News Update
June 1, 2015
Looking Ahead:
2015 National Angus Convention
Angus cattle are the focal point of life on the farm or ranch, but the heart of the business centers on its people. Generations of breeders have painstakingly selected for the best genetics, marketed their operations near and far, and invested in the future of the ranching way of life.
When these minds congregate, good things happen.
As plans take shape for the 2015 convention, there’s even more in store for Angus producers and their partners.
“Following our first year in 2014, the National Angus Convention & Trade Show has quickly become one of the industry’s must-attend events,” says Becky Weishaar, Creative Media director for Angus Media and lead contact for the convention. “The event serves as a meeting place for anyone in beef, from seedstock breeders to commercial cattlemen and feeders.”
Prior to the official start of the convention, the Kansas Angus Association will host a preconference tour that allows attendees to spend a day visiting area Angus farms and ranches.
An additional registration fee applies for the Kansas tour, and attendees can reserve their spot when registering for the National Angus Convention & Trade Show.
For more information on the National Angus Convention, please view the full article on the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA website.
California Genomics Forum
The California Angus Association and the American Angus Association will co-host a one-day genomics forum Aug. 4 at Modesto Junior College, Modesto, Calif. The session begins at 11 a.m. Pacific daylight time (PDT) and is open to all cattlemen.
Dan Moser, president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), and Tonya Amen, genetic service director, will address genetic selection. Topics include a review of the basics, focusing on expected progeny differences (EPDs) and dollar value indexes ($Values); and genomic tools for seedstock selection, including use of high-density genomic profiles. Speakers will also discuss the expanding line of genomic products commercially available to cattlemen and how they can best be used in genetic selection.
Jeff Scott, professor and veterinary immunologist at the University of California–Davis, will discuss foothill abortion and the vaccine that will soon be available to guard against the tick-borne bacterial disease.
There is no fee to attend the genomics forum, and lunch will be provided. For more information contact Terry Cotton, regional manager for the American Angus Association, at 816-390-3227 or tcotton@angusjournal.com;> or Julie Reinhardt at barr6925@sbcglobal.net.
Beef Producer Leaders Update Long-range Plan
Building and protecting consumer demand for beef doesn’t happen by accident. It takes work and persistence, and it’s essential for all those who produce beef. That’s why the beef checkoff is working to develop a new Beef Industry Long Range Plan, with guidance from producers and others with a stake in the beef industry. Brian Baxter has more on this work, in this report from Minnesota.
View the video on the MyBeefCheckoff YouTube channel.
New USDA Portal Enables Farmers, Ranchers
to Request Conservation Assistance Online
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced May 27, that farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners can now do business with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through a new online portal. With the launch of Conservation Client Gateway, producers will have the ability to work with conservation planners online to access farm bill programs, request assistance and track payments for their conservation activities.
“What used to require a trip to a USDA service center can now be done from a home computer through Conservation Client Gateway,” Vilsack said. “USDA is committed to providing effective, efficient assistance to its clients, and Conservation Client Gateway is one way to improve customer service.”
Conservation Client Gateway enables farmers, ranchers and private landowners to securely:
- Request NRCS technical and financial assistance;
- Review and sign conservation plans and practice schedules;
- Complete and sign an application for a conservation program;
- Review, sign and submit contracts and appendices for conservation programs;
- Document completed practices and request certification of completed practices;
- Request and track payments for conservation programs; and
- Store and retrieve technical and financial files, including documents and photographs.
- For more information, please view the full USDA release.
AgChat Foundation Collaborates With
Award-winning Film Maker
Will there be enough water to survive? Thirsty Land is a new documentary that tells the story of drought, its impact on agriculture, communities and the global food supply.
Filmmaker Conrad Weaver is already well known for his award-winning documentary The Great American Wheat Harvest. Working with farmers and harvesters has led him to turn the focus of his company, Conjostudios LLC exclusively to agriculture, and now he’s focusing on the drought that’s strangling our landscape, and threatening our food supply.
“The story of drought needs to be told. Our global food supply and our very survival of humans depend on clean, abundant fresh water. I want to make the audience think about it every time they take a drink of water, enjoy a shower or water their lawn.”
The AgChat Foundation is collaborating with Weaver as the in-kind “Fiscal Sponsor” and fundraising partner of Thirsty Land film. The Foundation will provide fundraising support as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, enabling Weaver to receive grants and other tax-deductible donations for the film project.
For more information on the documentary, please view the full press release online.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.