News Update
Aug. 7, 2008

AngusSource® Offers Producers an Opportunity for COOL


With mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on the horizon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that producers who enroll cattle in AngusSource can use the program to substantiate COOL claims.

The COOL law provides for the use of qualified producer affidavits on which packers can rely to initiate the origin claim, according to Jim Riva, chief of USDA’s audit, review and compliance branch. Riva says participation in USDA Quality System Verification Programs (QSVP) that contain a source-verification component can also be used to substantiate COOL claims.

AngusSource, a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) for Angus-sired calves verifies source, age and a minimum of 50% Angus genetics. It is the source-verification component that provides traceability to the ranch of origin that can be used by the industry to meet COOL requirements.

“The goal of the AngusSource program is to add value to Angus-sired calves,” says Sara Snider, director of AngusSource. “As the industry has evolved, AngusSource has adapted to help producers meet marketing requirements. The ability to substantiate claims for COOL with source-verification is the newest addition to the list of services AngusSource offers.”

“The PVP status of AngusSource adds integrity to the program and has opened doors to export markets and branded beef programs,” explains Jim Shirley, American Angus Association vice president, industry relations. “Assisting producers with COOL is the next logical step,” he says.

Age verification through AngusSource qualifies cattle for export markets like Japan. In 2007, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) became the first branded-beef program to utilize AngusSource genetic verification to qualify supply for the brand. Since then more than 14 other Angus-based programs have included AngusSource as part of their live-animal requirements.

“We’re glad that AngusSource has been able to serve commercial Angus producers in these ways,” Snider says. “We will continue to work with USDA and plan for the future to ensure that we are able to help our customers meet emerging industry requirements.”

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Young Angus Leaders “Take it to the Top” at Conference

National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members from 33 states and Canada participated in the LEAD (Leaders Engaged in Angus Development) Conference Aug. 1-4 in Billings, Mont. The 215 youth and advisors enhanced their interpersonal talents while learning more leadership skills and touring the “Big Sky” country of Montana. “Take it to the Top” was this year’s theme for LEAD, which is funded through the Angus Foundation and designed for NJAA members 14 to 21 years old.

Motivational speaker Alvin Law kicked off the conference with a strong message, challenging the youth to look at all sides of situations they are in; noting that life always has two sides.

“Reality sometimes really sucks, and it doesn’t always have an answer,” said Law, who was born without arms as a result of the drug Thalidomide.

“Attitude isn’t something we are born with; it is something we develop. Most people look at the wrong side of life and need to stop judging themselves by looking in the mirror,” Law continued, as he encouraged the audience to look inside themselves for their own special gift. “It’s not what you don’t have; it’s what you do have. In each and every one of us is an amazing ability.”

Law demonstrated his own amazing abilities by playing a self-composed song on the piano with his feet. He also played a snare drum, holding the drum sticks between his toes and talked about overcoming his own daily challenges in doing everyday tasks armless.

The first evening concluded with a welcome from Montana Junior Angus Association President Emily Kading and an overview of Montana history and Angus industry success by Andy Rest, American Angus Association regional manager.

One and a half days of touring the diverse state of Montana followed the opening session. The four buses of young Angus leaders made stops at the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE), Billings Livestock Commission and Genex Hawkeye West bull stud, all either in or near Billings. The group also learned about feed efficiency research using the GrowSafe technology at Midland Bull Test at Columbus. An afternoon of rafting the Stillwater and Yellowstone rivers was a highlight for many of the attendees, most of whom had never been to Montana.

Other tour stops included ORIgen Genetics, Huntley; the Little Big Horn Battlefield, and Vermilion Ranch, where the group heard from longtime livestock marketer Pat Goggins.

“LEAD is a wonderful event for young people,” Goggins said with conviction, as four of his own grandchildren participated in this year’s event. “This is the cream of the crop, and the Angus future is in good hands.”

The NJAA Board of Directors conducted four workshops that covered etiquette, interviewing skills, industry knowledge and the current agriculture market. “Angus Jeopardy” was a parody of the popular game show, where teams provided the questions to topics such as “ROV Shows,” “Registrations” and “AAA Board.” “Money Talks” was a workshop that discussed the current economic factors affecting agriculture and provided small groups real-life scenarios to consider.

The attendees were given the chance to record their future career strengths, weaknesses and goals before completing a mock interview in the workshop, “Will You Crack Under Pressure,” where they refined their personal interviewing skills. Dining, airplane and relationship etiquette were the focus of “Mind Your P’s & Q’s.”

During the final session of LEAD, Kim Anderson challenged the group to evaluate their personal leadership style. She compared people to thermostats and thermometers — either reflecting the climate around them or setting the climate for others.

“Our challenge as leaders is to be more like a thermostat and set the climate,” challenged Anderson, a leadership program specialist with the University of Georgia Fanning Institute. She added that thermometers are reactive and it is always better to be proactive like the thermostat.

In addition to the workshops, speakers and tours, LEAD is an opportunity for youth and advisors to exchange ideas to take back to their states, while building lifelong friendships with others with a similar interest. LEAD is planned annually for NJAA members by the NJAA Board.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

AFT Asks Congress to Stick With 2008 Farm Bill Funding

“The President has proposed a number of cuts to conservation, local foods and other agricultural programs in the 2009 federal budget that were negotiated over a three-year period and delicately crafted in the 2008 Farm Bill,” says Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust (AFT). “We have a very clear message for Congress and especially the appropriators: ‘Stick with the balanced funding in the 2008 Farm Bill!’ ”

The programs help farmers and ranchers apply needed conservation programs on their lands that in turn provide cleaner water and air, wildlife habit, and more to the public. Since more than half the land in the United States is working farm and ranch land, the environmental health of this land is critical to providing the food, fiber, bioenergy and environmental benefits for our country.

“Conservation programs are historically underfunded, and it would be a terrible shame to turn the clock back on the environmental gains that these programs provide,” Scholl says. “We believe it is critical to send a strong message that conservation and foods programs cannot always be the source of dollars for other programs.”

Among the USDA programs proposed for cuts:

• The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) that helps farmers, ranchers and private landowners apply conservation benefits on their land while yielding public benefits;
• The Farmland Protection Program that provides matching funds to help purchase agricultural easements on productive farm and ranch land;
• The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program that was established to implement conservation measures on agricultural lands in this critical watershed;
• Section 32 funds to the Domestic Food Assistance Program that provides money to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program;
• Specialty Crop Block Grants that support producers of fruits, vegetables and nuts by providing research, technical assistance, food safety and educational programs; and
• The Agricultural Management Assistance Program — a program that provides assistance to states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program typically has been low, but where the need to address water and soil conservation concerns exists.

“If U.S. agriculture is to remain competitive, we must have adequate funding to keep our farmers and ranchers economically viable, to better protect our nation’s most strategic natural resources; and to provide our citizens access to healthy foods and the environmental benefits our producers provide. Our future depends on making good budget choices today,” Scholl says.

— compiled by Linda Robbins, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.