Last week the Nebraska Beef Board held a tour for people associated with the health and nutrition industry, as well as from the restaurant industry to showcase beef production.  The group consisted of people outside the Midwestern states.  Adam Wegner serves as the Director of Marketing for the Nebraska Beef Board.  He says the beef board wanted to reach what they refer to as “influencers” or those people that can impact large groups of people.  Wegner says the Nebraska Beef Board took the group across the state to witness various aspects of beef production.  He says the group began at a corn farm near Columbus to see corn being cut for silage.  Wegner says the next stop was at a ranch near Newman Grove to see a cow-calf operation.  Following the sale barn stop, the group visited a commercial size cattle feed lot.  Wegner says the group had the opportunity to see how Nebraska produces high quality beef with its resources of corn and water.  The final stop for the beef tour was at a beef processing plant.  Wegner says the group was given a pre-tour and a post-tour evaluation.  He says they were impressed with what they saw, and walked away with positive reactions.  The Nebraska Beef Board official hopes the group will talk to their friends, peers, and colleagues about what they saw on the beef tour, with the thought consumers will increase their demand for beef.