News Update
January 30, 2013
Participate in an Angus TV Survey, Win Prizes
Do you watch The Angus Report or I Am Angus? If so, your opinions are wanted. Please take a couple of minutes to complete the following survey, and in doing so, you will be entered to win one of three prizes. Ten survey participants will receive an Angus cap and “Beef Prize Pack” gift packet including a cookbook, thermometer, potholder and set of tongs. Additionally, all participants will be entered to win one Visa® $100 gift card.
Deadline to submit responses is Thursday, Feb. 21. Thank you for your time.
Click here to access the survey.
K-State to Host 100th Annual Cattlemen’s Day March 1
Kansas State University’s Cattlemen’s Day always has numerous events associated with it, but this year’s 100th Annual Cattlemen’s Day March 1 will be special in several ways.
“We’re kicking off the Henry C. Gardiner Lectureship with inaugural speaker Steve Hunt of U.S. Premium Beef (USPB),” said Ken Odde, head of K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. “Henry Gardiner is a visionary leader in beef cattle genetics. We are pleased to honor him by launching this lecture series in his name.”
Gardiner, widely considered a pioneer in beef genetics, is founder of Gardiner Angus Ranch in Ashland, Kan.
Cattlemen’s Day begins at 8 a.m. in K-State’s Weber Hall with a commercial trade show and educational exhibits.The program begins at 10 a.m. in Weber 123.
Hunt, who guided USPB as its CEO from 1996 through January 2013, and now serves as an advisor to the company, will present, “Designing Meats and Meals.” For more information and the full release, click here.
Deal with Cold Stress in Cattle
When temperatures plunge into the single digits and the winds howl, people pile on the outerwear and look for warm food and beverages to help ease the chill. Chris Clark, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef program specialist, said it’s important to remember that although Iowa cattle typically can tolerate winter conditions surprisingly well, colder temperatures can mean higher nutrition needs for cow herds.
“Iowa cattle have thick skin, grow a thick winter coat and will be insulated by any fat cover they may carry. They also have the rumen, a large fermentation vat in the abdomen that produces heat during the digestion process,” Clark said. “Even so, during times of extreme low temperatures, cows can become cold enough to have a big impact on health and production.”
For each degree of cold stress below the animal’s lower critical temperature (LCT), the animal requires about 0.7% more energy just to maintain its body weight. The LCT is around 20° F for cattle with a heavy winter hair coat, but can increase to 50°-60° if the animals get wet.
“Don’t forget that wind, rain, snow and other weather conditions have an impact on the animals, as well,” Clark said. “Wet animals, strong winds and deep snow all add to the cold stress, so make sure to provide adequate nutrition to meet the high energy demands of fetal growth and winter weather on your cows.”
As a general rule of thumb, each additional 10 miles per hour of wind speed to which cattle are exposed has the same effect as dropping the temperature 10°.
“Keep an eye on thin cows because they lack the insulation of fat cover and will be more susceptible to cold stress and hypothermia,” Clark said. “A simple windbreak or a roof to keep them dry can make a big impact on animal comfort as well as on health and productivity.”
The program brochure is available by clicking here.
Conference to Help Small Farm Owners
‘Open Doors to Success’
Small farm owners who want to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them by increasing profits, increasing marketing efforts, expanding operations, or adding new educational or agritainment amenities can attend workshops and presentations on these and more issues during a small farm conference March 8-9 in Wilmington, Ohio.
The “Opening Doors to Success” conference and trade show is designed to help producers learn more tips, techniques and methods and to increase their awareness to make their small farm operations more successful, which can lead to increased farm profits, said Tony Nye, an Ohio State University Extension educator.
“This intensive conference will provide participants the opportunity to choose from a diverse variety of seminars that can help their farming operations be successful,” he said. “The conference is a great opportunity to network and learn from other producers, Extension experts and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
The conference kicks off with a panel discussion of Ohio producers who will talk about “Opportunities and Challenges to Running a Successful Small Farm Operation.” The group will address issues surrounding labor, financing, deciding on a farm specialty, dealing with customers, and whether or not to add agritainment or education components to a farm.
The conference, which will be hosted at Wilmington College, Boyd Cultural Arts Center, 1870 Quaker Way in Wilmington, will feature 25 sessions from Ohio State and industry experts and a trade show for small farmers that will offer information that can benefit a variety of growers, Nye said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Corn and Soybean Growers Share On-Farm Research
Corn and soybean growers are invited to attend the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network research update program Feb. 11 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead or Feb. 12 at the 4-H Building at the York County Fairgrounds in York.
The program is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at both locations. Producers will obtain valuable crop production-related information from on-farm research projects conducted on Nebraska farms by Nebraska farmers in partnership with UNL faculty.
The goal of the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network is to put in place a statewide on-farm research program addressing critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions.
Growers take an active role in the on-farm research project sponsored by UNL Extension in partnership with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association and the Nebraska Corn Board. The February program will provide an opportunity to hear growers who conducted on-farm research share their results from the 2012 growing season.
Field length replicated treatment comparisons were completed in growers’ fields, using their equipment.
For more information and the full release,
USDA Announces Latest Actions to Enhance Integrity in America’s Most Critical Nutrition Assistance Program
USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced results of USDA’s efforts to identify and eliminate fraudulent retailers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in fiscal year 2012. Last year, USDA compliance analysts and investigators took action to:
- Review over 15,000 stores;
- Conduct investigations on more than 5,000 stores nationwide;
- Impose sanctions, through fines or temporary disqualifications, on 692 stores found violating program rules; and
- Permanently disqualify 1,387 stores for trafficking in SNAP benefits (i.e. exchanging SNAP benefits for cash) or falsifying an application.
“Our message today is clear and firm: abuse of SNAP benefits — and the American taxpayer’s trust — will not be tolerated and carries severe consequences,” said Concannon. “In the coming year, we will take further steps to strengthen SNAP integrity and continue to hold accountable those few bad actors that try to take advantage of the program. We are committed to ensuring these dollars are spent as intended — helping millions of American families put healthy food on the table.”
In addition, as part of its ongoing effort to combat fraud among SNAP-authorized retailers, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service published a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting cost-effective, automated solutions from all current and potential partners to help identify fraudulent activity and exclude retailers who violate the rules from participating in SNAP. The USDA is looking for innovative solutions which will identify connections between stores applying to accept SNAP benefits and store owners who have been previously disqualified from accepting SNAP benefits.
For more information and the full release, click here.
NCBA Trade Show Offers Something for Everyone
at Cattle Industry Convention
The 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show, taking place Feb. 6-9 in Tampa, Fla., will offer something for everyone. The trade show is the largest, most innovative trade show for those in the cattle business and is a must-see for all convention attendees.
More than 230 exhibitors will have booths offering the latest in animal health products, animal identification, farm equipment, herd management, real estate and even Western art. New to the trade show this year is the New Holland outdoor display area.
“The NCBA Trade Show sold out in record time this year, and we’re thrilled to have more than 230 vendors bringing their exciting products and ideas to Tampa,” said NCBA Executive Director of Meetings and Events Kristin Torres. “From new products to use on the farm to a reception featuring Florida foods and a live cattle auction, everyone who spends time at the trade show will have a great experience.”
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