Welcome everyone to Midday magazine for this May 21st, 2024.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here in part two today.
We're going to talk to Andrea and Linda from NAMI of Portage and Wood Counties
looking forward to that conversation. Right now, our friend Caitlin Kessler joining us
from the Wisconsin Beef Council. Caitlin, it's great to have you with us.
Well, that's great to be with you James, especially as we are cruising through May beef months.
Yeah, it's a fun month for us beef lovers and people that enjoy making a lot of moments with
this and with our family and friends. We're in grilling season. There's a lot for us to
cover with this topic, Caitlin, but if you don't mind, I wanted to celebrate the month a little bit
with you talking some facts. That's right. You know, we are America's dairy land here in the
state of Wisconsin, but we do have a very robust beef industry as well. And even those dairy farms
play a vital role in our beef industry. In fact, about 20 percent of the nation's supply of beef
does come from our dairy farm, where so we're grateful for their contributions. But we have
a lot of tea players and we started off talking about those dairy farms that are beef farms and
whether it's farms that are raising them to the finishing stage or getting those calves raised
up. We have 22,777 beef and dairy farms where we have generations who have been working with that
land, raising those cattle, and they truly are dedicated to the animals that they're raising and
that land that they are working on so that they can continue this tradition for generation to
generation, whether they're passing on to their family or maybe they're passing it on to a
first generation farmer who's trying this for the first time. And it's really a testament to the
industry as to our dedication to continuously improving our animal welfare by working with
programs like beef quality assurance. This is a voluntary program with our farmers and 85 percent
of beef comes from beefed-away certified farms and ranchers. And what they're doing is they're
learning science-based practices to make sure that cattle well-being beef quality and safety is
also out. In fact, James, we last week led college culinary students on a tour of a beef farm
and a meat processing facility and we do surveys before they go on the tour and after they go on the
tour and in their post-tour survey, several of them commented on how much they valued that care
that they saw with the animals. And that's really unique when you see that passion carry
from the farmer to folks who are visiting a farm for the first time. The way that they have taken
the ball and run with it in this industry as far as the care of animals and that is remarkable
and noteworthy and it's great that this is coming up. I appreciate you mentioning that, Kaelin.
I think it's one of those things that really stands out to us, especially you set a stat earlier.
75 percent was that comes from our dairy farmers?
About 20 percent of the beef comes from dairy farmers and then 85 percent of our beef comes from
B2A certified farmers. Right. It was a beautiful stat and really amazing and also let's us know how
important this subject is going forward and so many people, they want to enjoy their meal and it
kept them from enjoying it or keeps them from enjoying it knowing that some of the ways things
were done. We've advanced, we've learned and evolved with this while also being able to keep
these great products just as good as they've always been. That's a really neat thing to be able to
see an industry be able to do. Our industry is continuously evolving and we have experts that we
work with day in and day out to make sure that those animals receive the best care, whether it's
the veterinarian, nutritionist, you know, we often joke that our animals are livestock, the
doctors and nutritionists more than we do. When you grow up on a farm and my family's dairy farmer,
we had the veterinarian at once a month just to do a herd health check and make sure everything
was running smoothly. There is. There's a lot of care and dedication and and that just tied into
the many players that play a pivotal role in Wisconsin's beef industry. You know, we talked about
our farmers. I said, because the culinary student to a farmer and also to a meat processor,
we have more than 500 meat processors spread throughout the state of Wisconsin that also have
that dedication to human animal handling and harvesting, but also food safety and making
sure they're getting that quality product out there to the consumers. We have our retailers,
you know, we're fortunate in this country that we can walk into a grocery store and see it well
stocked with our protein choices that we want or even going to a local farmers market and having
the option to purchase beef that way, our restaurants do a fantastic job of keeping beef on their
menus and giving consumers choices whether they want a burger or maybe a ribeye, you know, we have
the in between and we wouldn't have a beef industry if we didn't have that demand that comes from
our customers who are continuing to choose beef and enjoying the taste and also knowing that it's
part of our state sustainability and economic story. Well said. And I have to ask you a favor,
Caitlin. The next time we're going to get together, would you remind me to eat before we talk?
I am getting so hungry with this. It's a great conversation. And to your point, Caitlin, I kind
of grew up the opposite of you. I'm a city boy, but in the time that I've lived in Wisconsin,
I've known a lot of farmers and a lot of people in the ag industry and there are a few people
I've known that love their animals or love animals more than the people working in those industries.
And that I think can only benefit not only the animals with consumers and everybody involved.
