Just launched this month, these quick-view cooking demonstrations showcase recipes available on Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. and will help home chefs get more comfortable cooking with beef. The recipes come with nutrition information and a convenient new feature that allows viewers to place an on-line order for the ingredients at their local supermarket. The segments are rolling out on YouTube and will be further promoted on IBC’s social media channels. Take a sneak peek at the first 2 here!

Mongolian Beef – Prepare this flavorful and satisfying Top Sirloin Steak Stir-fry in 20 minutes!
Ground Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera – Nutrition box, checked…this is an American Heart Association Certified Heart-Healthy Recipe.

With YouTube a social media powerhouse, it is a prime channel to promote Idaho’s beef industry. During the month of July, IBC’s YouTube channel had 173,034 views. With that many eyes looking for beef information, beef checkoff dollars are delivering engaging and educational information to Idaho homes.

Visit and share IDBeef.org with your friends and family. We also encourage you to take advantage of the power of social media and follow, like and share IBC’s posts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, All Recipes, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube!

Outside of the office and as a passion project, I am a co-host for the Millennial Ag Podcast. Bringing the perspective, hot topics, and real life stories of agriculture to the public through the lens of millennials.

And when I have free time, I spend it riding my horse and assisting my family on their cow-calf operation.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture?
Agriculture is deep in my veins and it has and will always be a large part of my heart. When I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture and work towards making a difference in my community. I ended up pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and continued to stay involved in agriculture in a variety of ways. During that time, I always thought that the agriculture community was who could influence me the most. While this is true and I have a lot of people to thank, I had a very closed mind. I ended up being influenced a lot by people outside the agriculture community and those who helped me understand the other 98% of the world who eats, wears and uses the products we produce.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor?
My family, and specifically my parents, Bill and Laurie. They have always worked humbly and hard to be involved in their communities and take a lot of pride in their work. I am so blessed and grateful to have role models that answer my silly questions and guide me in life, the cattle markets and my career.

How do you provide encouragement to others?
In the last six months, I have co-hosted the Millennial Ag Podcast with my good friend Katharine Lotspeich. Through the podcast we talk about real issues, real stories and allow agriculture to be vulnerable with the consumers and themselves. We try and tackle the real hot topic issues but we always try and leave everyone with a positive thought, idea or action item. We want to give hope to agriculture and allow agriculture to begin to have those tough conversations that we have been avoiding for years.
Our podcast can be found on any major podcast platform (Apple, Google, Spotify, Podbean, etc.) or at millennialag.com.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people?
Dare to be different and Dare to take a chance! As a fifth generational rancher, I never imagined I would ever rock climb, run long distances or hike tall mountains. I also never thought I was capable of starting a podcast or leading a team of professionals at 25. Once I shook off the control and tunnel vision of the life I thought I should be living, the opportunities and connections I made were better than I could ever imagine. Life is not going to be easy. We are going to fall flat on our face, but we have to have faith, work hard and stay true to our roots while opening our eyes to the possibilities.

What are you most thankful for?
I am grateful for my faith, my community (family and friends) and adventure!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others?
You cannot really beat a good T-bone steak, sweet potatoes and a fresh veggie. Easy, tasty and nutritious!

Valene (center) with her parents, Bill and Laurie, participated in the Race for the Steaks to benefit Beef Counts and the Treasure Valley YMCA.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was getting a group of friends together and catching all our “broke” horses to play football on bareback. When we would get bored playing football, we would run them through the pivot sprinklers and jump the pivot tracks. How we didn’t fall off or get bucked off more times than we did is still a mystery to me.

What are a few of your guilty pleasures?
Wine or a cold beer (depending on the time of year) and lots of laughs with friends and family!

Where is your favorite place to shop?
My Mom’s closet… My mom loves clothes, has better style than I do,   and her rule is that anything that comes into her closet, something has to go out. So it is a win-win situation.

Website:  www.IDBeef.org

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IdahoBeefCouncil/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/idbeef/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/idahobeefcouncil/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClS31C2XTtpisQsT5YGfAow

Thanks to everyone who commented on our Levi’s Lost Calf book giveaway! The winner is Mandy Blank! Email us at info@idahocattlewomen.org to redeem your book!

So, how do get a chance to win?! Comment below with your favorite childhood book. Contest will remain open until Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. A winner will be chosen by random and announced on Monday, March 11.

I didn’t originally group up as a rancher. My father built homes, so I grew up around construction, later starting my own construction company that made decorative concrete floors. My passion for ranching may be new, but I took to it like a duck to water. I’ve always loved horses and riding, so raising cattle on public lands and being able to contribute to their well being is very fulfilling. Knowing that our public lands have been cared for by generations of wonderful ranchers inspires us every day to make them better.

What is your favorite part of the beef industry?
Hands down, the best part of the beef industry is being able to work with my family doing something we all love.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I can’t think of a beef recipe that I don’t like, though some I’m better at preparing than others. A favorite at our house is leftover roast beef tacos, homemade roast beef and cheese pockets (baked in crescent rolls) and hamburger soup (burger, any/every vegetable, rice, and beans in a thick broth).

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?
When we’re not busy ranching we like to unwind by, wait, we’re always busy ranching … we do take the time to make our jobs fun though. We camp out on the mountain when moving cattle, we throw potlucks around working days and on hot afternoons we check cows by floating by them.

