News Update

September 28, 2015

Sustainable Beef

Throughout the past decade, consumers have put an ever-increasing emphasis on sustainable beef.

Sara Place with Oklahoma State University says most ranchers already conduct sustainable practices — practices that allow cattlemen and women to produce safe, nutritious beef for human consumption with long-term business viability, stewardship of natural resources and responsibility to community, family and animals.

“We look at trends over time, across multiple categories, whether we’re thinking about greenhouse [gas] emissions, water use, or just the number of animals that are required to produce beef, all those things play into efficiency,” Place said, adding that practices such as managing reproductive rates and improving pasture conditions are just two ways today’s ranchers are improving sustainability and profitability in tandem.

To see more of Place’s interview, watch this week’s The Angus Report online. You can also tune in at 5 p.m. each Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CDT each Monday morning on RFD-TV.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

Angus Convention Show Guide

The 2015 Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show is just a few weeks away, and cattle producers of all types will be gathering in Overland Park, Kan., Nov. 3-5 for the American Angus Association’s premier event.

Check out a complete schedule, list of featured speakers and other highlights in the official convention show guide. The publication will also arrive in your mailbox along with the October Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.

Register online today for $75 per person. The early deadline is Friday, Oct. 2, after which prices will increase. Participants also need to make their hotel reservations when registering for the convention, as rooms are booking up quickly. For more information, visit angusconvention.com.

— Announcement from Angus Media.

BQA Free Certification Period Announced

The countdown has begun for beef and dairy producers to become Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-certified for free online through Nov. 20. As an added bonus, anyone who becomes certified during this period is eligible to win a prize package, courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) and the BQA program, funded in part by the beef checkoff.

BIVI will pick up the $25-$50 online training fee for every person completing BQA training through Nov. 20. That includes anyone who works with cattle — whether it is beef or dairy. Visit www.bqa.org to take advantage of the open certification period.

For more information, read the complete article in the September Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA.

— Adapted from a release by Melissa Sandfort, Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

FFA Reaches Record Nationwide Membership

With global needs to fight hunger and prepare for the expected population growth, the industry of agriculture needs educated, skilled and passionate people dedicated to sustainability. The National FFA Organization is answering this need, as the record growth of the organization demonstrates.

FFA membership now stands at 629,367 students, up from 610,240 in 2014, an increase of 3%. The number of chapters grew from 7,665 in 2014 to 7,757 in 2015. The top five membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Oklahoma and Missouri. Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow, as membership has increased more than 20% since 2009-2010.

For more information, please view the full release online.

— Adapted from a release by the National FFA Organization.

Second Chances

Growing up on a seedstock and commercial Angus operation just outside of White City, Kan., twin brothers Eric and Tyler Blythe lived for summertime when they could be outside working on the ranch. They made plans to attend Kansas State University (K-State) after high school graduation, choosing fields of study useful to the farm or ranch. Tyler, dubbed the “farm mechanic,” planned to major in agricultural technology management. Eric chose animal sciences.

Life, however, had other plans.

One year following Tyler’s life-saving liver transplant, the two are thankful to be outstide working cattle and helping spread awareness about organ donation.

— Adapted from a story by Nicole Lane, Angus Media editorial intern.

— Compiled by Jena McRell, digital editor, Angus Media.

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