Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits Kansas Rancher Jan Lyons in this second in a two-part series. You can go and read and listen to Part One by clicking here.
During her time in service as Chairman of the Cattleman’s Beef Board and National Cattleman’s Beef Association President, she represented the industry to the public during the Cow That Stole Christmas debacle of 2003 into 2004. Her handling of it was one of the many things she did to earn the Visionary Award at the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting this past summer. See more about that in part one of this conversation.
A dairy cow from Canada was tested at slaughter in Washington state and found to have Mad Cow Disease (BSE) on December 23, 2003. Upon the announcement from the USDA, Lyons and her cattle industry peers began their first of many daily conference calls to give the media the facts about BSE in order to avoid speculation.
“We had more than 110 media personnel from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Times and all across the country, people on those calls were asking questions and wondering where to get more information. We had daily conference calls all over Christmas and it was very effective. We did not want all of the rumors and speculation to be printed as facts.
Jan Lyons in 2004- serving as President of the NCBA
“We had a great network set up at that time with the State Beef Councils, Veterinarians, Farm Bureau people… it was just an all-hand-on-deck moment. The producers, also, were up to date on the talking points. We stayed on unified messages that were based on sound facts, so that was the story that was sent. It was tremendous because, after a slight drop in the markets, which was our real concern, the markets rebounded in a matter of a few days or a week or two and have kept going.”
She said that the best news was that everyone in the industry pulled together and played a part. Also, rather than devastating the market, the incident reinforced and elevated the confidence that consumers had in the safety of beef.
“It was a very unified effort, and people like you, the broadcasters that were on those calls and were able to spread those stories across the country… it was a very significant effort and very successful for our industry,” Lyons said.
Lyons maintains immense confidence in the industry and was especially impressed with the news of the $13.41 return on investment from the use of Beef Checkoff dollars. “We’ve gotten excellent returns, and in order for us to have places for our children and grandchildren, we have to grow demand. It is about taking care of our consumers, and providing them with what they want.”
Jan Lyon’s Story
Lyons grew up helping her father and brother on a small Angus farm in eastern Ohio. She loved working with the animals and showed them in 4-H. In 1977 after she married Frank, the two of them bought land near Ft. Riley, Kansas. With Frank’s help and encouragement, they began a cattle herd and still remain there 47 years later.
Their daughters Debbie and Amy were nine and ten years old when they moved and grew up working on the ranch. The girls later married and started their own families, and all seven grandchildren are now involved with the family operation in one way or another.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
