News Update
May 12, 2011

Rancher Co-Op Touts Beef’s Nutrition

Meatingplace.com reports today, May 12, that Chisholm Trail Longhorn Beef, a Texas-based co-op owned and operated by ranchers, has added nutritional labels to its packaging. The label states a 3-ounce (oz.) serving of the brand’s ribeye, sirloin, ground beef and cutlet products contains 141 calories, 4 g of fat and 49 mg of cholesterol.

BIF Convention Registration Ends May 25

Don’t delay; register today! Online registration for the 2011 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium will close Wednesday, May 25. You can access the registration page through the Angus Productions Inc. (API) online coverage site www.BIFconference.com. Hotel room blocks will be ending soon, so make your reservations now.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Cleaning Up After the Storm

Unusual spring weather patterns have brought on more work for some farmers. A large part of the United States, stretching from the Midwest to southern states such as Mississippi and Alabama, has faced a very wet spring, flooding and tornadoes. Land, livestock and infrastructure have been affected, and cattlemen are faced with financial hardships and longer days cleaning up the devastated areas.

Roger Eakins, a cattle producer and regional livestock specialist for University of Missouri (MU) Extension in Jackson, Mo., says he had more than 22 inches of rain during a 10-day span in early May. Saturated pastures are a major concern of cattle producers in his area. On top of the rain, temperatures in the lower- to mid-40s did not allow the hay fields to grow.

“Some of the grass has turned yellowish, like it doesn’t have any nutrients,” Eakins says. “As the weather warms up, I expect it to take off.”

Another concern is corn planting, which is way behind schedule due to the rain. Eakins says most of the fields he’s seen in the Missouri Bootheel are either completely flooded or sitting under 4-5 inches of water in some spots.

While feedstuffs are primarily on producers’ minds, it is also important to remember to keep an accurate count on cattle after the storms pass. Eakins says there have been some cattle injuries and deaths in his area due to falling debris, high winds and the intense lightning accompanying the storms. Cattle that have made it through the storms, however, for the most part appear to be fine.

“Health has not really been a concern. We haven’t had any problems with pneumonia,” Eakins says. “The cattle look pretty comfortable.”

To keep cows healthy, Eakins says producers should watch out for poison trees that have blown over.

“We had some wild cherry trees blown down, and the leaves are poison with prussic acid that produces a cyanide odor if the leaves are crushed,” Eakins says. “The cattle can die quickly if they eat the wild cherry leaves. There are other trees that are poison, and producers should check for these.”

Eakins also says to make sure metal debris from sheds and roofs is picked up and fences are intact and sturdy.

— by Katie Allen for Angus Productions Inc.

NAP Signs Genotype Exchange Agreements with Italy, UK

The (North American Partners (NAP) recently finalized agreements to exchange Holstein genotypes with both ANAFI in Italy and DairyCo in the United Kingdom (UK). The NAP includes the NAAB (National Association of Animal Breeders) in the USA, on behalf of the artificial insemination organizations’ CDDR (Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository), and CDN (Canadian Dairy Network). The formation of the CDDR by six USA and one Canadian AI center almost 20 years ago provided the DNA from current and historic sires to allow research by the USDA, the University of Guelph and CDN that resulted in genomic predictions now being utilized by dairy producers in both countries.

Each agreement establishes the exchange of genotypes for progeny-proven bulls in each country as well as young bulls genotyped by the authorized organizations identified within North America, Italy and the UK. All countries involved have also allowed for the option to expand the genotype exchange process in the future to include females genotyped with the 50K panel as well as males and females in other dairy cattle breeds of mutual interest.

This genotype exchange strategy will facilitate young sire selection programs in each country aimed at maximizing genetic potential while maintaining genetic diversification. The collaboration will result in more reliable genomic predictions for dairy producers. While the process for exchanging genotypes will commence immediately, the inclusion of genotypes from Italy and the UK is not expected in North American genomic evaluations until later in 2011.

Both agreements also involve a mutual interest and collaboration in genotyping key animals with a higher-density (HD) panel that has roughly 800,000 markers so as to advance the accuracy of genomic evaluations in Canada, the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom even further in the near future.

— Release by NAAB.

Availability of Local Food Key to Improving Food Security, MU Expert Says

Most strategies to assist the hungry, including food banks and providing food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are short-term, emergency solutions. Those who rely on these programs face daily shortages of fresh and healthy foods, which lead to poor diet choices, nutritional deficiencies and health problems. An expert at the University of Missouri (MU) says the production of sustainable, locally grown foods is key to providing long-term food security for communities.

“We have to recognize that access to food is a human right,” says Michelle Kaiser, researcher in the School of Social Work in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. “People should be able to get healthy food consistently; access to healthy food will benefit the health of the environment and the people consuming it.”

Healthy, affordable food availability is an issue in urban areas, as well as rural areas, Kaiser says.

“People don’t think of rural areas as places without healthy foods,” Kaiser says. “However, many people live miles from the nearest store, and this makes them less likely to buy fresh, perishable foods because they buy groceries less often. In urban areas, many people buy their food from restaurants or convenience stores, where nutritious food is scarce. Even if there is a nearby grocery store, many people don’t have access to reliable transportation to those stores.”

Local food production reduces the economic and environmental impact of transporting food. Increasing the availability of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, enables people to avoid processed, unhealthy foods. Kaiser describes a few strategies that policy makers and individuals can use to improve access to local, healthy food:

• Farmers that sponsor community supported agriculture (CSA) programs ask consumers to purchase shares of their harvests prior to the growing season. Each week, consumers receive portions of seasonal fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs. A challenge to CSAs is that governmental assistance is not available; consumers directly purchase shares of the harvest rather than food.
• Farmer’s markets have been a staple of the American food system since the 1970s. The markets bring locally grown crops to people who might otherwise have difficulty finding fresh, healthy food. Many farmer’s markets accept food stamps as payments.
• Community and personal gardens can be planted anywhere from rooftops to apartment complexes. Kaiser says gardens bring people closer to their food and their neighbors. Gardens are increasingly being used by schools as educational tools. To increase the number of community gardens, policy makers should incentivize businesses to convert empty lots into gardens.
• Community food assessments (CFA) are tools to define food-related issues including availability of fresh food, prices of foods, transportation to stores and more. Policy makers and local coalitions can use CFAs to better understand how to improve their community’s food situation.

Kaiser recently published a study on food security in the Journal of Community Practice.

— Release by MU News Service.

GIPSA Settles Cases Resulting in $3,100 in Civil Penalties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) enforcement rules provide a mechanism to quickly resolve violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. GIPSA may offer an alleged violator the option of waiving their right to a hearing and entering into a stipulation agreement to quickly resolve alleged violations.

GIPSA settled two cases resulting in $3,100 in civil penalties.

• Larry Herd, Herne, Texas, waived his right to a hearing, entered into a stipulation agreement, and paid a penalty of $1,800 after GIPSA found that he operated without bond (June 22, 2009, through July 21, 2009) and operated with an inadequate bond (Jan. 18, 2010, through March 13, 2010).
• Kenneth Gonnering Livestock Inc., Seymour, Wis., waived its right to a hearing, entered into a stipulation agreement, and paid a penalty of $1,300 after GIPSA found that it failed to pay when due for livestock.

The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.

— Release by GIPSA.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, Editor, Angus Productions Inc.