Drs. Will and Monnie Carol Carter 
Carter Cattle Company, Alabama 
2022 National Environmental Stewardship Award Recipient 

Sustainability began as a lifestyle more than a practice seven generations ago in the mid-1820s when the farm was established. Rotational grazing has been vital to improving the overall health of the farm ecosystem, soil health, forage base, watershed, livestock and wildlife. The Carters utilize the land in the most effective way for their cow herd while protecting natural resources. In addition, being good stewards doesn’t stop at the farm gate, as both Will and Monnie Carter are veterinarians who care for other animals in their community.   

Cindy Tews 
Fresno Livestock Commission, California 
2023 Beef Quality Assurance Marketer Award Recipient 

Owned and operated by father-daughter pair Phil and Cindy Tews since 1990, Fresno Livestock caters to the small, everyday rancher selling ten or fewer calves per year. Located within a county that has one million people, Fresno Livestock Commission also has the notable opportunity to educate and engage with a diverse population. Cindy and her staff spend untold hours visiting with buyers and sellers alike. They help facilitate relationships with veterinarians, haulers, and even provide a BQA-certified crew for hire during branding, vaccinating, shipping and other activities.   

Colby Carpenter 
W&J Carpenter Inc., Nebraska 
2022 Beef Quality Assurance Marketer Award Recipient 

W&J Carpenter was founded in 1991 by Ward and Jill Carpenter to fill a need for quality, reliable and responsible transportation of cattle. Today, the Carpenter team transports more than half a million cattle per year. The company prides itself on paying attention to detail in all aspects, from hiring knowledgeable employees to continued training for animal handling and transportation. W&J Carpenter strives to provide safe transportation to cattle and enhance the public's perception of animal handling and quality.   

What steps do you take to provide the best care for your cattle?   

Carter: Caring for our animals is central to everything we do on the farm. We provide proper nutrition, good footing, and a healthy environment for cattle to live in. We use Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) principles and are always learning new ways to handle cattle more gently. Will knows how to read animals and does an excellent job handling them calmly and quietly. We also pursue every continuing education opportunity and have participated in BQA training and Stockmanship & Stewardship events, all so we can get better.   

Tews: Because of BQA training, we understand animals behave differently, and we know their flight zones. All of our staff are BQA-certified, and they know how to move animals differently during rain to avoid slippage; we provide shade and sprinklers during summer heat, and we’ve redesigned our 80-year-old facility to improve flow for livestock. Our goal is to handle animals properly, so they remain calm, are presented well to potential buyers, and to keep our employees safe.   

Carpenter: We were the first to change the design of our trailers, making them taller and putting the ramp against the wall, which resulted in less bruising and improved animal care. While it takes money to make changes, especially to trailer design, once you do it, it becomes normal practice, and I hope everyone in the transportation segment gets on board. We also meet with drivers at least twice each year for animal handling training, and our entire staff is BQA-certified.   

What are the top questions you hear from consumers about animal welfare and how do you respond?   

Carter: We sell freezer beef directly to consumers, and the most frequent questions are about hormones, antibiotics and feeding corn. While social media is a great disseminator of information, we all know it is not always truthful. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and our job is to be honest when we respond. If you can build a relationship with your customer, you’ll have much more credibility and have a bigger impact. We explain why we do things and how we sustainability raise cattle. We also make sure customers understand that we care, and we sell a product our own family eats.   

Tews: Customers often ask about how livestock are handled. Our industry is under a microscope, so it is important we set a good example for watchful eyes. We lead by example and share our knowledge with others. Our staff ranges in age from 17 to 83, and all of them have taken BQA training. Our younger employees share what they’ve learned with their peer groups, which helps us reach new audiences. I also post on social media weekly because we must be transparent in what we are doing. This has certainly opened our market to vulnerability, but we must be prepared to defend our position. Being a BQA Award recipient gives us a strong platform to defend our position as well.   

Carpenter: Our trucks are rolling billboards for animal handling. People just don’t know what goes on, so we encourage our truckers to answer questions, engage with the public, and explain how we take care of livestock and make sure they have food and water and are comfortable. We invite the public to learn what is actually happening and see how we handle animals. It comes down to transparency, so we have an open-door policy and have nothing to hide. I care about these animals more than my own life, and I have a duty to get them to their destination alive and healthy. We take pride in the care we take, and we share that with others.   

What information would you like to share with the public about how you treat your animals?   

Carter: I’d tell them that I’d love to be one of my cows! They have a good life enjoying God’s creation every day with plenty to eat and drink and room to roam. Our industry as a whole does a wonderful job taking care of animals, and we strive hard collectively to provide a healthy environment, proper nutrition and a comfortable life for our animals.   

Tews: It is amazing to see some of the misinformation about our industry posted on social media. The comments are so abstract from what’s actually going on. Since a majority of consumers don’t have experience in raising livestock, we open our doors and invite people from around the world to visit and ask questions. We talk about our role in providing an essential food source and the management practices we have in place to keep animals healthy.   

Carpenter: We have better technology and a better understanding of animal behavior than 50 years ago, and we want to share those innovations with our customers. Gone are the days of moving animals quickly in the dark. We keep things slow and quiet; just walk them and they’ll go. We also tell our drivers that “an extra five minutes is an extra five minutes,” which can prevent an accident, harm to an animal or damage to equipment.   

How can producers prepare to have conversations with consumers?

Carter: Don’t hide anything, invite people to your farm, be open to all questions, and answer truthfully. If you don’t know an answer, it is okay to say so, but do your best to find the information or direct consumers to where they can find answers. BQA and Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) are great avenues to access information and resources. It is also important to understand animal handling methods across the entire supply chain, so you know how your cattle will be cared for when they leave your farm.   

Tews: I strongly encourage everyone involved in the industry to go through the MBA program. There are tremendous talking points and resources available through MBA and BQA. Become BQA certified, learn to speak about proper animal handling, and be prepared to share your knowledge with others.   

Carpenter: We tell our drivers that they are never too busy to explain to people what they are doing. We encourage them to take five minutes to educate. You never know how the information you share will spread and have an impact that can change the industry. Change has to start somewhere; it starts as an idea and grows from there.       

About Beef Quality Assurance 

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit http://www.bqa.org/  

About the Beef Checkoff 

The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

This article was originally published in the March 2024 issue of NCBA National Cattlemen newsletter.