Absolutely. And that's what one of the farms that we recently visited, that's what they had
mentioned. They worked closely with those animals. They know their animals and the fact that they
are so well cared for is what we see in that end product. You know, they weren't stressed,
they weren't trained. They had a life where they were well cared for. And that's why we have that
quality beef that we get to enjoy in Wisconsin. You guys really know how to celebrate the
month and have fun with this. We'll get into ways people can create some fun meaningful moments
in just a moment. But I've been waiting to dive into this one with you and take a bite out of this.
The Wisconsin beef console did a really fun thing to kind of celebrate and have an elite
eight of their first ever best burger contest. Let's tell the audience about this.
Yeah. So this was, as you said, James, our first ever best burger contest. We have a sister
state beef counseling Iowa, the Iowa state beef council and factors 44 state beef councils
for across the nation. So most do have one. And they had a very successful best burger contest
spread throughout the state. We've had one. We still continue to do it. Madison burger week
that's happening now. We did a Chippewa Valley burger week, but we never had a state-wide
competition. And we know that there are burger places spread throughout the state that deserve this
recognition. So we thought we were going to open it up to the masses and see what they think
was Wisconsin's best burger. And we had thousands of nominations to stick through. So it started late
February and went through March that folks were allowed to nominate their favorite burger place.
Didn't even have to be their favorite burger specifically, but their favorite restaurant that
opened year round that continuously has 100% beef patties on their menu. And there were so many
that came through. And I know a lot of our Northwest friends were a little bit upset because we
didn't get any in that area. And we promise that we do enjoy our burgers in Northwest Wisconsin.
We're hoping as this contest continues to grow and develop, we'll get more people participating
and getting them on the charge. But we had eight that were selected based on a popularity
basis, just from those nominations. So they were the Brazenhead pub and West Bend,
Crafty Count Milwaukee, the doghouse barn grill and that whore of fairy crossing in Miramax,
pickles up in Hazelhurst, hippies, and themesville, a straight home barn grill in Eland, and the dump
barn grill in Cambria. And what I think was the most fun about this was getting to know the stories
of these different places that sell burgers and sure enough, pickles, bar, and grill, and Hazelhurst
Wisconsin were our winner. Yeah, it was phenomenal effect. I thought about you James, we drove past
the exit to Wisconsin Rapids when we went up to visit them because you guys are too far. I did
a little bit of a drive, but you're not too far from the Hazelhurst region. And we sampled the burgers
and it was phenomenal. I was going to ask guys, did you have, you know, and it's not easy being
on the Wisconsin beef council. Sometimes you got to do the hard work and travel to all these restaurants
and try these burgers. I can't imagine it. No, it had to be a lot of fun, Caleb. That seems like a
really, that seems like a blast. It was, it truly was a blast. And I guess I missed the part
where I mentioned to that we had a secret panel of judges. So they're the ones who narrowed down
the elite eight to the winner. And it's so funny because every single person that we've bumped into
this contest has launched as asked, how do you become a secret judge to go off and do this?
Because they so badly, I mean, like you said, James, what a fun job. And we do, we get our
fair share of getting access to it and meeting with folks and trying these burgers. And it was a
really unique day too. And we went up there and we did, you know, a trophy presentation to pickles.
And they were just phenomenal. Just down to earth gentlemen who are really proud of their
product. And what I thought was really heartwarming as well was that their beef supplier came to
because he was so proud of what those gentlemen did. It was Justin Koshak and co-owner Damlin's
got and Dan is a gentleman nicknamed Pickles. So that's where the name comes from. And he said,
you know, we sat here for a very long time with these samples of the different patties or the
different burger blends, trying to figure out what was going to be the best. They were very
particular. And they came up with a burger that would a blend of brisket, short rib, and ground
chuck that's seasoned with a house blend seasoning. And they whipped up three of the different burgers
for us to try. So they're all American burgers. What they declared is the winner of Wisconsin's best
burger contest. But I tell you, they have a lot of different burger options out there. And they
were all phenomenal. One of the things that stands out to me about this is certainly the buying
local supporting local angle of it and people being able to whether they live in these cities or
live near them, you know, going to these restaurants. Maybe they've been there before. Maybe they
haven't been there before and encouraging them to do that. It's a wonderful way of celebrating
the beef month and having fun about it while also supporting local and helping some of our
local businesses. I think that part of that is really cool and unique about this. And it's also
one of those things where you kind of got to try to find out. Everybody's got a different opinion.
