The term “checkoff” derived from historical programs that were not mandatory; producers marked a checkoff box if they wished to contribute to the program.
Checkoff programs “promote and provide research and information for a particular agricultural commodity without reference to specific producers or brands,” according to the National Ag Law Center.
A very notable example would be the “Got Milk?” campaign, which was funded by checkoff assessments.
While many of these programs are now mandatory, the checkoff name has remained. Producers usually finance the programs from assessments charged on a per-unit basis of the marketed commodity – which can seem unnecessary, especially when profit margins are already razor thin.
While checkoffs have basic similarities, they can differ considerably in terms of legal and regulatory boundaries, administration and operation.
Aiming to learn from each other and share what works best in a recent webinar hosted by the Paulsen marketing agency were representatives of some diverse checkoff programs. They wanted to focus on strategies for building trust with farmers through transparent communication and engaging farmer boards to become advocates of their respective checkoffs.
On hand were Sarah Metzler, senior director of organizational communications for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB); Marsha Boswell, vice president of communications for the Kansas Wheat Commission; and Stacey Gorman, director of communications for the Cotton Board.
The CBB has 99 farmers and ranchers on its board, including a few beef importers. The number of representatives is based on the cattle population of each state. The CBB oversees 43 state beef councils to ensure they are USDA-compliant. The beef checkoff charges $1/head every time an animal is culled, and that assessment hasn’t changed since 1985.
“It’s now routine, but problematic since the value of the dollar has changed,” Metzler said.
Gorman said the Cotton Board was the first and is now the oldest commodity checkoff program, created in 1966. There are 46 cotton growers on its board, based on the production in each state, and they also have 30 importers and downstream users. The nonprofit Cotton Inc. carries out the research and promotes cotton to consumers.
Wheat does not have a national checkoff, but a number of states have their own commissions. There are, however, several national organizations – U.S. Wheat Associates (focused on export work) and Eat Wheat (focused on nutrition for American consumers).
For wheat, funds are gathered at state level and then paid into the national organizations. Boswell noted that the assessment is 2 cents/bushel in Kansas. Their funding is for new variety development, market development and education.

The CBB works to provide grants to other beef organizations for research and promotion. Updates on their work will be given at the upcoming CattleCon event in San Antonio in February. Image courtesy of CBB
Looking at What Works
Kansas produces about one-fifth of the nation’s wheat crop each year; it’s also a top five flour-milling state. Each year Kansas exports roughly 40% of its wheat crop.
“It generally takes 10 years and millions of dollars to breed new, better varieties,” Boswell said. “We fund research through our wheat checkoff, donations and seed royalties.”
She is excited about the new Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, which is on site at Kansas State but independently owned and funded by their checkoff. It will be open for tours for any farmer who wants to see where their money is going.
The Cotton Board looks at strategies to build direct connections to their growers too. “It’s a boots-on-the-ground approach – with advertising, social media, regional communications managers – all playing a crucial role in our communications strategy,” Gorman said.
These regional communications managers (RCMs) attend trade shows, conduct on-farm visits and attend industry meetings. They try to “be everywhere that producers are.”
The cotton checkoff also uses its board members to communicate its mission and the goals and successes of the program. Last year, they did a year-long series spotlighting their board members, which Gorman said led to more opportunities for them to open dialogue.
“It’s not just about pushing the messaging out – it’s equally about listening and responding to the needs of our stakeholders,” she emphasized. “We want to make sure they are satisfied with the work we are providing.”
In covering animals instead of crops, the CBB operates a little differently. Metzler explained that the CBB and grant funds to nine organizations around the country. “Part of the job is gathering all the information from all these programs and telling the story,” she said.
What’s been very effective in that storytelling is a program called “The Drive,” which is a multi-platform, multi-faceted form of media telling producers how their dollar drives demand for beef. “The Drive,” a quarterly print newsletter, started six years ago – and while Metzler said print is a little expensive, it is also highly read. State beef councils provide inserts in the publication.
Currently, one out of every six beef producers receives “The Drive,” and CBB’s 2025 goal is to improve that to one out of every four.
“But it’s important to have goals and monitor them financially,” she cautioned. “Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s right. We need to make sure it’s beneficial.” In that line of useful content, the CBB also has a monthly email newsletter which provides different content and is helpful in reaching younger producers.
Additionally, the CBB creates a quarterly video series to match the newsletter, “The Drive in Five.” In being cost-conscious, they make sure its content is broad enough to reach all aspects of the industry.
Most Effective Tactics
Clear communication is non-negotiable with checkoffs. Farmers, especially, want to make sure their money is well-spent. So how does the CBB measure its return on investment in a print newsletter?
“We can’t truly say how many people read it,” Metzler admitted. “We gauge online with interactions on social media, scanned QR codes – we actively interact with people.”
Cotton Inc., based in Cary, NC, engages sponsors to bring producers directly to the headquarters to hear updates on research and promotion and to tour their facilities.
“This is a critical strategy of ours, and we host three tours a year,” Gorman said, explaining that RCMs recruit the producers who attend. In 2024, they had 242 stakeholder visitors participate in tours. “It’s a really big undertaking, but the ROI on that [found through surveys] is buying in to the checkoff’s mission.”
What works best for wheat, however, depends on the demographics of the farmer, according to Boswell. “During harvest, we used to do harvest reports five days a week, with photos and videos – now, we do it three times a week due to consolidation. It’s just about highlighting that time of year and showing how the entire industry is interested in harvest.”
Consolidation across the ag industry is crucial to pay attention to. “A regional approach helps us reach operations of different sizes. We want producers on our board that represent differently sized operations too,” Gorman said.
“We need to share information and research in a way that explains how this will make their farms more profitable,” Boswell added. “And that gives us the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations.”
The key, Metzler said, is “trying to reach a lot of the little,” noting, “90% of cattle farms in the U.S. are family owned and operated, and the average size is 40 head. The ‘big ones’ are already dialed into the checkoff because they’re paying so much into it. It’s important to talk person to person, to understand what matters to them.”
An interesting point Metzler raised in checkoff outreach is that she said she’s trying to work herself out of a job.
“Ideally, every producer would have all the information about where their checkoff dollars are going and they wouldn’t need me,” she said. “Until then, I’ll do my best to provide that information to them.”
You can find a list of the different checkoff programs at ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion. Take time this year to reach out to them to let them know what matters to you.
by Courtney Llewellyn
Leave A Comment