News Update
October 10, 2013
CAB Internship, Scholarship
Deadlines Noted
College sophomores or juniors who understand the cattle business and have a passion for effective writing could be the next interns with the world’s leading beef brand.
Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) offers paid positions for those who will be juniors or seniors during the internships from next summer into spring 2015. Students with a strong writing background majoring in agricultural journalism or animal science/communications may apply for the 10- to 12-week summer position or part-time school terms.
Specific dates will be determined to coincide with academic semesters and all internships are available for college credit. The fall position may be offered as renewable through spring but depending on applicants, a separate spring internship may be offered. Interns can work from home or from the CAB Supply Development office at 1107 Hylton Heights, in Manhattan, Kan.
Applications are due by Nov. 25, for the summer 2014 and/or school-year 2014-2015 positions. Apply online at http://corporate.certifiedangusbeef.com/recruiting by submitting a brief cover letter, résumé and three writing samples. For more information contact Miranda Reiman, CAB assistant director of industry information, at 308-784-2294 or mreiman@certifiedangusbeef.com. CAB’s Colvin Scholarship Fund will award six or more scholarships in 2014 totaling at least $20,000. The funds will be split among five undergraduate scholarships — in the amounts of $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 — and a $5,000 graduate-level scholarship.
College juniors and seniors who have shown commitment to the beef industry, either through coursework or activities, are encouraged to apply by the Dec. 6, deadline. Applications are evaluated on involvement, scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference letters. The graduate-level scholarship will be awarded to a full-time master’s or doctoral student conducting research related to high-quality beef production. Applications for that award are due Jan. 10, 2014.
David Moore Named 2013 Missouri Livestock
Person of the Year
Veterinarian David Moore of Kirksville, Mo., will be honored at the 2013 Missouri Livestock Symposium on Friday, Dec. 6, when he is inducted into the Missouri Livestock Symposium’s Livestock Person of the Year Hall of Fame.
The Missouri Livestock Symposium will be hosted Friday, Dec. 6, from 4 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The symposium features nationally known speakers on beef cattle, forages, sheep, meat goats, stock dogs, around the farm and home topics and more. It also features a free dinner Dec. 6 and a free Governor’s Style Luncheon Dec. 7 at noon. No registration is required to attend and there is no cost to attend. For additional information on the symposium program or trade show, go to www.missourilivestock.com, visit its Facebook page, or call the Adair County Extension Center at 660-665-9866.
For more information on David Moore, please view his biography here.
Prolonged Shutdown is Punishing Family Farmers,
Ranchers and Rural Communities
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives leadership highlighting serious concerns with the impact the prolonged government shutdown is having on family farmers and ranchers.
“Perhaps most disappointing about all of these manufactured crises, exacerbated by the lapsed farm bill, is that solutions are close at hand but Congress chooses not to execute them,” said Johnson.
A recent early blizzard in parts of the Great Plains has had a devastating impact on ranchers. Livestock losses totaling in the tens of thousands of cattle have been reported from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska. Cleanup and recovery from floods in Colorado continue, as well.
“The USDA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are prepared to handle events like these, but the government shutdown, along with the expired farm bill, leaves ranchers without the urgent help they need,” said Johnson. “Both the House and Senate versions of the pending farm bill include a retroactive livestock indemnity provision, which would provide much-needed assistance to ranchers but cannot be accessed because of the legislative stalemate.”
The shutdown has stopped nearly all USDA services, including payments for previously approved commodity marketing loans and the ability for the government to co-sign checks for the sales of crops or livestock from farmers or ranchers with Farm Service Agency loans, crippling commerce in rural communities.
“Family farmers, ranchers and rural communities should not be forced to suffer the consequences of legislative breakdowns and political handwringing in our nation’s capital.”
Research Provides Roadmap for Trust-building Transparency
Today’s consumer is more skeptical than ever before about “big ag” and “big food.” “Who’s producing my food and how are they doing it?” Consumers demand more “transparency,” but what does that mean? Now we know.
The latest consumer research conducted by The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) provides a roadmap for agriculture and the food industry to create trust-building transparency.
“We believe our breakthrough model provides a clear path to effectively address growing public skepticism about today’s food,” said Charlie Arnot, CEO of CFI. “Consumers have been asking for more transparency, but it has not been well defined. This research defines transparency and provides direction for how to use transparency to build trust. Effectively implementing this new model will help companies and organizations build trust with their stakeholders and consumers.”
The research will be unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Chicago during the CFI Food Integrity Summit. In addition to Arnot’s address, the speaker lineup includes Mark Lynas, former anti-GMO activist turned staunch supporter of biotechnology, and “The American Chef,” former White House Chef Walter Scheib.
Farmland Price Tops $14,000 Per Acre in Ohio Auction
A 233-acre farmland auction in Ohio’s Van Wert County on Oct.7 brought $3,275,000, or $14,055 per acre, according to Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co., which marketed the property and conducted the auction.
“We believe this may be a new record for the county, and it certainly shows that Midwestern farmland values continue to be strong,” said Jerry Ehle, sale manager. “We had healthy participation by both farmers and investors, and once bidding opened, it moved quickly past $3 million.
“Our high bidder was an investor from the Netherlands,” he said. R.D. Schrader, president of the auction company, said farmers and investors alike appear to be taking a long-term approach to farmland values. “Most of the people attending our auctions are focused on the enduring value and stable returns provided by farmland. Operators and investors who are buying for the long term don’t worry too much about whether prices are up or down month to month. They are more concerned about location, soils, and other farm-specific factors.”
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