News Update
July 7, 2009

Sweet Southern Showdown Slated, July 19-25

Angus enthusiasts from across the country will gather in Perry, Ga., for the 2009 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), July 19-25. The Georgia Angus and Junior Angus associations will host the “Sweet Southern Showdown” at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter.

National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members 9-21 years of age have entered 1,227 Angus cattle in the show, which has grown to be the largest single-breed beef cattle show in the world. Bill Conley, Clarksdale, Mo., will evaluate the owned females; and Frank Jackson, Sanborn, Minn., will judge the bred-and-owned females and bulls as well as the cow-calf pairs.  Brandon Callis, College Station, Texas, will place the Angus steers. A new twist has been added to this year’s carcass steer competition; as none of the steers will be harvested. Instead, ultrasound data will be collected and an educational seminar will be conducted on the steers entered in this competition.

The 43rd National Junior Showmanship Contest will also occur during the week, allowing young showmen the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to vie for the title of “Top Angus Showman.” This year, 54 young people have qualified at the state level to advance to the final round. Only two people from each state can compete. Judges for this year’s event include Jeremy Haag, Smithville, Mo.; Christy Dameron Schumaker, Lexington, Ill.; and John Dickinson, Sacramento, Calif.

The NJAS includes more than showring competitions, and NJAA members will be able to test their skills in numerous other contests including prepared and extemporaneous speaking, graphic design, photography, posters, quiz bowl, team fitting, judging, team sales, creative writing, and the Auxiliary-sponsored All-American Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) Cook-Off.

The Georgia Angus folks will kick off the Sweet Southern Showdown with true Southern hospitality during opening ceremonies Monday, July 20, by providing entertainment by award-winning country sensation Lady Antebellum.

The week will close with an awards ceremony, sponsored in part by Vita Ferm® by BioZyme,® where awards will be presented for various contests, the Angus Foundation will present $100,000 in educational scholarships, and six new directors to the NJAA Board will be announced.

For those who can’t make the trek to Perry, online opportunities exist to keep up with the happenings at this year’s NJAS. The shows will be broadcast daily on liveauctions.tv, and Angus Productions Inc. (API) will post results to www.njas.info. API Creative Media will also provide video coverage, brought to you by Sure Champ® and available at www.youtube.com/apicreativemedia.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Canadian Angus Association to Host World Angus Forum Next Week

More than 740 people from 20 countries are registered to attend next week’s 2009 World Angus Forum, which is slated to be the largest Angus event ever held in Canada.

Set for July 13-16 in Calgary, Alberta, the event will feature more than 1,000 head of cattle displayed during the week at Spruce Meadows, a world renowned show jumping facility south of Calgary. In addition, Angus will be exhibited in both open and youth shows.

Monday, July 13, events will include a Western Heritage Ranch Tour and Pitchfork BBQ in the Foothills of the Rockies. A technical conference, live entertainment, sales pavilion and embryo display featuring Angus genetics from several countries will also be highlighted. 

Complete information on the World Angus Forum can be accessed online at www.worldangusforum.com. 
API Creative media will provide video coverage sponsored by Growsafe, available at www.youtube.com/apicreativemedia.

Angus Foundation Wins Communication Awards

The Angus Foundation was honored June 16 for excellence in producing publications and communication projects at the annual meeting of the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association (NAADA) in Minneapolis, Minn.

Among 119 additional entries from agricultural colleges, alumni associations and other agricultural institutions from across the U.S., the Angus Foundation received the following awards:

1st Place – Development - Event Programs Category – “That Old West Magic” Event Program

1st Place – Development – Print Media-College/Organization Newsletter 4 Color Category– “Foundations for the Future” Newsletter

1st Place – Development – Event and Promotional Materials Category – “That Old West Magic” – Invitation and Event Promotional Materials

2nd Place – Alumni and Development – Print Media – Stewardship – Combined Category – Angus Foundation General Informational Brochure

NAADA is a professional association that provides education and support for professionals, volunteers and student leaders who are dedicated to expanding the human resources and financial support for land-grant colleges of agricultural sciences and related programs.  The awards competition was established to recognize outstanding publications and communication projects among the organization’s membership.

Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president said, “To be recognized by one’s peers for outstanding work is the utmost compliment an organization can receive.  I give all credit to our talented professional staff and the dedicated volunteers who contributed their time, energies and creative skills to helping the Angus Foundation provide for the benefit of our supporters the caliber of projects, events and publications resulting in the achievement of these prestigious awards!”

This is the fifth year the Angus Foundation has entered projects in the competition and placed in the top three for the categories entered.

— Release provided by the Angus Foundation.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces New Livestock Indemnity Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that eligible ranchers and livestock producers can begin applying for benefits under the provisions of the Livestock Indemnity Program in the 2008 Farm Bill on July 13.

“This program will provide livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters,” Vilsack said. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from disaster. Using funds from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund established under section 902 of the Trade Act of 1974, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011.

For more information or to view deadlines for filing notices, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

— Adapted from a release provided by USDA.

EPA: Tannery Sludge Not Considered Health Risk, Further Investigation Planned

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement July 1 reporting results from the initial phase of a federal and state investigation into the use of leather tannery sludge as agricultural fertilizer on northwest Missouri farms do not appear to indicate any health risks.

The EPA has been investigating the use of the sludge, distributed to farmers by a Saint Joseph, Mo., tannery, as a potential cause for a rash of brain tumors in the Cameron, Mo., area.

According to EPA, the levels of hexavalent chromium found in a limited number of farm soil samples where the sludge was distributed were not enough to cause health risks, but further investigation to include more soil testing at other farms will begin early this month, agency representatives announced.

Obama Administration Delivers on Commitment to Upgrade U.S. Food Safety System

Today Vice President Joe Biden was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to announce the key findings of the Food Safety Working Group.

Created by President Obama in March to advise the Administration on how to upgrade the food safety system for the 21st century, the Working Group is recommending a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention; strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and improving response and recovery.

Today, the Working Group announced specific steps designed to advance its core principles:

• HHS and USDA are targeting salmonella contamination by developing tougher standards to protect the safety of eggs, poultry, and turkey.
  
• To fight the threat of E. coli, USDA is stepping up enforcement in beef facilities and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new industry guidance improving protections for leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes.
  
• The Obama Administration is building a new national traceback and response system including clearer industry guidance, a new unified incident command system, and improved use of technology to deliver individual food safety alerts to consumers.
  
• Finally, the Administration announced a plan to strengthen the organization of federal food safety functions, including the creation of new positions at key food safety agencies and a continuing oversight role for the Food Safety Working Group.
  

The Food Safety Working Group is chaired by Secretaries Sebelius and Vilsack, and participating agencies include the FDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Environmental Protection Agency, and several offices of the White House.

For additional key findings and recommendations of the Food Safety Working Group, visit www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov.

— Release provided by USDA.

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