Cattle Chat Podcast Summary
Episode: Hearing from Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
Date: October 31, 2025
Host: BCI Cattle Chat Team
Guest: Dave Maples, Executive Director, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
Episode Overview
This episode focuses on industry integration within the beef sector and highlights innovative collaborations, especially the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association’s approach to outreach and consumer engagement. Guest Dave Maples shares how partnerships, outreach programs, and a branded ground beef initiative are connecting producers, professionals, and consumers in Kentucky and beyond.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. About the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
- Dave Maples (E) shares his background and the breadth of the KCA’s activities over 26 years, including unique projects such as a 1,000-acre farm and the long-running “back of settlement fund” supporting producers with cost-sharing programs.
- “We have a really neat organization... We’re not a normal cattleman’s association.” (00:27)
2. Chores and Enjoyable Tasks (Lighthearted Section)
- The team riffs on chores that are secretly enjoyable, with mowing the yard and cooking being favorites for their relaxation and solitude.
- "Nobody wants to do it, so nobody’s going to bother me." – Dustin (02:32)
- "It’s amazing what you can find on YouTube, like the exact specific thing that you need to fix." – Scott (03:35)
- Dave enjoys “getting the chainsaw out and cut some trees. Or just use that chainsaw a bit and work.” (03:59)
3. Industry Integration & Cross-Region Partnerships
- Integration is driven by necessity: fewer people in agriculture, higher costs, and the need to pool resources.
- Kentucky collaborates with Kansas and Nebraska on beef checkoff programs to maximize the impact of limited funds and reach.
- Hiring a registered dietitian (not from the ag world) is a novel move, bringing a fresh perspective into cattle industry communications and outreach.
- “One of the coolest things... we partnered with the KLA or the beef Council there in Kansas as well as Nebraska on some of our checkoff programs.” – Dave (04:53)
- “We hired a registered, licensed dietitian, human dietist... It’s been pretty cool.” – Dave (05:18)
4. Communication: Producers, Consumers, and Information Sharing
- There’s a strong effort to communicate both with cattle producers and urban consumers, making the case for beef in diverse settings.
- The dietitian's involvement bridges gaps, exposing health professionals to the realities of cattle production and vice versa.
- “We’re taking them to the farm... She didn’t come from our world... when she goes to talk to our producers, she said, you know, I’ve been to the farm now twice. This last time, I was on the castration day. And she connected. It was the first time I really saw where the dietetic community connected with my beef producers.” – Dave (08:35)
5. Exposing Non-Ag Professionals to the Farm
- Both Dave and the hosts stress the value of farm tours for dietitians, students, and other professionals without rural backgrounds.
- “All of it is it’s just like an open world to them that they’ve not been involved in at all.” – Dave on urban visitors (10:45)
- Such exposure is memorable and broadens understanding, breaking down barriers between ag and other communities.
6. The Role of Education and Engagement
- Engaging students without a farm background broadens their perspective and creates new advocates for the beef industry.
- “There’s interest... and so I think it’s eye opening for them.” – Phillip (11:31)
- Social media and transparency are recommended tools for reaching broader, especially younger, audiences. For older demographics, food provenance and health are more effective hooks.
7. Food as Medicine: Protein in Health Initiatives
- The KCA's ground beef is featured in food boxes supporting “food is medicine” initiatives, especially in Appalachian communities, in partnership with the health sector.
- “It’s all about fruits and vegetables... and I stood up and I said, what about protein? And it was just like a light went off.” – Dave (15:58)
- The push is on to highlight beef’s protein value in public health conversations, using both anecdotal and scientific evidence.
8. Evolving Nutrition Guidelines: More Protein, Changing Fats
- The team notes updated recommendations: More protein (especially for active or older adults), and less concern about animal fats than previously.
- “Active people... they need to bump up that to almost one and a half or two grams of protein per day for every kilogram of body weight. Elderly people... need to be up there at one and a half grams or so.” – Phillip (17:50)
- “There’s been kind of a push too for the fat side... reduction in vegetable based fats and more towards an animal based fat.” – Scott (19:02)
- Sugar reduction is now the major public health focus.
9. Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Branded Ground Beef Program
- Locally sourced, primarily from cull cows due to limited large packers in Kentucky.
- Sold in 240–250 Kroger stores across several states, making fresh, Kentucky-labeled ground beef widely accessible.
- Open for any producer, but it’s “first come, first serve”—and claims it’s a learning experience for everyone involved.
- “It took our whole office to get that thing done.” – Dave (20:08)
- The largest challenge is managing fat content in cull cows to meet lean beef product specifications.
Notable Quotes
- Dave Maples on Partnership:
“I really want to thank you guys out there in Kansas for having the vision to let's work together and... spread those checkoff dollars far.” (06:05) - Dave Maples on Dietitian Engagement:
“We’ve got her going into a subset of people that don’t know about our life... when she goes to talk to our producers... she connected. It was the first time I really saw where the dietetic community connected with my beef producers.” (08:38) - Phillip on Changing Nutrition:
“We were probably actually underestimating the protein needs of several groups of people in our country.” (17:50) - Scott on Fats:
“A reduction in vegetable based fats and more towards an animal based fat... I’ll just cook with butter, lard and tallow and bacon fat in my house, and I’ll be happy to hear that.” (19:02) - Dave Maples on Farm Experience:
“We have a farm. The Kentucky Cattle association has a farm... our whole staff goes and works cattle. And, you know, if you’re a dietitian or you’re the videographer, everybody goes.” (10:14) - On Industry Openness:
“I think the challenge is misconceptions breed in the lack of information. And so when you get information out there and transparency, it’s easy for people to see what we do care about and what we’re working on every day.” – Brad White (22:22)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [00:27] Dave Maples introduces Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
- [04:53] Discussing the drive toward greater industry integration
- [05:18] Hiring and role of a registered dietitian
- [08:38] Integrating communications to reach both producers and the dietetics community
- [10:45] Urban professionals’ reactions to farm experiences
- [11:31] Student and non-industry engagement strategies
- [15:58] Food as medicine initiatives & highlighting beef’s nutrition
- [17:50] Shifting nutrition advice—protein and animal fats
- [20:08] The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association branded ground beef program
Memorable Moments
- Chainsaw Therapy: Dave enjoys using his chainsaw so much he’d cut neighbors’ trees (with permission). (03:59)
- TikTok for Outreach: Joke about Bob's Hawaiian shirt and dancing as a TikTok strategy for ag outreach. (15:25)
- ‘Fat in the Freezer’ Joke: Light-hearted banter about having bags of fat in the freezer ready for any occasion. (23:03)
Final Thoughts
This episode illustrates the multi-faceted efforts required to connect rural production with urban consumers, from employing dietitians to creating branded ground beef and prioritizing genuine, hands-on experiences. The conversation underscores that education, transparency, and innovative partnerships are key to sustaining and promoting the beef industry in a rapidly changing world.