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Angus Journal

News Update

August 1, 2011

Registration for October Cattlemen’s Boot Camp Ends Sept. 12

Cattle producers will gather for a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp Oct. 7-8 at The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio. The event, which is hosted by the American Angus Association in partnership with OSU, provides purebred and commercial producers timely information presented by academic and industry professionals.

Open to all cattle producers, the event is funded by the Angus Foundation and features 1½ days of educational materials and speakers.

“We will focus on nutrition and its impact on reproduction, as well as discuss our usual Boot Camp topics like marketing, communications, selection tools and the end product,” says Shelia Stannard, Association director of activities and events. “We are looking forward to bringing this Boot Camp to Ohio State, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn from top-rated animal and meat scientists.”

Producers will also have a chance for hands-on training labs to learn more about body condition scoring, permanent identification and animal handling.

Visit http://www.angusonline.org/event/bootcamp/Docs/OSU_Reg_Form.pdf for more information or visit www.angus.org. Registration, which costs $75 per person, includes meals and educational materials. Registration forms are due Sept. 12 and can be sent to Misty Taylor at the American Angus Association, 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO, 64506; or registrations are accepted online. Late and walk-in registrations are not accepted.

A tentative schedule includes:

The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving approximately 30,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.

— Release by American Angus Association.

Beef Value is More Than Pounds

Adding value to beef goes beyond adding pounds to calves, says a beef meat marketing authority. Producers must listen to the consumer’s demand for eating quality.

“Always remember the ultimate driver of consumer satisfaction is tenderness and flavor,” says Larry Corah, vice president, Certified Angus Beef LLC, Manhattan, Kan.

Beef producers will face challenges in price volatility, high cost of production and global impact on their product, but consumers will increasingly pay more for better-quality product.

“Beef producers today are at a crossroads trying to decide whether to stay commodity-focused or brand-focused,” Corah said in remarks prepared for the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle symposium Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at Joplin, Mo.

Already, consumers identify quality with the USDA Quality Grades such as Prime and Choice, Corah says. But the tenderness and flavor must be consistent.

Producers who stick with the commodity track must become more proficient and willing to sell at lower prices. Brand-focused producers will likely receive more dollars, but they may lose some flexibility in their management.

Corah promotes what he calls “The Missouri Recipe” for quality beef production. The recipe is based on research at the University of Missouri (MU) Thompson Farm, Spickard, Mo.

Research from the last 15 years was led by David Patterson, MU Extension beef specialist and conference co-host. The MU commercial beef herd now produces 100% Choice grade or higher in steers fed out for market.

The secret of success is using high-accuracy proven sires by fixed-time artificial insemination (AI).

“When trying to create a positive eating experience while still generating a profit for the producer, the ‘right’ genetics is step one in hitting the quality target,” Corah says.

Choose genetics that lead to marbling in the beef, he adds. Sire selection is easier now with the genetic information from marbling expected progeny differences (EPDs) and genetic indexes such as $B. Using the data helps sort among the wide variations among bulls.

“A key to success in the Missouri Recipe has been effective use of artificial insemination,” Corah says. “This allows for use of proven genetics beyond marbling.”

Cattle from the MU Thompson Farm herd now regularly grade 85% CAB and Prime. Early adopters among Missouri herds are beating the MU record already. Nationally, cattle at packing plants average just over 3% Prime grade.

Mike Kasten, rancher from Millersville, Mo., will appear on the conference program to share his herd records. His premium bonuses average more than $177 per calf, long run. “Missourians say they can do better,” Corah says. He noted that nationally, the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) acceptance rate runs 22%-24%.

“A realistic goal would be 35%-40%,” he adds.

In his notes, Corah details the recipe package, which goes far beyond genetics to include herd health, nutrition, breeding for uniformity, preweaning vaccinations, preconditioning and total management all the way through marketing. Development of replacement heifers is a key part of the Missouri Recipe.

In another part of the program, speakers will report on visits to ranches in South America, Patterson says. “Brazil now dominates the commodity beef market. Those who choose to raise commodity beef will compete with the low-cost producers of the world.

“The progress Brazil is making on premium beef will amaze U.S. producers,” Patterson adds.

The conference will be at the Joplin Expo Center, which survived the deadly tornado of May 22. A field trip will go to the Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo., for demonstrations and a grilled steak dinner.

All who register will receive a book, which includes Corah’s talk. “This will become the textbook for beef reproduction for producers,” Patterson says.

Required registration forms are at the MU Conference Office website: http://muconf.missouri.edu/arsbc/.

Registration by Aug. 10 is $175. That includes some meals, a book and bus ride on the field trip. For late registration, add $25. Student rates are $100.

Lodging is in the Holiday Inn, Joplin, 417-782-1000. The special rate of $75 expires July 31.

— Release by University of Missouri Cooperative Media Group.

Stimulating Discussions Expected At
2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference

Healthy discussions and planning for programs that will affect the future of the cattle industry are on the agenda as the 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference kicks off in Kissimmee, Fla., this week. Among speakers lined up for the event is Herman Cain, a presidential candidate who has significant experience in the food industry, having served in leadership positions with Burger King, Godfather’s Pizza and the National Restaurant Association.

“With the array of both industry policy and beef demand issues facing our industry, we expect this meeting to be stimulating and thought-provoking,” says Bill Donald, a beef producer from Melville, Mont., and president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “Attendees can expect to have insightful and challenging discussions during the meetings, and at the same time enjoy fellowship with fellow beef producers from around the country.”

As keynote speaker, Cain will speak to more than 500 attendees on Tuesday, Aug. 2, sharing his outlook on the economy, agriculture and global and domestic food production. On Wednesday, Aug. 3, at a session sponsored by Bayer Animal Health, W.D. Farr Scholarships will be presented to two graduate students by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Also at that session, a presentation describing the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, a new voice for agriculture, will be made.

During the week, meetings will be hosted by the NCBA Federation of State Beef Councils and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board to discuss Beef Checkoff Program priorities. NCBA’s policy division will also host sessions to discuss issues affecting cattlemen and women. Also participating in the Summer Conference are the American National CattleWomen (ANCW) and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF). In addition, joint committees and subcommittees will meet to develop proposals for research, education and promotion programs. These groups are helping plan Checkoff-funded work for the 2012 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. A session for all committee members will take place prior to those meetings to discuss how the 2011-2013 Beef Industry Long Range Plan can fit into their deliberations.

Donald said much of the attention during policy discussions will focus on the administration’s overregulation, which includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) proposed rule on livestock and poultry marketing; a slew of regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and government mandates for ethanol production. During these policy committees, members will vote on interim policy that will be voted on for full approval by NCBA members in Nashville, Tenn., during the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and Tradeshow.

“Both our hands-on Summer Conference and the larger Annual Convention are key meetings for our industry,” said Donald. “The challenges we face are real, and these sessions provide an opportunity to meet them head on with tangible solutions. We know our producer leaders will come to Florida ready to learn, deliberate and work hard to help improve our industry.”

— Release by NCBA.

USDA Designates Washington County in Virginia
as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

The USDA has designated Washington County in Virginia as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by severe storms with high winds, hail and tornadoes that occurred April 27-28, 2011.

“Washington County will soon see some much needed federal disaster assistance for its agricultural industry,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This action provides help to hundreds of producers who suffered significant crop losses.”

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous: City of Bristol, Grayson, Russell, Scott and Smyth in Virginia; and Johnson and Sullivan in Tennessee.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 29, 2011, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

— Release by USDA.

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

 
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