News Update
July 3, 2014
Offices Closed July 4, 2014
The American Angus Association and Angus Journal offices will close today, July 3, at 3 p.m. CST and will be closed Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.
NJAS Next Week
The National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) is July 6-12 in Indianapolis, Ind., at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Indiana Junior Angus Association will sponsor the event, themed “Angus in the Heartland — You gotta love it!”
If you can’t make the trip to Indianapolis, you can still watch the live show online at www.waltonwebcasting.com, or view online show results at www.angus.org. Also check the Association’s Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest show updates.
Visit www.njas.info/ for more information about the NJAS.
Training On Winter Pasture Production set Aug. 12
With the likelihood of a moderately strong El Niño this fall, the prospects for winter pasture are better than they have been in years, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
To help beef and forage producers capitalize on the expected extra moisture, Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton, and his colleague, Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton, will be conducting a training Aug. 12, “Winter Pastures for Central and East Texas.”
El Niño refers to warmer-than-average ocean water temperatures off the Pacific coast of South America, which usually means more moisture to parts of the Southwest and Southeast United States during the late fall and winter, according to climatologists.
For winter pastures, the timing couldn’t be better, Banta said. Improved odds of adequate moisture during critical planting and development stages takes a lot of the risk out of establishing winter pastures.
“Hay prices have remained historically high since 2011, and hay feeding during the winter represents one of the highest annual costs to cow-calf producers,” he said. “Planting winter annual forages can reduce both hay and supplement costs for cow-calf producers.”
The training will be at 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.
Registration for the program is $60 before Aug. 5 and $75 before Aug. 11. Registration includes lunch and program materials. Register online by going to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu or call Extension Conference Services at 979-845-2604, entering “pasture” in the search window.
The program will offer two continuing education units to Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator license holders — one in the integrated pest management category and one in general.
Maps and driving directions to the Overton center can be found by going to http://overton.tamu.edu and clicking on “Center Information” on the left panel.
For more information, call Michelle Sensing at 903-834-6191.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Purdue Website Helps Consumers Safely Store, Cook Beef
Purdue Extension and the Indiana Beef Council have developed a website to help consumers store and cook meat safely — information that’s especially useful during grilling season.
“Know Your Beef” offers tips on how to safely prepare beef, including the importance of refrigerating meat at or below 40° F and how to measure internal temperature while meat is cooking. The site is at www.knowyourbeef.org.
“Although the U.S. meat industry is the safest in the world, it is still up to the consumer to properly handle and prepare meat to avoid illness,” said Jolena Waddell, co-developer of the website and assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences. “Know Your Beef” includes simple safety tips to help keep your family healthy while enjoying a great product.”
“Know Your Beef” also has pages describing the differences between various cuts of beef and how they are made. Readers can view the differences between flat-iron, ribeye, T-bone and porterhouse steak in pictures, read descriptions of each and watch videos of chefs explaining how to cook each cut.
Said Waddell, “Today’s consumer knows steaks and burgers, but their experience with other cuts of beef is becoming limited. We want to increase the awareness and appreciation of beef so that the producers and consumers get the best experience for their money.”
The website offers multiple search functions. Consumers can search by the name of a cut, such as T-bone, or by area of the animal, such as short loin.
For more information, questions or comments about the site, contact Waddell at 765-494-3276.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Farm Science Review to Focus on
New Technologies and Innovation
Information on new agricultural technologies and innovation awaits growers and producers who plan to attend this year’s Farm Science Review Sept. 16-18 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.
Following the theme “Experience the Difference,” the 52nd annual event will showcase the latest technological advances in agriculture, and will give participants the opportunity to learn the latest educational research on how to improve their farm operations’ financial bottom line, said Chuck Gamble, manager of the show, which is sponsored by the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
From providing the most-up-to-date techniques and research to help growers improve water and soil quality, to teaching farmers and producers about new markets for agriculture, the Review can help attendees learn how to increase yields, cut costs and boost farm profits, Gamble said.
“When you talk about technology and innovation, that’s what farmers are looking for and what we have to offer,” he said. “For example, the Review was the first farm show to demonstrate an unmanned aerial vehicle and will offer even more demonstrations on how farmers can use this technology to advance their farm operations.
“We’ll offer information on new markets such as growing hops to locally source Ohio’s booming microbrewing industry. Farmers can also learn new ways to use technology to market their business to consumers including using mobile apps.”
Farm Science Review is nationally known as Ohio’s premier agricultural event that annually draws more than 130,000 farmers, growers, producers and agricultural enthusiasts, Gamble said. With growers experiencing strong economic indicators, he said he anticipates Review attendance to be strong this year.
Farm Science Review tickets will be available for purchase beginning the week of July 7, Gamble said.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Celebrating Beef — and Independence!
Beef producers and importers who invest in the Beef Checkoff Program have a lot to be thankful for as we approach the Fourth of July holiday — one of the strongest beef-buying weekends of the year — with a thriving market and robust prices that reflect strong consumer preference for beef!
Producer support for the beef checkoff is 78% — its highest in 21 years, according to the latest producer attitude survey. The checkoff program includes things like promotion and education to and for consumers, retailers and restaurant owners; extensive beef-safety, product-enhancement, human-nutrition and market research to identify and respond to consumers’ changing demands for beef and beef products; beef-industry training, from farm to fork, to help everyone in the production chain take responsibility for their roles in maintaining a desirable product; and foreign-marketing efforts in about 80 countries across the globe — all with a $1-per-head investment.
What are some of the results that beef producers and importers have helped bring to fruition through their beef checkoff that are making this year’s independence celebration a bountiful one? Let’s take a quick look at just a few key milestones and accomplishments:
- Consumer demand for beef has remained strong throughout the latest recession and despite one of the tightest beef supplies in history. Consumer demand for beef advanced 2% in 2013, according to ag economist Glynn Tonsor of Kansas State University.
- Consumers remain steadfast in their willingness to pay more for beef, even as beef prices set new highs. In June 2014, they said they would pay $7.52 per pound for steak, up 18.4% from May 2014, according to the Oklahoma State University’s monthly Food Demand Survey.
- More than 39% of participants in a Google poll in June 2014 said they are likely to grill or eat beef over the July 4 holiday as opposed to chicken (23.6%), pork (12.2%), seafood or fish (7.3%), turkey (4%) or none of the above.
The bottom line is that beef is driving traffic to grocery stores and the meatcase this grilling season. In a recent survey, Americans said that they are twice as likely to visit a grocery store that’s promoting beef for grilling over a store that promotes any other protein.
So pass out the party hats and the sparklers, don your favorite patriotic attire and fly your American Flag with pride this weekend. Then fire up those grills, and treat your family and friends to the sure winner — beef — knowing that you have everything to do with its success!
For more information, please view the full release here.
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