News Update
June 20, 2013
Angus Breeders and Partners Honored by the Beef Improvement Federation
The American Angus Association is pleased to announce that long-time member Bradley 3 Ranch, Memphis, Texas, was recently named the 2013 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Seedstock Producer of the Year; and Darnall Ranch, Harrisburg, Neb., was selected as the 2013 BIF Commercial Producer of the Year. Awards were presented during the 45th annual BIF Research Symposium and Meeting in Oklahoma City.
Bradley 3 Ranch was started in 1955 with the purchase of 20 registered-Angus cows. Today, the herd is one of the few Angus herds in the country that has maintained more than 200 registered-Angus cows for more than 50 years. Located in the southeast part of the Texas Panhandle, much of the ranch is rough with canyons, draws, mesquite and cedar trees. Bradley 3 Ranch is currently home to 400 registered Angus cows, and managed by Mary Lou Bradley-Henderson, Minnie Lou Bradley and James Henderson.
Darnall Ranch Inc., managed by Gary and Lane Darnall, is a family-owned cow-calf operation, feedlot and farm located in the panhandle of Nebraska, 30 miles southeast of Scottsbluff, Neb. The 124-year-old family ranch now includes some 7th-generation youngsters helping out with 1,700 commercial Angus cows and the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand partner feedlot. Today, the cow herd consists of 1,700 commercial Angus females, which produce 300-400 replacement heifers annually. Bulls are developed using expected progeny differences (EPDs), genomics and the GrowSafe system.
For more news and information from the 2013 BIF conference, visit www.bifconference.com.
Order 2014 Angus Black Books By Aug. 1
Searching for a hassle-free way to keep cow herd records? The American Angus Association offers producers the pocket-sized Beef Record Service (BRS)/AngusSource® Genetic black book, complete with a calendar and plenty of space to keep management records. Those interested in ordering customized books are encouraged to do so by
Aug. 1.
“The black books are always a useful tool for our cattle producers,” says Ginette Kurtz, AngusSource Genetic quality manager. “They have space for all the pertinent management records and calving dates that you would need for your herd.”
Angus Black Books feature space for health notes, nutrition records, pasture information and artificial insemination (AI) breeding records. It also provides a gestation table and the codes required to enter records into the AAA Login system.
The 2014 books are available in any quantity for $3 each, and can be customized free of charge with purchases of 100 or more. Standard orders feature the Association’s logo. Customized orders may include the operation’s logo and contact information foil-stamped onto the back cover.
Custom orders must be placed by Aug. 1, and books will be shipped by Oct. 15. To place orders, contact the AngusSource Genetic department at 816-383-5100 or blackbooks@angus.org.
Legislation to Repeal Death Tax Introduced in Congress
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013, introduced in Congress today by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas). The legislation seeks to abolish the estate tax, which is one of the leading causes of the breakup of multi-generation family farms and ranches.
During a press conference today on Capitol Hill, both Thune and Brady stated it was time for the estate tax to be repealed. As it currently stands, the estate tax exemption level remains at $5 million ($10 million per couple). Unfortunately, the top tax rate on the value of the estate over the exemption level increased from 35% to 40% as part of the “fiscal cliff” negotiations which took place at the beginning of 2013.
Thune and Brady were joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), along with Reps. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and Kristi Noem (R-S.D.).
Steve Foglesong, owner of Black Gold Ranch in Astoria, Ill., and past president of NCBA, said that the estate tax is a prime example of bad tax policy and is essentially a death warrant for small- to medium-sized family businesses.
“NCBA continues to fight for full and permanent repeal of the estate tax, and we strongly support the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013,” Foglesong said. “America’s farm and ranch families should not be forced to sell off land, farm equipment, parts of the operation or the entire ranch to pay off tax liabilities and attorney fees.”
