News Update
Nov. 24, 2008

Bronze Sculpture Takes Angus Foundation Campaign to $5.12M

The Angus Foundation has announced that with $5.12 million in outright cash gifts, pledges and planned giving commitments, it is steadily progressing toward its $11 million Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus fundraising goal.  The new amount, reached by auctioning the “Looking to the Future” bronze at the Angus Foundation’s Supporter Recognition Event Nov.15, in Louisville, Ky., will help the Angus Foundation continue its mission of supporting the education, youth and research activities of the Angus industry.

Bob Schlutz, chairman of the Angus Foundation Board of Directors, and Bryce Schumann, chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Angus Association, welcomed supporters to the event. National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) Directors Mallory Trosper and Trey Davis introduced and recognized special guests and donors. Bob Funk of Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla., and Curtis and Ann Long of Briarwood Angus Farms, Butler, Mo., were presented  plaques for their respective gifts and/or pledges of $100,000 or more to the Angus Foundation this year.

Walt Stinson, NJAA communications director, thanked the Angus Foundation for its support of NJAA programs and encouraged those in attendance to continue to support the Angus Foundation in its fundraising efforts. Stinson stated that a wide array of NJAA activities are funded by the Angus Foundation.

Chairman of the campaign leadership cabinet Howard Hillman updated Angus Foundation supporters on the progress of Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus. He highlighted the exciting growth the campaign has undergone this year as well as emphasizing the need to continually give and encouraged others to join in this effort.

“With your ongoing support, the Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus will continue to benefit everyone in the Angus industry, including breeders and commercial producers, friends of the breed and allied industry partners,” Hillman stated. “It is vital to the Angus breed to have the support that enables us to fund lifelong education, exciting youth programs and cutting-edge research.”

The evening’s festivities ended with the auctioning of the Curtis Fort bronze, “Looking to the Future” by auctioneer Col. Steve Dorran. With a winning bid of $40,000, Belle Point Ranch, Lavaca, Ark.; Tanner Farms, Shuqualak, Miss.; and Whitestone Farms, Aldie, Va.; purchased the bronze sculpture.

Before making his closing remarks, Bob Schlutz was recognized with a plaque for his years of service as chairman of the Angus Foundation Board of Directors.

For more information on the Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus, please contact Milford Jenkins, president of the Angus Foundation, at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org.

— Release provided by the Angus Foundation.

USDA to Host Bovine TB Meeting

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will host a series of public meetings on its national bovine tuberculosis (TB) program. The meetings will take place next month in Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, California and Washington, D.C.
 

“We want to hear directly from producers and stakeholders on our TB program and are looking for innovative, realistic approaches to effectively addressing this disease in the United States,” said APHIS administrator Cindy Smith.  “We can improve the TB program so that it can meet current challenges, but public participation is vital to reach that goal.”

APHIS will gather information and feedback from producers and stakeholders while also providing an opportunity for group discussions.  These discussions will explore approaches to reducing the risk of disease transmission from affected herds, disease mitigation measures for wildlife and whether the program’s objective should be eradication or control of TB in domestic livestock.  Other topics include budget concerns, import issues and indemnities. Meeting participants have the opportunity to pose questions and offer written and oral comments.

The public meetings will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, with registration one hour prior to each meeting. The meetings will take place in the following locations:  

• Monday, Dec. 8: Holiday Inn South/Convention Center, 6820 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911
  
• Wednesday, Dec. 10: Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55403
  
• Thursday, Dec. 11: Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown, 500 North IH 35, Austin, TX 78701
  
• Friday, Dec. 12: Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, 1230 J St., Sacramento,
  Calif.  95814.
  
• Tuesday, Dec. 16: Renaissance M Street Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037

Additional information on the meetings can be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/bovine_tuberculosis/bovine_tb.shtml.

New Beef Board Members Appointed

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced last week 32 appointments to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB). All appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 31, 2009.

According to CBB, the appointments for the coming year include two additional seats that are being added as a result of reapportionment, which is based on cattle numbers in individual states. Nebraska is gaining an additional seat in the coming year, as are importers, which will increase the total number of Board members from 104 to 106.

Newly appointed members representing cattle producers are Ted Greidanus, Calif.; Phyllis Snyder, Colo.; Kimberly Brackett, Idaho; Roland May, Kan.; Daniel Smith, Ky.; Jay Stovall, Mont.; Chris Schluntz, Neb.; Wesley Grau, N.M.; Joyce Bupp, Pa.; MichaelStahly, S.D.; G. Hughes Abell, Texas, and F. Henry Maxey Jr., Va.

Reappointed members representing cattle producers are Thomas Jones, Ark.; Roger West, Fla.; Terrell Handke, Kan.; Daniel Kerschen, Kan.; Charles Bassett, Mo.; James Eschliman, Neb.; Lyndell Whipps Sr., Neb.; Margie Hande, N.D.; Joe Drake, Okla.; Andrea Hutchison, Okla.; Daryl Berlier-Owen, Texas; Robert Bruner, Texas; Daniel Dierschke, Texas; and Bryant Fisher, Texas.

Newly appointed members representing importers are: Dorith Marom, Conn.; Stephen Orodenker, N.J., and Kelvin Whall, Va.

Reappointed members representing importers are: Ronald Allen, Pa.; Michelle Gorman, Md. and John O'Carroll, Kan.

The board oversees collection of $1 per head on all cattle sold in the United States and $1 per head equivalent on imported cattle, beef and beef products. In addition, the board contracts with established national, non-profit, industry-governed organizations to implement programs of promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications.
— Information provided by USDA and CBB.

Fun Facts: Did you know…

• According to Chicago Style Hot Dog, we eat 24.4 million beef hot dogs at Major League ballparks each year. That’s enough beef to stretch from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to Camden Yards in Baltimore.
  
• There are about 800,000 beef producers in this country, according to the USDA, and about 98% of these are individual or family businesses. These operations vary in size from a few cows to thousands, depending on the region and other sources of income the family may have. According to USDA’s 2002 Census of Agriculture, the average herd size in this country is 40 head of cattle.
  
• Each year, individuals representing each segment of the production chain meet to review and update the Beef Industry Food Safety Council Best Practices, which serve as a roadmap in reducing E. coli O157:H7. These Best Practices are living documents, updated and reviewed as scientific and technological advances are made. They are available free of charge at www.bifsco.org.  
  
• Today vs. 1960: 1.8 million fewer farms are feeding a U.S. population that has increased 61%. Agricultural productivity in the United States has more than doubled in the last 50 years.
  
• Rangelands and pastures provide forage and habitat for numerous wildlife species, including 20 million deer, 500,000 pronghorn antelope, 400,000 elk and 55,000 feral horses and burros.

— Information provided by the CBB.

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