Industry Events
June 27, 2008

2008 Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo
July 9, London, Ohio

Manure management will be the focus of a one-day event July 9 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

The theme of the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo is “The Economics of Recycling” and will include commercial field demonstrations, educational demonstrations, educational sessions and commercial vendor displays.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Topics will include: the application and utilization of manure as a fertilizer; safety concerns with high emissions gasses or particulates; manure’s effect on crop production; environmental management; extending the application window; incorporating seeds; and compaction.

To RSVP, contact Candace Pollock at 614-292-3799 or pollock.58@cfaes.osu.edu.

To learn more about the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo, visit http://ohio-environmental.org or http://oema.osu.edu.


2008 National Junior Angus Show
July 13-19, Des Moines, Iowa

The 2008 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) is July 13-19 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa Angus and Iowa Junior Angus associations will host “Christmas in July” at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The weeklong event features the largest single-breed beef cattle show in the world, with more than 1,000 head of cattle exhibited by youth ages 9-21 years old — all members of the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA).

Youth will compete for top prizes in several divisions within the cattle show, including bred-and-owned heifers, bulls and cow-calf pairs; and owned heifers, cow-calf pairs and steers. Youth also have the opportunity to enter steers in a carcass contest.

In addition to the cattle show, numerous educational competitions, a showmanship clinic and mentoring program take place during the week. Six members also will be elected to the NJAA Board of Directors at the annual meeting.

For more information about the 2008 NJAS or junior Angus programs, including overviews of the contests, visit www.njas.info or contact the Junior Activities Department at 816-383-5100.

Pennsylvania Field Day
July 26, Herr Angus Farm, Nottingham, Pa.

Angus breeders and beef industry enthusiasts are invited to the 2008 Pennsylvania Angus Association and Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association field day, July 26 at Herr Angus Farm, Nottingham, Pa.

Embryo transplant (ET), utilizing byproducts in feed rations and grazingland issues are just a few of the scheduled topics. Jim Herr, founder of Herr Angus Farm, will tell about his unique feedlot operation that utilizes byproducts from Herr Snack Factory to feed his Angus cattle. Participants will also be treated to a tour of the Herr Snack Factory and farm.

Registration, with no fees, will begin at 8 a.m., and juice, coffee and donuts will be provided. Educational programs will be at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., with the tour of the Herr Snack Factory and Angus farm also in the morning. Lunch will be provided. Guest speakers and a steer judging competition are also planned. The field day is expected to conclude around 3:30 p.m.

Dennis Byrne, Herr Angus Farm manager, encourages all cattle producers to attend this educational and fun event. For more information regarding the field day, contact Byrne at 610-662-6102 or dennis.byrne@herrs.com.

2008 LEAD Conference
Aug. 1-4, Billings, Mont.

The annual NJAA Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) Conference is set for Aug. 1-4 in Billings, Mont.

All juniors 14 to 21 years old are encouraged to attend this year’s conference, themed “Take it to the Top.” Juniors will have the opportunity to make new Angus friends, learn about current beef industry issues, and tour agricultural and historical sites in “Big Sky Country.” In addition, the NJAA Board will present interactive workshops that explore the beef industry as well as personal development topics. Tour stops will include prominent auction yards, bull studs, ranches and a rafting trip.

Conference space is limited to 200 participants, so reserve your spot soon. Registration, if space is available, is $200. Registration and release forms are available in the green NJAA information packets that were mailed to all junior members earlier this year and on the NJAA web site.

For more information about LEAD, visit www.njaa.info or contact the Junior Activities Department at 816-383-5100.

Beef cattle short course
Aug. 4-6, College Station, Texas

The high price of fertilizer, diesel and other expenditures necessary to produce beef will be the focus of the 54th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 4-6 at Texas A&M University in College Station.

The Aug. 6 “Cattleman’s College” sessions are designed to offer a more hands-on approach to calf working, cattle handling, cattle selection, carcass evaluation and recordkeeping. Participants can receive private applicators license training that day and take a tour of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine.

In addition to the Cattleman’s College sessions, a key general session will be offered Aug. 4.

