News Update
March 23, 2015
‘I Am Angus’ Airs Tonight
Catch the I Am Angus season finale at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central) tonight on RFD-TV.
Spring is a special time of year on the ranch, as the grass begins to green and temperatures start to rise. The March 23 episode sheds new light on optimism in the cattle business and shares perspectives from cattle producers from Arizona to Pennsylvania. You will meet lifelong Angus breeders and families who make their living producing quality beef off the land.
Go online for more information.
Download foot-scoring spreadsheet
American Angus Association members can now download a spreadsheet to submit foot scores via their AAA Login account. To download the spreadsheets in AAA Login, click the “Spreadsheet Entry” tab. From that menu select the “Foot Score Spreadsheet.” Click the “Instructions” link for step-by-step procedures explaining how to select a group of animals, download the Excel spreadsheet, fill it out and return it to the Association for processing. The instructions also provide a description of phenotypes warranting each score, links to Angus Journal stories explaining the process of foot-scoring and links to other pertinent information.
Data collected will be compiled in a data set that could lay the foundation for a genetic prediction tool for foot structure and soundness. Additional educational tools will be available soon. For more information, contact Dan Moser, AGI president, at dmoser@angus.org or Tonya Amen, AGI genetic service director, at tamen@angus.org.
USCA Public Lands Committee Co-Chair Joins USACC Leaders, Renews Call for End to Embargo on Return from Cuba Mission
Returning from a four-day visit to Cuba earlier this month, Jack Alexander, United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) Public Lands Committee Co-Chair, joined more than 95 members of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) in reiterating a call for Congress to end the U.S. embargo.
“Our visit was an important first step toward a stronger relationship with Cuba,” said Alexander. “Lifting the embargo represents a unique chance to benefit rural citizens for both nations. We appreciate the opportunity for shared dialogue between representatives of U.S. agriculture and the Cuban people.”
USACC leaders across the nation emphasized the need to end the U.S. embargo on Cuba, located only 90 miles south of Florida. This month’s visit demonstrated for U.S. agricultural leaders how a meaningful relationship with the United States could benefit the Cuban people and provide new opportunities to boost Cuba’s agricultural capacity. An end to the embargo also holds potential to provide access to a new market for U.S. producers.
During the visit from March 1-4, representatives of USACC, representing more than a dozen U.S. states, met with officials of the Cuban government and learned about initiatives being undertaken in Cuba to boost food production.
“Opening trade with Cuba makes sense for many reasons. U.S. farmers and ranchers could provide food to Cubans to alleviate shortages in their markets. Cuban farmers and ranchers could provide foods to U.S. markets that we are currently importing from halfway around the world, primarily fruits, vegetables and seafood. Normalizing trade with such a close neighbor would make life better for those growing food and those eating it.”
In a statement following the mission, USACC Chair Devry Boughner Vorwerk emphasized the group’s goal of achieving an end to the embargo on Cuba.
“We continue to call for progress on efforts in Congress to end the embargo,” said Vorwerk. “As a result of this week’s learning journey, U.S. agricultural interests are well-positioned to facilitate a strong, two-way relationship when the embargo is lifted.”
Foglesong Tells House Ag Committee the Waters
of the United States Proposal is Problematic
On March 18, Steve Foglesong, former president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), appeared before the House Committee on Agriculture to explain how the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule will impact famers and ranchers.
“I am extremely concerned about the devastating impact this proposed rule could have on me and other ranchers and farmers,” Foglesong said. “As a livestock producer, I can tell you that after reading the proposed rule it has the potential to impact every aspect of my operation and others like it by regulating potentially every tributary, stream, pond and dry streambed on my land.”
According to the Environmental Protection agency (EPA), the proposed rule is designed to explain and clarify the Clean Water Act. The EPA, along with the Army Corps Of Engineers, began researching, brainstorming and drafting the new rule in 2010. Both agencies had hoped the new rules would make reinforcing the Clean Water Act possible. Ranchers and farmers however, don’t believe the rule is an improvement.
“This rule doesn’t provide clarity, it just adds to the confusion,” Foglesong said. “This ambiguity over key definitions will result in massive interpretation by bureaucrats across the country and it’ll place all landowners in a position of uncertainty and inequity.”
Although the EPA and the Army Corps said they consulted farmers, ranchers and small business owners when drafting the rule, most disagree.
“There was zero outreach to us in the agriculture community before the rule was proposed,” said Foglesong. “And despite what the EPA and Army Corps are saying, they did not have a meaningful dialogue with the small business community as a whole.”
While animal agriculture and property owners nationwide do not support the proposed rule, they are not opposed to clarifying the Clean Water Act.
“There’s no argument, clean water must be protected but this rule will only provide chaos,” he said. “Farmers, ranchers, small business owners, we’re all ready for a chat, but you really need to listen to what we have to say.”
The NCBA and all of animal agriculture are calling on the EPA and the Army Corps to withdraw the proposed rule and engage in a serious and meaningful dialogue with the agricultural and business communities to find the necessary solution that will provide the clarity and certainty we require.
Beef Fuels New York City
The beef industry reached more than 30,000 athletes, their friends and families attending the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Health & Fitness Expo
in Manhattan, N.Y., March 12-14, thanks to a first-time sponsorship by the national beef checkoff, in partnership with the New York and South Dakota beef councils.As part of its Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, the checkoff set the stage for participation at the half marathon and expo in New York City by partnering with online retail giant Fresh Direct on a ‘healthy eating’ promotion featuring the top sirloin and tenderloin. The promotion included on-pack recipe and nutrition labels, sales on both beef cuts, checkoff recipes on the retailer’s blog and digital ads highlighting the lean beef cuts. Additionally, a $5-off coupon on purchase of fresh beef at Fresh Direct was distributed to race expo attendees.
State and national checkoff staff were joined by Demi Snider of Hardin County, Ohio, a member of the 2015 National Beef Ambassador Team, and Emily Line of Carlisle, Pa., a member of the Penn State Collegiate CattleWomen and a graduate of the checkoff’s “Millennial-2-Millennial” training program.
“In such a health-conscious city, it is very important to promote beef as a protein to runners, especially as an excellent recovery protein with necessary vitamins and nutrients such as zinc, iron and B vitamins,” Snider said after the event. “Educating athletes and having hands-on interactive beef activities at the race expo is important as we continue to reach a vast number of consumers and athletes and promote the essential nutrients beef provides before, during and after the race.”
Expo-goers interacted with checkoff staff through a spice-bar activity allowing them to make a sample of beef chili seasoning, courtesy of the New York Beef Industry Council. Participants were invited to share a photo of their beef chili creation as part of a postevent “Chill-Out” Instagram contest using #BeefFuelsNYC with their contest post for a chance to win a chili prize pack.
Nearly 20,000 runners completed the 13.1-mile distance, including Team Beef members from Texas, Pennsylvania and New York.
For more information about the beef checkoff, visit NEBPI or www.MyBeefCheckoff.com. For event photos, go to “Northeast Loves Beef” on Facebook and @NortheastBeef on Twitter.
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