News Update
April 22, 2014
Angus Juniors ‘Raise the Bar’
at Texas Tech
Angus juniors have the opportunity to travel the country with the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), and learn from knowledgeable personnel in the cattle business. Most recently, NJAA members met April 10-13 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, to participate in a Raising the Bar conference.
“The Raising the Bar conferences allow Angus juniors to interact outside of the showring and learn about more in-depth beef industry issues,” says Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association director of junior activities. “These opportunities give them a chance to expand their knowledge outside of the everyday classroom.”
The conference hosted 31 Angus junior leaders, officers and advisors from 11 state junior Angus associations. Participants toured Texas Tech and area Angus operations, heard from industry experts, took part in leadership-training workshops and spent an evening bowling on campus.
The group also made stops at the historic Matador Ranch and the Ranching Heritage Museum, allowing participants to view several authentic exhibits depicting U.S. history of farming and ranching.
On the Texas Tech campus, juniors met with agricultural professor Sara Trojan about ruminant nutrition; Markus Miller on carcass and grade beef evaluation; Chance Brooks on sensory factors for consumer beef satisfaction; and Ryan Rathmann on using genetic tools for selection. Rathmann also gave an ultrasound demonstration.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Rocosa Ridge Ranch Honored with Outstanding
Rangeland Stewardship Award
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) awarded Rocosa Ridge Ranch the 2013 Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award April 6 at the 137th annual Cattle Raisers Convention. The award is the highest stewardship honor from TSCRA and the Texas Section, Society for Range Management (TSSRM).
The Rocosa Ridge Ranch is owned by Bruce Berg from Meridian.
“Bruce is a modern-day rancher. His career moved him from Missouri to Texas, and his love for the land and ranching has led him to work to revitalize damaged land,” said Pete Bonds, rancher and TSCRA president.
Although Berg works in Dallas, he spends a great deal of time rejuvenating the land on the Rocosa Ridge Ranch.
“He has a proven willingness to learn the lessons of land stewardship and successfully apply those lessons to damaged lands,” said Bonds. “He provides a positive voice for ranching to urban populations who might never hear a good word about beef production and land stewardship.”
Berg manages his land to provide quality cattle grazing and habitat for thriving wildlife populations, while continuing to enhance rangeland resources.
“Berg continues to operate Rocosa Ridge as an example of a sustainable working ranch,” said Bonds. “Many urban and rural neighbors and rangeland professionals have benefited from his willingness to share knowledge and resources. We’re proud to have him as a member and congratulate him on his award.”
The TSSRM/TSCRA Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award was created to honor ranchers and landowners who are expending remarkable efforts to improve and manage range and pasturelands and the resources, livestock and wildlife the lands support.
The Rocosa Ridge Ranch will now compete for the regional stewardship award sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Dow AgriSciences and USDA’s NRCS.
MU Meat Study Looks at How Value Cuts Affect Ground Chuck
Removing value-added cuts of beef from the chuck increases profits for producers while offering consumers lower-cost, high-quality steaks. The meat that is left over is usually sold as ground chuck. Does removing those value cuts affect the quality of the ground beef?
Claire Ohman, a meat science graduate research assistant at the University of Missouri (MU), looked at the overall color and odor stability of ground chuck when value cuts like the flat iron and Denver cut were removed.
“We processed 24 beef steers over five months, isolating the left and right chucks,” Ohman says. Value cuts were removed from each animal’s left chuck while the right chucks were processed in a traditional style.
The two blends of ground chuck were made into patties and then analyzed for color stability and odor.
“When consumers go to the retail case to purchase meat, the biggest factor in their decision is the color of the meat,” says Carol Lorenzen, professor of meat science in MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “So this project looked at not only changes in overall color, but also changes in the percent of discoloration over a seven-day storage period.”
They found no differences in the color or odor profiles of ground chuck with and without the value cuts.
“This shows that we are maintaining quality ground chuck while improving consumer choice,” Ohman says. “Consumers are able to purchase these new cuts at a lower price per pound than many of the steaks and roasts that have historically been on the market.”
Funding for this research was provided by the beef checkoff program through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Denton County Spring Pasture Weed Workshop Set May 10
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Denton County and the Denton County Extension agriculture committee will host a spring pasture weed identification and control workshop from 9 a.m. to noon May 10 at the Sanger High School Cafeteria, 100 Indian Lane, Sanger.
James Locke, soils and crops consultant with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Okla., will discuss fertilization, soil management, controlling weeds during a drought and herbicide options in improved and native grasses, said Brandon Boughen, AgriLife Extension agent for Denton County.
“We will also have Jack LeClair, DuPont range and pasture field representative from Saint Jo, give a grass and forb identification walk,” Boughen said.
Registration will be $15, payable the day of the event. Checks should be made out to “Ag Demo Fund.” Preregistration is required by May 7 by calling Boughen at 940-349-2889 or Pamela Hill at 940-349-2894. For more information, visit http://denton.agrilife.org/ .
“When trying to raise livestock, we really have to become forage producers before we become livestock producers,” Boughen said. “The drought results in not only moisture issues, but different undesirable plants that may not be a concern under normal rainfall conditions. Because of this, our management style must adapt to changing weather systems and having a fundamental understanding of forage and soil management is extremely helpful.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
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