News Update
July 24, 2014
Kris Sticken Recognized at 2014
NAADA Conference
Kris Sticken, Angus Foundation administrative assistant, received the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association (NAADA) Front Line Award on June 19 during the NAADA Annual Conference at Penn State University in University Park, Pa.
The Front Line Award is presented to an individual who has shown tremendous initiative, teamwork and the ability to work effectively with the public; advanced the programs or relationships within the unit; and strengthened their relationships with donors and supporters.
“Our heartiest congratulations to Kris on winning this well-deserved prestigious national recognition,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “It was our pleasure to nominate Kris, and we were excited to learn she had been selected for the award.”
Sticken has worked for the American Angus Association since 1982 and has been a part of the Angus Foundation since 2005. In her role, Sticken has numerous responsibilities, but some are gift processing, acknowledgements, donor records, scholarship program, golf tournament, silent auction and merchandise.
Missouri Cattleman Testifies on the
Changing Face of Small Businesses
Small businesses are the lifeblood of rural America, but for those in the cattle industry, governing statutes and regulations have not evolved alongside the changing business models. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) witness Ken Keesaman addressed these concerns July 24 at the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade hearing.
“The evolution of today’s livestock industry has shifted, and in order for family businesses to survive, we have expanded and diversified our operations,” said Keesaman, owner of KK Farms in Missouri. “In terms of agriculture, today’s small business has changed, and it is appropriate for the size standards applied by the Small Business Administration to more accurately represent today’s small operations.”
For small family businesses like KK Farms, diversifying is essential to mitigating risk. KK Farms started out in the cattle business in the 1870s and has since grown to incorporate 1,500 acres where they raise 300 head of registered-Angus cattle, a few hogs and farm corn, soybeans and hay. The family has further diversified their operation by adding a vineyard and winery, a microbrewery, and has plans to add a restaurant and event center — all in an effort to spread their risk.
“When you evaluate the success of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, we have developed a successful business model not only domestically but also globally,” said Keesaman, who is also a member of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. “In terms of production, the United States has only 7% of the world’s cattle supply, but we are able to produce 20% of the world’s beef. We have found ways to utilize more of our natural resources and the latest science to be more efficient than our international competition.”
Agriculture is the only industry burdened with a statute that mandates size. While the face of the small business has changed, smaller operations still play a significant role in the beef cattle industry. According to the USDA, the average domestic cow herd size is 40 head. With the smallest national beef herd since 1951, the industry has still managed to produce approximately 25 billion pounds of beef for the increasing global market.
“As industries adapt to the changing marketplace, it is important for the government to modify the governing statutes and regulations to better reflect the changes in the business climate.”
USDA Secretary Announces Creation of Foundation
for Food and Agricultural Research
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 23 the creation of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) and the appointment of a 15-member board of directors. The new foundation will leverage public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation and partnerships critical to boosting America’s agricultural economy.
Authorized by Congress as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, the foundation will operate as a nonprofit corporation seeking and accepting private donations in order to fund research activities that focus on problems of national and international significance. Congress also provided $200 million for the foundation, which must be matched by non-federal funds as the Foundation identifies and approves projects.
“Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research creates $20 in economic activity,” said Vilsack. “Investments in innovation made over the past several decades have developed new products and new procedures that have been critical to the continued growth of American agriculture. We must continue to make strategic investments in research and technology if we are to remain leaders in the global economy.”
The research funded by the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research will address issues including plant and animal health; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources and environment; agricultural and food security; and agriculture systems and technology.
The foundation’s board of directors was chosen to represent the diverse sectors of agriculture. Seven board members were selected by the unanimous vote of the board’s five ex-officio members from lists of candidates provided by industry, while eight representatives were unanimously elected from a list of candidates provided by the National Academy of Sciences. Congress mandated that the ex-officio members choose the initial 15 board members from among the lists provided by these two groups. However, new board members now have the option of adding additional members if they so choose. Vilsack said he hoped the board would exercise its prerogative to add more members to expand the board’s diversity.
In a time of federal budgetary restraints, the new foundation is another innovative way to continue and expand investment in agricultural research. FFAR will complement existing federal and federally funded agricultural-science research endeavors and accelerate solutions to the challenges of American agriculture.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Protein Supplementation for Cows in the Summer
Cool-season-dominated pastures and rangelands in the Nebraska Panhandle have produced many pounds of forage this year, thanks to abundant moisture in May and June. Native grass species such as western wheat and needle-and-thread have done extremely well.
While the quantity of grass is very welcome, the quality of this forage going into mid- to late-summer has declined significantly as these plants have matured and set seed. This decline in forage quality, especially for cool-season-dominated pasture and rangelands, could have a detrimental effect on conception rates for late-spring-calving replacement heifers and young cows being bred now through late summer.
Research from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) has shown that the status or plane of nutrition right prior to and through the breeding season is important for conception rates of growing and developing replacement heifers and young cows. Heifers and young cows on a decreasing plane of nutrition during the breeding season tend to have lower conception rates than those on an increasing plane of nutrition.
Providing the equivalent of 1 to 2 pounds (lb.) per head per day of fiber-based energy/protein supplement to these high-risk females immediately prior to and through the early part of the breeding season can significantly improve conception rate when forage quality is decreasing. This supplement could be provided every other-day (two to four lb. per head per day). A recent significant price decrease in distillers’ grains products makes this a cost-effective source of both protein and energy that would complement the forage from these mature cool-season grasses.
Further information on the importance of plane of nutrition during the breeding season is available from a NebGuide titled “Reducing Replacement Heifer Development Costs Using a Systems Approach,” as well as a webinar by Rick Funston titled “Cost Effective Replacement Heifer Development” on the www.beef.unl.edu website.
Getting heifers and cows to conceive early in the breeding season has tremendous economic benefits. Under current market conditions, bred heifers and cows are very valuable. Strategically providing a fiber-based energy/protein supplement just prior to and through the breeding season to these high-risk females could provide a tremendous return to the supplement dollars spent.
It is great to see cows belly deep in grass this year, especially after the drought conditions of 2012 and 2013. However, this abundance of forage quantity has also resulted in a decrease in forage quality that may challenge heifers and young cows breeding in late summer.
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