Participants can earn numerous pesticide continuing education (CE) units if already licensed. The industry trade show will feature more than 100 agricultural businesses and service exhibits. Registration is $140 per person and includes educational materials, a copy of the 300-page Beef Cattle Short Course proceedings, trade show admittance, tickets to the prime rib dinner, five additional meals and daily refreshments. Registration information and a tentative schedule are available at http://beef.tamu.edu or by calling 979-845-6931.

Ag Technology Field Day

Aug. 5, Great Bend, Kan.

The 2008 Agricultural Technology Field Day will be Aug. 5 at the Airport and Expo Grounds in Great Bend, Kan.


  The Kansas Agricultural Research Association (KARA) and several corporate sponsors are helping Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension host the event, expected to be one of the largest ag technology shows in the High Plains.

The field day allows participants to test-drive new equipment. The program will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 4 p.m.

Topics will also include automated guidance, yield mapping, data logging, data analysis, and other automation and precision-application technologies. They’ll include a new focus on planting systems with swath control and other automatic components. Another feature will be systems with automatic turning.

Multi-topic demonstrations on sprayer technologies will show automatic boom leveling, automatic boom-swath control, and variable-rate applications. Educational sessions featuring university experts are planned.

More information and the event’s registration form are available on the KARA web site at www.ksagresearch.com (click on “Ag Tech Field Day” on the left side column). Wolf also is available to answer questions by phone at 785-532-2935 or e-mail at rewolf@ksu.edu.

For those who preregister by July 25, the fee for all handouts and the field day’s on-site lunch is $25 per person. (Preregistered KARA members receive one free admission.) Registration at the door will be $50, with no guarantee that an extra lunch will be available.

Prescribed burn workshop
Aug. 7-9, Sonora, Texas

A prescribed burn workshop is scheduled Aug. 7-9 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Sonora. The burn workshop is a prerequisite to the advanced burn workshop, said Ray Hinnant, AgriLife senior research associate and instructor.

Individuals completing both workshops satisfy the educational component for a certified prescribed burn manager. The August workshop will provide basic information on prescribed burning, which is used to control invasive plants and manipulate habitat for wildlife and livestock on rangeland. Other topics will include weather, fuels and equipment, as well as planning for a prescribed burn.

The cost is $395 and covers meals and lodging at the Sonora station. For more information, call Hinnant at 979-820-1778 or visit www.ranchmanagement.org.

Wildlife conference
Aug. 14, Alpine, Texas

The two-day Trans-Peco Wildlife Conference will begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 14 at the Sul Ross State University Espino Conference Center, located at Ave. B and Harrison Street.

The conference is meant to bring together landowners, land operators, ranchers, wildlife managers, educators and others to discuss topics related to managing today’s far west Texas Trans-Pecos wildlife. Participants will gather at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 15 at the Espino Center and then travel to the Catto-Gage Ranch, said Ken Cearley, Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist at Canyon, Texas.

Topics to be addressed include issues and management of mule deer; scaled and Montezuma quail; elk; and feral hogs. There also will be discussion about mule deer/white-tailed deer hybridization; landowner liability and deer leases; predation; supplemental feeding; harvest strategies; and mule deer antler development.

On the second day, side-by-side comparative dissections will be conducted by veterinarians to demonstrate the differences in anatomy between cattle and wild ruminants such as deer, elk and aoudad. The demonstration will show how management must be tailored to meet the requirements dictated by anatomy.

Individual registration is $45 before July 25, and $65 thereafter.

Sponsors are AgriLife Extension, Sul Ross State University, Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.



For more information and to register, contact Louis Harveson at 432-837-8488 or harveson@sulros.edu, or Jenny Sanders at 361-279-7287 or jsanders@twa-mail.org.

Missouri Angus Tour
Aug. 22-24, Southeast Missouri

Angus breeders and enthusiasts are invited to “Show-Me SEMO Angus,” the Missouri Angus Tour in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Aug. 22-24. The weekend will be an opportunity to meet with old friends and make new ones, all while enjoying a common interest — Angus cattle.

