride that we take in marketing America's most consistent line of premium beef products!

Harker's is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa and has been synonymous with quality meat products since the company was started as a small town meat market in 1906 by Plymouth County farmer and cattle producer, George Harker. From those humble beginnings we have grown to become the nation's largest Center of the Plate focused Foodservice distributor with annual sales of $200 million, three steak production facilities located in Le Mars, Denver and Minneapolis, and distribution to 18 mid-western and Rocky Mountain states.

Since our original launch of the Certified Hereford Beef Product line in April of 2001, it has become the fastest growing and most successful product addition that I have witnessed in my 24 years with Harker's. Our customers and sales team believes in the product because it consistently outperforms all other beef products – at any price and any government grade. With the USDA grading standard changes of the mid 70's, the explosion of continental cattle breeds in the U.S. market and the rise of packer label premium lines, the beef in today's packer label boxes is simply not the same high quality that we all remember from the beautiful "swinging beef" of the 40's, 50's and 60's.

Here at Harker's we believed in the product so much that we now exclusively specify that only Certified Hereford Beef be used in our Signature of IowaÔ line of premium cut steaks, pre-cooked prime-ribs and boxed beef line. Future plans call for further SOI/CHB product line extensions such as fresh & frozen ground beef patties, chicken fried beef steaks, pre-cooked pot roasts and other quality beef products.

We here at Harker's thank you for maintaining your production standards and certainly encourage you to put more Hereford Beef in those boxes!

Harker's Distribution, Inc., 801 6th Street SW, PO Box 1308, LeMars, Iowa 51031 Phone 712-546-8171

 

[MikeC]

Ordinary housewives at the grocer will pick Select over Choice or Prime beef because of the fat content.

The 80's and 90's war against fat will be a hard obstacle to overcome.

The current USDA beef grading system is a farce. When fat content is the deciding factor that is supposed to dictate the quality of beef, we are sliding on a slippery slope.

For every research article showing us that marbling assists in determining a pleasurable eating experience, one can be shown that says tenderness rules the day for consumers.

We are like dogs chasing their tails.

The technology of camera grading and predicting tenderness is on the doorstep, waiting to come in. I predict that tender "Select" beef will be our target in just a few years.

 

[S&S Farms]

CHB allows select graded beef into their program.

That is the beauty of the black baldy it will fit both CAB and CHB programs If it is processed in the right plant it can be going done the chain and if it grades choice CAB if select CHB and you can get premiums for both programs. If those black hided calves don't have a white face then you lose out on the second chance for extra money.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I was talking to someone about CHB premiums here in Kansas, they stated that last year they received 1.40 for 725lb steers. Not a bad day at market if you ask me.

I don't know what marketing plan the CHB is going to take from here on out. They are going to fight the uphill battle against the CAB, yet we have to keep from falling into the same traps. I am not sure if a fight to the top is beneficial to the breed. Second can sometimes be the best place to be.

 

[smnherf]

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:31 am Post subject:

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Ordinary housewives at the grocer will pick Select over Choice or Prime beef because of the fat content.

The 80's and 90's war against fat will be a hard obstacle to overcome.

The current USDA beef grading system is a farce. When fat content is the deciding factor that is supposed to dictate the quality of beef, we are sliding on a slippery slope.

Even though the housewife would glady pick select over choice in many cases, convincing the meat department manager, the meat distributor and even the packer that Hereford select eats as well as CAB or other choice products is challenging. The whole industry has been beating the USDA Choice drum for so long that it is hard to change.

That is the beauty of the black baldy it will fit both CAB and CHB programs

That is absolutely right. The baldy steer is the most marketable animal in the industry right now. He is elgible for more branded beef program premiums than any other animal you can produce and the best thing is that the heifer makes the best cow in the industry too.

I don't know what marketing plan the CHB is going to take from here on out. They are going to fight the uphill battle against the CAB, yet we have to keep from falling into the same traps. I am not sure if a fight to the top is beneficial to the breed. Second can sometimes be the best place to be.

I hope you are kidding, because as things are right now, we are so far back in second that CAB can't even see our dust!
From your other posts if I remember right you are trying to break into the Hereford bull market. If things stay as they are, I wish you good luck. Unless there is more demand for the beef, your bull market is extremely limited and those people who are currently raising Hereford bulls can more than satisfy the current demand.

I am not saying that we have to overtake CAB, but we HAVE to do a lot better than we are now.

Brian

 

[Brandonm2]

Ordinary housewives at the grocer will pick Select over Choice or Prime beef because of the fat content.

The 80's and 90's war against fat will be a hard obstacle to overcome.

The current USDA beef grading system is a farce. When fat content is the deciding factor that is supposed to dictate the quality of beef, we are sliding on a slippery slope.

For every research article showing us that marbling assists in determining a pleasurable eating experience, one can be shown that says tenderness rules the day for consumers.

We are like dogs chasing their tails.


The technology of camera grading and predicting tenderness is on the doorstep, waiting to come in. I predict that tender "Select" beef will be our target in just a few years.

I was in 'Target' Wednesday and they only had two brands of beef on their shelves......'Chef Bob and Jeff's (I doubt I remembered their names; but it is something like that) Choice Angus Beef' and 'Laura's Lean' I think both were also guaranteeing no hormones and no antibiotics. No commodity beef at all that I saw.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

No I am not kidding, regardless of where we are now things can always change. Our biggest demand is moving bulls into black herds. That is what our advantage is right now, at least that is how I look at it.