Beef producers invited to consider raising 'Cattleman's Collection' product

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

October 18, 2001 -- About five years ago, John Butler was at a crossroads. His son asked him what he should do when he grew up. "At the time, I wasn't sure if the beef industry was the way for him to go."

Butler had been watching the fight "for the center of the plate" and he wasn't that impressed with what the beef industry was doing to compete.

From these concerns, Butler and some other beef producers, formed a group - one that had the "flexibility to go beyond normal thinking."

Butler, keynote speaker at the Oct. 9 Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO), described the new alliance, Ranchers Renaissance, as one that utilizes a "systems approach to beef production."

Of course there are several beef alliances in operation that give beef producers the opportunity for more profit. Butler said Ranchers Renaissance (RR) was unique because of the research and planning that went into the group before it even left the ground.

"We started with the consumer," he said. "We sought to determine what we could do to establish a target product, in a consistent, repeatedly way."

To gain the target beef product, every entity in the group agrees to follow the requirements "of how we take care of cows," Butler added. "If one of the 24 points are not met, you're out of the program," he said. The points are checked throughout the beef-on-the-hoof to the steak-in-the-case process designed by RR.

Requirements on feeding and handling the cattle in RR program are steadfast to stay consistent with the group's mission statement: Customer-focused, integrated, beef-production system with profits derived from increased efficiency and consistent, high-quality finished products.

Currently there are about 220,000 cattle in RR. Some of the bigger ranches involved include Texas' King Ranch with 31,000 head in the program, and Parker Ranch in Hawaii lists 26,000 head.

Butler told NETBIO members that "you don't have to be big to be a part" of RR. "We have 10 or 12 members with 250 cows, and one has 75 cows."

NETBIO members were told RR is flexible when it comes to genetics of the cattle. Most are one-half English and one-half Continental, but some have as much as 1/4 Brahman in them.

"The cattle in this part of the country would work well," said Butler, who is RR's president and CEO.

To achieve the type beef the alliance demands, only light/mild implants can be used, he added. "High levels have a very direct impact on tenderness" but the alliance doesn't want to eliminate the production benefits that can be gained by some growth hormone that the implants provide.

Cattle in the program should be electronically-identified (EID) by eartag at the ranch, but if not, they will be EID'd at the feedyard.

Seven feedyards are involved in the program. They, too, must follow the group's requirements on feeding and handling the cattle; such as providing clean water, feeding vitamin E, and giving injections in the proper sites.

The alliance has "one partner" when it comes to processing the beef - Cargill Excel. RR utilizes vision grading technology, Butler added, on the carcasses. One of the specifications is that ribeyes must be 10 to 15 inches.

RR worked through a two-year discussion to gain the nation's largest grocery store chain to carry their product - Krogers.

The group's beef product carries the name "Cattleman's Collection - Verified Tender" and is currently in 300 Krogers in Colorado and Atlanta, Ga. Butler noted that "Cattleman's Collection" is in 25 feet of the 28-foot meat case. The other three-feet is taken by Certified Angus Beef.

"But our objective is to have an 'everyday' beef product and not have one that competes with a Premium product (such as CAB)," he said.

Because one-in-four "everyday" people have reported to have a bad eating experience with beef, RR is all about changing that - and putting beef back in "the center of the plate."

"Cattleman's Collection" is aged 14 days and has a "shear force" of 8 pounds or less. "Shear force is how much pressure it takes to cut a piece of beef," Butler explained. To be tender, beef has to have a 10-pound shear force, or less.

To promote the launch of "Cattleman's Collection," RR spent "an equivalent of $50 million." Butler said the initial launch, in Colorado, was a big success.

NETBIO members asked about their potential success as RR members. Butler noted that RR is a vertically-integrated alliance and that there "are challenges involved." Individual producers would have to sacrifice independence because they would have to raise their cattle according to RR guidelines. Plus, the producer would have to be strong in commitment to the alliance.

Butler noted they would "love to be a buyer at some of your (NETBIO) sales," but producers should also think about entering RR as an individual producer. This would mean the producer would have to retain ownership of the calf, instead of selling it at 45-days weaned (a NETBIO sale requirement).

Producers interested in RR can contact Butler for complete details - phone 303-662-1945 or e-mail to RanchersR@aol.com. The alliance also has a website: www.ranchersrenaissance.com.