This year’s tour will highlight more than a dozen Angus operations in southeastern Missouri and includes additional stops at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority (Semo Port) and Sandy Ridge Cotton Gin Co.

Friday evening will include registration and a social at Drury Inn, the tour headquarters hotel, in Cape Girardeau. Saturday will be a full day, starting with the tour of Semo Port, followed by viewing cattle from seven Angus farms and visiting the Sandy Ridge Cotton Gin Co. The evening will conclude with dinner at Hickory Log, a restaurant famous for its barbecue ribs. Sunday’s activities will include a visit to the Southeast Missouri State University farm and displays from five more Angus farms.

Those interested in participating in the “Show-Me SEMO Angus” tour should preregister by July 22. Registration is $75 per person by July 22, or $100 thereafter, and includes meals and bus transportation, but not hotel accommodations. To register, send a list of participants along with $75 for each person to Brian and Paula Meier, 1523 CR 335, Jackson, MO 63755.

Registrants may make hotel accommodations at the Drury Inn in Cape Girardeau by calling 573-334-7151. Ask for the Missouri Angus block of rooms; rates are $64 for single and $74 for double. This offer ends July 22. For information regarding the 2008 Missouri Angus Tour, please contact the Meiers at 573-204-7916. Visit www.angus.org/newsroom/index for a schedule.

Cattlemen’s Roundup
Aug. 22-23, Crawford County, Ohio

The Crawford County Cattlemen’s Association will host the 2008 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Roundup on Aug. 22-23. The Roundup will include a line-up of speakers made possible with the support of Farm Credit Services.

The event will kick off on Friday afternoon with a presentation by Trent Loos, an ag activist and radio host. Tour stops are also planned at Crawford County farms and businesses.

For more information contact Jamie King, director of communications, at 614-873-6736 or jking@ohiobeef.org, or visit www.ohiocattle.org.

Virginia Angus Association Field Day
Aug. 23, Four Locust Angus, Keysville, Va.

Angus enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the Virginia Angus Association’s field day, Saturday, Aug. 23. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy fellowship and a complementary lunch while participating in this year’s event that features industry speakers and exhibits. Zach Tucker, Four Locust Angus, Keysville, Va., will host the single-day event, which begins at 10:30 a.m.

Bryce Schumann, American Angus Association® chief executive officer (CEO), will present an update and overview of the Association’s programs. Schumann was recently appointed CEO after serving seven years as the director of member services.

Also presenting is Jim Johnson, national director, sales and distribution for Pfizer Animal Genetics-Bovigen. Johnson will discuss “Utilizing DNA Technology, Today and Tomorrow.” Johnson has worked for Bovigen for the past four years. Prior to joining Bovigen he worked for Genex and the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association.

There is no cost to attend the event; however, interested attendees are encouraged to preregister by calling the Virginia Angus Association office at 540-337-3001 or e-mail at vaangus@angus.org. Additional information about the event can also be obtained by contacting the Virginia Angus Association.

Keysville, Va., is located 78 miles southwest of Richmond on Route 360. Four Locust Angus is located at the Route 15 exit for Keysville.

Visit www.angus.org/newsroom/index for a schedule.

2008 Farm Progress Show
Aug. 26-28, Boone, Iowa

The 2008 Farm Progress Show site at Boone, Iowa, is well on its way to completion for this year’s construction plans. The event is expected to take place Aug. 26-28 at its new permanent biennial home. Some of the upgraded show features that are nearly finished include permanent restrooms and hard-surfaced roads.

The site includes multiple features designed to manage an even greater quantity of moisture than what has been received so far this year. Field crops and plots are planted and growing, as well. Electricity and telephone systems are 60% completed. Long-term facilities have been established to avoid weather-related interruptions and to provide visitors and exhibitors with even better show experiences.

Visitors at the 2005 and 2007 shows held at its first permanent biennial location near Decatur, Ill., have been very impressed with the upgraded facilities. The show now rotates between the Boone and Decatur sites.

The Boone site is developed on nearly 600 acres at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 17. Additional show information is available at www.farmprogressshow.com.

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