Easy public access to facts, statistics and the personal experiences that take place from pasture to plate is the aim of a new beef checkoff-funded Web site -- www.BeefFromPastureToPlate.org. The Web site covers the entire production chain and features producer profiles, a live "Ask a Producer" page, a timeline of cattle in North America, fact sheets, recipes, safety tips and beef trivia.

A unique aspect of the site is the virtual view -- through short audio clips and photographs -- that gives visitors a glimpse into the everyday life of U.S. beef producers. Cow-calf producers, a dairy producer, feedlot operator and a livestock marketer share personal stories about their business sectors.

Emma Brown, a fifth-generation Colorado cattle producer profiled on the site, says the site is a public outreach to help the beef industry talk to and with its customers.

"I want consumers to know our story. I want them to know producers care about them as much as they care about themselves and we don't want anything to jeopardize the relationship between us," she said.

-- Cattlemen's Beef Board news release