News Update
March 7, 2012
I Am Angus airs March 8 on RFD-TV
In the final episode of the season, I Am Angus will celebrate the country's rural heritage by sharing the stories of Angus ranchers and farmers — and the people who prepare their product for consumers.
The episode, which airs at 10 p.m. EST (9 p.m. CST) Thursday, March 8, on RFD-TV, is titled "A Day in the Life of America." The program is produced by the American Angus Association and will show the full spectrum of people whose lives are defined by Angus cattle — from mountain ranch to Texas restaurant.
"This program marks the sixth and final show for us this winter," says Eric Grant, Association director of public relations and communications. "It's been a great journey for our team to share these stories with our audience. We're not only including segments that have never been seen before, but we'll also re-air some of our more popular segments to cap off the season."
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 and how animal agriculture meets the challenge of feeding a growing population.
Featured in the March 8 episode are:
- Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Mike Thornton, who will discuss the importance of freedom — and why we owe our veterans and those currently serving in the military a great debt of gratitude.
- Executive Chef Ric Rosser, Saltgrass Steak House of Houston, Texas, who talks about the history of the restaurant and why the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand has improved customer satisfaction.
- Lifelong cattleman Jerry Helgren, Lake Villa, Ill., who shares his story of how he became an Angus breeder — and how a calf can impact the life of a child forever.
- The Williams family of Milan, Ga., whose experience in showing a heifer at last summer's National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) continues to shape their lives and benefit their children.
- Boots O'Neal of the 6666 Ranch of Guthrie, Texas, who has spent his life as a cowboy working to raise quality cattle and great-tasting beef for consumers.
- Tom Williams, Chappell Feedlot, Chappell, Neb., who talks about the cattle-feeding industry, and why his company is committed to raising CAB quality beef.
- Executive Chef John Doherty, who managed New York's Waldorf=Astoria for three decades and now owns and operates Wolfpack Hospitality, discusses the importance of quality to the success of the restaurant business.
- Jay Coble, BJ Angus, Rhodes, Iowa, talks about his use of the Igenity® Profile for Angus — and why DNA technology levels the playing field for small producers.
- Paul and Christine Miller, owners of Miller Cattle and Feedyard, Torrington, Wyo., share the story of their feedyard — and why they like feeding cattle for the CAB brand.
- Lynne Sherrod, a rancher from Collbran, Colo., who discusses the important role ranchers play, not only in feeding the world, but also protecting open spaces.
- Steve Howard, owner of the Cozy Inn, Salina, Kan., shares the colorful history of his restaurant, one of America's most popular burger joints.
- The inspirational story of Clinton Laflin, Olsburg, Kan., who aspires to be an agricultural advocate — and to continue his family's legacy in the Angus business.
I Am Angus is sponsored by the Igenity Profile for Angus. The program airs on RFD-TV, which is distributed by more than 625 cable operators. The network can be found on DirecTV channel 345 and Dish Network channel 231. Check local listings for more information.
To watch segments from past episodes, visit www.angus.org.
Russia Suspends Importations of Livestock from the EU
The Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's food safety and sanitary watchdog, will suspend importations of cattle, sheep and goats, and pigs from the European Union (EU), effective March 20, due to concerns regarding an outbreak of Schmallenberg virus in a number of EU countries and spread of bluetongue, another viral disease.
In a March 2 announcement by the Rosselkhoznadzor, officials said they had not received from the EU complete information on epidemic control measures being taken or data on associated research, which it had requested at the beginning of January 2012. The Rosselkhoznadzor invited representatives of the competent services of the European Commission to Moscow to discussion the situation, as well as the issue of the safety of supplied protein feed of animal origin.
Due to ongoing spread of the disease caused by the Schmallenberg virus in the EU territory, on March 6 the Rosselkhoznadzor made a decision to impose restrictions on transit of cattle and small ruminants exported from Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxemburg through the territory of the Russian Federation into the third countries. Restrictions are imposed on import of cattle and small ruminants, as well as on the breeding material thereof, from Italy and Luxemburg into Russia.
Sen. Johanns Joins Ag Experts at American Agri-Women's Mid-Year Meeting
Sen. Mike Johanns from Nebraska joins other national agriculture experts at American Agri-Women's (AAW) annual mid-year meeting, set for March 29-April 1, at Lied Lodge, Nebraska City, Neb.