Foglesong added that many farm and ranch families are asset-rich and cash-poor, with most of the value of their estate attributed to the value of the land they use to grow food and fiber for consumers around the world. According to the USDA, the average price per acre of farmland in Illinois is $6,700, a 17.5% increase from 2011-2012. Increased demand for farmland has driven up the value per acre in many states, causing many farmers and ranchers to be caught up in the costly estate-tax web.
The Agricultural Business Council Honors Achievements Of Two Agricultural Leaders
The 2013 Award for Agricultural Leadership and Excellence, named in honor of the late Jay B. Dillingham, was awarded to Harry Cleberg, Farmland Industries (retired) and Tom Waters, Missouri Levee & Drainage District Association for outstanding contributions to agricultural and civic related businesses, by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.
The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City wishes to continue to honor those who faithfully continue the late Jay B. Dillingham’s work of agricultural advocacy, and are proud of this year’s contributions to local agribusiness.
RFD-TV News Director, Mark Oppold emceed the event, and introduced John Dillingham, son of the late Jay B. Dillingham, who gave a brief history of his background with both honorees and his father’s legacy. Dan Cassidy, Missouri Farm Bureau, then introduced the first honoree Tom Waters. The Council’s second honoree was introduced by Gina Bowman, CVR Energy, and Pete Levi, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. The awards were presented by Council Chairman, Russ Weathers, Agriculture Future of America.
Deep South Stocker Conference Set for Aug. 8-9
The fifth annual Deep South Stocker Conference will be hosted Aug. 8-9, 2013, in Athens and Watkinsville, Ga. This conference is a joint effort between the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.
This year's conference will be a two-day event with live animal demonstrations and hands-on opportunities on Thursday, Aug. 8, and educational seminars on Friday, Aug. 9. Additionally, this year's conference will be held in conjunction with Georgia Grazing School, for which information can be found at www.georgiaforages.com. This will give producers an opportunity for up to three days of hands-on, demonstration and classroom learning opportunities.
Registration for each event is separate. The Deep South Stocker Conference registration will cost $125/person and will cover all seminars, events, meals, and handouts for the two-day event. Additionally, a trade show will be held in conjunction with the conference to allow stocker operators the opportunity to network with industry professionals and to become aware of products and services that can improve their profitability and product quality.
For more information, visit www.deepsouthstocker.com/ or contact Lawton Stewart, Extension Animal Scientist, 150 Edgar Rhodes Center — ADS, The University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602; 706/542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu.
More information can be found at the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Cape Town, South Africa, to Host 24th Annual IFAMA World Forum and Symposium
The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) announced at its 23rd Annual World Forum and Symposium that Cape Town, South Africa, will host the 2014 event.
More than 60 food and agriculture industry leaders speaking at this year’s World Forum and Symposium focused considerable attention on Africa — specifically the importance of addressing Africa’s food security and agribusiness talent needed to ensure agriculture’s future. Selecting Cape Town as the site for next year’s event will help underscore the importance of addressing these vital needs.
“People feed the world. And as agribusiness leaders, it is our responsibility to develop future generations of talent passionate about creating and implementing solutions that will ensure we can overcome the food security challenges in Africa and around the world,” said Thad Simons, president and CEO, Novus International, and president of IFAMA board of directors.
As part of its ongoing efforts to address industry development and food sustainability in Africa, IFAMA also is excited to welcome the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) to the organization. With its firsthand experience and perspectives, AABS, an association of leading business schools located throughout the African continent, will provide invaluable insights regarding realistic solutions for achieving food security and agribusiness talent development in Africa.
Within the event theme, “The Road to 2050: The Talent Factor” the 23rd Annual IFAMA World Forum and Symposium will focus on how to develop and sustain talent across the diverse value chain of global food production — from smallholder farmers in emerging regions of the world to the sophisticated commercial agriculture practices in mature economies. A who’s who of agriculture will examine the technologies and talent development approaches that have the potential to propel agribusiness towards the achievement of global food security.
More information can be found at the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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