News Update
March 13, 2014
Who Wouldn’t Want Sustainable Beef?
Sustainability means different things to different people.
“If we’re not sustainable in what we do, we’re out of business,” said Nebraska cattleman Bill Rishel. “Many of us in the cattle business grew up thinking of sustainability as making enough money to keep ranching the next year. Of course that meant we had to care for our natural resources and manage them in a responsible way.
“That’s not as obvious to today’s consumer,” he said, “so we need to be part of this movement to redefine the concept.”
To some, it’s about increasing efficiency, to others it centers on land management. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) did an assessment on the topic, and issued a comprehensive report last year.
“We define sustainability as balancing environmental responsibility, economic opportunity and social diligence,” said NCBA’s Kim Stackhouse-Lawson. “To the producers at home, this is really about continuing to leave ranches from generation to generation, improving their livelihoods and contributing and providing for local communities.”
Still, it’s hard to reconcile the way each industry segment defines the buzzword and its perception for consumers.
At the recent Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn., a McDonalds Corp. vice president said that’s why his company helped start the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB).
“If we don’t invest in sustainability, we’re not going to have all the customers we want in the future,” Bob Langert said. “We know what we’re good at, and we know what we’re not good at. What we’re good at is running restaurants, but we need to rely upon beef ranchers, processors, the industry to figure out what sustainability means.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
K-State Beef Cattle Research Information Available Online
A competitive edge when managing a beef cattle herd is always important, but never more so than this year with a historically small number of cattle on U.S. farms and ranches and accompanying lofty beef and cattle prices.
Producers interested in the latest Kansas State University (K-State) beef cattle research, including management, nutrition, reproduction, and meat and food safety studies, can now access a new publication online: Cattlemen’s Day 2014 (www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/SRP1101.pdf).
Presentations on some of the research projects included were featured at K-State’s Cattlemen’s Day, held March 7 in Manhattan.
Forage Quality Starts with the Planning Process,
Not the Finished Product
Ask yourself the same question about what can be done to improve the quality of forages from your operation. The answer isn’t an either/or answer, but an overall attitude about the jobs that are done each and every day. For those producers that excel, the difference is the ability to pay attention to detail.
Paying attention to the details is essential in every part of the process to have the potential for high-quality forages. It starts with good planning and follow-through for all phases of production. Stand establishment, good soil fertility, harvesting at the right time, correct storing of forage and proper feedout all need attention to detail. If poor planning and follow-through occurs at any of the stages, the result is often poor quality forage. Once the window of opportunity is passed, you can’t go back and change the outcome.
For more information, please view the letter here.
Young Farmers Remain Concerned About Land Availability
Securing adequate land to grow crops and raise livestock was the top challenge identified again this year in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual outlook survey of participants in the Young Farmers & Ranchers program. That challenge was identified by 22% of respondents, followed by economic challenges, particularly profitability, which was identified by 15% of the respondents.
“For young people today, securing adequate land to begin farming or expand an established farm or ranch is a major challenge,” said Jake Carter, AFBF’s national YF&R Committee chair and a farmer from Georgia. “Another major challenge is figuring out how to excel — not just survive — in today’s economy,” he said.
For more information, please view the full article in the March Angus Beef Bulletin, released next Thursday, March 20. Subscribe here.
Culberson County, Texas, Sets Ag Expo for March 21
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Culberson County will conduct the Culberson County Ag Expo beginning at 9 a.m. March 21.
“We’ll start the day’s activities at the Van Horn Convention Center located at 1801 West Broadway,” said Lainie Koch, AgriLife Extension agent in Culberson County. “Once we wrap up in town, we’ll travel to the Jobe Ranch east of Van Horn for the remainder of the program.”
Individual registration is $10 with an RSVP required by March 19 for an accurate lunch count. RSVP to the AgriLife Extension office in Culberson County by calling 432-283-8440.
The morning speakers and their topics will include Tiffany Dowell, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist at College Station, who will present Agriculture Law — What Landowners Need to Know; and Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist at Fort Stockton, who will talk on Soils and Hydrogeology near Kent.
Activities at the Jobe Ranch will include a tour hosted by Brooks Jobe, followed by a sponsored meal.
“After lunch, Dr. Bruce Carpenter, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Fort Stockton, will complete our program with a live low-stress cattle handling demonstration at the Jobe Ranch headquarters,” Koch said.
Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered.
For more information contact Koch at 432-283-8440, jekoch@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Ohio School to Teach Hay Fertility, Cutting Techniques
Drought conditions in some Western states and higher overall demand for hay exports will likely result in stronger markets for hay this year, industry experts say.
So producers may want to attend a daylong course to ensure they are aware of the most up-to-date techniques for quality hay production this season, according to a forage expert with the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Producers can take advantage of a hay production school April 16 designed to help them learn techniques including best fertility practices and general hay management guidelines, said David Marrison, an OSU Extension educator.
In addition to classroom experience, participants will also take part in a hay field diagnostic walk at Honkonen Farm south of Jefferson, he said.
The program is from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 39 Wall St. in Jefferson, Ohio. Registration for the workshop is $20 and includes the program, handouts and lunch. Checks should be made payable to OSU Extension and mailed to OSU Extension, 39 Wall St., Jefferson, OH 44047.
The deadline to register is April 7. For more information about the event, including registration, contact Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu or 440-576-9008, ext. 106.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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