Who We Are

The Kentucky Beef Council (KBC) is one of 46 state beef councils. Beef promotion, information and research programs are coordinated between the state beef councils, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The Kentucky Beef Council office is located in Lexington, in the same building as the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association (the membership division of Kentucky’s beef industry). The Kentucky Cattlemen's Association serves as the "certified state beef council" collecting the checkoff funds and placing them in the KBC's account to be used for promotion, research, consumer information, producer communications, and industry information.

The Checkoff is a $2.00 per head collection, which is placed on all Kentucky cattle when they are sold. Fifty cents out of every Checkoff dollar collected goes to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in Centennial, CO., which oversees Checkoff programs. The remaining $1.50 cents stays in Kentucky to fund state coordinated activities.

What We Do

Beef producers created our Checkoff as a self-help promotion, research and information program to influence demand for beef. It was approved in 1988 by 79 percent of beef producers in a referendum after grassroots input shaped the program:

• It is state based. One-half of the money collected by state beef councils is controlled by producers in the state.
• It is accountable. All Checkoff-funded programs are budgeted and evaluated by the Beef Board, an independent organization of 108 Checkoff-paying volunteers.
• It is producer-led. Fellow state producers nominate beef Board members.
• By law, our Checkoff funds cannot be used to influence government policy or action, including lobbying.