News Update
May 4, 2010

House Agriculture Committee Holds Farm Bill Field Hearing in California, Idaho

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson held field hearings in Fresno, Calif., May 3 and Nampa, Idaho, May 1 to review U.S. agriculture policy as the Committee begins the process of writing the 2012 Farm Bill. The hearings are part of a series of hearings scheduled across the country to consider new ideas regarding Federal food and farm policy. Six Members of Congress attended each hearing and heard testimony from witnesses on a variety of farm policy issues.

About 160 members of the community attended the hearing in California, while about 100 attended the hearing in Idaho. Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.

A full transcript of the hearings will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.

— News from the House Agriculture Committee

Healthy Cattle, Healthy Profits

Treating cattle for sickness in the feeding phase may be costing more than you thought.

“Of course healthy cattle have lower treatment costs. But they also perform much better in the yard and on the rail. That combination sets up the huge gaps between who makes money feeding cattle and who doesn’t,” says Gary Fike, beef cattle specialist for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

To be exact, those factors lead to a $190 net difference between cattle treated twice and those that never needed treatment.

Fike shed light on the effect of health treatments on feedlot performance, carcass traits and profitability at the Midwest section meetings of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) last month. The information was drawn from Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF) data on nearly 50,000 head of cattle fed in 18 Iowa feedlots since 2002. Read more.

National Beef Ambassadors Announce Earth Day Photo Contest Winners

The National Beef Ambassador Team, funded in part by the beef checkoff, helped to spread positive messages about beef production through the “Farmers and Ranchers Care” Earth Day photo contest. The contest also gave cattle ranchers the ability to share how they care for the environment on their own operation with consumers and fellow producers. This contest began on Saturday, March 20, National Agriculture Day, and ended on April 22, Earth Day.

In order to participate, the first requirement was to become a fan of the National Beef Ambassadors on Facebook and upload a photo to that page showcasing how they, as beef producers, are involved in caring for the environment. To date, the Facebook page has more than 2,000 fans.

Voting took place by ‘liking’ the photos and the winners were determined by the number of ‘likes.’ On Earth Day, the winners of the photo contest were announced.

In total, 83 photos were posted. The winning photo became the National Beef Ambassador’s Facebook profile picture for one week and was also featured in Beef Ambassador Malorie Bankhead’s blog post on Earth Day. The winner of the contest also received a $50 beef gift certificate; 2nd and 3rd place winners each received a $25 beef gift certificate and appeared in Malorie’s blog post on April 23.

The winners were: 1st: Kaylyn Groce of Silver City, N.C.; 2nd: Sunny Taylor of Kaycee, Wyo.; and 3rd: Allison Boggs of Martin, S.D.

For more information about the Beef Ambassador Program, visit NationalBeefAmbassador.org. For more information about programs funded by your checkoff investment, visit http://MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Missourians See Steers From MU Breeding Studies in Tour of Kansas Feedlot

“Not all beef is created equal,” Larry Corah, vice president of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), told a busload of cattle producers and Extension specialists on a three-day tour of Kansas. The 33 Missourians saw and heard variations on that theme at four stops.

On the main stop at Irsik and Doll Feed Yard in Garden City, Kan., the group saw three pens of cattle sorted for harvest from two University of Missouri (MU) research farms. David Patterson, MU Extension beef reproduction specialist, organized the tour.

Another message from the tour: Steers that produce juicy, tender steaks bring more money; often, much more. Packers pay premiums approaching $200 per head for cattle that grade at the upper end of the Choice-Prime USDA grades.

At the Garden City feedlot, 134 head of MU cattle were in the first sort for market. In the eyes of the Missouri visitors, the cattle were the best in a lot that has one-time capacity to feed 35,000 head of cattle.

“You make us look good,” said Mark Sebranek, manager of the feedyard. The feedlot finishes cattle from across the United States for marketing at Kansas packing plants.

The steers are from the MU Thompson Farm, Spickard, Mo., and the Greenley Research Center, Novelty, Mo. All of the steers are from a study on timed artificial insemination (AI) using superior proven genetics. The feedlot steers are siblings of females developed for the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer program. The heifers go back into the MU herds or are sold at regional heifer sales.

“They all looked Prime to me,” said Jon Schreffler, herdsman at the Thompson Farm. Last year, his 2008 calf crop graded 100% USDA Choice or better. Of those, 79% of the steers from high-accuracy sires qualified for Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) and 36% graded Prime. None of the steers from untested natural service sires graded Prime.

The 2009 steers are expected to be marketed in early May. Carcass cutout data will be returned to MU researchers studying ways to add value by using AI genetics from proven, high-accuracy, performance-tested sires.

To receive carcass-value printouts, producers must retain at least partial ownership of their calves during the feedout. If the cattle are sold to others for finishing, a farmer never learns the actual value of the carcasses sold by the packing plant.

“The tour was planned to help cattle producers learn there is money to be returned to Missouri by using superior beef genetics and retaining ownership of high-quality cattle,” Patterson said. “There is tremendous opportunity for people who develop a serious breeding program, using advanced reproduction management and genetics.

“Producers can make their herds into profitable businesses, while also enjoying raising cattle.”

At a restaurant in Manhattan, Kan., CAB’s Corah said the industry needs more calves like those from MU research farm.

Commenting on the high CAB acceptance rate of the MU Thompson cattle in the last feedout, Corah said, “When we started CAB, I didn’t think that was possible. At that time 20% acceptance was considered high.”

After viewing the steers at the feedlot, Thompson Farm manager David McAtee said, “It made me realize that working on those cold and snowy nights, keeping them alive, was worth it.”

Patterson added, “The finished product in those lots shows how much progress the cow herd at the MU Thompson Farm has made by using artificial insemination and superior genetics.”

— Release by MU Extension.

Learn How to Prevent Livestock Theft At Ranch Gathering in Georgetown

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) will host a ranch gathering on Tuesday, May 18, at the Georgetown Community Center in Georgetown, Texas. The gathering will begin at 5:30 p.m. with registration followed by a free beef dinner and presentations.

“These ranch gatherings are a great way for folks in the community to get together, and it’s not just for TSCRA members. Anyone who would like to come out and enjoy the evening is invited,” said TSCRA President Dave Scott, Richmond, Texas. “TSCRA Special Ranger Doug Hutchison and TSCRA Director Jim Schwertner will be on hand to discuss how to protect your livestock and equipment from theft. Plus, Jason Skaggs, TSCRA executive director of government and public affairs, will discuss what is going on in Washington and Austin and how that will affect ranchers and landowners.”

RSVP by May 15 to Brooke Boddy at 1-800-242-7820, ext. 192, or rsvp@texascattleraisers.org.

The ranch gathering is sponsored by Agricultural Workers Mutual Auto Insurance, Bayer Animal Health, Bryan and Tamara Daniel, George White, Helena Chemical Co., Nolan Ryan and Texas Range Minerals Inc.

— Release by TSCRA.