News Update
April 19, 2013
The American Royal Honors Top Volunteers
American Royal volunteers were celebrated at a dinner and awards ceremony hosted at the American Royal Complex Tuesday evening April 16. As a nonprofit charity, the American Royal relies on volunteers to contribute thousands of hours to events including The World Series of Barbecue®, livestock show, equine shows, ProRodeo, parade and many more throughout the three-month season.
“Our volunteers are the heartbeat and backbone of our organization. Last year, American Royal Volunteers donated thousands of hours of their time and expertise to help fulfill our mission of providing valuable learning experiences that, in turn, promote hard work, leadership skills and agrarian values throughout our community,” said Cynthia Pistilli Savage, 2013 chairman of the American Royal. The event was hosted by FOX4 morning anchor and American Royal volunteer, Mark Alford.
More than a dozen awards were presented throughout the evening including Lifetime Achievement, Shining Star and Rookie of the Year. Those receiving awards for their efforts during the 113th American Royal season include top volunteers Carol and Phil Petrus, Jennifer Gilbert, Nancy Ryger, Kay Jeffries, Jenny Stuerzl, Glynda Miller, Sister Mary Laura Huddleston and Marti Corbett. Each of the top volunteers donated more than 200 hours to American Royal events. For their years of service and dedication to the American Royal, Joanne Muren and Carol and Phil Petrus were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Family Service Award was presented to Joe and Marty Bichelmeyer for their work on the livestock show and to Paul and Vickie Hamilton for their dedication to the United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) National Championship Saddlebred Horse Show.
Rookie of the Year honors were presented to Marianne Swaney-Stueve for her leadership on behalf of the Sensory and Consumer Research Center at the Kansas State University (K-State) Olathe Campus. Cooperation, optimism, perseverance and enthusiasm are celebrated through the C.O.P.E awards. Recipients of the 2012 C.O.P.E awards are Paul Haverkamp, Jenny Stuerzl, Amy Dill and Judy Rainwater. Shining Star awards were presented to Jack Sheeley, Linda Larson, Marti Corbett and Brant Laue.
The William and Margaret Harsh Award, the highest award given to an American Royal volunteer each year, was bestowed upon Nancy Ryger, a dedicated American Royal volunteer who contributes time and talent to equine shows, livestock shows, World Series of Barbecue and in administrative capacities. The Harsh Award was established to honor the memory of William Harsh, former American Royal president and his wife, Margaret. It is appropriately named after two of the American Royal’s most devoted and beloved volunteers.
NCBA Files Petition in Supreme Court Against
Greenhouse Gas Regulations
NCBA Files Petition in Supreme Court Against Greenhouse Gas Regulations
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) along with the Coalition for Responsible Regulation filed a petition yesterday in the United States Supreme Court (Supreme Court) challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding that greenhouse gases (GHG) endanger public health and welfare, its rule to limit GHG from passenger vehicles and its “timing” and “tailoring” rules that govern GHG permit applicability at stationary sources.
In December 2009, EPA issued a finding that GHGs are an “endangerment” to public health and the environment — providing EPA with a foundation from which to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act (CAA), from small and large sources throughout the economy, including farming and ranching operations. NCBA filed a petition with the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals and EPA challenging the science behind EPA’s finding. The D.C. court dismissed the challenge in June of last year. The court also denied challenges to EPA’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases and subsequent emissions standards for cars and light-duty trucks.
“We have already seen many actions by this administration’s EPA that proves they believe they are above the law. Forcing these greenhouse gas regulations upon Americans, including hard-working cattlemen and women is yet another example of this. We remain hopeful that bringing this issue to the highest court in the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court, will put a stop to the aggressive agenda-driven bullying by EPA,” said NCBA Deputy Environmental Counsel Ashley McDonald.
McDonald added that NCBA originally challenged EPA and the GHG regulations in court in order to take regulatory rulemaking power away from those sitting behind desks in a federal agency and place it back into the hands of the American people.
Cattle Feeders College Planned May 9 in Scott City
Kansas State University (K-State) will host its K-State Cattle Feeders College May 9 at the Scott County Fairgrounds William Carpenter 4-H Building in Scott City, Kan.
The educational event, focused on the cattle feeding industry, begins with registration at 5 p.m. and a sponsored dinner at 5:30 p.m.
The evening, which is free for the public to attend, features the “Top Hand Cattle Feeding Industry Employee Awards,” designed to recognize outstanding feedlot employees. Registration for the event and nominations (100 words or less) for the “Top Hand” awards are due by May 3 via email to Justin Waggoner, K-State Extension beef systems specialist at jwaggon@ksu.edu or by phone at 620-275-9164.
More information about the event and how to submit nominations for the “Top Hand” awards is available by clicking here.
Sensory Analysis Center Leads Beef Flavor Training
The Kansas State University (K-State) Sensory Analysis Center has received a $35,000 grant to train researchers from industry and academia on sensory evaluation of beef flavors. The center is lead partner in the training, funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The first session will be May 13-15 at K-State–Olathe.
