Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Beef Council Continues Serving During COVID-19 Crisis

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Beef Council Continues Serving During COVID-19 Crisis
By: David Kearns Jr., Pennsylvania Beef Council - 04/01/2020

One doesn't have to stray too far from their TV or computer to see the devasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in our state, region and country. Many of us have family, friends, and coworkers who are being impacted by this invisible enemy and the results are nothing short of heart-breaking. During these uncertain times, I want to assure you of one thing you can count on, your Beef Checkoff leadership and staff are committed to doing what it takes to keep beef top-of-mind with our consumers. The Pennsylvania Beef Council (PBC) staff has been very busy shifting from in-person efforts to virtual and social messaging to aid consumers, and especially families at home who are educating and cooking like never before. They have also worked to provide information for cattle producers in PA who need information or resources to keep pace with the times. Some programming that's been recently created is outlined below.

Consumer Resource Landing Page: The PBC webpage features a variety of resources for all ages as a way beef helps families to find a solution as they navigate these challenging times. Resources include anything from simple dinner recipes to kid-friendly activities that are both fun and educational.

Producer Resource Landing Page: On the PA BQA webpage an entire library of COVID-19 resources has been provided for producers. This page includes information related to essential business guidelines, employee management tips and emergency resource planning. This page is regularly updated to share relevant information in a timely manner.

Supporting Families at Home Campaign: The checkoff staff understands the challenges many are facing with keeping their children engaged during this time at home. The PBC recently launched a whole host of worksheets, coloring pages and virtual field trips available for families. These resources can be found on www.pabeef.org. In addition, PBC has engaged with influencers to host Virtual Story Time's via Social Media. Producers and influencers alike will be reading to their online audiences from the, Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania beef book and from the Becky Chaney, educational book series.

Online Producer Education: Although the PA BQA program relies on in-person programming for the Level 2 certification, Level 1 remains available online by visiting www.pa-bqa.org/certification. If a producer is in immediate need of a BQA certification, they can access the free, online web certification program hosted by the National BQA Producer Education team. This program is available by visiting www.bqa.org. Although this challenging time is far from business as usual, the PBC remains committed to being a resource for producers, providing beef education for consumers and ultimately to promote beef to consumer audiences.

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