Everybody has different tastes and everything. You don't have to take Caitlin or my word for it or
anything. Check out every one of these restaurants. Check out local restaurants by you and support
local. It's a fun way of not only enjoying your summer and celebrating beef month, but also
again, buying local and supporting local. Absolutely. Someone had mapped it out and said that it'd take
you 10 hours and that's without stopping, but to make it to all those eight stops to take you
10 hours driving. So it's definitely a doable road trip. This is Wisconsin summer and we've seen
quite a few folks in social media who said that this is going to be their summer road map for
getting out and trying some new burgers and people left plenty of comments of other places that
folks should go and try as well. Some of their favorites who maybe didn't make it into the elite
this year, but I would be shocked if they didn't make it in next year. Yeah, yeah. And that's a
great incentive to others. Go ahead and start training and getting ready and get in on this next
year. And maybe you'll be the next pickles bar and grill. I know I'm checking that out. I'm
heading out there. I have been to the Crafty Cowell Milwaukee. That is a really good burger.
That is a really good place. They are really good. Great stuff there. We are speaking with
Caitlin Kessler from the Wisconsin Beef Council. Caitlin, as we're wrapping up, one of the things
that I thought would be fun was talking about some ways didn't creative ways. People can make
meaningful moments. This may be month. Absolutely. You know, beef really is something that brings folks
together. Personally, my family, we always knew that it was going to be a fun easy afternoon cookout
when dad pulled steaks out the night before to get ready. It's just one of those things where it's
the center of the place that we come together with and enjoy those meaningful moments. And there's
a lot of great ways to do that. You know, James, you had mentioned heading up your local community,
taking time to get together as a family and visiting those local restaurants or maybe doing a
summer road trip with beef burgers as your incentive to get out there, firing up the grill,
but even learning new recipes together. I work for the beef council, but I will be the first to admit
that I am not a cook. And I am learning slowly, but surely beeftips.com is our website. And we
have hundreds of recipes on there for you to try. And in fact, just this last weekend, I wasn't
able to see my mom for Mother's Day. So I went and visited this last weekend and we made
tackle beef nuggets together. It was something easy enough for me to make. And we had the ground
beef and the freezer, but it was enjoyable enough that it was a new recipe that C&I could do together.
So it's getting out and enjoying your community. It's making those moments with your family,
whether it's around the grill or maybe even visiting a farm that has their doors open and is
welcoming you on there and to their community and to their lifestyle. And checking out from the
local events that your local promotion groups might be hosting. I know there's counties that
are having their own steak fries and best burger contest out throughout the area. And we do try to
keep a list at beeftips.com at the bottom of the page. There's an event tab. And so you can go on
there and try to find some events that are happening. Or if you have an event coming up that focuses
on beef, let us know and we'll get it listed on there. So folks can get out there and celebrate.
Because you know, whether you're the farmer raising it or the families enjoying it, beef really
does bring folks together. And we're so proud to work in the industry that celebrates that.
Yeah. I couldn't very well said. Couldn't agree more with you, Caitlin. One thing I will add to that.
There is, have you heard of beef raffles or meat raffles or these? Oh my goodness. Yeah, yeah.
Raffles are huge in this area. Huge of Wisconsin in general. And this is one of those fun like
fun ways. I feel like they have combined it. That both meat and the raffling and put in together.
That's one way to celebrate. We certainly have a lot of summer farmers markets coming up that we
encourage you to attend and check out and see. And you know, anytime you have an opportunity to
talk with a farmer, to talk with somebody in the dairy industry to get to know them a little bit
more, get to know what their day is like. I think that's another great way of celebrating this
and celebrating the people that bring this meat to us. Absolutely. And if you guys are interested
in finding a farmer near you, especially when it sells their beef locally on our website,
we have a raising beef tab and on there is a local beef directory. So you can check that out and
find a little pin with a farmer in your area and scroll down their name. Often they list their
contact information and social media channels. So whether you're visiting them virtually or in
person, like you said, James, it's a great chance to connect and learn someone's story and see
that even though they may be farming and you've never stepped on a farm in your life or often more
like, then we are getting more. Mm-hmm. So true. So true. There's our meat processes, our
processors out there. We appreciate them, getting to know them and their industry a little bit more
can go a long way, the beef realtors out there. Same thing with understanding how that works and
the way their industry runs. These are all ways to celebrate. And certainly I think one of the things
we hit on earlier, Kaelin, is trying restaurants and trying maybe different mom and pop places or
places near you that, you know, I've always, I've always meant to go there. I'm going to go there.
I'm going to go check out their burgers. I'm going to, I should have prefaced this,
Kaelin, I come into this conversation with a little bit of data. I've had some schooling in this.
My papa was a traveler and we traveled a lot as a kid and one of the things that he found to
keep me busy was we went to a bunch of different restaurants and whenever we go to one, I would
order the same thing, a bacon double cheeseburger every place I went. And I was my goal to find the
best bacon double cheeseburger between here and wherever we were traveling, whether it was the
Carolinas or back to Chicago or any of these things. And it was a lot of fun. As a kid, I really got
into this and I did do this. I tried those burgers everywhere I went. And I think that's kind of
fun things to do with kids coming up with new creative games and fun ways to not only get kids to
involved and enjoying their meals, but you know, almost teaching them something without them knowing.
