The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a voluntary program created by the cattle industry to teach producers, processors, transporters and all of their workers how to properly manage all phases of cattle production. The objective of their program is to assure that the cattle are cared for and handled properly for the safety of the cattle and the handlers.
BQA (as well as some beef marketing programs) is “free” to the beef producer, as they are funded through a “Beef Checkoff” program, which receives $1.00 for each animal a producer processes.
The BQA organization offers programs for Cow/Calf producers, as well as programs for processing plants, commercial transporters, and others.
McLaughlin Farm is certified under the Cow/Calf program.
The Cow/Calf program promotes best practices in vaccinations and health treatments, cattle handling, bio-security, site and emergency planning and transportation. The Cow/Calf program covers all aspects of cattle production facing the small producer. It is recommended that producers maintain their certification and constantly work on the skills and practices so, as Temple Grandin says: “bad practices do not become the norm.”
McLaughlin Farm was re-certified in 2019.