News Update

February 26, 2016

Wendy’s: Sharing Beef Quality Story

“We are here because we think we have a lot in common,” said Liliana Esposito, director of communications for the hamburger chain Wendy’s. Esposito shared remarks about the company during a Learning Lounge session in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show area at the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention in San Diego Jan. 28. A Wendy’s food truck was also on hand for two days, offering free burgers and Frostys® to convention attendees.

Esposito explained that Wendy’s is “investing more in our brand and our beef business,” and said the company is looking to work with the beef industry to “help us bring a product to our customers that they love.”

Established in 1969 by Dave Thomas, Wendy’s was built around “fresh, never frozen” burgers.

“Fresh is unique and sets us apart,” Esposito noted.

Dennis Hecker, head of quality assurance for Wendy’s also shared remarks about the company’s focus on quality, saying, “Quality is a way of life at Wendy’s.”

Read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Kindra Gordon, Angus Media.

Register for Raising the Bar

The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) hosts Raising the Bar leadership conferences each year as a way to encourage its members to travel, meet other NJAA youth and learn more about the Angus business. Raising the Bar conferences will take place in two locations this spring, and juniors are encouraged to take note of the upcoming deadline of March 1.

South Dakota State University will be the host April 7-10 in Brookings, S.D. The tentative schedule for the conference includes a campus tour, educational workshops, farm and ranch tours, as well as social activities and games.

“The National Junior Angus Board has been planning some fantastic events at…South Dakota State University,” Jaclyn Clark, director of events and education, says.

Made possible through donations to the Angus Foundation, the NJAA’s Raising the Bar conferences are an opportunity for junior members to experience college campuses across the country, learn about careers in agriculture and connect with other cattle enthusiasts.

To attend Raising the Bar in South Dakota, you must be signed up by March 1. To participate, visit the NJAA website to download registration forms. The $100 registration fee covers lodging, conference meals and materials.For more information on these events or to see more registration deadlines, visit www.njaa.info.

Read the full Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jena McRell, Angus Media.

Distinguish Yourself Among the Competition

Like the Angus breed, Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has Scottish roots. Both entities have gone through some rough patches before enjoying their current success. To kick off Angus University at the 2015 Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show, Ken Schmidt, former director of communications for the company, shared how the motorcycle brand turned itself around.

When he joined Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle company had the worst reputation, Schmidt said. The public thought only criminals, drug runners, ruffians, etc., rode Harleys. The media and Hollywood helped perpetuate the stereotype.

People have had Harley-Davidson tattooed on their bodies since World War II, so people knew about the brand, he pointed out. They just didn’t like the image.

Schmidt asked three main questions to evaluate a brand’s relevance:

“What are people important to us saying about us?
What do we want them to say?
How do we get them to say it?”

He added that Harley-Davidson — and any company or organization that is downtrodden by false perceptions — couldn’t wait around for someone else to fix the problem.

For more information, please view the full Angus Media news article online.

— Adapted from an article by Kasey Brown, Angus Media.

Pasture Renovation Schools Teach
Replacing Toxic Fescue Grass

A drive through grass country in summer shows many pastures with more weeds than grass. To his trained eyes, Gene Schmitz sees pastures needing renovation.

“Many beef farmers don’t see pastures as a crop to be managed. Pastures are just there to be grazed,” says Schmitz, a University of Missouri (MU) Extension livestock specialist, Warsaw, Mo.

“Producers should ask, ‘How much grass is there?’ ” Good grass adds more pounds of beef to be sold. Weeds don’t help.

Resistance to renovation comes from farmers who say, “I don’t want to kill my clover,” Schmitz says. “A close look shows more weeds than clover — or grass.”

Schmitz is the newest member of the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, which teaches replacing toxic Kentucky 31 fescue with novel endophyte fescue. New toxin-free varieties are available.

The Alliance plans four one-day workshops in March. This year, sessions start March 28 in Welch, Okla. That’s the first out-of-state workshop for the four-year-old group.

“Northeast Oklahoma is a hotbed of toxic fescue in cool-season pastures,” says Craig Roberts, an MU Extension forage specialist who grew up in the area. He heads the Alliance teaching team.

For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.

— Adapted from a release by Duane Dailey, University of Missouri Extension.

The Gathering Livestock World Conference

The Gathering Livestock World Conference is set to be hosted April 17-19, 2016, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Established in 2013, The Gathering Conference is the premier event for those interested in agricultural marketing and photography.

In just two days the conference covers a wide range of topics including social media marketing, livestock marketing, photography, design and more. Since the conference began, more than 500 producers and professionals have attended, gaining knowledge that could immediately be implemented into their marketing plans.

“I think agriculture is changing so fast, and you’ve got to be on the cutting edge of advertising because you can waste a lot of money doing exactly what you’ve done for the past 20 years,” said Howard Rambur, manager of Rambur Charolais and past conference attendee. “This conference helps you start looking at things differently.”

The one-of-a-kind educational experience provides attendees with tools to improve businesses and marketing plans by getting an in-depth look at common practices, effective strategies and real-life case studies. Additionally, the opportunity to network with other industry professionals who share a passion for design and communications enhances the experience.

For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.

— Adapted from a release by Ranch House Designs.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.