News Update
December 15, 2011
I Am Angus Airs Dec. 19 on RFD-TV
A special Christmas edition of the American Angus Association’s popular I Am Angus television series will air Monday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST) on RFD-TV.
The show, which is titled “The Angus Family,” underscores the often-overlooked fact that the U.S. farming and ranching industry is comprised overwhelmingly of family businesses, many of them multi-generational.
“We traveled from Oregon to Maryland to capture the stories of rural America and rural Americans,” says Eric Grant, Association director of public relations.
I Am Angus focuses on the heart of the cattle business — its people, their heritage and why they’ve chosen to be involved in agriculture. The documentary series explores each sector of the industry, Angus heritage and how animal agriculture meets the challenge of feeding a growing population.
Featured in the Dec. 19 episode include:
- Bill Schermer of Schermer Angus Farm in Clarion, Iowa, reflects on his grandson’s recent fight against cancer and the Angus heifer that helped save the young boy’s life.
- The Cropp family, Cropp Family Farm in Damascus, Md., shares their tradition of raising superior Angus cattle and their commitment to the agriculture industry.
- Gary Darnall, Darnall Feedlot in Harrisburg, Neb., operates a Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB)-licensed feedlot and explains his family’s dedication to producing high-quality beef.
- Greg and Jennifer Rathbun, Rathbun Angus Ranch in Moses Lake, Wash., incorporate family values into their ranch to raise and market the best product possible for consumers.
- Rob and Lori Thomas, Thomas Angus Ranch of Baker City, Ore. — nestled in Baker Valley in northeastern Oregon — discuss why they use the Igenity® Profile for Angus to improve the genetics in their herd.
- Edward Draper, program manager of Wye Angus — owned by the University of Maryland — in Queenstown, Md., shares the history of the Wye Angus Herd and historic Wye Plantation, which dates back to the 1600s.
The program is sponsored by the Igenity Profile for Angus and airs on RFD-TV. The network is distributed by more than 625 cable operators, and can be found on DirecTV channel 345 and Dish Network channel 231. Check local listings for more information.
Subsequent programs are planned for this winter. Broadcast dates will be announced later this winter.
For more information or to watch segments from past shows, visit www.angus.org.
2012 Alltech Lecture Tour — The Path to a Profitable Future
Since the first intelligible sentence was carried through telephone wire March 10, 1876, in the rented top floor of a Boston boarding house, the world has been on a constant move to find the latest breakthroughs in technology. As Steve Jobs once said, “We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people — as remarkable as the telephone.”
These advances in technology will be showcased in “Shaping Tomorrow’s World: Path to a Profitable Future,” the theme of Alltech’s 2011 North American Lecture Tour. Speakers on the 24-stop tour, taking place from Jan. 11-Feb. 3, will explore how the latest technological developments can move the agriculture industry forward.
The lecture tour will examine such issues as programmed nutrition, epigenetics, sales organizations, the Alltech Ag Network, social media and the implementation of algae in nutrition programs.
“Change is imminent. Global demand for fuel, food and other commodities will only continue to increase as the world’s population and wealth rise. We must embrace revolutions in the industry if we want to stay competitive,” said Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech.
“We believe there are some tremendous new opportunities to be seized by the ag industry, and we look forward to sharing these ideas on our 2012 Alltech North American Lecture Tour,” said Geoff Frank, sales manager of North America. “To quote Steve Jobs, ‘People with passion can change the world for the better.’ ”
For dates, locations and further information on the 2012 North American Lecture Tour, please visit www.alltech.com.
NCBA Hosts Hands-On Education at Annual Convention
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) will host the 19th annual Cattlemen’s College sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health on Wed., Feb. 1, 2012 in Nashville, Tenn., in conjunction with the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. In addition, events at the Stockmanship and Stewardship Demonstration Area will be featured throughout the week for all convention participants.
