Dubois County cattle producer Edmund Hildenbrand of Huntingburg is one of 40 appointees by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.
All appointees serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve two terms.
Hildebrand will replace outgoing board member Norman Voyles Jr. of Martinsville who is a beef producer and has served on the board for six years. Voyles is also completing a year as Chairman of the Cattleman’s Beef Board.
The new board will take office immediately upon conclusion of the February 2023 board meeting in New Orleans. New board members will be sworn in and seated during the New Board Orientation this spring and the first meeting of the 2023 board will be this summer.
The 100-member board is authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985. The Secretary of Agriculture selects the appointees nominated by beef, veal, dairy, and importers-certified organizations.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 industry-funded research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity for participating stakeholders.