Yeah. Well, James, I have to ask, even if it wasn't a Wisconsin one, what was your favorite?
Do you remember? Actually, it was a Wisconsin one, the Pioneer and Westfield.
Oh my goodness. That's so fun. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the world. I love that
place still. And I actually just stopped there a little while ago. I just stopped there a while ago.
It had the effect on me. It really did. It's just one of those fun ways of doing things. There's
other ways that you can do this as well. Certainly checking out some of these burger places that we
mentioned, but speaking of those places, it is grilling season. You can celebrate at home, you know,
make it whether it's just grilling the way you always have or maybe push yourself creatively and
try to come up with some new burger ideas. That's right. And we have some great grilling tips,
like I said, I am not a cook, but we have some great cooking information at these tips.com
for grilling, including, you know, times and temperatures based on how you want those
steaks or burgers done, some tips for cooking those burgers and steaks, you know, you should really
only flip them once and making sure that we're tempting them, getting those burgers up to 160 degrees
in your steak. If you want them at 145, take them off at 135, and then tent them with foil,
get them on my chance to rest before we dive into them. I think that's the hardest part.
It's pulling something off the grill. I think giving it a minute to rest so that it can reabsorb
those proteins back into the muscle tissue before we dive right on into it. But there's a lot of great
tips whether you're firing up the grill for the first time or the 50th time. And I know there are
some folks in Wisconsin that don't even wait until it weather's nice to be outside grill. And they'll
be out in winter and shorts and crocs firing up the grill. Do you know my dad? Because that is my
father. That is my father to a tea. It is January. He is out there, one of the burger, and he's out
there grilling. That's his favorite thing. He enjoys being out there on the grill. I know a lot of
people do enjoy yourself be safe out there. And certainly we encourage you to buy Wisconsin products
using Wisconsin farmers and industry ingredients in that. And you can find beef made here in Wisconsin.
And other Wisconsin products, Kayla. That you can just check out beeftips.com. Also, there's a lot
of local directories that local communities might have for that. And like you said, James,
your farmer's market retailer. It's amazing what robust industry we have in the state of Wisconsin.
And I do know that we have a Wisconsin association to meet processors that is working with
discover Wisconsin to come up with a map for folks to be able almost like a passport program for them
to be able to visit. So we'll keep an eye out for details on that as well when they get that posted.
And that can also be a fun summer grilling season road trip. That's a really good idea. I look
forward to that. That's going to be fun to find a day here more about. And I'm glad you mentioned
the website because it is a fantastic website. Beeftips.com. If you haven't already done so,
type it in your search bar, bookmark the page. It's got a lot of great information out there.
The Caitlin is touched on along with nutritional facts. And I think one of the better features
the cattleman's corner, which really gives you a chance to learn more about this and promote beef
in the state. Absolutely. If you're a farmer out there and you want more information about how we can
continue raising or sharing the story about beef and how it's raised and grown. The cowman's
corner is a great place for you to learn about the beef tech off what we do. For folks that don't
know, we are funded by our beef farmers and ranchers. And so we are driven by promotion research,
consumer education. And we enjoy the fact that we get to share these stories. And our mission is to
build demand for beef that is sustainable for future generations. So as you said, James,
if you're curious about more about what we do with the beef council or what you could do to help
promote beef, check out that cowman's corner page. And there's just a lot. I've been working
with the beef council for over three years now. And I still don't think I've reached every corner
of the resources available on this website. Again, that is beeftips.com. Be sure to check that out.
And Caitlin, thank you so much for the time. If people have follow up questions, they want to know
more. Should we send them to the website? How can they get in touch with you?
They can go to the website and check out the about us page. We have contact information there.
Otherwise, I'll just give out my email directly. K-R-I-L-E-Y at beeftips.com. Give us a shout.
Otherwise, it might be easier. WBC at beeftips.com. So with gums and beeftips.com, give us a shout,
message us on Facebook, Instagram, or on TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn. Wherever you can find us and
you have a question, let us know. And if I can't answer it, I can definitely reach out to our beef
lady, Angie Horkin, our residential farmer, Grace, or our executive director Tammy. And we will
get that answer to you. Always good talking with you, Caitlin. We'll catch up again real soon. You take
care. That sounds great. Thanks, Dave. Caitlin Kessler from the Wisconsin Beef Council,
joining us today. We'll be back with more great conversation on Midday Magazine right here at
WFHR, locally grown radio.