News Update
April 25, 2012
Angus Foundation Updates
$75,000 Credit Card Challenge. The Angus Foundation has partnered with Wichita-headquartered Intrust Bank on a project called "The Card Challenge." For every new and activated Angus Platinum Visa® booked Jan. 1-June 30, 2012, Intrust Bank will make a $100 donation to the Angus Foundation. If 500 new and activated accounts are reached, Intrust Bank will donate an additional $25,000 to the Angus Foundation, which makes the total potential donation $75,000 for Angus education, youth and research programs. Learn more about "The Card Challenge" at www.angusfoundation.org or on the American Angus Association's Facebook page.
2012 Angus Foundation Golf Tournament. In conjunction with the 2012 NJAS, the 12th Annual Angus Foundation Golf Tournament will be Tuesday, July 17, at the Quail Chase Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The tournament is open to both adults and youth. Funds raised through team entry fees and event sponsorships support the Foundation's education, youth and research efforts.
If you are interested in playing in the tournament, adults can register at $100 per person, and NJAA members can register at $75 per person. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, continental breakfast and a Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) lunch, provided this year by Sysco Louisville Inc. The player registration deadline is July 1. After July 1, a $10 late registration fee applies per player.
Terry Stade Farms, Shakopee, Minn., and Richard Ames, Jordan, Minn., purchased the golf tournament event sponsorship at "Angus Night on the Mountain," at Spruce Mountain Ranch, Larkspur, Colo., in January. There are many other sponsorship levels available. Sponsorship deadline is June 15. Find out more at www.angusfoundation.org.
Silent Auction to Support Foundation. A silent auction featuring a variety of Angus items will be conducted during the NJAS in Louisville. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Angus Foundation. Many valuable items and collectibles will be featured.
All state junior associations are encouraged to donate an item to the auction, but donations from individuals are also accepted. To donate items contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.
Scholarships Offered for Appalachian Students
Entering Health-Related Fields
The Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) at the University of Kentucky (UK) is administering scholarships to Appalachian students seeking education in health or a health-related field.
Because of the shortage of health care providers in the Appalachian region, along with the expected retirement of many physicians and an aging population that demands more health care, the need to educate and then retain young health care professionals is a real priority, said Alison Davis, CEDIK director and associate professor of agricultural economics in the UK College of Agriculture.
Scholarships, which are funded by the New York Community Trust, will be allocated for full-time students with a maximum award of $2,500 per semester. Part-time students are eligible to apply for partial scholarships.
Applications are available online at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/CEDIK-files/CEDIK_Scholarship_Application_Form_Distributed.pdf. Those who apply must provide a certified high school transcript; transcripts from any previously attended college or technical program; two letters of recommendation and evidence of acceptance to an accredited college or university. All applications must be received by June 1. Applicants should send the completed application by mail to CEDIK, c/o Alison Davis, 411 C.E. Barnhart Building, Lexington, KY 40546-0276.
ABS Global Announces 2012 Photo Contest
ABS Global Inc. announces its 2012 photo contest, open to all photographers, including ABS Global Inc. customers, employees and employee family members. ABS is searching for scenic and on-farm photos of ABS-sired offspring and customers to use in promotional items, included but not limited to the yearly calendar, posters, brochures and the company website.
There is no limit to the number of photos that can be submitted; however, a maximum of two photos per entrant will be published in the annual calendar. All photos must be submitted through an online entry form via the ABS Global Inc. website by May 31, 2012. Photos should be a high resolution (at least 300 dpi or 3200 x 2400 pixels) JPEG image and 8"x10" or larger. The contest includes both vertical and horizontal photos.
Entries will be judged and preference will be given to photos that include ABS sired cattle. ABS apparel will be awarded to the top entries, which will be announced by June 30, 2012.
Photographers will receive credit for any photo used. By submitting a digital photo for consideration in this contest, you are stating that you have secured the necessary permissions for all photo content and are authorizing ABS Global Inc. to use the photo in any and all ABS Global Inc. promotions or as ABS Global Inc. feels appropriate. ABS Global Inc. does not accept any responsibility for photos that may be reproduced or used without these permissions.
To submit your entries, visit the online form at: absglobal.com/photo-contest-form-2012.
Questions? Feel free to contact ABS Global Inc. at 1-800-ABS-STUD.
Cattle Producers: Prepare Now for Potential Drought
Western Nebraska cattle producers should prepare for potential drought conditions in light of recent below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures.
As of April 25, average precipitation year to date for the Nebraska Panhandle is only 50% of normal, according to the precipitation summary at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Cropwatch website (http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/
cropwatchprecipitation). These dry conditions, coupled with the above-normal temperatures that have accompanied them, have resulted in soil profiles that are moisture depleted.
The long-range predictions, should they come true, could prove to be challenging, as well. Both the 30- and 90-day forecasts from the National Weather Service are predicting above normal temperatures for this region. In light of these circumstances, it is prudent for ranchers to begin to plan for how they will deal with these dry conditions should they continue and become a drought.
The lessons learned from the drought of the 2000s are still fresh in people's minds. That having been said, here are some reminders of things ranchers may consider as they develop a plan to manage these conditions.
- 1. If possible, producers should delay turnout onto pastures to allow grass to grow as much as possible before beginning to graze. With the open winter, producers may have some carry-over hay. Using hay and supplement now will give grasses as much time as possible to grow prior to turnout, and will maximize the growth available from the limited soil water that is available.
- 2. Producers should begin to implement their drought management plan and set dates now, prior to turnout, when they will reduce stocking rates on pasture/native range if significant precipitation hasn't been received. Identify cattle now that could be fed harvested feed, moved to pasture in another area or marketed to reduce feed needs.
- 3. Begin now to secure feed resources that will be needed to feed cattle later on in the summer as well as this fall and winter due to the likely shortage of forage production. Crop residues such as cornstalks for grazing should be secured before fall. Bales of wheat straw or corn stover could be purchased in the summer to be mixed with wet distillers' grains or beet pulp. These rations can be limit-fed to beef cattle while maintaining body condition.
- 4. Consider ways to incorporate annual forages into both dryland and irrigated cropping systems. If summer rains come, they may allow forages grown on dryland to make a crop that can be harvested for feed or grazed. Planting summer annuals or oats into irrigated wheat stubble in late July or early August may be a good option as a way to grow additional forage.
- 5. Early weaning of calves can significantly reduce cow nutrient requirements. With high-quality feed in a balanced ration, calves can easily be weaned at 100 days of age or earlier with good management. There are a lot of resources available from UNL as well as experience that producers can draw from based on how producers managed drought in the early 2000s.
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