This week, I’m preparing my notes for an upcoming speech I’ll present to a group of hog producers in Iowa. While I typically write and speak about beef industry issues, all livestock producers have common issues — threats from environmental and animal rights activists, burdensome regulatory measures restricting business growth and a misinformed public that desperately wants to know more about where their food comes from and how it gets to their dinner table.

In my speeches on agricultural advocacy, I often ask producers: If a consumer were to approach you and ask you a tough question about your industry, would you be prepared to share the facts and emotional reasoning behind your production methods in a concise and relatable manner?

If you hesitated before saying yes or no to that question, it might be time to brush up on your beef industry facts.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, in conjunction with the Beef Checkoff Program, recently announced the launch of the new and improved Beef University.

Beef U is a free, online training program that features several learning sections, including: Raising Beef; Nutrition and Health; Beef Basics and Cuts; and the Modern Consumer.

Each section takes 15-20 minutes to complete and has a quiz at the end to test producers on the information they’ve learned.

The information is provided in an easy-to-digest format, and the facts presented are great to have in your arsenal for the next time a consumer asks you a tough question about the livestock industry.

This is not only a great tool to beef up your advocacy efforts, but your kids and grandkids can use it as well, in preparation for upcoming 4-H, FFA and junior nationals this summer. Youth can use the information to write a great speech or study the information for beef quiz bowl contests. Use this portal as a tool to get a competitive edge when competing in agricultural events. It’s easy, free and has everything you need to know to be a beef whiz!

Sign up for BEEF U by clicking here and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Penton Agriculture.