News Update
October 7, 2015
A Story of a Steak
Back for its third season on The Angus Report, the popular series “A Story of a Steak” follows the beef chain from the pasture to the retailer — and emphasizes the importance of quality every step of the way. Presented by Merck Animal Health and the High Plains Journal, a new segment will air for five weeks this fall, beginning Sept. 28.
To begin the story, we meet Rod and Christine Lewis of Stotts City, Mo., who share why it’s important to pair good genetics with a good herd health program. In this week’s segment, we follow the family to the Joplin Regional Stockyards, one othe largest cow-calf markets in the country.
The theme “A Story of a Steak” will also be recognized from Angus University, an all-day educational series held during the National Angus Convention. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the second-annual Angus University welcomes an industry-leading lineup of speakers and panelists to explore what it will take to supply high quality beef for consumers worldwide. Visit angusconvention.com for more details.
Watch this week’s The Angus Report online for more information or tune in at 5 p.m. CDT this evening to catch the show on RFD-TV.
Establishing Corn Silage Value
Corn silage represents the base of many beef and dairy diets in the Midwest for a number of very good reasons. Properly harvested corn silage is an excellent forage resource that can be used in a number of feeding situations.
A large quantity of feed can be harvested from a relatively small land area in a short period of time, especially with modern corn genetics and silage-harvesting equipment. However, assigning accurate values to corn silage can be challenging as there are few if any published market prices.
There are two basic approaches to pricing corn silage; either valuing corn silage based on the cash corn market, or based on nutrient composition compared to some other feedstuff.
For tips on calculating corn silage value, read this article in the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA.
New Coalition Aimed at Improving American Health
A new coalition of some of the nation’s leading academics and concerned doctors has been formed to raise awareness about the need to strengthen the federal government’s dietary guidelines to help Americans prevent diet-related diseases and to improve the health of citizens across the country.
The Nutrition Coalition, a newly established 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, formed out of a growing concern that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) have not reflected the most conclusive and current science available — and that a thorough and transparent process for developing new guidelines is needed to ensure Americans are being recommended diets based on sound science.
The Coalition is comprised of some of the nation’s leading voices on nutrition, including three former members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the government-appointed commission in charge of developing the guidelines, as well as the former chair of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee.
For more information, please view the full release online.
Crop Insurance and Conservation Practices
Crop insurance is an important risk management tool for farmers. Conserving quality soils is also an important means of reducing risk. Crop insurance policies are not always in sync with the implementation of conservation practices, causing conflict on how best and most effectively to use both tools.
The Farm Foundation® Forum on Thursday, Oct. 8, will examine how the relationship of crop insurance and conservation practices has evolved over the years, and policy options that might be considered for the future. The Forum will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
After discussion by the panelists, the floor will be opened for questions. For those unable to attend in person, a live audiocast is available free of charge. Registration is required for the live audiocast and can be completed online.
For more information, please view the full Farm Foundation release online.
Cattle Market Outlook Presented During Texas Program
A fall cattle clinic is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission. The event is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in cooperation with the Brazos County Beef and Forage Committee.
“We have put together a program that will be of interest to all cattle producers in the Brazos Valley,” said Dusty Tittle, AgriLife Extension Service agent for Brazos County. “Attendees will have the opportunity to see a live cattle operation and learn more about choosing quality traits. Plus we will have a cattle market outlook presentation allowing everyone to plan ahead for the rest of year and into 2016.”
Topics presented include a live cattle evaluation, beef cattle market update and futures outlook, forages and pests, overview of the federal Clean Water Act and effects on landowners, and beef carcass values. Cost is $20 and includes lunch. Preregistration is requested by Oct. 23 for accurate meal planning. Call 979-823-0129 or email janice.anderson@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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