News Update
April 30, 2009

Ads Available in 25th Anniversary Edition Cook-Off Cookbook

The American Angus Auxiliary is inviting Angus enthusiasts to purchase advertising space in the 25th Anniversary CAB® Cook-Off Cookbook. As an advertiser you may promote your farm or business, post a memorial or honorarium tribute to a friend or loved one, promote your favorite past Cook-Off team, or display other ideas. The Auxiliary has access to various photos from past Cook-Off winners if you wish to salute a special team.

The 25th Anniversary edition of the All-American CAB® Cook-Off Cookbook will be available for purchase at the Angus Sale Barn during the National Junior Angus Show, July 19-25 in Perry, Ga. This one-of-a-kind cookbook will showcase winning recipes and teams from the past 25 years!

There are a limited number of ad spaces available. Ad prices include half-page ads for $150 and quarter-page ads priced at $75 each. Deadline for ad copy is April 30, 2009. You can submit camera-ready ads or have Anne Lampe design an ad for you.

Please contact cookbook committee member Leslie Mindemann at 262-593-8836 or lmindy@netwurx.net to reserve your ad space now. Don’t miss out on this special commemorative edition! Reserve your space TODAY.

— Release provided by the American Angus Auxiliary.

Swine Flu Spreads, Gets Updated Name

The number of worldwide swine flu cases is on the rise, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). By 10:30 a.m., Eastern Time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced 109 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States — with New York leading with 50, followed by Texas with 26 confirmed cases.

In response to an intensifying outbreak in the United States and other countries caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin, WHO raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 yesterday. A Phase 5 alert is a “strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.”

The U.S. government has declared a public health emergency in the United States, and the CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus. Meanwhile, WHO has confirmed eight deaths, although many more people are suspected to have died from the virus.

The new virus has also had a significant detrimental effect on hog and pork markets. WHO said on Thursday it would begin referring to the new virus strain as influenza A (H1N1), not swine flu, due to false connotations associated with the strain.

No pigs have been confirmed to be sick with it, and WHO, CDC and government officials have consistently said the disease cannot be caught from eating pork.

Regardless, more countries are taking drastic steps.

Meatingplace.com reported yesterday that Russia has suspended imports of not only U.S. pork but also U.S. beef and poultry from certain U.S. states.

The bans apply to meat and poultry produced in California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas, where cases of the hybrid flu have been reported.

Egypt appears to be taking even more drastic measures, announcing its decision to harvest the nation’s 300,000 pigs. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Egyptian government, which spent years battling avian flu, has decided to slaughter the nation’s 300,000 hogs to prevent the spread of the virus.

Visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ for the latest health information related to the H1N1 flu.

100-Day Progress Report: USDA

Yesterday, on the 100th day of the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reflected on the new course it has set to promote a sustainable, safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply, to ensure that America leads the global fight against climate change, and to revitalize rural communities by expanding economic opportunities. Today, USDA released a progress report on its actions during the first 100 days and also launched a new web tool to allow Americans to learn where and how USDA is spending funds provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The innovative new geospatial mapping web-function debuted at www.USDA.gov/recovery and shows exactly where and how USDA is spending every dollar of Recovery Act funding across the nation. Visit www.usda.gov for further information.

— Adapted from a release provided by USDA.

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