Last week, a group of 22 South Korean consumers, including 11 food-oriented bloggers, got a unique opportunity to enjoy a U.S. beef and pork cooking demonstration while hearing personal insights from American industry leaders in Seoul. Korean consumers are very interested in understanding the sources of their food, so a presentation by Leann Saunders, a Colorado wife and mother who also happens to be a rancher, businesswoman and secretary/treasurer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) executive committee, was very timely.

To live a life of service by helping others was a principle lived by the late Hal Rinker, D.V.M., West Fork, Arkansas. For his lifelong commitment to the veterinary medical profession and the many organizations he loved, Rinker, who died Jan. 2, was honored in April by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) with its Outstanding Service Award.

When it comes to food, the alternatives are endless: spicy or bland; Mexican, Italian, Asian or Southern-style comfort dishes. But when it comes to beef, almost everyone agrees on a few features. “Consumers tell us that higher fat levels are more desirable; they like it better,” says Mark Miller, meat scientist at Texas Tech University.

Experts with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are advising beef cattle producers to use caution and strategic planning when thinking about restocking herds after drought.“I think so far people are being really cautious,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “I think producers are waiting to see if this rain is going to last. They should be asking themselves questions like ‘How long is it going to take for your pasture to recover?’ and ‘What is going to happen once we get into the summer?’” Anderson said there are also financial constraints to consider, such as how much was spent feeding hay and other feedstuffs through the 2011 drought.