Trainers will use a standardized beef flavor lexicon that the center developed. “We will help standardize how we describe beef flavor so researchers around the world are on the same page,” said Edgar Chambers IV, principal investigator on the grant and director of the center.
“Standardization is important because the flavor of beef changes when we change the way we process it to make it even safer in the food system. As beef production becomes more sustainable through different feeding regimens, flavors change, too. Cattlemen and processors want to understand what they are offering consumers and to understand what consumers want,” said Chambers, a university distinguished professor.
Sensory evaluation of beef includes such attributes as texture, flavor and aroma. The sensory team includes Delores Chambers, professor and director of the Sensory Analysis Center; Koushik Adhikari, associate professor; and Marianne Swaney-Stueve, research assistant professor and manager of the Sensory and Consumer Research Center at K-State–Olathe. They will conduct the training with a faculty member from Texas A&M University, the collaborator on the project.
Chambers expects up to 30 attendees, most of them from North America. They will return to their institutions or companies to train their sensory panels, he said.
The College of Human Ecology Sensory Analysis Center on the Manhattan campus provides testing services to companies worldwide and maintains satellite centers in Olathe and in Bangkok, Thailand. It offers a master of science and a doctorate program in sensory analysis through the department of human nutrition.
Food Safety Crisis Management: The First 48 Hours
In the event of a food safety crisis, the actions taken in the first few days can make the difference between the affected farm or industry surviving the incident and its demise. A food-safety crisis can face any food industry, at any time. Natural disasters, product tampering or poor harvest practices can all start a chain of events leading to the crisis. Ultimately, when operations fail, and people get sick, a crisis begins. According to Michigan State University Extension, good crisis management depends on three well-executed principles.
When an outbreak occurs, the farm or industry implicated needs to communicate that it has measures in place to address the risks. A crisis should not be a surprise. A well-written food safety manual detailing risks and risk reduction procedures is the roadmap to ensure you are doing all you can. Without a food-safety manual, at best, you’ll be committing random acts of food safety and, at worst, you’ll be making people sick.
For more information and the full release, click here.
O.D. Butler Field Day Scheduled May 17 at Camp Cooley Ranch
The 27th annual O.D. Butler Field Day scheduled May 17 at Camp Cooley Ranch will feature the latest weed-control technologies, plus strategies on buying and selling cattle during fluctuating market conditions.
The ranch is located at 4297 Camp Cooley Ranch Road in Franklin, Texas.
This year’s forage field day will be highlighted by demonstrations on the Boar Buster Corral by Jason Gaskamp of the Noble Foundation, said Dustin Coufal, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Brazos County.
“We will also feature youpon control under trees by Barron Rector, AgriLife Extension range specialist, and controlling grass burrs by Paul Baumann, AgriLife Extension state weed specialist, both from College Station,” explained Coufal.
Registration is $25 and RSVP is requested by calling 979-823-0129. The fee includes lunch and materials. The program begins at 9 a.m.
“We think we have topics that are of interest to forage producers in the Brazos Valley,” Coufal said. “The presentations we have scheduled should give producers many things to consider and apply to their own operations.”
Three continuing education units will be awarded to licensed Texas Department of Agriculture private, commercial and non-commercial pesticide applicators.
For more information, see the full release in the Angus Journal Virtual Library Calendar of Upcoming Events.
Next Generation Agricultural Conferences Scheduled for Bryan, Abilene, Texas
Who will feed the growing U.S. population in the next 50 years? As the current generation of farmers and ranchers ages, the next generation must take over, according to organizers of two agricultural conferences scheduled for Bryan, Texas, and Abilene, Texas.
Capital Farm Credit and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be hosting two conferences designed to help the next generation of producers transition into the business or to help current farmers and ranchers expand their operations.The 2013 Next Generation Agricultural Conferences, scheduled May 23-24 at the Brazos Expo Center in Bryan and July 18-19 at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, are designed to provide production and financial management tools to farmers and ranchers.
“The main topics that will be covered include farm financial management, agricultural economic forecasts, general agriculture, [and] farm planning and budgeting,” said Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in College Station and one of the presenters. “Keeping up with the latest operational strategies and available credit and risk management practices are the key to the most successful large and small operations. These conferences will assist with providing information that can be incorporated into their operations, making them more profitable.”
Cleere said the first day of the workshop will feature presentations on analyzing the performance of an operation, potential to expand an operation, purchasing or leasing equipment, operation diversity, and farm and ranch success stories.
“The second day will focus on the ag economy in the southern region and where we are heading,” he said. “Then the program will transition into developing a marketing plan for the farm and ranch, protecting your operation from volatile commodity markets and weather, new tax and estate laws, as well as programs on hay value, marketing and rebuilding the cow herd.”
For more information, see the full release in the Angus Journal Virtual Library Calendar of Upcoming Events.
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