Sen. Johanns serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and served as secretary for the USDA. He joins other confirmed speakers, including Damien Schiff, senior staff attorney from the National Litigation Center; Gary Sides, cattle nutritionist with Pfizer Animal Health; and Melissa Keyes, University of Nebraska–Lincoln student, who serves on the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute.
"For more than 30 years, AAW has been promoting agriculture and educating consumers. One of the best ways we do that is by reaching consensus on political and legal challenges facing our members," says Karen Yost, president of American Agri-Women. Yost is from Billings, Mont. She and her husband, George, own Nutra-Lix Inc., a livestock supplement company.
This year, the group will address such issues as:
- Animal rights and animal agriculture
- Agriculture advocacy efforts
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations
AAW's strategic action response teams will also meet to discuss issues related to specific commodities and areas, such as ag business and economics, natural resources, education and more. Agenda and speaker information is available at www.americanagriwomen.org/2012-mid-year-agenda.
Anyone interested in learning more about agriculture is invited to attend the meeting. For registration details visit www.americanagriwomen.org/2012-mid-year-agenda, or, contact Karen Yost, president@americanagriwomen.org or 406-794-0888.
American Agri-Women is a national coalition of more than 50,000 farm, ranch and agri-business women. The organization will draft resolutions on the critical issues facing agriculture at this meeting. It will then present these positions to elected officials at its annual "Fly-In" in Washington, D.C., in early June.
Angus Foundation's 12th Annual Golf Tournament Scheduled for July 17
If you are a golfing enthusiast, mark July 17, 2012, on your calendar for the 12th Annual Angus Foundation Golf Tournament. The annual event will be hosted this year at the Quail Chase Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The Angus Foundation is currently seeking players and sponsors for the tournament. All tournament proceeds will benefit the Angus Foundation's youth, education and research programs. For more information visit www.angusfoundation.org.
NFU Sets Policy, Elects Officers
During the National Farmers Union's (NFU) 110th Anniversary Convention this week, delegates passed three special orders of business, setting priorities for farm bill negotiations and maintaining its support for Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). Delegates also voted unanimously to re-elect President Roger Johnson and Vice President Claudia Svarstad to their respective offices. The organization holds elections for president and vice president every two years.
NFU delegates adopted a special order of business calling for the inclusion of the Market-Driven Inventory System (MDIS) in the 2012 Farm Bill. An NFU study of MDIS found that over the next 10 years, farmers and ranchers would receive a slightly higher income under MDIS compared to current policies. Also, the study indicated MDIS policies could reduce federal farm spending from $65 billion under current policy to $26 billion from 2012 to 2020. The value of exports sold would also increase $15 billion under MDIS policies during the period studied.
A second order calls for adequate funding for the USDA microloan programs, reestablishing the link between federal crop insurance eligibility and compliance with conservation requirements, and including a means of protecting farmers against catastrophic losses in the next farm bill. NFU also called for robust, mandatory funding of the Rural Energy for America Program, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and the Biorefinery Assistance Program.
The special order of business also urged Congress to include a strong livestock title in the 2012 Farm Bill that includes mandatory interstate shipment of meat products from state-inspected meat plants, improved food safety provisions, and the creation of the Livestock Indemnity Program and Livestock Forage Program, among other provisions.
In the order related to COOL, NFU calls on the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to negotiate with Mexico and Canada to resolve the dispute while preserving the country-of-origin labeling law. Should that fail, NFU believes the USTR must appeal the WTO decision.
Regarding his re-election as president, Johnson says, "I greatly appreciate the trust placed in me by Farmers Union delegates and am truly humbled by the opportunity to continue leading this fantastic organization. This is such a critical time for not only Farmers Union, but also agriculture in general. It really will take all of us, working together, to ensure that rural America thrives."
Farmers Speak Out on 2012 Farm Bill
On Tuesday and Wednesday, nearly 30 independent family farmers and ranchers from 17 states are traveling to Capitol Hill to share their stories and speak out for crucial farm bill programs that enable them to produce healthy food, build community and sustain the environment.
As Congress continues work on the 2012 Farm Bill, farmers from California to New York have their livelihoods at stake as the programs they use and value face grave budget cuts in Congress. Farmers will offer their perspectives on why key programs matter and how they can be improved, including:
- Ensuring a sustainable future for American agriculture through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act
- Creating jobs, spurring economic opportunities, and increasing access to fresh, healthy food through the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act
- Supporting innovation for today and tomorrow's farmers through strong research, extension and education programs
- Protecting our natural resources through robust on-farm conservation programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
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