News Update
August 12, 2014
Bradley to be Inducted Into Portrait Gallery
Minnie Lou Bradley of Childress County, Texas, will be inducted into the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery Nov. 16 at the 41st annual North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Ky. As part of the honor, her portrait will be painted and hung with others who have been similarly recognized.
Housed at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the portrait gallery serves as the livestock industry’s hall of fame. The honor is bestowed by the Saddle & Sirloin Award Committee based on service to and impact on the livestock industry.
Minnie Lou Bradley is a rancher, a progressive land steward, a master breeder of purebred-Angus cattle, and a renowned livestock industry leader. She and her husband, Bill, purchased 3,300 acres in the Texas Panhandle in 1955 and began the Bradley 3 Ranch. Today the expanded 10,000-acre Bradley 3 Ranch continues under the management of daughter Mary Lou and son-in-law James Henderson.
Bradley has been honored as a Master Breeder by Oklahoma State University (OSU) and is one the nation’s Top 50 U.S. Beef Industry Leaders, according to BEEF magazine. Her Bradley 3 Ranch’s DNA identification program, began in 1994, has made their Angus bulls highly sought after by commercial producers looking for superior genetics with proven carcass merit. In 2013 the ranch was recognized by the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) as its Seedstock Producer of the Year.
Her lifelong habit of leadership began at an early age. In 1949, she was the first woman to major in animal husbandry at Oklahoma A&M, and she earned her degree. She was the first woman to win high individual at the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest.
Bradley served as a board member of the American Angus Association from 1997 to 2003. She was elected vice president in November 2003 and became the first female president of the Association in November 2004.
The Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery is curated by the Kentucky State Fair Board and is displayed throughout the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. The collection includes 350-plus oil paintings and dates back to the turn of the last century.
Noted artist Richard Halstead has been commissioned to paint Bradley’s portrait. The presentation banquet is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 16 in the South Wing Conference Center of the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. Banquet tickets may be purchased for $60.
The Minnie Lou Bradley Nominating Committee has set a goal of raising $80,000 to fund the expenses of the portrait and presentation festivities, and to establish the Minnie Lou Bradley Endowment Fund to provide scholarships for students at OSU.
A room block for the nights of Nov. 14-17 has been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Hotel in Louisville for guests attending the banquet. The room rate is $133 per night, plus tax. Call 1-877-270-1303 for reservations and ask for the “Saddle and Sirloin” block.
The NAILE, which is hosted annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center, is scheduled for Nov. 9-21 in 2014. The Super-Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show will begin at 8 a.m. Nov. 18. The Junior Angus Heifer Show will be Sunday, Nov. 16. For more information on this year’s NAILE, visit www.livestockexpo.org.
Gary Smith Rejoins Texas A&M Animal Science Faculty
Gary Smith has rejoined the Texas A&M University department of animal science as a visiting professor in College Station.
Smith previously worked at Texas A&M as professor from 1969-1982 and was head of the department of animal science from 1982-1990.
In addition, effective July 1, Smith also serves as a visiting professor in animal science and advisor to the president at Colorado State University (CSU), where he previously served as a university distinguished professor emeritus and occupied the Monfort Endowed Chair in Meat Science from 1990 until his retirement in 2010.
Smith currently lives in College Station and works part time at Texas A&M.
“Dr. Smith is an accomplished researcher, a gifted teacher and legendary mentor to students, professors and technical specialists throughout the meat industry,” said Russell Cross, head of the Texas A&M department of animal science. “We are truly fortunate to have Dr. Smith return to our department, where he will be able to share his vast knowledge and expertise with our meat science faculty and students.”
In his new role at Texas A&M, Smith will assume responsibility for efforts to expand the master of agriculture in animal science for students with an emphasis on meat science, which will include responsibility for a section of ANSC 694, Internship. He also will serve as an active member of the graduate faculty and be involved in the training and mentoring of graduate students, Cross said.
Known as the “dean” of meat scientists, according to Cross, Smith is nationally and internationally recognized for his efforts in meat science and food safety. His research interests include carcass evaluation and grading; composition, quality and palatability of red meat; red meat safety; and packaging and retailing of red meat.
He has traveled extensively in support of animal agriculture in the United States and has received numerous awards, including induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame in 2009.
Advanced Grazing School to Reinforce Seasonal Grazing Options
Fall and winter are quickly approaching. Producers who want to receive research-based information and tips to extend the grazing season for their ruminant animals can attend the Advanced Kentucky Grazing School Sept. 11 at the University of Kentucky (UK) Eden Shale Farm in Owenton.
The one-day event, hosted by specialists with the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, targets producers who have participated in at least one other UK grazing program.
During the program, participants will receive in-depth information and important grazing concept reminders from UK forage and animal specialists and agriculture and natural resources agents with the UK Cooperative Extension Service. The school begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
Topics include seed suppression, fall grazing, creep grazing alfalfa and managed intensive grazing. The program will also include demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Participants must preregister by Sept. 1. The registration fee is $15. For a complete agenda, farm directions, lodging options and registration forms, visit the UK Master Grazer website at www2.ca.uky.edu/grazer/ or contact Cody Smith, UK Master Grazer coordinator, at 859-257-7512 or cody.smith@uky.edu. Mail registration forms and a check payable to the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council to Cody Smith, 804 W.P. Garrigus Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0215.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Jackson Beef and Forage Field Night is Aug. 28
From broadleaf weed management and fence building and construction to beef cattle handling and animal care, livestock producers can learn the latest updates in the beef and forage industry during a workshop offered by experts with the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences during a workshop Aug. 28 in Jackson, Ohio.
The Jackson Beef and Forage Field Night will include the opportunity for beef cattle producers to have an up-close look at how to build a fence that can hopefully last a lifetime, said Kenny Wells, manager of the Jackson Agricultural Research Station. The research station is part of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and has been a primary site for reproductive and production management research in beef cattle for more than three decades.
Research in forage management systems done at the research station has contributed to the grazing approaches used by many producers today, Wells said.
“A goal of the workshop is to provide a wide variety of programs of interest to beef cattle producers,” he said. “Participants will be able to focus on weed control, which is a serious issue that all producers face.
“Participants will also be able to hear about livestock facility design and cattle handing, which is an important topic as producers will continue to face increased scrutiny on livestock care.”
The event will feature presentations from Ohio State University Extension and OARDC researchers and educators, including Steve Boyles, Jeff Fisher, Mark Loux, Justin Spengler and Jeff Moore.
“Producers will find that this is a great networking opportunity and place to learn from other producers and the speakers,” Wells said. “I can’t imagine someone who comes to the program won’t walk away with information that can have a positive impact on their financial bottom line.”
The workshop is from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station, which is located at 019 Standpipe Road, in Jackson. The event, which will include dinner, is $5 per person, with a deadline to register Aug. 25.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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