News Update
Dec. 2, 2009

Range Beef Cow Symposium XXI

Once every two years, four universities combine to offer cattle producers real-world, workable solutions through one of the nation’s premiere beef cattle meetings — the Range Beef Cow Symposium going on now in Casper, Wyo.

Angus Productions Inc.’s (API’s) news highlights of the event can be found at www.angus.org. Additional coverage of the Range Beef Cow Symposium XXI, including PowerPoints, proceedings, audio and more, will be added as it becomes available to www.rangebeefcow.com/.

Cattlemen Urged to Stay Watchful of Pending Legislation

Federal estate tax, cap-and-trade and health care reform were among the touchy subjects addressed by Wyoming Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis during the opening session of the 2009 Range Beef Cow Symposium in Casper, Wyo., Dec. 1-3. Speaking to her audience via computer link from Washington, D.C., Lummis advised beef cattle producers to remain watchful and wary of those legislative issues and others likely to affect their businesses.

While stair-step measures were advanced by the Bush administration to reduce the estate tax rate and move toward total repeal in 2010, the so-called “death tax” is scheduled to return in 2011. It will come back in full force, Lummis explained, taxing estates at up to 55% of value. However, Lummis expects pre-emptive action to come before Congress in 2010. She expects lawmakers to act on a proposal calling for the exemption of estates valued at up to $3.5 million and a maximum rate of 45%.

Noting her opposition to the cap-and-trade bill passed by the House of Representatives, Lummis called it the largest tax increase ever proposed. The measure would set limits on greenhouse gas (notably carbon dioxide) emissions by U.S. industries and levy penalties on those entities that exceed limits.

“But if countries like China, India and Russia do nothing, it will have no significant effect on global emissions,” Lummis stated. “It’s a very bad piece of legislation.”

Nearly as bad, according to Lummis, is the proposed health care reform bill, which could force small “mom-and-pop” businesses, as well as farmers and ranchers, to participate in a government-run health care program.

Lummis said she is watching and monitoring other developments likely to have negative effects on beef producers. Among them is a proposal that would ban several commonly used antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracyclines, for treatment of animals. Noting many lawmakers’ withering confidence in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) handling of its animal identification program, she expects a push to make the program mandatory.

“I will work to keep it voluntary,” stated Lummis, who also promised to seek funding for research and development of an effective brucellosis vaccine.

Lummis warned public lands ranchers to expect further efforts to reduce and even eliminate livestock grazing on public lands. The congresswoman also said she is looking into situations where extremist environmental groups launch lawsuits aimed at taking away ranchers’ grazing rights and then seek government reimbursement to pay costs of litigation.

Also likely to surface are efforts to ban transportation of horses to slaughter, which could prevent shipment of horses to processing plants in Canada or Mexico, and proposals for designating certain public lands areas for wild horses.

“I wish I had something good to report on the horse slaughter issue,” Lummis lamented. “Things are not going the right direction for managing wild or domestic horses, and it’s likely to get worse rather than better.”

— By Troy Smith for Angus Productions Inc.

Angus Christmas Greetings, Gifts Available

Need help crossing items off your Christmas shopping list? The American Angus Association® and its entities are offering several Angus-themed gift ideas and greeting cards this holiday season.

For Angus apparel, office items, framing prints, books, decals, DVDs and more, click on the “Shop Online” feature at www.angus.org. Proceeds from designated items benefit the Angus Foundation, the Association’s nonprofit organization dedicated to education, youth and research benefiting the Angus breed and cattle industry. Read more.

NDSU to Hold Two Beef Workshops

The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension Service is holding two workshops for beef cattle producers inDecember.

One will be Dec. 14 at the Highway 21 Club in Flasher. The other will be Dec. 15 at Napoleon Livestock Auction in Napoleon. Both will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The “Keepin’ the Best and Havin’ Success” workshops will focus on cow herd health management, the basics of genetic defects, replacement heifer selection and development, and sire selection.

Speakers will include faculty from NDSU’s Animal Sciences Department and Dickinson and North Central Research Extension Centers, and local veterinarians.

The registration deadline for both programs is Dec. 4. The cost is $25 per person or $40 for two people from the same operation. After Dec. 4, the cost will increase to $35 per person or $50 for two people from the same operation. Registration includes lunch, a kabob taste test, breaks and program materials.

For more information or to register for the workshop in Flasher, contact Jackie Buckley, Morton County Extension, at 701-667-3340 or jackie.buckley@ndsu.edu, or Jorey Dahners, Grant and Sioux County Extension, at 701-622-3470 or jorey.dahners@ndsu.edu. Contacts for the Napoleon workshop are Sheldon Gerhardt, Logan County Extension, at 701-754-2504 or sheldon.gerhardt@ndsu.edu, or Doug Bichler, Emmons County Extension, at 701-254-4811 or doug.bichler@ndsu.edu.

— Release by NDSU.

UNL Extension Beef Satellite Short-course Dates Set

University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension educators have planned the 2009-2010 Beef Satellite Short-course, “Staying Competitive in an Ever Changing Beef Cattle Industry.”

Cattle producers are highly encouraged to attend one or all of the courses, as there will be multiple sessions covering many different topics.

Producers will get to see the latest research findings from UNL and will get to determine if utilizing such practices will assist them in their cattle operations.

The series is scheduled to be Monday evenings beginning at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 21 and Jan. 11 and 18, 2010. The sessions are presented via satellite and will have a question-and-answer session following the presentations. Each session should conclude around 9 p.m.

The Dec. 14 session, “Protein Supplementation: It’s More Than the Impact on the Cow,” will feature speaker Rick Funston, beef cattle reproductive physiologist at UNL’s West Central Research and Extension Center.

The Dec. 21 session will cover, “Herd Biosecurity — Keeping TB and Trich Out of Your Herd” and will be presented by Richard Randle, UNL Extension veterinarian.

On Jan. 11, 2010, Chris Caulkins, UNL meat scientist, will present, “What’s the Beef? — Impact on Feeding Distillers’ On Beef Quality and New Products On the Horizon.”

The final date, Jan. 18, 2010, will entail a presentation on “Indexes, SNPs and DNA Testing — Understanding the Complicated Genetics and How It Applies To the Cow-Calf Producer,” by Matt Spangler, UNL beef specialist.

County Extension offices at which this short-course can be viewed, along with the educator and his or her phone number, include:

Steve Niemeyer at the Garfield, Loup and Wheeler Extension office at 308-346-4200.

More locations may be added; contact a local UNL Extension office for more information or to see if additional locations have been added.

— Release by UNL.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.