News Update
November 20, 2015
Year-end News from
the American Angus Auxiliary
For more than 60 years, the American Angus Auxiliary has fostered valuable connections throughout the Angus business.
By connecting likeminded women with one another, awarding Angus youth with scholarships or visiting with consumers about the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand, the Auxiliary invests much time and effort into the Angus breed’s future.
Recently the group of volunteer leaders gathered for annual activities, always hosted during the Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show Nov. 3-5 in Overland Park, Kan. The Auxiliary hosted the organization’s Annual Meeting, Annual Breakfast, the Miss American Angus competition and many other social events.
During the Auxiliary’s Annual Meeting on Nov. 3, the group elected the 2015-2016 officers and regional directors. Members of the newly elected officer team are President Shally Rogen, Brandon, S.D.; President-elect Julie Murnin, Huntley, Mont.; Secretary/Treasurer Leslie Mindemann, Sullivan, Wis.; and Advisor Lynne Hinrichsen, Westmoreland, Kan.
Rogen has been involved in the American Angus Auxiliary for nearly 20 years. Together with her husband, Dick, and two sons, Andrew and Alex, they raise registered-Angus cattle in southeastern South Dakota.
For more information, please view the full Angus news release online.
Webinar Outlines 2016 Calf Market Expectations
Cow-calf margins will shrink as the U.S. beef cow herd expands, but producers can ensure future profitability by adjusting business plans for the supply increase. An upcoming free CattleFax webinar will address a 2016 outlook for the cow-calf segment and entire beef sector, while exploring continued cowherd expansion.
The CattleFax Trends+ Cow-Calf Webinar will be at 5:30 p.m. MT, Jan. 20, 2016. To participate in the webinar and access program details, producers and industry leaders simply need to register online at www.cattlefax.com/meetings.aspx.
One of the most aggressive U.S. beef cow herd expansions in the last four decades will increase beef supplies and pressure cow-calf profitability over the next several years. As profits narrow during that time, well-informed producers can maintain healthy margins by adjusting production, marketing and risk management plans with increasing supplies in mind.
CattleFax analysts will discuss a variety of topics in the one-hour session, including:
- Cattle and feedstuff market projections for the next 12 to 18 months;
- Supply and margin expectations based on U.S. beef cow herd expansion estimates; and
- Expected returns of beef cows over their productive life and potential opportunities.
For more information, please view the full CattleFax release online.
NCBA and PLC Keep the Pressure on WOTUS
Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) along with 34 state affiliates and stakeholders sent a letter to 11 democratic members of the Senate encouraging Congress to act in a bipartisan manner to withdraw the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ Waters of the United States rule. Despite the recent action by the Senate, NCBA President Philip Ellis and PLC President Brenda Richards said withdrawal of WOTUS remains a top priority for both associations.
“We have a clear opportunity at the end of this year for Congress to withdraw the WOTUS rule and save cattle producers and the states millions of dollars in litigation expense and years of delay,” said Ellis. “Both chambers of Congress have acted in a bipartisan way to stop this toxic regulation, the Corps and the Courts have pointed out significant defects with the regulation, and the rulemaking process was clearly flawed. This regulation is disastrous for America’s cattlemen and women and all stakeholders. Worse yet, it will do nothing to clarify the Clean Water Act or safeguard our nation’s resources.”
For more information, please view the full NCBA news release online.
Farm Management School Teaches Small, Beginning Producers Farm Finances
Producers new to farming or those who operate small farms and ranches can learn how to create a business plan and develop a balance sheet from farm-management experts with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at the Ohio State University (OSU).
The 2016 Farm Management School, a five-session workshop series, will focus on the financial education that goes along with operating a successful farming operation, said Sam Custer, an OSU Extension educator who is organizing the program.
Although the farm-management school targets those who are new to agricultural fields, any farmer, producer or agriculture-related industry person is welcome to attend, Custer said.
The goal of the program, he said, is to help young and beginning farmers learn how to become financially savvy and how to make their agricultural operations successful.
“The future of agriculture depends on the financial success of young and beginning producers, and the diversity of the agricultural products we enjoy depends in part on the financial success of small producers,” Custer said. “As baby boomers retire from farming, this is a good opportunity for the next generation to begin talking with their families.”
For more information, please view the full news release online.
Administration Support for Biotechnology
“The FDA today rejected petitions to the White House for mandatory labeling of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). This is a victory for consumers and farmers alike. This administration has long been a champion for nutrition, and today’s action recognizes how biotechnology is changing the way we grow food — for the better.
“Farmers and ranchers are producing more with fewer resources, without sacrificing nutrition or compromising food quality and safety. The administration sees this and so does the nation’s leading authority on food safety. Earlier today we also learned that the FDA has placed its stamp of approval on a genetically engineered animal product, AquAdvantage Salmon. This week’s announcement is a milestone for expanding farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to produce nutritious food critical to a healthy diet.
“Thanks to these decisions announced today, consumers will continue to benefit from access to a variety of nutritious foods in the marketplace. Consumers have a right to know what’s in their food, but they should be given the facts — facts grounded in science. New voluntary guidance on labeling from the FDA will help companies provide more helpful information for those consumers looking to make the best choices for their families.”
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