News Update
April 30, 2014
USDA Announces Additional Support
for Small and Midsized Farmers
and Ranchers
April 29, 2014, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional support and resources for America’s small and midsized farmers and ranchers. The announcement includes $7 million in university research awards in support of small and midsized producers; $8.8 million in technical assistance for small, socially disadvantaged producers and Rural Cooperative Centers; and a marketing certification program for small and very small grass-fed beef producers. This is the second major USDA package this year in support of small and midsized producers. The first package included efforts to increase access to capital, provide better risk-management tools, expand marketing opportunities, and offer food-safety training and educational resources specific to America’s small and midsize producers.
“Small and midsized producers are a vital part of America’s agricultural future, and we are dedicated to ensuring their success,” said Vilsack. “The programs and opportunities announced today are part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that smaller farmers and ranchers get access to the resources they need to thrive. USDA is continually reviewing our resources, programs and policies to make sure we are working for producers of all sizes.
More information about USDA tools and resources available to small and midsized farmers, including information about this announcement, is available on USDA’s Small and Mid-Sized Farmer Resources webpage.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Georgia Junior Angus Association Highlights
The Georgia Junior Angus Association (GJAA) is great way to get kids ages nine to 21 involved in the Angus breed. Junior members are exposed to a host of opportunities to grow, engage and learn. Members receive Cow Chips, Georgia Angus Association’s (GAA) bimonthly newsletter complete with industry news, awards, upcoming events and its own junior section. Junior members attend meetings, events and activities designed to inform, motivate and associate juniors with other junior members throughout the state and country. GAA pays extra premiums to champion Angus exhibitors if they are junior Angus members. Members are eligible for scholarships like the GJAA Herdsman Award and leadership positions on the GJAA Board of Directors.
There are several upcoming events throughout the summer in which GJAA members can participate. GJAA is offering two $500 scholarships; application deadline is May 20. GJAA is hosting numerous contests during the Southern National Angus Show. Contests include photography, poster, writing and quiz bowl — deadline is May 20. Summer is the season for national shows, as well. Don’t forget about the National Junior Angus Show, Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show, the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference and Georgia’s own Southern National Angus Show. Find out more information on events, contests and how to become a member of the GJAA at www.georgiaangus.org.
K-State to Host International Food
Security Symposium in 2015
The agricultural and food industry is gearing up to prepare for the challenge of feeding a growing world population.
Kansas State University (K-State) will host the 2015 International Grain Quality and Food Security Conference Aug. 3-6, 2015. The opportunity to host the conference is exciting because of the vision, mission and goals of K-State’s global food initiative, said Dirk Maier, Department of Grain Science and Industry head.
Participants and presenters will include scientists, engineers, economists and professionals from all aspects of the agricultural and food industry. Individuals including producers, researchers, suppliers, grain inspection services and more will attend and learn how to prepare for the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050.
“The goal of the conference is to provide a global symposium on the technical, scientific and economic opportunities and challenges involved in global grain-based food, feed, fiber and fuel supply chains to assure food security through physical and economic access,” says Kingsly Ambrose, assistant professor in grain science.
Discussions will center around the current research-based knowledge on all things related to the agricultural and food industry. Topics include characterization of quality and safety attributes of cereals, oilseeds, and bioprocess coproducts; developing efficient operating and management systems; and quantifying and disseminating the impact of market-chain technologies on providing high value, food-safe, and biosecure grains for global markets and bioprocess industries.
“There will be defined discussion on efficient operating and management systems,” Ambrose says. “This also will be a venue for networking among professionals and will provide an opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students to interact and learn from industry and academic professionals.”
For further information on the conference, contact Ambrose at the Department of Grain Science and Industry by email at kingsly@ksu.edu or by phone at 785-532-4091. The conference is in collaboration with the NC-213 U.S. Quality Grain Research Consortium.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Canadian Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef Partner on Canada’s First Carcass Course
Canada’s first training program for beef producers focused on producing high-quality beef from breeding through processing, Carcass 101, will be hosted June 18-19 in Olds, Alta. The course is hosted by the Canadian Angus Association (CAA) and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).
“We are thrilled to offer this innovative course to Canadian cattle producers,” says CAA CEO Rob Smith. “It is the first event of its kind in Canada, offering cattle producers the chance to tie together all of the breed development tools and genomic information that they have access to, giving them a unique opportunity to evaluate and really think about the quality of the carcasses that they are creating.”
Carcass 101 takes place at Olds College, making use of the school’s recently upgraded meat lab facility that includes a state-of-the art meat laboratory and innovative processing equipment.
The agenda for the two-day course includes live cattle evaluation, identification of the parts and value of the beef cattle carcass, global differences in carcass utilization, a cutting demonstration and utilization of carcass data, as well as discussions of genetics, genomic testing and opportunities for market growth.
“Carcass 101 is a comprehensive training program focused on producing high-quality beef, from breeding through processing. CAA and CAB will bring together all sectors of the beef industry to enhance open communication, knowledge transfer and, ultimately, produce a consistent and advantageous beef product,” adds Smith.
The event includes an industry dinner on Wednesday evening. Industry representatives will be attending to network and mingle with Carcass 101 students. For the full agenda and registration information, visit www.cdnangus.ca.
Nebraska State of Beef Conference Planned for November
“Rebuilding the Cow Herd” is the theme of the inaugural Nebraska State of Beef Conference, scheduled for Nov. 4 and 5 at the North Platte Sandhills Convention Center.
Organizers hope State of Beef will be the first in a series of conferences hosted every other year in Nebraska. It would fall on alternating years with a regional beef conference, the Range Beef Cow Symposium, which is held in odd-numbered years and alternating between Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado.
The State of Beef conference will focus on making good use of the resources that have moved Nebraska to the forefront of the nation’s cattle industry, as well as technology that shows promise for the future, according to one of the conference planners Karla Jenkins, cow-calf-range management specialist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff.
Information and updates about the State of Beef Conference are available online at https://panhandle.unl.edu/state-of-beef-conference. A link at the site will put potential vendors and sponsors in touch with the information they need. A registration form can be downloaded from the website, filled out and mailed with registration fee.
The agenda for this November’s initial State of Beef conference will highlight several technologies that could have an impact on beef production.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Angus Champions Paraded at 2014 Western
National Angus Futurity
One hundred and thirty-five entries were shown at the 2014 Western National Angus Futurity (WNAF) Super Point Roll-of-Victory (ROV) Angus Show, April 19 in Reno, Nev. The futurity was dedicated to Wendy Hall, Arroyo Grande, Calif. Scott Schaake, Manhattan, Kan., evaluated the 105 females, 28 bulls and two cow-calf pairs before selecting champions.
Sydney Schnoor, Chowchilla, Calif., exhibited the grand champion female, EXAR Winnie 5291. The September 2011 daughter of Dameron First Class first won senior champion.
EXAR Envious Blackbird 2611 captured reserve grand champion female for Schnoor. The January 2012 daughter of Dameron First Class earlier won junior champion.
Silveira’s S Sis GQ 2353 claimed the grand champion bull title. Silveira Bros., Firebaugh, Calif., and Schnoor own the April 2012 son of Silveira’s Style 9303 that first topped the junior division.
Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Okla., owns the reserve grand champion bull that first won senior calf champion. EXAR First Advance 5702B is the September 2012 son of Dameron First Class.
Complete show coverage will be the June Angus Journal.
For more information please view full show coverage here.
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