News Update

News Update
October 29, 2008

Order Your Angus Christmas Cards Today

With the Christmas season right around the corner, now is the time for Angus enthusiasts to order your Angus Christmas cards. These cards are available to order online from the “Holiday Greetings” link at www.angusjournal.com. This year features 19 options with several new designs, and others feature designs by National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members.

All designs are available with six choices for the inside message, as well as personalization for an extra fee. Orders will be shipped after Thanksgiving and continue through mid-December.

Order online at www.angusjournal.com, or call our toll free number to place your order, 800-821-5478, and ask for Lauralee West.

Junior Angus Leaders Raise the Bar in Saint Joseph

Young Angus leaders who serve their respective state junior Angus associations and their advisors took the opportunity to participate in the Fall 2008 Midwest Raising the Bar Conference, Oct. 17-19 at the American Angus Association® headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. Fourteen youth and advisors participated in the leadership training that is conducted by the NJAA and funded through the Angus Foundation.

Opening speaker Thane Chastain challenged each individual to form a two or three word personal goal and to be sure the goal was relevant. He referred to several leadership books including “Good to Great” while talking about raising the level of leadership in the NJAA and in the respective state organizations. Chastain also discussed time management as a tool for success, which he noted is not accomplished immediately.

“If you are failing from time to time, you are not raising the bar enough,” Chastain told the group.

Directors on the NJAA Board engaged the group in several workshops that included public speaking, parliamentary procedure, securing and retaining membership through the use of a mentoring program, fundraising, team building and goal setting. The interactive workshops allowed for the individuals from various states to exchange ideas and learn from their peers.

An afternoon of team building was spent at Camp Geiger, where the participants enhanced their problem solving, decision making and communications skills through a series of obstacles and challenges.

In addition to workshops, NJAA directors also navigated the young leaders through its web site, www.njaa.info to showcase the online resources for juniors. Bryce Schumann, Association chief executive officer (CEO), provided information about the Association and its entities before the group toured the Association and Angus Productions Inc. (API) offices.

This is the second year for Raising the Bar that allows officers and advisors from state junior Angus associations to meet regionally. For more information about junior Angus programs and the NJAA, visit www.njaa.info.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association

CAB Scholarships Reward Industry Leadership

College juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply for one of five scholarships sponsored by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and the Colvin Scholarship Fund.

CAB will award a total of $9,000 to students committed to the beef industry and pursuing a degree in meat, food or animal science or marketing, business, communications or other related degrees.

The application deadline is Dec. 15.

The top two scholarship recipients receive an all-expense paid trip to the CAB Annual Conference, Sept. 17-19, 2009, in Scottsdale, Ariz. There they can interact with leaders throughout the production, packing, retail and foodservice industries. The student receiving the $3,500 scholarship may also have a chance to intern with the company, although it is not a requirement of the award.

Developed in 1999, the scholarship honors CAB’s first Executive Director Louis M. “Mick” Colvin, who retired that year.

“He always inspired others to be their best, so this is a way to carry that legacy of encouragement on to the next generation,” says John Stika, CAB President. “The scholarship is designed to reward students who are involved in their communities and the beef industry.”

Qualified applicants should visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com/corp/press/colvin/ or contact June Studer, jstuder@certifiedangusbeef.com, for more information.

— Release provided by CAB

K-State, Kansas Rural Center To Host Grant Writing Training

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program is seeking innovative farmers or ranchers who want to implement a new, sustainable, idea to improve their operation. NCR-SARE is currently accepting applications for their 2008 Farmer Rancher grant program.

On Monday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a work session for individuals or groups of producers who want to develop projects in response to USDA-SARE’s Farmer and Rancher Grants call for proposals will be held in Lawrence. The training will be held at the Lawrence Public Library in Gallery Room, 707 Vermont St., Lawrence, Kan.

“Grant writing need not be intimidating, especially with an experienced grant writer willing to work one-on-one with individuals,” said Jana Beckman, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops. She recommends outlining a project idea and seeking cost estimates before attending the grant-writing work session.

Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural Center is working with Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension and the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, to assist Kansas producers interested in applying for a NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant. Nagengast will be available to work one-on-one with those interested in applying for a grant.

Individuals should register prior to Nov. 14. Registration and information about reserving one-on-one consultation time is available by contacting Nagengast at 785-748-0959 or nagengast@earthlink.net prior to Nov. 14.

NCR-SARE 2008 Farmer Rancher grant proposals are due in the NCR-SARE Lincoln office by Dec. 1. The proposal application can be found on the NCR-SARE web site at http://ncr.sare.org/prod.htm.

Interested applicants may contact Kansas SARE Coordinator, Jana Beckman at 785-532-1440 or beckman@ksu.edu or NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator Joan Benjamin at 402-472-0809 or ncrsare@umn.edu.

— Release provided by K-State Research and Extension

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.