I remember vividly the first time one of my daughters came home from school crying because someone had started a nasty rumor about her. A whole myriad of emotions went through me…disappointment, sadness, anger, and finally a complete sense of helplessness. I wanted to go find the child who started the rumor and discipline her, but all I could do was comfort my daughter and give her advice about how to deal with the challenge. The experience left me with a sick feeling deep in my stomach and a disappointment in humanity that touched my core.
It has been a long time since I have felt that way, but yesterday I experienced that same myriad of emotions as I watched an investigative reporter from ABC news smear and belittle a very fine group of people during a press conference held by Governors and Lieutenant Governors from the states of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas and Texas.
The panel of governors, lieutenant governors, and food safety experts that stood up in Defense of a Good Man and his product...
Megan and I traveled to Sioux City to meet Eldon Roth and his Beef Products, Inc. family so that we could see first-hand the people and the company that makes Lean Finely Textured Beef. For me, it was a day filled with emotion as I met Eldon, his wife Regina, their son, daughter, son-in-law and many of the employees of Beef Products, Inc. I also had the privilege of meeting Nancy Donley of STOP Foodborne Illness who has worked collaboratively with Eldon and Regina to create innovative food safety measures relative to ground beef and Lean Finely Textured Beef.
Eldon's wife and daughter, who took the time during a very difficult day to make a 10 year old girl feel special. I hope that Megan will grow up to be as courageous and giving as they are...
I wish that I could find the words to convey to all of you the sincerity and the innate goodness that I felt as I visited with the Roth’s and their BPI family. They are the type of people that I want to bring into my home for Sunday night dinner—They are the type of people that I want my children to grow up to be like—They are the type of people that makes me love Nebraska because they CARE and work passionately to improve the lives of others.
Ten days ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “Hard Work, Trust, and Faith” https://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/hard-work-trust-and-faith/ as I tried to work out in my mind all of the conflicting media coverage regarding Lean Finely Textured Beef. In that post, I stated that one day I hoped to be able to meet Eldon Roth and personally thank him for all that he has done. Yesterday, I was able to do that. We both had tears in our eyes as we shook hands, and although I was just meeting him for the first time, as I looked into his eyes I could see that he was a very special man—A man who quietly and innovatively works each day to be a people builder and inspire greatness in all those that have the pleasure of working with him.
Megan and I with Eldon and his family after the press conference...
I have continued to receive questions and comments from readers that are interested in learning more about Lean Finely Textured Beef and what role it plays in hamburger. My post for Tuesday will focus on the answers to those questions. In the meantime, I offer a personal thank you to Eldon and his family for inspiring me to achieve greatness in all that I do to care for cattle and raise safe beef.
Feed Yard Foodie 
Don’t be too concerned with the ABC reporter. He has to be a jerk since no one watches ABC or the major networks anymore. Being a jerk is the only way he can get noticed. Please feel free to name him and highlight the point of his comments, however.
The reporter’s name is Jim Avila. The most disappointing part of the entire press conference was that he chose to berate and belittle instead of asking good questions. There were many many people in the room that were qualified to answer (in depth) about the product of Lean Finely Textured Beef, but instead of asking well thought out and relevant questions, he chose to focus on irrelevant slander. I honestly could not believe it when he told Nancy Donley (in some form of poorly worded “question”) that the only reason that she was supportive of Beef Products, Inc. and LFTB was because Eldon and Regina Roth donated money to her non-profit organization that works to improve food safety. I was so proud of Nancy and so thankful that my daughter Megan could be there to see such a strong and passionate woman defend her cause. There is no doubt in my mind that her son, Alex, was smiling down from heaven as he watched his mom’s heroic efforts.
The Roth family and Ms. Donley are truly amazing people, and ABC wasted a wonderful opportunity to gain accurate and important information to share with their viewers.
Anne
That is awesome you got to meet Eldon and family. I did take some time to listen to the press conference. I was happy to hear that we have some Govt. officials who are working to correct this crazy scare that ABC started and are willing to stand up for Eldon, his family, his business and the people he employs.
Thanks for this latest update. This validates my concern when this whole thing started that good, hardworking people are behind the scenes being hurt terribly by the unthinking action of others. I agree with another comment that the ABC reporter needs to be named – if you had a name – so we can call him on the carpet.
Thank you Anne for spreading the truth about this STELLAR company and its family of employees. It is a travesty what is being done to these hard working families and their children. And for What? Lies and intentional scare tactics and catch phrases only created to elicit an emotion response from an uninformed public.
I would also like to say to Megan, NO, THANK YOU!! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Give him my and the family’s thanks too!
Speaking of interesting school children, and their comments…one of Gus’ classmates told him he was going to the “devil’s pot” because he believes differently than she does. I have my theory about where this came from, but I let Erin handle the situation at school…as you know, she is way more diplomatic than I have a tendency of being.
@ Charlie…uninformed is exactly what and where the media and to a large extent the government wants people…but I digress.
Anne and Megan,
I’m so glad you got to attend the conference and meet Eldon and his family. I wish people would realize we can’t ever trust the media to tell the truth about anything. Even when they were forced to report on this conference and the actual procedure involved, they still managed to make it appear as though employees and others were hiding something just by not adding further comments! I was glad to see that the governors are trying to do something, though not quickly enough, and that the media was forced to admit, at least in part, that the whole “pink slime” thing was a scam.
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I sent an email to Seth Denney suggesting he read your blog and educate himself. His reply was revealing — not for what he actually said, but what his words implied. It seemed to me he had not read your blog, and that he felt he knew all he needed to know from the network feed. He stated that both NTV and ABC had given balanced coverage (!) and that what they were reporting on was the controversy surrounding LFTB, not LFTB itself. This is a fascinating peek at how today’s news organizations think and act. They pursue controversy instead of truth and appeal to emotion instead of reason. This is why the news outlets insist on calling it “pink slime.” LTFB (both in name and in essence) is too mundane to be newsworthy in and of itself. Facts do not matter — only the sensational matters. I’ve rewritten the closing remark here about six times, and I don’t want to co-opt Ann’s great blog for my own purposes. Let’s just say I think we need to remember this during the upcoming election. If they can be like this with LFTB, think what they can do…
Ann, thanks for presenting facts in a reasoning manner. Keep up the great work. You’re one news source I’ve learned I can trust! 🙂