News Update
November 13, 2014
Angus Convention Attendee Wins Yamaha Viking VI
When David and Becky Billingsley traveled to Kansas City, Mo., from northwest Louisiana, they were expecting to gain a lot from the first-ever Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show — new friends and practical information for the ranch and experience at the organization’s business meetings. They would’ve never guessed they would be bringing home a 2015 Yamaha Viking VI.
Thanks to a generous donation from Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, the utility vehicle will make its new home at Billingsley Angus Farm in Keithville, La. With 600-pounds hauling and 1,500-pounds towing, the Yamaha Viking VI is made to be the toughest and most off-road-capable six-person side-by-side vehicle ever.
“The Viking VI giveaway was one of many highlights from the National Angus Convention & Trade Show,” says Becky Weishaar, Creative Media director for Angus Productions Inc. “Everyone who attended received at least one chance to win, and those who registered prior to Sept. 5 had three chances to win per registration. Our thanks to Yamaha for their support.”
The 2015 Viking VI has a suggested retail value of $13,599, and combines Yamaha performance and durability with the comfort and convenience of a Viking — now with maximum headroom, legroom and shoulder room for six occupants. The drawing took place Nov. 6 during the American Angus Association’s Annual Meeting of Delegates.
David and Becky Billingsley have been raising Angus cattle in Louisiana for nearly 20 years. They raise Angus bulls to market to the commercial beef cattle industry, offering cattle through private treaty and regional consignment sales. This was their first time attending the National Angus Convention.
“I was impressed. I didn't know it was going to be this big,” David Billingsley says. “Anytime you go anywhere, you go to Denver, Montana or Texas and you walk in, you see all your friends, you really feel at home.”
About 2,000 Angus cattlemen, commercial producers and others attended the Nov. 4-6 event in Kansas City, resulting in a record-setting turnout for the organization’s annual business meetings and first-ever trade show. Participants from across the country enjoyed educational sessions, networking opportunities and plenty of fun.
For more news from the Angus Means Business National Convention and Trade Show, visit www.angusconvention.com. Also plan to tune to The Angus Report at 7:30 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 17, for full coverage on RFD-TV, and check out the December and January issues of the Angus Journal.
Loyal Breed Supporters
The American Angus Auxiliary is a network of like-minded women with shared enthusiasm for the Angus breed and its future generations. Members are scattered across the country and reflect nearly every demographic in the cattle business.
Recently the group of volunteer leaders gathered for annual activities, held in conjunction with the first-ever Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show Nov. 4-6 in Kansas City. The Auxiliary hosted the organization’s Annual Meeting, Annual Breakfast, the Miss American Angus competition and many other social events.
“The week of the Annual Meeting is always a special time,” says Lynne Hinrichsen, incoming president of the American Angus Auxiliary. “Not only do we have our Annual Meeting, where the membership comes in and takes care of our business for the last year and the coming year, but we also get to visit and get to know each other better through receptions and other activities.”
During the Auxiliary’s Annual Meeting Nov. 4, the group elected the 2014-2015 officers and regional directors. Members of the newly elected officer team are President Lynne Hinrichsen, Westmoreland, Kan.; President-elect Carla Malson, Parma, Idaho; Secretary-Treasurer Julie Murnin, Huntley, Mont.; and Advisor Cortney Holshouser, Castalia, N.C.
The newly elected president, Lynne Hinrichsen, has served as president of the Kansas Angus Auxiliary, regional director for the American Angus Auxiliary and is a member of the American Angus Association and Kansas Angus Association. Along with her husband, Ron, and children, Cale and Eva, the Hinrichsen family raises Angus cattle on R&L Angus in Westmoreland, Kan.
The president-elect is Carla Malson. Together with her husband, Mark, their family manages the Malson Angus and Herefords operation. Malson has served as advisor for the Idaho and Western States Junior Angus Associations, and president of the Western States Angus Auxiliary.
Members are also proud to welcome Secretary-Treasurer Julie Murnin of Huntley, Mont. She is a past regional director for the Auxiliary and a member of the Montana Angus Auxiliary, serving as the vice president. She and her husband, Jared, are advisors for the Montana Junior Angus Association, and they have two children, Claire and Cooper.
The retiring president, Cortney Holshouser, hails from Castalia, N.C. She has served as an officer of the North Carolina Angus Auxiliary, and she and her husband, Karl, have been advisors to the North Carolina Junior Angus Association. Together, they manage Castalia Cattle Co. where they offer custom flush and embryo transfer work.
For more information, please view the full release here.
New Farm Bill Resource Now Available to Help Farmers and Food Advocates Navigate USDA Programs
On Nov. 10, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) published a comprehensive digital guide to the key federal farm and food programs that support sustainable farm and food systems. The Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs will help farmers and nonprofit organizations navigate the numerous farm bill and other USDA programs that have been championed by NSAC.
“The Grassroots Guide will be a valuable resource for farmers as they look for opportunities and financing to grow their farms and help build a more sustainable farming system,” says Juli Obudzinski, senior policy specialist with the NSAC. “The Guide is specifically targeted to the farming community and distills very technical federal policies and programs in a way that is accessible to farmers and consumers alike.”
The Grassroots Guide includes up-to-date information on conservation, credit, rural development, research and food programs authorized in the farm bill and other pieces of federal legislation — including recent policy changes made in the 2014 Farm Bill. This new resource details more than 40 federal food and farm programs that provide funding to farmers and organizations for conservation assistance, farm real estate and operating loans, outreach to minority and veteran farmers, beginning farmer training programs, value-added enterprises, support for farmers markets and farm to school programs, and more. The Guide is organized into the following topic areas:
- Beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers
- Conservation and environment
- Credit and crop insurance
- Food safety
- Local and regional food systems
- Organic production
- Renewable energy
- Rural development
- Sustainable and organic research
For each program included, the Guide provides plain-language explanations of how the program works, who can utilize the program, examples of the program in action, step-by-step application instructions, additional resources, and a brief overview of the program’s history — including legislative and administrative changes and historical funding levels.
“Searching online for resources aimed at supporting sustainable producers and grassroots organizations can be a daunting task; we hope this Guide proves to be a handy quick reference for producers, would-be producers and the organizations that work with them,” says Sarah Hackney, grassroots director with NSAC.
This digital Grassroots Guide will be updated continually as new programs are finalized and modified both by USDA and Congress in the years to come. To access the Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs, visit NSAC’s website at http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications.
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