News Update
June 24, 2013
Angus Producers Attend 2013 Beef Leaders Institute
Angus breeders from across the Unites States and Canada gained knowledge and enhanced their leadership skills during the sixth-annual Beef Leaders Institute (BLI), hosted June 17-20 by the American Angus Association.
While on the four-day institute, 20 young cattle producers toured packing plants, feedlots and other industry segments. The learning opportunity is designed to give applicants, ages 25-45, a chance to meet with Association staff and industry representatives while networking with their peers in the Angus industry.
“BLI is a great opportunity for Angus producers who are wanting to enhance their leadership skills, learn more about the beef industry and meet new people,” says Bryce Schumann, Association CEO. “We enjoyed hosting them on this premier educational experience.”
The BLI tour began at the Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. Following presentations from Angus Genetics Inc., Angus Productions Inc., Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Foundation, the group traveled to Iowa and Nebraska for several in-depth tours. Their stops included a Tyson beef processing plant, a Whole Foods grocery store, food distributor Sysco, the GeneSeek genetics lab and a Cargill Meat Solutions deli-meat processing plant.
Participant Andrew Stewart, Greensburg, Ind., says this experience was exciting to him because of the new relationships he built with classmates.
“One thing I wanted to do is just learn more about the whole process and what the industry is trying to focus on or what the consumer wants,” Stewart says. “That’s what we’re all really here for is to try and make a product that is desirable for the consumer and one that’s hopefully profitable for all of our ranchers, packers and feedlots as well.”
For more information on BLI and a list of participants, please view the full release here.
Angus Represented at Elite Beef Industry Conference
Kurt Kangas, regional manager for the American Angus Association, and Cortney Hill-Dukehart Cates, current American Angus Auxiliary president, were among more than 50 young cattlemen selected to participate in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) 34th Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). Kangas was sponsored by the American Angus Association, and the Angus Foundation sponsored Cates. The YCC program is a comprehensive, nationwide tour of beef industry sectors, created to enhance leadership skills in your beef industry professionals.
“YCC is a prestigious and competitive program designed to foster the future leadership of our industry,” said Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO. “The participants selected to attend YCC were chosen because of their exceptional contributions to the beef industry and their potential to be a strong voice in our future development.”
Responsible for the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, Kangas travels extensively in the West to help keep producers and consumers informed about the Angus breed and the programs the Association offers; as well as promoting beef in general. Prior to joining the American Angus Association, he spent 12 years at Basin Angus Ranch in Hobson, Mont. Kangas graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Range Science.
Cates is a graduate of Towson University in Maryland with a degree in secondary education. She taught social studies at Glenelg High School for three years before marrying Tyler Cates and moving to Modoc, Ind. A former Miss American Angus, Cates and her husband serve as junior advisors for the Indiana Junior Angus Association. She works with her husband at Cates Farms, one of the most dominant Shorthorn herds in the country. They are in the process of expanding their Angus herd, which produced the 2002 bred-and-owned reserve champion at the National Junior Angus Show.
For more information on YCC, please view the full release here.
Short Course to Feature Market Outlook,
Future of the Industry
The 59th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course scheduled Aug. 5-7 at Texas A&M University in College Station will provide participants an inside look at the future of the industry, as well as a snapshot of potential cattle market trends, course coordinators said.
“Our U.S. cattle inventory is at levels not seen since the 1950s and we have several topics during the Aug. 5 general session that addresses trends and issues such as market outlook and infrastructure changes,” said Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in College Station and conference coordinator.
Don Close, vice president for food and agriculture research with Rabobank, will be one of the keynote speakers during the afternoon general session Aug. 5.
“Close will give an overview of the beef cattle inventory in the U.S. and provide some analysis on beef exports, and how these factors will affect the overall market,” Cleere said.
Also to be discussed during the general session will be a cattle market outlook, how the cattle industry will look over the next 10 years, and infrastructure changes that have occurred and may occur because of reduced cow numbers.
The cattleman’s college portion provides participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on their level of production experience and the needs of their ranch, Cleere said.
“The goal of the short course each year is to provide the most cutting-edge information that is needed by beef cattle producers. We think we have information for everyone to take home and apply to their operations.”
For more information, please view the full release here. More information can be found at the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
A Bray Keeps Predators Away
There’s a new guard dog in town, and it’s more likely to bray than bark.
A growing number of sheep and goat farmers are using donkeys to keep predators at bay, says Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, small-ruminant specialist at Lincoln University Cooperative Extension in Jefferson City.
Clifford-Rathert is studying the effectiveness of donkeys in guarding goat and sheep herds from coyotes, bobcats, dogs and other predators.
Donkeys have an inherent dislike for dogs and other canines. When they suspect a predator, they perk up their ears, sound a warning with loud braying and charge. If the intruder comes too close, the donkey will stand upright and stomp at or on the predator, which can injure or at least discourage it.
Young donkeys introduced to a herd of sheep or goats will bond with the animals and stay close while grazing and sleeping.
Many sheep and goat producers choose guard donkeys over traditional herd dogs like the Great Pyrenees because donkeys are inexpensive, low-maintenance and don’t need extensive training. They require little care beyond routine shots, treatments for parasites and trimming of hooves. They eat the same feed as the herds they guard.
Donkeys work best when introduced to the herd at one year of age or younger. To introduce a donkey to the herd, put it in a pasture next to the herd to allow it to see the herd and “visit” across the fence in a neighborly fashion for several weeks.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.