Surely I’m not alone in having left those leftovers on the counter overnight. Are they safe to eat? What’s the best way to store meat in the freezer? And what is a meat scientist, anyway?!? We have the answers to those and even more of your meat questions.

This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I jump on Zoom for a virtual Over A Beer episode with guest, Janeal Yancey, the mom at the meat counter from Arkansas. If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.

If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.

meat scientist mom at the meat counter janeal yancey

Podcast 041 – Meat Scientist

In episode 041 of the Beef Runner podcast, Carrie Mess and I are joined by Janeal Yancey for another Over A Beer conversation. Janeal is a meat scientist at the University of Arkansas, a mom to two adventurous girls who show sheep, cattle, and (Carrie’s favorite!) goats. And Janeal has been a guest author on the blog before! Read her post here.

Janeal was actually my Block and Bridle advisor during my first two years of undergraduate at UA. So, of course, she and Carrie had to dig up a photo of the two of us from 13 years ago as we were playing the role (somewhat unsuccessfully) of computer techs at one of the first Razorback Classic cattle shows in Fayetteville.

Throwback to the Razorback Classic cattle show in April 2007. I was a freshman at University of Arkansas. Pictured here with Janeal Yancey who was my Block and Bridle advisor.

Janeal has been involved in online advocacy for just about as long as Carrie and I have been, so we figured she is a natural guest to sit down and discuss advocacy with us for the podcast.

Janeal is famous for her #MeatCounterSelfie tours from around the world as she travels with her husband and collegiate programs. We’ve all been there, right?! Every time I go to a grocery store in a new area, I enjoy stopping by the meat or dairy counter to see what local or regional products are offered. Next time you find yourself doing so, snap a selfie and tag Janeal in your social media post!

In this episode, we ask Janeal several questions we’ve received about meat safety. These are especially relevant as more of us are cooking family meals at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Questions for a Meat Scientist

Here are a few of the topics we discuss in the podcast and links that are mentioned.

Tips for Agriculture Advocacy

What tips does a meat scientist have for agriculture advocates and sharing their stories?

Janeal says the biggest thing to be an effective advocate is to have a posse – to have your back, read your posts, give you support and advice. Your posse doesn’t have to be fellow agriculture advocates. Janeal works with several women bloggers who aren’t involved in agriculture.

Value community over competition. There is nothing wrong with two advocates discussing the same thing. Janeal gives an example of fellow advocate and animal scientist, Jude Capper, who may post on the same topic, but has a different audience and perspective.

Support other advocates and seek support from other advocates. Having advocates you can trust to send other people to is huge. When you don’t know the answer, you can help find someone who does.

Ask Your Meat Science Questions

Recent conversations have been filled with stories of foods like potatoes or milk being dumped and hogs or poultry being euthanized. Prior to this pandemic, there haven’t been large conversations to spur people to think about getting food to our plates safely, on a huge scale. Maybe that will change in the future.

We hope you take a chance to follow and connect with Janeal online. We are so glad to have her team, advocating for agriculture and as a resource for any of our meat questions! You can find her blogging at MomAtTheMeatCounter.blogspot.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

What do you think?

Listen to the podcast episode with Janeal Yancey, meat scientist and mom. Then, let us know your thoughts on today’s discussion by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.

If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at anchor.fm/BeefRunner.

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Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.