News Update

News Update
Oct. 3, 2007

Food Safety Issues Could Affect Senate Farm Bill

Recent food safety concerns heightened by a massive ground beef recall (see “New Jersey Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli Contamination,” in the Oct. 1 Angus e-List) could create a road bump on the Farm Bill’s road to passage.

Although Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said he expects to mark up the bill as soon as Thursday, a provision in the proposed bill is already drawing criticism, according to The Associated Press.

The provision passed by the House of Representatives would allow small-scale meat processing plants to undergo state inspections vs. federal inspections, and that has some senators riled.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), citing questionable safety of the domestic food supply in recent months, has already threatened to block the bill if the provision is included, AP reports.

Sen. Harkin released a statement shortly after announcement of the “expanded recall” of affected ground beef, saying he would mandate a Presidential Commission on food safety in the Farm Bill much like the one mandated earlier this summer by President Bush for international food safety issues (see “Bush Creates Food Safety Working Group,” in the July 20 Angus e-List).

According to the Brownfield Network, Harkin expects to begin work on the Farm Bill once the Senate Finance Committee finishes work on its tax package.

— by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.

APHIS Releases Details of Poultry Restrictions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) yesterday released an announcement detailing restrictions on poultry products from Saskatchewan, Canada.

Due to a confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus confirmed Sept. 27 (see “Avian Influenza Surfaces in Canada” in the Oct. 1 Angus e-List), the agency is not allowing the entry of poultry and commercial shipments of live birds, hatching eggs and unprocessed (not fully cooked) avian products from Saskatchewan, Canada, into the U.S. The ban will remain, APHIS notes, until additional information becomes available to reduce the restricted area.

Since the most severe form of avian influenza virus has not been detected, APHIS said it will allow the entry of hunter-harvested birds and wild bird commodities from Canada, including the Saskatchewan province.

Other regulations, such as those regarding the transport of avian pets, can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov.

Second Angus Leaders’ Boot Camp a Success

Representatives from 13 state and regional Angus associations attended the Angus Leaders’ Boot Camp, Sept. 25-26, at the American Angus Association, Saint Joseph, Mo. The Angus Leaders’ Boot Camp, which occurs every four years, is a unique experience for Angus leaders. Typically representing the leadership of their local, state and regional Angus associations, these leaders are given the opportunity to visit the American Angus Association headquarters for a two-day, Angus-based educational event. In turn, these leaders are charged with the responsibility to share their experiences with their respective Angus organizations.

This year’s event kicked off on Tuesday with an open house and tour of the Association. Delegates enjoyed the opportunity to network with fellow Angus leaders and gain a “behind the scenes” glimpse of the American Angus Association and Angus Productions Inc. (API), as they visited with employees.

Wednesday’s events featured a wealth of engaging presentations and discussions geared to motivate and educate attendees. John Crouch, Association executive vice president, set the tone for the day’s events with an inspirational welcome and overview of the day’s schedule. Attendees then heard from a guest speaker, partook in an interactive question-and-answer session, received Association updates and were left with more encouraging words during concluding presentations.

Guest speaker Tom Field, Colorado State University animal science professor, Fort Collins, Colo., gave opening and concluding presentations, including “Building Leaders for the Beef Industry” and “Make Success Happen in Your Organization.” Field’s presentations applied insight on organizational dynamics to the leadership roles of Boot Camp attendees, as he discussed oftentimes overlooked leadership perspectives and approaches.

Specifically, Field’s talks highlighted combining leadership and followership within an organization (utilizing all members of an organization to accomplish tasks); developing and committing to accountability measures — including mission and vision statements, as well as goal-setting; encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and information seeking as a means toward sustaining success; and most importantly, embracing the fun in the work experience, and developing a passion for that work, as a method to performing ones’ best.

Boot Camp attendees also utilized the opportunity to seek and share each others’ wisdom during a moderated discussion on the present and future roles of associations. Serving as moderator for the interactive session, Bill Bowman, Association vice president of information and data programs, challenged leaders to consider the discussion as an information tool to be used for success at the state level.

Attendees obtained further information and learned of available Association resources during presentations by Association departments and its entities. Departmental updates by Association staff, as well as updates by the Angus Foundation, API, and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), provided attendees with a stronger understanding of the role the Association’s departments and entities play in their associations.

At the conclusion of the Boot Camp, an enthusiastic group of Angus leaders were left empowered by a wealth of information and insight provided by the day’s presentations and discussion.

A complete list of attendees is available at www.angus.org.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.