Impossible Foods really “beefed” up their ambitions to convert meat eaters into plant-based buyers.  In its new “Meat Eaters Only” campaign, three television ads unapologetically portray the Impossible Burger as “meat made from plants.” 

A certain and steady conversation amongst our readership and throughout the industry revolves around why those of us in the cattle business can never come to an agreeance on issues facing all of us.  It’s followed by the obvious conclusion that if we could head to D.C., or our state legislators, or our consumers with one message, we would be stronger and come to solutions faster. 

I’ve received multiple calls from concerned readers about Biden’s 30 x 30 plan.  If you read my front-page story already, you’ll know this is the administration’s goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. 

Turning to the defense is one of my most common reactions when initially posed with a threat, argument, or question of my plan, belief, or stance.  It’s natural for any human to immediately think to defend themselves rather than pause to first consider the argument at hand.  

Obviously, election news has been consuming our television, newspapers, and radios since last Tuesday.  If you’re like me, it has probably also been consuming your conversations, thoughts, and even prayers.

Have you ever had one of those Mondays where you get a parking ticket, spill your coffee, miss an interview, get home late to sink full of dishes, and work yourself into a headache?  Maybe as you sit down on the couch to unwind and watch TV, you casually say, “this has been the worst day ever” with much frustration.

Ahhhhh…

That’s the sound of me taking in a big ol’ breath of fresh air.

On October 21, a New York Times headline popped up in my email that read “Belching Cows and Endless Feedlots:  Fixing Cattle’s Climate Issues.”  I thought, “oh no, a mainstream media article from a big source blasting cattle for ruining the environment again… I’ll dig out my ‘cattle and climate’ rebuttal and brush it up for a response to New York Times.”

“As demand for meat, poultry, and seafood increases, the need for nutritious protein, increased productivity, and a more diversified supply chain will soon be greater than ever before.  Meeting these needs will require innovative solutions… One solution is animal cell-based/cultured technology, which allows innovators to produce additional meat, poultry, and seafood options for consumers, complementing an array of conventional products already on the market.”

The age-old argument we continually face and the tired column I have written to respond to the same accusation of beef production harming the environment is apparently one Senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate, needs to hear as well.

COVID-19…

I never knew I’d still be writing that word on a weekly basis eight months after it took hold of our country.  What seemed like a foreign word is now a household term.  What we thought would make for a wonderful special feature issue then travel past like other issues, became the overwhelming talk of 2020.  And what we thought might be a health scare impacted our industry, our economy, our wellbeing, and our country in ways we never could have imagined.

“I’ve been making lists in my head of places I see hope.  I’ve been trying to prioritize and pick the best examples.  All of them boil down to people being nice to each other.  Hope isn’t found in rallies, mobs, or arenas as much as hope is found in individuals and small partnerships.  Any hope found in a classroom, a gym, or a convention only comes from individuals being kind to each other… I will try to simplify it as much as possible: be nice.  I see hope in people being nice to each other.”

Over the past few weeks, several of our readers have sent me articles about the fake meat industry’s expansion into China.  I’m here to tell you this is definitely real — it needs to be on our radar — but I don’t find it as concerning as it is made out to be in the headlines and I’ll explain why in a minute.

When it rains it pours. But unfortunately, not in a literal sense for the West, and perhaps too literal for the South. As if 2020 had not brought enough hardship to our nation and our industry, late August and early September were accompanied by a realm of natural disasters.

Grab your popcorn and your peanuts, there’s a battle in the fake meat aisle that’s worth the watch.  To me, the fight picked by Lifelight is one that is “beyond” amusing and “impossible” to win – for the current players anyway.  Like many good Facebook fights about facemasks, presidential candidates, or Black Lives Matter, the irony of this particular feud between three fake meat companies certainly made me shake my head.

Early this year, just returning from the NCBA national convention, I wrote a column about the buzzword of the show, and possibly the year: sustainability. But then, just a few short weeks later, COVID-19 blew up our world and suddenly nothing was the same.  Any and all predictions about what 2020 had in store went out the window.

While cattle markets, meatpackers, beef prices, and COVID-19 have been dominating the ag news headlines, the fake meat market has been making some big moves seemingly under the radar.  Four major headlines which sparked my concern over the past few weeks have been set aside in the gamut of critical issues facing our industry today.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”

Boy if that isn’t true.