Winners announced of 2024 Beef Quality Assurance Awards

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, announced the winners of the 2024 Beef Quality Assurance Awards, sponsored by Cargill.

The National BQA Awards, funded in part by the Beef Checkoff, annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers and educators. The Beef Quality Assurance Awards were presented by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention Feb. 1 in Orlando, Florida. The above photo is courtesy of NCBA.

“These winners are committed to incorporating BQA principles into their day-to-day operations,” said Josh White, senior executive director of producer education and sustainability at NCBA. “Their dedication to animal care and continuous improvement results in high-quality beef for consumers.” 

The 2024 winners are:

2024 BQA Cow-Calf Award
VanWinkle Ranch, Colorado
VanWinkle Ranch is dedicated to improving consumer confidence through public engagement. The VanWinkle family takes pride in ranching and producing a quality end product and they are committed to caring for the land, livestock and community, with BQA serving as the backbone for success. The family focuses on doing the “little” things right.

By implementing BQA standards and maintaining BQA certifications as part of doing business, the VanWinkles have noticed a consistent improvement in the quality of products they market to their customers – whether those customers are feedlots who purchase loads of calves on video or customers further up the beef supply chain, like beef packing companies and direct-to consumer clients who feed VanWinkle Ranch beef to their families.

2024 BQA – Dairy FARM Award
Dotterer Dairy, Pennsylvania
Dotterer Dairy relies on BQA and Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) principles to care for 1,200 milking cows and produce high-quality milk and beef. The farm’s focus to produce a consistent, high-quality product that provides a remarkable taste, starts with providing a comfortable life for their animals.

The family expanded the dairy to include state-of-the-art technology, including a double 20 parallel milking parlor, a new group housing structure and a fully ventilated calf barn. The dairy also relies on record keeping software to maintain accurate animal treatment records, which aid in accountability and decision-making related to withdrawal times, milk production, health and reproduction.

Their innovative practices have helped make the dairy a pioneer within the industry.

2024 BQA Feedyard Award
Adams Land & Cattle, Nebraska
For 50 years, family-owned and operated Adams Land & Cattle has been feeding the world, and BQA is a critical component of the company’s commitment to supplying beef consumers with a wholesome, high quality and safe product.

Adams Land & Cattle is dedicated to pursuing and implementing industry advancements and making decisions with a foundation in science-based production practices while considering animal well-being. The company’s commitment to quality begins with employee training and every member of the staff is BQA certified. As part of their core values, Adams Land & Cattle is committed to maintaining a good animal welfare culture and recognizes the moral and ethical obligation to uphold humane animal handling practices. 

2024 BQA Marketer Award
Power Genetics, Nebraska
Power Genetics incorporates BQA into its management plan to meet its goal of producing a safe, wholesome, high quality beef product. The cattle marketer begins with the end in mind and collaborates with licensed member feedyards to purchase the highest caliber cattle to meet industry demand.

Since the adoption and implementation of BQA standard operating procedures and best management practices at member yards, Power Genetics can verify that employees are being introduced or reminded of the importance their role has on the quality of beef products produced from the cattle under their care.

Power Genetics works to make certain that all employees are trained and understand the importance of animal welfare and maintaining the integrity of beef products. 

2024 BQA Educator Award
Dr. John Wenzel, New Mexico
When New Mexico brought BQA to the state in the early 1990s, Dr. John Wenzel, DVM, stepped up to teach producers the principles and management techniques to improve beef quality and safety.

Traveling thousands of miles and conducting BQA training sessions for hundreds of beef producers, Dr. Wenzel’s BQA education program focuses on building consumer confidence with an end goal of providing the safest and most wholesome beef products possible.

His decades of service to his profession, community, state, college and universities along with noted success of numerous programs, contributes to his reputation as a professional influence and quality educator in this industry.

Award winners are selected by a committee comprised of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors and affiliated groups, who assess nominations based on their demonstrated commitment to BQA practices, their service as leaders in the beef industry and their dedication to promoting the BQA message to grow consumer confidence.

For more information about each of the award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/beef-quality-assurance-awards.