Two major news stories involving the beef industry. Two disturbing labels. One big fat double standard. It was in early June that the blogosphere erupted upon hearing news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses certain aircraft to survey farms, ranches and feedlots from the air and enforce the Clean Water Act. Then those initial reports morphed into a new lead – that the government was using unmanned drone planes to do its eye-in-the-sky inspections.

Currently, the U.S. is the world’s largest beef producer, representing approximately 21 percent of the world’s beef production – but it’s the fourth-leading country in world beef exports, behind Brazil, Australia and India.

Crossbreeding is a tool the forefathers of ranching knew they needed to take advantage of to make a better beef animal.

Citing some factors that led to its creation by beef producers, a new report says lean finely textured beef is suited to stage a return to restaurants, school lunch menus and family dining tables.

Heat stress – and subsequent loss of production from lower weight gain (and death loss) – costs cattle producers millions of dollars each summer.

A goal of many cattlemen is to maximize the genetic potential of their animals and tailor them to their production environment.