UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Beef Checkoff is reaching out to grassroots producers and consumers in Pennsylvania by sending the Beefmobile -- a van emblazoned with beef art -- to Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 17-19.

Funded by America's beef producers, the Beefmobile is used to share beef checkoff promotional and research information with producers, as well as to seek input regarding how checkoff dollars should be invested.

The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.

"The Beefmobile idea began as an outreach program to grassroots producers -- those who contribute to the beef checkoff but are not fully informed about how their checkoff dollars are used," says John Comerford, associate professor of dairy and animal science. Comerford explains that the Beefmobile's visit to Ag Progress Days is just one of the 100 stops at livestock marketing facilities authorized by the Cattlemen's Beef Board during fiscal year 2004. "We encourage beef, dairy and veal producers to visit the Beefmobile, learn more about the national beef checkoff and offer their suggestions," says Paul Slayton, Pennsylvania Beef Council executive director. "We're excited to have this national program in Pennsylvania."

In addition to delivering information to beef producers, the Beefmobile will whet peoples' appetites for beef. Stuart notes that the consumer component of the project -- stops at supermarkets and food festivals along the way -- was added to the Beefmobile to leverage checkoff dollars to the greatest extent possible.

The National Livestock Producers Association, founded in 1921, is an organization of livestock marketing cooperatives and credit corporations representing more than 200,000 livestock producers nationwide.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 800-PSU-1010 toll-free until August 19 or visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Paul Slayton at 717-939-7000 or Jeff Mulhollem Office 814-863-2719