News Update

May 6, 2016

Mobile Management Tool

Raising cattle and forages is a cyclical business. Planning for and managing that cycle is the key to success in your beef operation. Sandy Johnson, livestock productions specialist with Kansas State University, and her team have developed a tool to help beef producers plan out their herd’s management needs.

“What we’ve developed is a tool to help you manage cows better throughout the year, so that you’re really more timely in your management,” Johnson said. “This tool, based on what you determine to be your calving or breeding date, however you want to look at it, they’re related, will allow you to plan what that cow needs, as well as her calf throughout the year.”

This web-based application can be used on a computer or your smartphone or tablet. Keeping up with those management activities can lay the groundwork for your herd’s future success and identify potential cull cows.

To learn more, tune into this week’s epsiode of The Angus Report. You can also watch the show at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CST each Monday morning on RFD-TV.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

USDA Makes $8.7 Million Available
in Risk Management Education

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced $8.7 million in cooperative agreements for risk management education and training programs. The funding would give organizations needed resources to develop training and education tools to help farmers and ranchers, especially those traditionally underserved or with limited resources, learn how to effectively manage long-term risks and challenges.

Through these partnerships, producers will receive assistance in understanding and using crop insurance programs and other tools so they can make the best risk management decisions for their agricultural operations. Past award recipients have included universities, county cooperative extension offices and nonprofit organizations.

For more information, view the USDA news release online.

— Adapted from a release by the Risk Management Agency, USDA.

New Chairmen Named for Select Sires Inc.

Select Sires Inc.’s board of directors has selected Dan Andreas, of Sugarcreek, Ohio, to the position of board chairman, succeeding Myron Czech of Little Falls, Minn. The board also elected first vice chairman, Dorothy Harms, of Reedsburg, Wis., and second vice chairman, Mark Tatarka, Bozeman, Mont. Select Sires’ board of directors met in Columbus, Ohio, in conjunction with Select Sires’ annual meeting March 21-24.

New members Dan Hoffelt, Bruce, Wis.; Paul Daley, Pine Island, Minn., and Kenny Taylor, Fayetteville, Tenn., replaced retiring board members Mike Heckaman, Argos, Ind.; Myron Czech, Little Falls, Minn., and Johnny Daniel, Charlotte, Tenn.

For more information, view the Select Sires news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Danielle Brown, Select Sires, Inc.

Beef Quality Programs Scheduled for East Texas Producers

Four Beef Quality Assurance Training events will be hosted in May and June in central and east Texas. The training events are a collaborative effort among the Texas Beef Council, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

There is no cost to attend, but organizers request RSVPs to ensure accurate meal counts. Steak dinners will be served at the evening sessions, and a steak lunch will be served at the earlier sessions.

The training sessions will be held: May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Fairfield Civic Center on 839 East Commerce St. in Fairfield; June 21 from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the John D. Windam Civic Center on 146 Express Blvd. in Center; June 22 from noon-4:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center on 1200 Houston St. in Sulphur Springs; and June 23 from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Angelina County Extension Office on 2201 S. Medford Dr. in Lufkin.

For more information, access the complete news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Adam Russell, Texas A&M University.

Virginia Bull Tests Announced

The Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) has announced dates for the Culpeper senior and Southwest Virginia senior and junior bull tests. The Culpeper test is conducted at Glemnary Farm, Rapidan, Va. The Southwest test is conducted at Hillwinds Farm, Dublin, Va. Entries for the Culpeper test are due by June 10, with delivery set for June 28 for a July 12 test start. Entries for the Southwest senior and junior test are due by Sept. 5, with delivery set for Oct. 4 for an Oct. 24-25 start.

The 112-day Culpeper test is for bulls born Aug. 15-Nov. 30, 2015. The 112-day test for the Southwest senior bulls is Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2015; for Southwest junior bulls birth dates are Jan. 1-March 31, 2016. Interim weights for the Culpeper test are to be collected Sept. 6 and Oct. 4, with final weights to be taken Nov. 1. The Culpeper test sale is scheduled for Dec. 10 at Glenmary Farm. Interim weights for the Southwest test are scheduled for Dec. 20, 2015, and Jan. 17, 2016, with off-test weights taken Feb. 13-14. The Southwest test sale is scheduled for March 25 at Wytheville, Va.

For more information contact Scott Greiner, extension beef specialist, at 540-231-9159; fax: 540-231-3713 or sgreiner@vt.edu; or Joi Saville, extension associate, at 540-231-2257. Information is also available on the test website, http://bcia.apsc.vt.edu.

— Adapted from a summary by Linda Robbins, Angus Journal.

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

Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.