News Update
March 27, 2015
Cattle Producers, Your Help is Needed
The Beef Cattle Institute and the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University are seeking cattle producers to complete a survey about information sources they use to learn about strategies they can use to control E. coli contamination on their operation. Completing the survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Your responses will be confidential and identifying information about you (such as your name, email address, etc.) will not be collected. To participate in the survey, please click this link.
MaternalPlus®
MaternalPlus is a voluntary, inventory-based reporting system designed to capture additional reproductive trait data and, ultimately, expand reproductive and lifetime productivity tools. By using MaternalPlus, producers will receive additional information at weaning processing time, including calving ease, birth weight and weaning weight expected progeny differences (EPDs) for calves out of inventoried cows.
In addition, MaternalPlus allows producers to submit cow disposal codes and reason designations, which keeps an accurate record of why a cow left the herd.
To learn more about MaternalPlus, visit www.angus.org or AAA Login.
Orientation Held for New Select Sires Employees
More than 20 artificial insemination (AI) technicians, sales representatives and marketing personnel took part in Select Sires’ employee orientation March 10 and 11 at the Select Sires headquarters in Plain City, Ohio. Employees from seven member cooperatives and Select Sires GenerVations were present for the two-day event where they received superior education to better serve Select Sires’ customers. Following orientation, a majority of the attendees participated in an additional two days of extensive sales training.
The participants were presented with in-depth information about Select Sires’ programs including Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™), Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™), Select Mating Service™ (SMS™), StrataGEN®, Aggressive Reproductive Technologies™ (ART™), CowManager® and Program for Fertility Advancement™ (PFA™). Instruction on the topics of reproductive solutions, fertility research, beef and dairy sire programs, cattle evaluation, herd management products, and Select Sires’ gender SELECTed™ process was given, as well as a detailed tour of the Select Sires headquarter facilities.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Vermeer Corporation Announces
Executive Leadership Appointments
Vermeer Corp. recently announced that Nathan Guess has been named managing director, forage solutions. The company also announced that in addition to his role as chief marketing officer (CMO), Mark Core will now provide senior leadership to the forage segment as executive vice resident of forage and life cycle solutions.
Nathan Guess joins the Vermeer leadership team after having served nearly two years as senior director of global marketing and brand. In his new role as managing director, Guess will oversee sales, marketing and product development for Vermeer Forage Solutions globally.
Mark Core, executive vice president and CMO, is responsible for delivering a consistent and premium experience for Vermeer customers by directing the integration of a corporate brand, marketing, external training, interactive engagement, and a research and parts distribution system that reaches across 500+ agricultural and industrial equipment dealerships and 13 affiliated organization locations serving customers on six continents.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Montana Dept. & Ag Organizations Team
up for National Ag Day Lunch in Capitol
Montana Governor Steve Bullock welcomed a Capitol full of people to celebrate National Ag Day with state legislators, the department of agriculture, state agriculture organizations and agriculture advocates.
“It’s a great day to celebrate National Ag Day in Montana and remember all that farmers and ranchers do to ensure that we have abundant, safe, healthy food to eat. This is a day where we give thanks and celebrate food produced right here in Montana,” said Bullock.
The semi-annual luncheon featured an all-Montana meal that included beef brisket, baked ham, roasted lamb, chickpea lime salad, local potato salad, wheat bread, brownies and honey donated or purchased locally. The event also hosted 16 agriculture organizations that set up booths throughout the rotunda providing an opportunity to showcase agriculture to legislators in attendance.
“Agriculture in Montana is growing and innovating every day in what we grow and how we grow it. Montana is now a leader in the production of dry peas and lentils that are a great rotational crop for wheat and enhance soil. We also lead the nation in barley acres planted and our cattle genetics are in demand around the world,” said Director Ron de Yong.
Revised numbers provided by USDA Economic Research Service show the value of Montana’s agricultural production was $5.3 billion in 2013, with more than 28,000 farms or ranches across the state, 97% of which are family farms. Montana has nearly 2.5 cows for every person in the state and is a leading producer of wheat, barley, dry peas, lentils, sugar beets and honey. Wheat is Montana’s number one export, with approximately 75% exported to Asian markets.
Montana is known around the world for its high-quality grains, pulse crops, seed potatoes, sugar beets, sweet cherries and beef. For a complete list of rankings and more information on Montana agriculture visit the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) annual state bulletin.
National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America to increase the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society. The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit http://agr.mt.gov.
AgriLife Extension sets
2015 Sandhills Cattleman’s Conference in Andrews
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the 2015 Sandhills Cattleman’s Conference from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 14 at the James Roberts Center, 855 E. Broadway St. in Andrews.
The multi-county event is being hosted by the AgriLife Extension offices in Andrews, Ward and Winkler-Loving counties.
“We hope to make this an annual event for ranchers in the Sandhills region of Far West Texas, with a rotating agenda and location each spring,” said Caleb Eaton, AgriLife Extension agent in Ward County.
Individual registration is $30 due upon arrival and includes lunch. RSVP by April 6.
Topics and speakers will include cow herd nutrition, bull management, restocking options, ag law and grazing leases, and reseeding pipelines.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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