News Update
April 26, 2013
American Angus Auxiliary
Provides Tips to Shine in Cook-Off
The All-American Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) Cook-Off contest is now in its 30th year of providing food, entertainment and an educational experience to junior Angus members. The popular contest at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) not only teaches youth about the CAB product, but also how to communicate beef’s nutritional importance.
Juniors participating in the 2013 NJAS in Kansas City, Mo., should enter their teams into the Cook-Off by the May 15 deadline. To compete, teams of two to six National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members decide on a recipe and prepare it in one of three meat divisions: steak, roast and other beef item. The second portion of the Cook-Off includes a creative skit showcasing CAB.
Sponsored by the American Angus Auxiliary and the NJAA, the focus of the competition is more than a winning team: “It’s about creating a generation of young people who are passionate about the beef industry and equipped to tell their stories,” says Anne Lampe, Cook-Off co-chair.
However, in the spirit of competition, the Auxiliary provides hints for NJAA members to excel on contest day. “Participants always do an excellent job of describing the CAB specifications in their skit,” Lampe says. “The Auxiliary challenges the teams to go further and explain why the specifications qualify the CAB brand as better than ordinary beef.”
The CAB website hosts several different information sources and ideas to prepare for the Cook-Off, including the carcass specifications, various cuts and cooking methods, degrees of doneness, and recipes and marinade ideas.
For more information and the full release, click here.
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
Issues Statement on Passage of SB 2211
The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) is pleased that the 63rd North Dakota Legislative Assembly passed SB 2211, the humane treatment of animals bill. SB 2211 is a comprehensive rewrite of existing animal-treatment laws. It builds on time-honored language by 1) defining neglect, abandonment, abuse and cruelty; 2) enumerating appropriate exemptions to distinguish legitimate acts from acts of mistreatment; 3) providing an array of penalties to match the punishment to the severity of the crime; and 4) clarifying the roles of those who must respond to animal mistreatment cases.
“This was a long, arduous process, with many twists and turns, but the NDSA remained steadfast in its resolve to produce legislation that protects all animals and the hard-working livestock producers of North Dakota. That’s what our members called upon us to do, and it is what we promised North Dakota voters throughout the Measure 5 debate,” said NDSA President Jason Zahn, a rancher from Towner, N.D.
The NDSA extends a special thank you to Sen. Tim Flakoll, the prime sponsor of the bill; the agriculture committees of both chambers; and fellow members of the North Dakotans for Responsible Animal Care coalition that worked so hard on the bill to protect animals and animal agriculture.
MU Thompson Farm Board Hears Updates
on Beef AI Studies, Pastures, Field Day Plans
New research at the MU Thompson Farm beef herd in Grundy County was discussed by the advisory board, Tuesday, April 23.
Also, planning for a Sept. 17 field day started. The farmer advisory board listed field day topics they want to hear.
David Patterson, University of Missouri (MU) Extension beef specialist, told of current research. New timed-AI protocols show promise of boosting conception rates, producing more calves early in the season.
The MU beef team is studying records accumulated on heifers during the past 15 years. “We’ve collected a wealth of data on heifers in the Show-Me-Select program and from research here at the farm,” Patterson said. That information is in a new searchable database.
The record system will also be used in a new program, “Quality Beef by the Numbers.”
Most of the farm research and extension work involves reproduction in beef heifers. Database searches also reveal performance differences among bulls used. “The AI (artificial insemination) companies are very interested in this information,” Patterson added.
Rod Geisert, farm superintendent, praised the work of the farm crew that manages and works the herd. Patterson said, “We couldn’t do our work without them, and we could not do research without the farm and cow herd.”
The staff includes Jon Schreffler, manager; Stoney Coffman, herd manager; and Dennis Hamilton, farmworker.
Geisert said the annual field day would return to emphasizing beef reproduction research at the farm. “Last year, we scrambled to change the program to report ways to manage beef herds in extreme drought,” he said. Board member Jim Brinkley, Milan, Mo., asked that the field day include a report on the Quality Beef program and more on what the bull research shows.
For more information and the full release, click here.
ABS Announces Annual Photo Contest
ABS Global Inc. announces the 2013 photo contest, open to all photographers. ABS is searching for outstanding photos to use in promotional items, included but not limited to the yearly calendar, posters, brochures and the company website.
Participants are asked to submit no more than five photos each, while 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, 2013. Photos should be a high resolution (at least 300 dpi or 3200 × 2400 pixels) JPEG image and 8 inches (in.) × 10 in. 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 and products. ABS merchandise will be awarded to the top entries, which will be announced by June 30, 2013.
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 by clicking here. Questions? Feel free to contact ABS Global Inc. at 1-800-227-7883.
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Expand
Opportunities for the Next Generation of Farmers
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) announced the introduction of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013 in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The two identical bills expand opportunities and remove barriers for beginning farmers and those who wish to pursue a career in agriculture.
In addition to the bill’s lead sponsors, the following members have signed on as original co-sponsors: Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) in the House, and Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tom Udall (D-N.M,), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) in the Senate.
The bill reduces barriers, such as credit and land-access issues, that new agriculture entrepreneurs face, and invests in successful new-farmer training programs and grants to help farmers capture more of the retail food dollar through value-added enterprises.
“We applaud Senator Harkin and Representative Walz and their co-sponsors for reintroducing this legislation and for championing the needs of beginning farmers as Congress heads into another Farm Bill,” says Juli Obudzinski, policy associate with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. “The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act helps new farmers get started in agriculture, and invests in programs that have a proven track record of equipping farmers with the tools and skills they need to be successful in their farming career.”
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act is a comprehensive legislative package that invests in critical federal conservation, credit, research and rural development programs that support opportunities for new farmers and ranchers. The bill was originally introduced in the previous Congress, and gained the support of 37 members in the House and Senate who signed on to co-sponsor the bill. In addition to NSAC, more than 170 organizations officially endorsed the bill, including the National Farmers Union, National Association of Counties, Organic Valley, and the Farmer-Veteran Coalition.
For more information and the full release, click here.
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