News Update
June 3, 2014
Jake Troutt Joins the
American Angus Association
The American Angus Association announces the hiring of Jake Troutt of Emmett, Idaho, as regional manager for Oregon, Washington and Idaho. A native of the northwestern United States, Troutt will play a significant role in helping Association members identify herd goals, learn new programs and services, and grow into the future.
As a regional manager, Troutt will represent the Angus breed at various cattle events, sales, shows and other activities throughout the territory. Breeders are encouraged to ask him questions about Association programs and services, or for help locating Angus seedstock. He can also advise producers on marketing opportunities available through the Association, including advertising through the Angus Journal and other avenues.
Troutt graduated from Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a bachelor’s degree in animal science, with a focus on livestock merchandising. He has been working in the auction business for Troutt and Sons Auctioneers since 2006, and has had summer internships with Agri Beef Co. in Liberal, Kan., and Blue Sage Acres Ranch in Emmett, Idaho.
Troutt was also a member of the livestock judging team at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., and at OSU in Stillwater, Okla.
Contact Troutt at jtroutt@angus.org or at 208-921-6774.
Angus Productions Inc. Names Director of Creative Media
Angus Productions Inc. (API) announces the hiring of Becky Terry as director of creative media. Terry will be primarily focused on spearheading the Association’s annual convention and trade show; overseeing API’s efforts to strengthen brand cohesion, marketing and cross-channel audience engagement; and leading API’s business-development efforts.
Terry possesses nearly two decades of experience in ag communications, marketing and advertising. She served as manager of advertising and creative services for Hereford World, as well as publications manager for the North American Elk Association. She owned and operated Showboat Graphics for 11 years, a company that provided graphic design, advertising consultation and marketing for more than 20 companies, including API.
In 2010, she joined Osborn Barr as account supervisor, working closely with clients in the development and execution of marketing and advertising campaigns. She was directly responsible for event planning and execution for last year’s Cattle Feeders Business Summit and Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame. Terry was instrumental in founding the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame and leading its annual awards program.
A native of Kansas, Terry resides with her family in Winchester, Kan. She is a graduate of Kansas State University, holding a degree in agricultural business.
Summer Interns Join the Angus Team
The American Angus Association welcomes four summer interns to headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. Stationed throughout the office, the interns will be engaging and learning in a variety of capacities. One will write for the Angus Journal, another will work with multimedia and public relations and two will travel to cattle shows nationwide.
The summer interns are: Chelsey Smith, Courtney Spencer, Paige Nelson and Claire Carlson.
Chelsey Smith, Association Events and Education. As the Association’s event-planning intern, Smith will be active in planning and implementing a variety of activities throughout the summer, including the Beef Leaders Institute (BLI) and a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp at the University of Missouri, as well as attending cattle shows throughout the country.
Courtney Spencer, Association Junior Activities. This year’s intern for junior activities, Spencer will be instrumental in assisting with the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), Angus Ambassador finals and the annual Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference. She will also oversee the many life-skills contests at the 2014 NJAS in Indianapolis, Ind.
Paige Nelson, Angus Productions Inc. (API). Nelson will add to the efforts at the Angus Journal as the intern in the Editorial Department. Throughout the summer, she is responsible for contributing to the Angus Journal, Angus Beef Bulletin, Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA and Angus Journal Daily electronic newsletter. She will also work on the 2014 National Junior Angus Association (NJAA)/Angus Journal Photo Contest and attend multiple industry events.
Claire Carlson, Association Public Relations and Communications. Carlson is joining forces with the Public Relations and Communications Department this summer. She will gain experience in all aspects of the Association’s multimedia approach to promoting Angus cattle, including writing, editing, design, photography and video production. She will also play an important role in promoting and covering events at the 2014 NJAS.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Normandy, France to Host Alltech
Global Dairy & Beef 2014
The seventh edition of Alltech’s Global Dairy & Beef is returning to Europe Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2014, in the Centre International de Deauville (CID), Normandy, France. Alltech’s Global Dairy & Beef forum is hosted annually and brings together some of the most progressive dairy and beef producers from around the world to enable them to network, share experiences and discuss plans for the year ahead.
