2020 Beef Advocate of the Year Announced at 2021 Beef Industry Convention

Kiah Twisselman Burchett has been selected as the 2020 Advocate of the Year for her work helping mainstream Americans appreciate the cattle industry and feel good about enjoying beef. This award, given by NCBA’s Beef Checkoff-funded Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program, recognizes an outstanding beef advocate for their success in reaching and educating consumers about cattle and beef.

The former Kentucky Beef Council employee went viral in 2020 after People Magazine highlighted her weight loss story. Burchett used that momentum to start a business as a life coach and weight loss expert, teaching people how to use their surroundings to better themselves at home or on the farm, and to enjoy their favorite foods – especially beef! 

Burchett gained a following of both urban and rural women alike by tapping into their shared goals to live their happiest and healthiest lives, to be energetic and to say ‘yes’ to life again. With tens of thousands of followers, the beef loving cattle rancher has been able to reach a new audience of consumers, an impressive feat considering more than 98% of the American population has little or no direct connection to farming or ranching, and people tend to be quick to reject what they don’t understand.

Burchett was initially motivated to improve her health a few years ago when she was leading the nutrition program for the Kentucky Beef Council and routinely spoke on the role beef plays in a healthy diet. “I knew all the research I was sharing was true and backed by reliable research but I thought I was doing a disservice to the industry I loved by speaking to the health benefits of beef while not being an example of that,” said Burchett. 

After appearing in People Magazine as the rancher who lost 125 lbs, Burchett was also highlighted in Women’s Health and on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Access Hollywood quickly becoming a trusted authority on what living your happiest, healthiest life looks like while continuing to enjoy the foods and lifestyle you love. 

The health benefits of beef, nutritious beef recipes and sharing what goes into cattle ranching is threaded throughout Burchett’s social media content for her diverse audience, illustrating that beef advocacy is more than what she does, it’s who she is. “My own life has been an example of how lean beef fits into a heart healthy diet and lifestyle and I get to share the ins and outs of ranching to people who are outside of our industry because so much of my following are not from agriculture,” Burchett stated.

Burchett recently launched her podcast “Climbing with Coach Kiah” and in her quest to continue bringing mindfulness, coaching, and providing an opportunity to connect people back with the land through a ranch experience, she plans to begin hosting rural ranch wellness retreats at her family’s ranch in spring 2022.

Burchett’s community – both those within as well as outside of agriculture – are thrilled for the upcoming retreats and Burchett is thankful she’s been able to provide a platform where women can focus on their shared values and overlook their differing backgrounds. “We’re all walking this journey together it’s just that one person might be going to the gym and one person might be walking her dirt driveway after checking calves in the morning. We’re all so much more alike than we are different.”

You can follow Kiah Twisselman Burchett on social media at @Coach_Kiah.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

About Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA)
The checkoff funded MBA program was launched by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the beef checkoff, in 2009. The program, with over 19,000 participants, is designed to equip advocates to engage in conversations with consumers about beef and how cattle are raised. Applications to participate can be found at MastersofBeefAdvocacy.com