The annual educational events focus on progressive ranching practices and this year will touch on a number of issues, including reproductive technology, beef safety strategies and value-added management practices. CattleFax Market Analyst Lance Zimmerman said the addition of value-added management practices will allow producers to be more profitable.
“There is more value today in producing higher-quality cattle than ever before,” Zimmerman said. “Whether it’s a feedlot order buyer or a stocker operator looking for calves to put into their operation, they’re going to be placing more importance on value-added management traits going forward. The long-term trend we’ve seen over the last five to 10 years of vertical coordination is only going to become stronger as we move into 2012 and beyond.”
Whether you’ve been to Cattlemen’s College 18 times or if you’re planning to attend each featured event at the Stockmanship and Stewardship Demonstration Area, the hands-on industry information that will be provided at both venues will be an asset to your operation. To register for the events, or for more information, visit NCBA’s website at www.beefusa.org, or contact Grace Webb, manager of producer education, at gwebb@beef.org.
2012 Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference Focuses on Efficiency
The Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference (CCCC), a premier educational event for cow-calf producers, will offer a comprehensive package of information Jan. 21 at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, Iowa. The popular conference has a 40-year history of providing timely, accurate and important information to the state’s beef cattle industry, and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension beef program specialist Byron Leu said this year’s conference will continue its successful traditions.
“The Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference has been, and will continue to be, successful because it provides information and access to speakers that beef producers have come to expect,” Leu said. “The steering committee does a great job of finding highly qualified and respected speakers in the industry who can speak with authority on the topics pertinent to Midwestern operations.”
This year’s program focuses on topics designed to help producers recognize ways to make their operations more efficient and profitable. From maintaining competitiveness in light of high corn prices to applied approaches to genetics, experts from universities and private industry in the Midwest will lead sessions and give producers valuable information to put into practice on their farms.
“Darrell Peel, from Oklahoma State University, will talk about current economic conditions and staying competitive; Bruce Anderson, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, will present information on strategies for forage production and successful forage-seeding methods; and Bob Weaber, from Kansas State University, will speak on using genetics and practical steps in achieving efficiency,” Leu said. “Other speakers are Art Brownlee, from JHL Ranch in Ashby, Neb., Nick Hammett, from Circle A Angus Ranch in Ashland, Mo., and Chad Hart and Bob Wells, from Iowa State.”
This year’s conference at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa begins with registration at 8 a.m. The official welcome is at 9:30 a.m. followed by two general session speakers, and a break-out session with four choices. After lunch and exhibit viewing, there’s an afternoon general session, and one final break-out session with three choices. Admission is $15, which includes lunch and a copy of the conference proceedings. No preregistration is necessary. You can see and download the conference brochure at www.iowabeefcenter.org/events/2012CCCC.pdf.
Drought Do’s and Don’ts Topic
of Rangeland Management Seminar
Drought complicates range management necessitating different strategies than normally executed on a yearly basis, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.
“Brush Management: What to Do and Not Do in a Drought” will be the topic of a webinar Jan. 5 presented by Will Hatler, AgriLife Extension rangeland program specialist in Stephenville.
This will be the first in the 2012 webinar series offered by AgriLife Extension’s ecosystem science and management unit, according to Brittany Grube, graduate assistant and webinar coordinator.
The webinars, which offer a way to earn Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units online, are scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. every first Thursday of the month, Grube said. This webinar, as well as those from the 2011 series, can be accessed at http://naturalresourcewebinars.tamu.edu/.
The webinar presented by Hatler will qualify for one pesticide continuing education unit.
“Drought impacts the management of our rangelands and natural areas in many ways, especially during a severe drought like Texas experienced in 2011,” Hatler said. “Brush management strategies during drought can be complicated by unusual conditions on the ground and in the target plant communities.
“The ability to select the proper techniques and timing, relative to the altered conditions on the ground, is critical to being successful,” he said. “This presentation will provide information on when and how to be successful with your brush management program during a drought.”
For more information on the webinars, contact Grube at Brittany.grube@agnet.tamu.edu.
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