News Update
June 3, 2010

Angus.org Goes Mobile

The Association has introduced a new mobile version of its website for those with web-enabled cell phones.

Simply type www.angus.org into your phone’s browser. If your phone is compatible, the mobile version of the site will automatically load — making it easier to look up an animal or view the latest Angus news and information while on the road or at a sale.

“Members needed a mobile-optimized version of the Angus.org site to more easily conduct business on the road,” Lou Ann Adams, Association director of information systems, says. “This simply boils it down into a user-friendly, phone-based format.” Read more.

Auditing Animal Welfare

According to Temple Grandin, Colorado State University animal behaviorist and welfare specialist, the beef industry does a lot of things right. That doesn’t mean there is no room to improve the way cattle are handled. During the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare, hosted by Kansas State University (K-State), Grandin urged livestock producers to implement on-farm auditing systems to maintain high standards in cattle handling.

Grandin helped the meat packing industry implement auditing systems for harvest facilities, creating a numerical scoring system by which packers could evaluate and fine-tune their practices. Packer cattle handling audits typically evaluate stunning procedures, frequency at which cattle prods are used, rates at which cattle vocalize as an expression of distress, and rates at which cattle slip and fall. Cattle producers could audit their own methods and procedures to similarly reduce stress and potential injury to cattle.

“It prevents bad (practices) from becoming normal,” Grandin explained, noting how adequately trained handlers backslide, falling into old habits.

Grandin said audits should assign scores to simple things that can be measured on an outcome basis. She advised producers to avoid ambiguity when setting standards for cattle handling. Standards defined as proper, sufficient or adequate are open to too much interpretation. Guidelines, she said, should be clearly stated.

Grandin said outcome measures that could be monitored through on-farm audits include body condition score, hair coat condition and cleanliness, animal lameness and injuries, ammonia levels in confinement housing and abnormal animal behaviors.

“Measure a small number of critical control points — the really important things that can be directly observed. Do it on a regular basis,” Grandin advised.

Through vigilance, she said, producers can use audits to evaluate the results of their handling practices, identify areas where changes are needed and measure whether changes result in improvement.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) is providing coverage of the event. For additional presentation summaries, visit Meetings > Other Industry Meetings > News Coverage page at the API Virtual Library (www.api-virtuallibrary.com). For more about the symposium, visit www.isbcw.beefcattleinstitute.org.

— by Troy Smith for Angus Productions Inc.

Prescribed Burn School Scheduled Aug. 5-7 in Sonora, Texas

The station is located 28 miles south of Sonora on U.S. Highway 55.

Recent changes by the Prescribed Burning Board and Texas Department of Agriculture have created a private and commercial prescribed burn manager certification, said Ray Hinnant, an AgriLife Research senior research associate and one of the lead instructors.

“The private certification will allow a ranch owner or manager to be certified using the ranch insurance,” he said.

Certified prescribed burn managers are exempt under the county burn ban rules, Hinnant said.

“A private and commercial certified prescribed burn manager must have a burning board-approved course taught by a Prescribed Burning Board lead instructor,” he said.

Charles Taylor, Sonora research station superintendent, will be another course instructor. The course is the prerequisite to the Advanced Prescribed Burn Workshop, which will take place March 3-5 in 2011.

“The course will include information on history of prescribed fire, weather, fuels and fuel moisture, planning a prescribed burn, equipment, and fire and vegetation effects,” Hinnant said. “A prescribed burn will be conducted, weather permitting. The Sonora AgriLife Research Station has a long history of prescribed burning and the participants will tour the ranch to see the effects of winter burns, summer burns and no burns on the cedar, prickly pear and other brush species.”

The course provides the basics for the advanced class, “but can be attended by persons interested in prescribed burning even if they are not interested in becoming certified,” Hinnant said.

Workshop course fee is $395, including lodging and meals during the workshop. Contact Hinnant at 979-820-1778 or register online at http://www.ranchmanagement.org.

— Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

USDA Announces Loans and Grants To Help Rural Businesses Create Jobs and Get Expanded Access To Capital

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of recipients in 10 states to receive funding to promote economic development and job creation through increased business lending. Vilsack made the announcement during the National Summit of Rural America, which gathered agricultural leaders, farmers, ranchers, community leaders, and residents of rural communities to share their vision and ideas that can help rebuild and revitalize rural America.

“Ensuring that rural small businesses have access to capital is one of the most effective ways to help them create jobs,” said Vilsack. “Putting Americans to work is a top priority of the Obama Administration and these loans and grants will finance the training efforts that small and emerging businesses need to maintain their operations. These funds will also establish revolving loan pools that will be a resource for businesses in the future.”

The funding is being provided through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development’s Intermediary Relending Program and the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program. The total amount of loan and grant funding announced today is $6.7 million.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides zero-interest loans to utility cooperatives, which are passed through to local businesses for projects to create and retain employment in rural areas. The Intermediary Relending Program provides funds to organizations to establish revolving loan pools that are used to finance business and economic development activity to create or retain jobs in rural communities. Read more.

— Release by USDA.

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