News Update
August 31, 2015
Fall Data Collection
When taking weaning weights this fall on spring-born calves, it’s a good idea to also assess structure and foot score on your mature cows. The American Angus Association released foot scoring criteria earlier this year, and all data collected from both cows and calves can be submitted to the through AAA login. Regional Manager Chris Jeffcoat emphasizes the importance structure plays in the overall quality of the animal.
“Just like we strive to improve weaning weights, or any other measure, it’s important, from a structure standpoint, that we are improving the quality of our breed, so that when we sell bulls or females, not only to other registered producers, but to commercial cattlemen, that they know where we’re selling the best quality,” Jeffcoat says.
He adds that September is a great time to take foot score measurements because producers are already taking mature cow weights and weaned calf weights.
Catch the full interview on this week’s The Angus Report.
A Taste for Quality
With high beef prices come high expectations for a quality eating experience. In today’s market, it’s increasingly important for consumers to relate the Angus breed and Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand with a superior tasting product.
A recent study at Kansas State University (K-State), funded by the Angus Foundation, aimed to better understand beef palatability and how branded programs may affect consumer ratings of beef products. Travis O’Quinn, K-State assistant professor and meat extension specialist, authored the research titled, “Determination of the effect of branding on consumer palatability ratings of strip loin steaks and ground beef.”
The results point to positive trends for cattlemen who target high-quality Angus genetics in their herds. According to O’Quinn: “For both steaks and ground beef, products that were branded as either “Angus” or “Certified Angus Beef” were rated higher and more acceptable overall by consumers than similar, unbranded and generic branded products.
“This research project was the first to demonstrate the palatability-related value of beef branding,” O’Quinn said.
O’Quinn reports that CAB® steaks were rated 10% higher and Angus steaks 12% higher for consumer overall liking when the products were identified with a brand. No such increase was observed with USDA Choice or Select steaks.
Read the full Angus news release online.
Managing Pastures Doesn’t Only Mean Growing Grass
What a pasture should look like, whether a waving sea of grass or one with diverse vegetation, depends on the cattleman’s final goal and actions taken before rain falls, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service range specialist.
“With the rains we’ve had this year, the waving sea of grass can be a cattleman’s dream: no weed problems, no brush problems and plenty to eat going into the winter,” said Tim Steffens, AgriLife Extension range specialist in Canyon.
“We don’t get this by accident,” Steffens said. “A lot of what we do before the rains determines what we get when the rains come. And taking care of this country through the drought can have a big, big effect on what happens after the drought breaks like it did this year.”
But management will be the key to determining what the cattle have to eat and how long it is available and providing sufficient nutrients, he said. Side-by-side pastures can have the same soils and same rainfall pattern but end up with a lot different vegetation.
For more information, please view the full news release online.
USDA Expands Farm Safety Net, Offers Greater Flexibility
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced Aug. 27 that Whole-Farm Revenue Protection insurance will be available in every county in the nation in 2016. The USDA is also making changes to the policy to help farmers and ranchers with diversified crops better access Whole-Farm Revenue Protection.
USDA also provided additional flexibility to producers by making the following changes, including:
- Beginning Farmers and Ranchers — RMA makes it easier for more beginning farmers and ranchers to participate in the program by reducing the required records from five to three historical years, plus farming records from the past year. Additionally, any beginning farmer and rancher may qualify by using the former farm operator’s federal farm tax records if the beginning farmer or rancher assumes at least 90% of the farm operation
- Livestock Producers — RMA removed the previous cap that limited participants to those who received 35% or less of their income from livestock production. Producers will now be able to insure up to $1 million worth of animals and animal products.
- Expanding Operations — RMA increased the cap on historical revenue for expanding operations to 35% from its previous 10% to better allow growing farms the opportunity to cover their growth in the insurance guarantee.
For more information, please view the full USDA release.
Missouri Farmers Work to Curb Hunger
Missouri Farmers Care (MFC) recently wrapped up a successful summer-long food drive. The MFC alliance, comprised of the state’s agriculture groups and agribusiness industry, worked with Midwest and St. Louis Ford dealers as well as the Missouri State Fair to collect 12,151 pounds of non-perishable food items. The food was then distributed to local families in need through Feeding Missouri, a coalition of six Missouri food banks.
Food items were collected throughout the summer and concluded at the Missouri State Fair with the Missouri Farmers Food Drive Day on Aug. 18. On this day, fairgoers could donate non-perishable items for a discounted admission while helping people in the surrounding communities.
“Missouri farmers and ranchers care about Missouri families and their communities. We may not always realize the food insecurity challenges faced right here in the Midwest, where agriculture is prominent,” MFC Chairman Alan Wessler said. “We were pleased to partner with the Missouri State Fair, Ford dealers in St. Louis and Central Missouri and Bing’s Grocery of Sedalia to help those who face these challenges in our own neighborhoods and communities.”
For more information, please visit the MFC website.
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