Beef Quality Assurance Awards

NAtional Beef Quality Assurance Awards

The National BQA Award recognizes outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers, and educators that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations. A common trait among all contest entrants must be a strong desire to continually improve BQA on their operations while encouraging others to implement the producer education program.

How are winners selected?

National BQA award winners are selected by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and affiliated groups. Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group, or individual on behalf of a U.S. beef producer. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, however, the nominees are expected to be involved in the preparation of the application.

Five National BQA Awards (Cow-Calf, Feedyard, Dairy, Marketer and Educator) are funded in part by The Beef Checkoff program with additional financial support provided by Cargill Meat Solutions. The program promotes beef quality assurance in all segments of the industry, including commercial cow-calf, seedstock, stocker operators, feedlots and dairy operations.

2024 BQA Award Nominations

Award Timeline and Events

Applications Due: June 10, 2023
June 2023: The selection committee meets to determine winners in each award category. The winners are personally notified but not publicly announced.
July - September 2023: Video crews visit each winner’s operation.
Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2024: All winners are expected to attend the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando, Florida. Travel and registration will be paid by the Beef Quality Assurance Awards program for two attendees. Winners are publicly announced and honored at the BQA Awards Reception.

Nomination and Selection Process

The applications will be judged on the following criteria:

BQA and/or FARM Practices, Accomplishments and Goals
Relevant local, regional, and national BQA and/or dairy promotion group or cooperative leadership.
The promotion and improvement of animal care practices, BQA or FARM program and consumer perception of beef or dairy industries.
Effectiveness in promoting and implementing BQA.
Completion of the National Dairy FARM Program Version Animal Care Evaluation and implementation of the program requirements.
Applications will be judged using a points system totaling up to 100 points.

Applications for the 2024 Beef Quality Assurance Awards are due June 10, 2023. Any individual, group, or organization is eligible to nominate one dairy operation. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, however, we expect nominees to be involved in the preparation of the application.

Past nominees are encouraged to submit updated versions of previous nominations. Previous winners may not reapply.

The full nomination application and directions for its completion are enclosed in this packet. Along with a typed application, one nomination letter and three letters of recommendation highlighting the nominees BQA and FARM Program efforts are expected.

Application Technical Guidelines

The nomination packet is limited to 20 pages total as follows: 12 pages for the application, 2 pages for each letter of recommendation (total of 6 pages), 2 pages for the nomination letter, and 8 pages for the nominee’s most recent FARM Animal Care evaluation. Photos are encouraged to be included within the nomination, but no more than 5, please. A complete PDF document, submitted electronically, is suggested with all the pieces compiled in a single file. Please do not send nominations in notebooks, binders, or booklets. Please keep to traditional font standards, size 12 point. All applications will be compiled and printed in color for judges to review.

*Dairy nominations are limited to 28 pages to accommodate the 8 page completed FARM Evaluation.

Completed nominations must be received by Midnight, June 10, 2023.

Cow-Calf, Feedyard, Marketer, Educator

Download the Nomination Packet

Dairy

Download the Nomination Packet

2023 Beef Quality Assurance Award Winners

Cow Calf Award

wilson flying diamond ranch, Nebraska

2023 BQA Cow Calf award winner, Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch, is passionately dedicated to their cattle's well-being. The ranch adheres to strict stewardship principles focused on pasture rotation and year round grazing management practices. Their leadership and outside the box thinking has earned them the BQA Cow calf award.

Feedyard Award

Darr feedlot, nebraska

2023 BQA Feeder award winner, Darr Feedlot, recognizes their responsibility to protect and promote the integrity of the beef industry and meets that challenge head-on by advocating for the adoption and implementation of the Beef Quality Assurance program. From the basics of training employees on the significance of health management to developing facility designs, BQA principles are at the core of daily operations.

Dairy Award

temme agribusiness, nebraska

Temme Agribusiness is the winner of the 2023 BQA Dairy FARM award. The Temme family business started in 1956 and through multiple upgrades and barn additions focused on enhancing cow comfort, the herd has grown to 850 today. Continuous improvement has driven the business to seek more ways to utilize and develop the workforce's talent, which has helped provide the best possible animal care.

Marketer Award

fresno livestock commission, California

Uniquely positioned in a vibrant agricultural community, the 2023 BQA Marketer award winner, Fresno Livestock, has the notable opportunity to educate and engage with a diverse population. Many of Fresno Livestock's employees are high school students interested in working in the livestock industry. The Tews help mentor these students to ensure when they leave Fresno Livestock after graduation, they understand safe and effective cattle handling techniques that will serve them and the industry in their next role.

Educator Award

dr. tom noffsinger, nebraska

Dr. Tom Noffsinger, DVM, of Nebraska, has been selected as the 2023 BQA Educator of the year. As a long-standing industry leader, and one of the first BQA Trainers in the state of Nebraska, Dr. Noffsinger has a well-established history with BQA. He has driven thousands of miles across the U.S. to teach producers about cattle care and handling, and BQA principles. From speaking to the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, to attending national and international cattle industry meetings, Dr Noffsinger uses his platform to educate producers on adopting BQA's best management practices.