By Maria Tibbetts
UNL Beef communications specialist
In the 1980s Jason Anderson realized that in the cattle business, his options were to get better or get out.
Anderson, president and founder of Power Genetics, chose to get better. As the winner of the 2024 National Beef Quality Assurance Marketer of the Year award, the industry agrees the company, based in Arapahoe, Nebraska, has succeeded. “I’m honored and humbled to be part of the BQA program,” Jason said. “It just keeps helping us manage our cattle better and be an advocate for the beef industry in terms of quality assurance.”
Jason and his brother J.D. picked up the reins in the business when cattle prices were low, interest rates were high, and everyone was just trying to survive. J.D. started selling seedstock bulls after graduating college. He branded his business Powerline Genetics.
“We wanted to find an endpoint marketing tool and a value-added grid,” Jason said. “The rancher would be our customer buying bulls, and we’d be their customer buying their calves back.”
The power of consistency
Power Genetics was created in 1991 and organized independent feedyards into a verified beef supply chain for commercial markets. The majority of the cattle that go through the program are sired by Powerline Genetics, and all 32 member feedyards are managed independently, but to the same criteria of animal handling and welfare. Consumer preference and perception is the ultimate guide for their practices.
This business model provides proven quality genetics to their feedyards, and it gives Powerline Genetics the data they need to continue to improve their seedstock genetics and produce high-quality beef.
The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has provided a framework for a consistent training program for proper animal handling and treatment techniques, and a standard of evaluation across all the member feedyards, and all employees of those feedyards must be BQA certified. While BQA certification is becoming expected in the beef industry, Power Genetics has taken it a step further, also requiring an independent audit of all participating feedyards to make sure the principles are being applied, not just learned.
“The BQA certification process is a great tool,” Jason said. “The audit tool puts teeth to the program.”
Power Genetics also requires that anyone who hauls cattle for them is BQA Transportation certified. That reduces stress at loading and unloading, which makes the processing smoother, with better yields and less bruising.
“The whole system is just better because we are all on the same standard operating procedure,” Jason said.
The program has improved the employee training process, which has resulted in more positive, consistent and effective cattle handling, and improved employee safety, Jason says.
“All our employees, especially the younger generation, know only low-stress cattle handling and proper injection sites and how to properly store products and when to change needles. That’s because of BQA. My sons in the business don’t know how we used to do it, which we thought was right, but we didn’t know any better. Everything we do is to create a better eating experience for the consumer.”
That standard operating procedure was developed with the help of consulting veterinarians and Jesse Fulton, Director of the Nebraska BQA program.
“I felt Power Genetics was deserving of this award because of their belief to go above and beyond what is required,” Fulton said. “When developing their feedyard management program best management practices, they developed protocols and record-keeping templates that either meet or exceed BQA guidelines while fulfilling the needs of the company and member feedyards. They also offer continuing education opportunities for member yards to participate. These opportunities are generally veterinarian-led and cover a variety of animal health and low-stress animal handling topics.”
Focus on consumers
While Powerline Genetics works to help cow-calf producers improve genetics, and Power Genetics works to improve quality and profitability for their member feedyards, the whole system is designed for one purpose—to produce wholesome, quality beef that consumers feel good about eating.
Dr. Shane Terrell, veterinarian and research coordinator for Production Animal Consultation, has worked with Power Genetics and many of their member feedyards as a consulting veterinarian for the last six years. “Jason and Power Genetics are always looking to be the industry leaders, being on the forefront and thinking about the consumer and animal with every decision they make,” Terrell said. “That makes them overwhelmingly deserving of this award.”
Being able to point to the BQA certification and audit process, and marketing only cattle produced to that standard of animal handling and welfare eases conversations with consumers who may have the wrong idea about cattle production.
“We can stand behind how we manage the cattle,” Jason said. “When you’re producing beef to the best of your ability and the right way, it’s fun to talk about what you do.”
The National Beef Quality Assurance Awards recognize outstanding members of the beef industry in five categories: Cow-Calf, Feedyard, Dairy, Marketer, and Educator. The National BQA Awards are selected by a committee of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors, and affiliated groups. Nominations are submitted by organizations, groups or individuals on behalf of a U.S. beef producer, dairy beef producer, marketer, or educator.
Another Nebraska business, Adams Land and Cattle from Broken Bow, won the 2024 National Beef Quality Assurance Feedyard of the Year award. The awards were presented at the Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando in early February.