Celebrating a rich history in agriculture, Normandy is at the heart of the French ruminant industry. The region is home to more than 580,000 dairy cows on 12,500 dairy farms and more than a quarter of a million beef cattle residing on 5,800 beef farms. Currently there are an impressive 17,000 people directly employed in agriculture in the region.
The theme to this year’s Global Dairy & Beef is “What If?” following on from the Alltech Symposium hosted in Lexington, Ky., in May.
At the forefront of the agenda is how to farm an efficient, profitable and sustainable (EPS) future. Alltech will examine the current industry and look at future trends, specifically addressing how farmers and producers can stay ahead of the curve.
In addition, attendees can take full advantage of Global Dairy & Beef’s location with a full program of farm tours. The tours will take attendees on a journey to some of France’s most unique farms in the Normandy region. There is also an opportunity to sample the World Charolais Congress in Bourges and catch a glimpse of the action at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.
Registration for Alltech’s Global Dairy & Beef 2014 will open the week of June 9. An early bird registration is available at a discounted price of $238 until July 15. Standard registration after July 16, will be $374. Registration closes Aug. 1. To request an invitation, please click here.
NFU Statement on EPA’s
Clean Power Plan Proposal
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement (June 2, 2014) on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan proposal to cut carbon pollution 30% by 2030:
“The changing climate has already begun to affect agriculture, and it is clear that weather volatility will only continue to increase in the coming years unless our policymakers proactively address this challenge. I commend the administration for its leadership on climate change mitigation.
“Agriculture stands ready to be an important part of the solution to our climate challenges. I encourage Congress and the administration to engage the agricultural community in reducing carbon pollution by creating voluntary incentives for sequestering carbon and implementing conservation strategies that preserve our limited soil and water resources.
“The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is currently the most important policy we have to address climate change. I hope EPA reinforces today’s announcement by withdrawing its misguided proposal to undermine the RFS, returning the 2014 biofuels target to its statutory levels.
“I also urge EPA to recognize that rural electric cooperatives serve our nation’s farmers and ranchers and are a significant source of rural employment. Co-ops provide power to 42 million Americans and account for 12% of total U.S. electricity sales. Any regulatory action must consider the impact on rural electrics and the communities they serve.”
Bioenergy Sorghum Could Help with
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Bioenergy sorghum may offer more than another energy supply; it may offer a “sink” for greenhouse gases, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.
Researchers in the Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences department have been measuring greenhouse gases from biofuel production scenarios to help quantify the carbon footprint of a bioenergy cropping system and evaluate compliance with federally mandated reduction goals.
The study, “Impacts of Biomass Sorghum Feedstock Production on Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” was funded by the AgriLife Research Cropping Systems bioenergy program and a USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant.
Frank Hons, professor of soil science and AgriLife Research faculty fellow; Joe Storlien, postdoctoral research associate; Jason Wight, assistant research scientist; and James Heilman, professor of environmental physics, jointly worked on the research.
Hons explained that bioenergy sorghum may play a significant role in future biofuel production as a high-quality biomass feedstock. To date, no studies have quantified life-cycle greenhouse gases from this source.
“Bioenergy crop production represents an opportunity for greenhouse gas mitigation in the U.S.,” said Hons. “Crop production systems can be a net sink or net source of atmospheric carbon dioxide, depending on a number of factors, including land management practices.”
One objective of their study was to determine the effects of crop rotation, nitrogen fertilization and residue management on net greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy sorghum production. The study analyzed direct and indirect greenhouse emissions, soil carbon sequestration to a 3-foot (ft.) depth, and theoretical biofuel yield from eight different bioenergy sorghum production scenarios.
Annual accrual rates of soil organic carbon were much higher than anticipated, ranging from 1.2 to 3.3 tons of carbon per acre across all treatment combinations, Wight said. The corn-sorghum sequence had a significantly lower annual accrual rate than monoculture sorghum.
“These results have significant implications for net greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic carbon sequestration and life-cycle analyses,” Hons said. “Few studies have quantified greenhouse gas emissions and below-ground carbon inputs from bioenergy sorghum, and further investigation is warranted.”
For more information please view the full release here.
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