News Update
May 13, 2009

NOTICE: Association Web Sites to go Down During Computer System Update

The American Angus Association will be updating its computer system during the weekend of May 29 through June 1. Beginning Friday afternoon (May 29), several Association web sites will be unavailable for use. In particular, the AAA Login web site will be down the entire weekend.
Other web sites will have intermittent access available during this time. This notice includes the web sites for American Angus Association, National Junior Angus Association, Angus Productions Inc., and Angus Foundation.

Special note: National Junior Angus Show — The entry deadline and ownership deadline for the National Junior Angus Show is June 1, 2009 (postmark date). Please plan accordingly as online show entries will not be available after 4:30 p.m. CDT on May 29 due to computer system upgrades. All transfers need to be submitted prior to May 29, 2009, to ensure the work is completed. Thank you for your patience during this time of transition, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

— Notice provided by the American Angus Association.

Arkansas Firm Recalls Ground Beef Due to E. coli

Bob’s Food City, a Hot Springs, Ark., retailer, is recalling approximately 375 pounds (lb.) of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Tuesday.

The following ground beef products subject to recall were sold as tray packs of varying weights bearing a “sell by” date of 05/09/09. The products subject to recall include:

• 1-lb. through 5-lb. tray packs of “GROUND BEEF CHUCK,” “GROUND ROUND” or “REGULAR GROUND BEEF.” Each pack bears a sell by date of 05/09/09. There is no USDA mark of inspection on the tray packs.
  

These ground beef products were produced on May 7, 2009, and were sold to customers of the Bob’s Food City retail store located at 800 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs, Ark.

The problem was discovered through FSIS sampling procedures. FSIS has received no reports of illness due to consumption of these ground beef products. Those with questions about the recall should contact company Store Manager Steven Holloway at 501-624-3824.

— Release provided by FSIS.

Spring is a Good Time to Test Well Water

Safe drinking water is important to your family’s health. But how can you tell if your well and water system provide safe water? If your drinking water comes from a public water supply, the federal safe drinking water act requires that it be sampled and tested on a regular basis.

If you live on a rural acreage, however, your drinking water may come from a private well. If that’s the case, it’s up to you to make sure the system is properly inspected and tested for safety.

The quality of water from private wells should be tested annually. Spring or early summer is one of the best times of year to test your well. Iowa gets most of its rainfall April through June. During this wet period excess water picks up bacteria, nitrate and recently-applied lawn and crop chemicals as it percolates through the soil. If the upper part of your well is leaky, this contaminated water may enter your well through these defects, bringing contaminants with it.

During late summer when the ground is dry, or in the winter when the ground is frozen, the same well may test safe. So if you want to get the most for your investment of time and money, test during wet weather. If your well water is safe during this time of year, the odds are that it will be safe the remainder of the year.

Water testing services are offered by private and state-operated laboratories. Check your phone book or the web for private labs in your area, or contact UHL (University Hygienic Laboratory), Iowa’s official state environmental laboratory, toll-free 1-800-421-4692, or www.uhl.uiowa.edu/services/wellwater/.

Accurate water testing requires proper scientific equipment and highly trained personnel. To be sure the lab you select is properly equipped and staffed with qualified personnel, ask whether it is certified by the Iowa DNR to perform water testing for public water supplies in Iowa.

There are many contaminants in the environment, and each requires a specific test. Testing for all of these would be expensive and time-consuming. Unless you know that a particular contaminant has been spilled near your well, start with tests for coliform bacteria and nitrate. These are two of the most common contaminants found in private wells. They are relatively inexpensive to test for, and are good general indicators of drinking water safety.

Careful sampling is required to obtain accurate test results. Samples for coliform bacteria, for example, must be collected in a sterile bottle. The lab will supply bottles that are properly prepared for each of the tests you need. Be sure to follow written directions supplied by the lab for collecting each type of sample. When sampling for copper, for example, samples collected early in the day usually produce the most meaningful results. Sampling location can be important too. Water for coliform bacteria testing must be collected in a clean indoor location to avoid contamination of the sterile bottle with dust and associated bacteria that can cause inaccurate test results. Some counties offer private well testing programs. Contact your county board of health or county sanitarian to see if your county offers a well testing program.

— By Tom Glanville, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Extension Specialist, Iowa State
University Extension, Ames, Iowa. This article is from the May 2009 issue of Acreage Living.

Pineywoods Beef Cow Congress set May 22 in Shelby County

The annual Pineywoods Beef Cow Congress is set for May 22 at the Baty Ranch in Shelby County near Shelbyville, Texas.

Registration is $10 and includes lunch, said Cary Sims, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for Angelina County. The program will start at 9 a.m. and end by 2:30 p.m. Private pesticide applicators license holders will earn 2 continuing education units in the general category.

“The annual Pineywoods Beef Cow Congress is rotated throughout several counties in East Texas,” Sims said. “I believe we have a great program this year with some quality speakers covering topics of particular interest.”

Program topics include an overview of the Baty Ranch; cattle herd identification (ID) program; current cattle health issues; alternative feeds; wildlife food plot development; and Texas cattle trichomoniasis regulations. Program speakers include Buddy Fairies, AgriLife Extension program leader for veterinary medicine; Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist; Lane Dunn, AgriLife Extension agent for Shelby County; John Toner, AgriLife Extension agent for Sabine County; and Derek Grant, large-animal veterinarian.

Sims recommended attendees bring their own lawn chairs. Morning refreshments will be supplied by Agriland Farm Credit Service of Nacogdoches.

Attendees are asked to RSVP by May 18 by calling one of the following participating AgriLife Extension county offices: Nacogdoches County, 936-560-7711; San Augustine County, 936-275-3644; Angelina County, 936-632-8239; Sabine County, 409-787-3752; Shelby County, 936-598-7744; or Panola County, 936-693-0380. For more information visit http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu.

— Release provided by Texas AgriLife Extension.

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