News Update

Angus News Update
Sept. 12, 2007

Angus Enthusiasts Experience Heartland Homecoming during National Conference & Tour

More than 300 people from across the United States and Canada converged in Illinois for the 2007 National Angus Conference & Tour (NAC&T), Aug. 29-31. Warm fall days filled with Angus fellowship and food were highlights of the “Heartland Homecoming” that headquartered in Peoria, Ill. Purina Mills and Alpharma Animal Health were major partners with the American Angus Association in bringing the event to the Heartland. The Illinois Angus Association hosted the tour that showcased Angus herds from throughout the state.

“We are trying to build a long-term relationship within the industry and with U.S. beef producers,” says Rod Nulik, marketing manager for Purina Mills. He said that Purina is proud to sponsor beef industry events such as the NAC&T, as well as continue its relationship with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

The annual conference began the three-day event and featured some top industry experts. A theme of efficiency — from reproductive to feed efficiency — flowed throughout the presentations. Bill Beal, Virginia Tech professor of animal science, called on audience participation to demonstrate the estrous cycle and spoke about the economic importance of getting the cow herd bred. American Angus Association staff Bill Bowman and Sally Northcutt discussed current Association reproductive studies.

Jerry Cassady, Association regional manager, covered the topic of customer service, stressing the importance of providing service after the sale. Doug Parrett, University of Illinois (U of I), provided insight on efficiencies for cow-calf producers. Other U of I professors, Larry Berger and Tom Carr, spoke about feed efficiency and carcass grading, respectively. Mark Polzer, vice president of business development for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), highlighted the need to supply the brand.

A stop at Weaver Angus Farm, Peoria, kicked off the tour following the conference. The tour continued on Thursday, Aug. 30. Tour attendees had an option of several agricultural-related stops in the morning, choosing stops at Kickapoo Creek Winery; Caterpillar and Keystone Steel and Wire; or the Caterpillar World Parts & Logistics headquarters. A noon-time stop at the Woodford County Fairgrounds in Eureka featured representation from nearly 30 Angus herds as producers brought their bulls and females to the fairgrounds at a stop that also featured history from the Central Illinois Angus Association.

Thursday afternoon, six buses traveled north to Cordova, where Werner Angus hosted an evening event. The day concluded with cattle displays, dinner, a racecar simulator, magicians and artists entertaining the crowd.

On Friday morning, the tour began at Dameron Angus Farm, Lexington. The crowd was treated to a breakfast of Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) steak breakfast burritos. CAB chef Scott Popovic conducted a cooking demonstration, while others looked at cattle on display. A noon stop at Prairie View Farm, Gridley, featured cattle displays and the PVF Diner, a tent featuring the Route 66 theme with antique cars on display.

The tour concluded at Sauk Valley Angus, Rock Falls. Display cattle and farming equipment, along with a relaxing dinner and music, capped off the tour.

The NAC&T is planned annually and organized by the American Angus Association. The 2008 event is set for early October and will be headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla.

For speaker summaries, PowerPoint presentations, audio and photo galleries of the conference and tour, visit www.nationalangusconference.com.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Late Summer Is Good Time to Control Sericea Lespedeza

Late summer/early fall can be a good time to treat sericea lespedeza with herbicides, according to Walt Fick, Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension range management specialist.

This noxious weed is a problem on grazing lands in Kansas since it is unpalatable to cattle and competes with desirable grasses and forbs, Fick says. Controlling sericea lespedeza has proven to be unusually difficult, but a combination of practices that include well-timed herbicide applications can be effective.

“Sericea can be difficult to control with grazing, mowing or burning alone. Most often, a herbicide application will be necessary as part of an integrated management approach. Managers should be aware, however, that drought stress can greatly reduce the effectiveness of herbicides applied for sericea lespedeza control,” Fick explains. “A good indicator of drought stress is the amount of flowering. Sericea will produce very few flowers when under drought stress.”

If the sericea hasn’t flowered yet, Remedy® (triclopyr) at 1.5 pints per acre can give good control, Fick says. Remedy can be applied anytime from four to six weeks after grazing termination up until the pre-flowering stage of growth.

After sericea has flowered and up until the first freeze, metsulfuron (marketed under Escort,® Ally,® Cimarron,® and other trade names) is the best herbicide to use, he says. “Metsulfuron can control sericea even through seed fill, unless the plants are under drought stress. Managers should control the plants before mid-seed fill, however. If the sericea has already formed viable seeds when it is treated with the herbicide, the seeds can germinate the following year and spread the problem,” the agronomist says.

Grasslands with sericea lespedeza infestations should not be grazed or hayed after the sericea has gone to seed. That could spread the seed to other areas, he says.

Control measures taken this fall need to be followed up for control to be most effective.

“Next spring, areas with a sericea infestation should be burned in the spring to encourage germination of sericea seed, to remove new sericea growth, and remove all dead growth. After the burn, these areas should be intensively grazed until no later than mid-July,” Fick says.

“Then, four to six weeks after grazing termination, any remaining sericea can be treated with Remedy (triclopyr) anytime up until flowering. An alternative to the burn-plus-graze-plus-herbicide approach is to spray sericea in June when the plants are in a vegetative growth stage with Remedy (1-1.5 pints per acre) or PastureGard® (2 pints per acre).”

More information about sericea lespedeza is available on the K-State Research and Extension web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu/sericea/.

Brand names appearing in this article are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.

— Release provided by K-State Research and Extension.

Reserve Your Invitation Today to the Angus Foundation Supporter Recognition Event in Louisville

Join the Angus Foundation Nov. 10 in Louisville, Ky., for its fifth annual Supporter Recognition Event. Billed appropriately as “Focused on the Vision,” the Angus Foundation will recognize supporters this fiscal year to the Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus. This ambitious $11 million fundraising campaign is working to enhance the Foundation’s education, youth and research activities.

Campaign Leadership Cabinet Chairman Howard Hillman and Angus Foundation staff will update attendees on the progress of this exciting fundraising initiative benefiting and advancing the Angus breed.

All Angus supporters who have contributed $250 this fiscal year to the Angus Foundation will be invited to attend this special donor celebration in Louisville.

A special feature of the event will be the offering at public auction of the naming rights to the prestigious 16,000,000 registration number of the American Angus Association. Your $250 contribution can count toward the purchase of this piece of Angus history.

The time to guarantee your reservation to the event is drawing near. If you haven’t supported the Foundation in the last year, you can still secure your reservation now by contributing $250 or more by Sept. 30, 2007. To contribute online by Visa or MasterCard, visit www.angusfoundation.org and click on the “Donate Online” link.

Your contribution, payable to the Angus Foundation, can also be mailed to the Angus Foundation, 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. Payments must be postmarked by Sept. 30. For more information call the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

— Release provided by the Angus Foundation.

— e-List compiled by Mathew Elliott, API assistant editor