News Update
Dec. 18, 2008

NCBA Plans Young Producer Activities

Young cattlemen and women were motivated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to get more involved in the cattle industry this year, according to the organization’s outgoing president. Andy Groseta, a producer from Cottonwood, Ariz., says the organization saw the need for bringing young people closer to the action and giving them more of a say in their future.

“Young people will be responsible for shaping and directing the future of our industry,” says Groseta. “They are an asset we can’t afford to ignore, and they deserve our support to get them active and involved with our industry as early as possible.”

At the 2008 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, Colo., NCBA established a Young Producer’s Council (YPC) to help move the industry in that direction. The YPC helps NCBA members ages 18 to 35 develop their leadership skills and become more involved in policy committees, voicing their opinions on how the future should be approached. It also helps provide networking opportunities, continuing education and professional development activities.

The first meeting of the YPC will be Jan. 29 as part of the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. Membership in the council, which will be allowed to bring resolutions to committees and select individuals to represent them on each NCBA policy committee, is free to NCBA members.

Other NCBA events that highlight youth participation will also be conducted at the 2009 Convention. These events, which focus on education, leadership and teamwork, are designed young people aged 9 and up, and are made possible through a grant from the Farm Credit System Foundation.

Events will include an NCBA Team Marketing Contest, NCBA Beef Quiz Bowl Contest, NCBA Prepared Public Speaking Contest and the NCBA Cattle Judging Contest. Each event is intended to be both educational and entertaining for participants.

“It’s crucial that we provide ways for our young people to be involved in our industry events,” Groseta explains. “Even more important, though, it’s vital that we give students and young adults the tools with which they can be active participants in the industry. Both their future and the future of our industry are at stake.”

The NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education, public policy and beef research and marketing.  As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create profit opportunities for producers and increase demand for beef.

— Release provided by NCBA

IMI Global Gains USDA Approval as Animal Identification Number (AIN) Device Manager

Integrated Management Information Inc. (IMIGlobal), a leading provider of verification and Internet solutions in the agricultural/livestock industry, today announced it has achieved U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval as an Animal Identification Number (AIN) Device Manager. This approval clears the way for IMI Global to incorporate 840 tags into its USVerifiedT solution for producers who elect to conform to increasingly stringent animal verification and tracking standards.

IMI Global is now positioned to provide 840 tags as an option for producers seeking to go above and beyond what is currently required by the USDA.

The Animal Identification Numbering Management System is a Web-based program that records and manages AIN device numbers. The devices are known as 840 tags because each 15-digit number begins with the U.S. country code 840. The final 12 numbers comprise the unique ID number assigned to each animal. The AIN, which is associated with a premises identification number (PIN), links the animal to its birthplace or location of first tagging.

When coupled with animal tracing, the AIN tracks and records the animal’s movements from location to location, giving animal health officials the ability to quickly identify and track animals involved in a disease outbreak and establish appropriate response measures. Additionally, AIN enhances other processes such as age/source/process verification, quality assurance and country-of-origin labeling (COOL).

— Release provided by IMI Global

Switchgrass Used to Fuel Power Plant

Officials from East Kentucky Power Cooperative and the University of Kentucky (UK) recently demonstrated switchgrass’ feasibility as an alternative energy form as it was combined with coal to generate electricity at East Kentucky Power’s Spurlock Station in Maysville.

This was believed to be the first time switchgrass was used as fuel for a power plant in Kentucky.

The switchgrass was mixed with the coal feedstock, replacing 1% to 2% of the coal normally used. East Kentucky Power will continue to study switchgrass’ energy potentials, and could possibly increase the percentage of switchgrass used to 3% to 10%.

The test is part of an innovative four-year pilot project conducted by UK’s College of Agriculture to determine if switchgrass can be grown sustainably and economically in Kentucky. A grant to the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board is funding the project.

UK researchers are working with 20 farmers in northeast Kentucky to evaluate options for planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and processing the switchgrass. Each farmer manages a five-acre plot that UK forage specialists helped establish.

The forage specialists believe that if this project is successful, switchgrass could provide a great opportunity for producers in this area to diversify their agricultural operations as well as generate additional income.

Seven plots were established in 2007, and the remaining 13 were planted in 2008. The switchgrass was planted during the spring and matured until the first killing frost. After that frost, the plots were mowed, and the switchgrass was baled like hay. About 70 tons of switchgrass were harvested this fall. The bales were transported to Spurlock Station, where UK representatives used a tub grinder to further process the switchgrass for handling by the power plant’s coal conveyer system.

— Adapted from a UK release

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, Assistant Editor, Angus Productions, Inc.