Nebraska Writers Co-Author Book about Corruption in Beef Checkoff Program
Currently a resident of McCook, NE, Diane Gumaer and co-author Leesa Zalesky, who resides in Wahoo, NE, recently celebrated the release of their book, A Buck A Head: The Beef Checkoff (abuckahead.com), which presents a history of the beef industry’s only national self-help promotion program with the goal of answering this question: “Did greed, envy, and a thirst for power hijack beef research and promotion? Diane has been a writer for more than 35 years, working in newspapers, magazines, and as a business writer, in addition to serving 15+ years as director of communications for the Beef Checkoff Program before coming to work for Strictly Business. Leesa is retired from a 25-year career as an award-winning investigative journalist and freelance writer, with the lion’s share of her time spent covering the U.S. cattle industry.
Renowned Omaha Attorney David Domina of Domina Law described the book as a synthesized history told with clarity and force, adding: “A Buck A Head is an unflinching story of power over principle, immorality over rectitude, and hucksters undermining meaningful public policy. I congratulate the authors on a very important contribution to the history of American agriculture, which provides lessons to every industry and informs policy needs nationwide.”
A Buck A Head culminates more than a year of research and writing—plus the authors’ combined 40 years of experience with the U.S. cattle industry. For more information or to order a copy of A Buck A Head, visit abuckahead.com, from which you may also email questions or comments to the authors.