News Update
Dec. 21, 2009

Still Time for “End-of-the-Year” Charitable Gifts

Charitable gifts to the Angus Foundation in support of its education, youth and research programs are appreciated regardless of the time of year the gift is made by the donor. Oftentimes, however, charitable giving decisions are made at year-end once an individual or couple knows their income tax situation for that respective calendar (tax) year.

As a reminder, one should pay special attention to timing when it comes to year-end gifts. In accordance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines, 501(c)(3) charities such as the Angus Foundation will recognize the U.S. Postal Service’s postmark denoted on the outside of the carrier envelope used by the donor in transmitting the gift to the charity.

In order to qualify for tax savings on this year’s tax return, your gift must be completed by Dec. 31. For cash gifts, this means your gift must be personally delivered or mailed to the Angus Foundation in an envelope postmarked no later than Dec. 31. Gifts can also be made online at www.angusfoundation.org. Donors will be recognized for their support to the Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus, which aims to raise $11 million by Dec. 31, 2011.

— Release by the Angus Foundation.

Company Cooks for a Cause

The folks at Certified Angus Beef LLC know a thing or two about fine food, and they’ve decided to share their best recipes with the community. Employees have gathered favorite family recipes in a cookbook to benefit local charities.

The Certified Angus Beef LLC Action for Community Teamwork (ACT) committee seeks opportunities for staff to contribute to the community through volunteerism and service. Employees host benefit lunches, clothing drives and recycling projects. They participate in local events like Relay for Life and Wayne County Children’s Services Make-A-Wish program. They care about their community and work diligently — at blood drives, soup kitchens, food pantries and more — to make it a better place for all.

The committee has published a company cookbook containing 400 recipes featuring everything from appetizers to decadent dessert recipes. Favorite Recipes from the families of Certified Angus Beef LLC is available at Buehler’s Fresh Foods for $12. All proceeds benefit a variety of not-for-profit area charities.

“We market Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) brand products on a global scale, but it’s important for every company — every person — to remember their roots,” Mary McMillen, director, consumer marketing, says. “We can all make a difference right here in our community. That’s what ACT is all about.”

For more information, visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com.

AMI Foundation Releases Backgrounder on Role of N-60 Sampling Program in Ground Beef Safety

In an effort to clarify the role of microbiological testing in ground beef safety, the American Meat Institute (AMI) Foundation has released a backgrounder on the role of N-60 sampling programs that is commonly used by the beef industry to sample raw beef components that are used to make ground beef. The backgrounder explains the term “N-60,” describes the methods involved in this sampling program and provides information on what such testing can and cannot accomplish in regards to ground beef safety.

The backgrounder explains how industry-wide N-60 sampling programs have improved beef safety by providing feedback to plant operators that is used to continually improve food safety systems and it describes why all microbial sampling programs have limitations and that testing alone cannot guarantee that food is safe.

To view a copy of the document in its entirety, click here: http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/55835.

— Release provided by AMI.

Nutrition, Facility Preparation Vital to Successful Calving Season

Calves with any sort of difficulty at birth are four times more likely to die than those without, which is why conditioning cows for calving is extremely important, said Ron Lemenager, a Purdue University beef nutrition specialist.

As the spring calving season approaches, producers should examine critical factors to prepare cows to calve.

“The first key factor is to get cows into the right body condition so they have enough energy for normal calving,” Lemenager said. “For most cows we recommend a body condition score of five and for first calf heifers a body condition of 5.5 to 6.

“Making sure cows have proper nutrition also will ensure a higher quality colostrum, or first milk after calving, which gives the calf disease protection and a dense nutrient supply.”

Proper nutrition includes a diet high enough in energy for the cow to have a normal calving experience, the right protein content, and vitamins and minerals. But with the rainy hay season this past year, poor hay quality may mean producers need to supplement diets.

“Most producers probably have enough hay, but the quality is such that it’s likely short in energy,” Lemenager said. “Producers should get an analysis of their hay and then develop a supplementation strategy. It’s also important that the cow has access to a high-quality, free-choice mix of vitamins and minerals, which are commercially available.”

Nutritionally speaking, one thing producers need to keep an eye on is the amount of dried distillers’ grains (DDGs) they’re feeding. Because DDGs are high in protein, cows should be fed DDGs to meet protein needs, not energy needs.

“If producers do feed DDGs, they need to be careful not to overfeed protein because too much protein will increase calf birth weights as well as blood nitrogen levels, which can negatively affect both conception rate and embryo survival,” Lemenager said.

“Using distillers’ grains beyond protein requirements can cause a sulfur toxicity. At high levels, sulfur also can complex with other minerals, like copper, which is a vital mineral for reproduction.”

In addition to conditioning cows, producers should look at their facilities and make sure they are prepared to house newborn calves in inclement weather — something Lemenager said is critical to calf survival.

Even with conditioned cows and proper facilities, some operations may still deal with calf scours, or neonatal diarrhea.

“This will be on an operation-by-operation basis, but if there is a history of calf scours, producers will want to work with a veterinarian to come up with a vaccination strategy for the cows that will provide passive immunity to the calf through high-quality colostrum,” Lemenager said.

— Release provided by Purdue University.

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