What is your favorite part about Idaho?  
Idaho is such an amazing and diverse state. It has beautiful mountains, wide open plains and everything in between, what’s not to love?

I grew up on a 1200-acre hay farm, but my mom, brother and I have our small herd of show calves that we sell to 4-H and FFA kids. My husband ranches with his family raising registered Angus and Herefords as seedstock. My career in agriculture started at a young age helping out on our family farm, but I was always drawn to the animal side of agriculture. I worked for local cattle companies, helping them exhibit their cattle at shows throughout high school and college. With a college degree in hand, I moved to Iowa to fulfill my dream of living in the Midwest.  During my time there, I was working for Tyson Fresh Meats as a Carcass Merchandiser. Once engaged to my now-husband, it was time to move to Idaho & I started working in procurement for Agri Beef. When an opportunity came to work closer to home, I jumped on it and now am employed at Boise Valley Feeders. Here, we currently feed about 20,000 head of Wagyu & conventional cattle. I have been fortunate enough to have been employed in different aspects of the industry and in different parts of the country.  From going through the pastures to scope out the new calves in Oregon to watching the cattle grow in the feedlot in Idaho to walking through the coolers in a plant in Nebraska, seeing the process beginning to end still leaves me in awe.  Every segment works a little differently, but ultimately they are all working towards the same end goal—providing consumers with tasty BEEF!

What is your favorite part of the beef industry?
It’s got to be the people and work ethic gained from this industry. I know firsthand I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for that strong agricultural foundation I was raised on. The life lessons in the ag world are second to none, and I am continually thankful for those (even if I did have to learn some of them the HARD way).

Why are you passionate about the beef industry?  
We feed and fuel the world. Not only do we provide a safe, reliable, nutritious product for all to consume, but the list of byproducts the cattle industry provides is downright mind blowing. It’s amazing that 99 percent of a beef animal can be used between the meat and byproducts we use every day. Also, farmers and ranchers are the salt of the earth. The passion they exude for the land and their animals is nothing short of inspiring.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I tend to leave the grilling to my husband, but it is hard to beat a perfect Prime Rib cooked medium rare, with a side of fresh horseradish.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?
A summer evening cruise with the windows rolled down, the smell of fresh cut hay in the air and a good tune coming through the speakers does my soul good. Also, I believe surrounding yourself with good people is number one, so I love to spend quality time with my family, friends, fur baby, Cinch, and of course, shopping! Ag is my number one passion, but fashion isn’t far behind.

What is your favorite part about Idaho?  
The sky. Whether it’s a sunrise or sunset or if I am at home, the ranch, feedlot or on the road, I am in constant awe. They are absolutely breathtaking and serves as a great reminder to give yourself a second in this hectic world to take it all in.

When it comes to eating beef, everyone loves a good steak; but for an everyday meal that’s affordable, easy, and so delicious I’d say either a Roast or Chuck Steak in the crockpot for French Dip Sandwiches.  I have used many Chuck Steaks for this. It’s best to thaw and trim them before, season well and let them cook on low for 8 hours. They should shred up pretty good, put a scoop of meat on to some hoagies with the inside grilled and pepper jack cheese with au jus sauce for dipping. You can also add green peppers and onions. Even as a rancher, one thing that I am still always learning is how to use all of the cuts for the best eating experience.

What is your favorite part of the beef industry?
I would have to say my favorite part of the beef industry is the closeness between beef producers. It doesn’t matter where your operation is what breed you raise, its size, whether you’re a feedlot owner, stocker, cow/calf, etc.  All beef producers seem to treat each other with respect, a smile and usually a question like “how’s the weather around your place?” We share so much in common that if there is a time when a beef producer in need, there will be support from all over come to lend a hand. It’s a special thing to be a part of.

As young producers that started small, I am so appreciative for all the support we have received. It’s because of other ranchers and our own hard work that we were able to grow in herd numbers, pasture and equipment via letting us know of available pieces or allowing us to take over unused land. It’s refreshing to see relationships built between veteran and young producers.

Why are you passionate about the beef industry?
I am passionate on a couple levels. First I have seen how beef operations can be passed down from one generation to the next, keeping a legacy alive. I think you will be hard pressed to find another industry with as much tradition and heritage associated with it. Second, when it comes down to it, we as a society need agriculture. We have a need for a nutritious and healthy product to nourish our bodies. I enjoy being a part of providing that.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?
Ride my darn horses! Even better if I can catch a barrel race. For an inside activity I like to crochet, watch documentaries on about anything  and Big Bang Theory.

What is your favorite part about Idaho?
I was born in Winnemucca, Nevada; however my family roots have always been here on the Prairie, including my grandfather ranching here, as well. My favorite part about it all are the wide open spaces and challenging country. Living so close the Salmon River canyon I have an established respect for the areas that sometimes are just plain inaccessible by man. To ranch in many parts of Idaho, horses are still very much needed. I appreciate living in a state that there are still areas you can’t drive too.

Why are you passionate about the beef industry?
Because I believe we produce a great product very efficiently that has many health benefits.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)?
I like to grill especially in the summer, but cook about all cuts of beef throughout the year.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”?

I love to golf although I’m not very good at it. I also like to knit, read and yard work. Oh and cook!

What is your favorite part about Idaho?
The diversity of it. It has so many different wonderful things about it from one area to the next. And the fact that it’s such a great agricultural state, we grow so many different crops and foods!