News Update
August 17, 2016
Angus University Headlines
Convention Nov. 6
Continuing education and collaboration are two missions behind the American Angus Association’s annual Angus Convention. Hosted this year in Indianapolis, Ind., thousands of cattle producers will gather Nov. 5-7 for three days of knowledge-building workshops, business meetings and networking. Among the convention’s most popular sessions is Angus University, sponsored by Merck Animal Health.
Angus University headlines activities on Sunday, Nov. 6, and encourages cattle producers to expand their perspectives and consider what it takes to supply high-quality beef worldwide. It’s a daylong discussion on the beef cattle industry’s future, and how producers can creatively adapt to what that future holds.
“Angus University has been a centerpiece of the American Angus Association’s annual convention for three years, and it is a day of learning and exploration for all areas of the beef business,” says Becky Weishaar, Angus Media’s Creative Media director and lead contact for the convention.
Angus University begins with keynote speaker Howard Putnam, former CEO for Southwest Airlines.
Read more in the Angus news release online.
Transition the Family Farm
As young cattlemen and women look to take on management of the family farm, transitioning assets can be a struggle. Beyond the slug of legalities and paperwork to successfully transfer the operation from one generation to the next, families often struggle with how the transition will occur.
Kansas Angus breeder Paige Pratt says starting the conversation early can help both sides navigate through the conversation.
“The first step is to get all of the players to the table, the oldest generation that still has any assets to their name, as well as the generations farther down the line, to identify everyone’s values, what everyone’s future goals are and to identify what their needs are at entry level, so you can design an operation that can meet the needs of every generation,” Pratt explains.
In her own personal experience, Pratt says, it was helpful for her family to use a facilitator when making the transition.
Watch more in this week’s The Angus Report online. You can also catch the show at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday or 7 a.m. CST each Monday on RFD-TV.
Career Move
In August of 2015, Zac Ketron took a deep breath and walked away from a 12-year career as manager of the Southern States store in Lebanon, Va. Nerves aside, the 36-year-old had three, no, make that four, excellent reasons for turning into a full-time cattleman. The first three are Josie, now 6; Abby, 3; and 1-year-old Sadie.
“It was for time with my family more than anything,” says Ketron. “When I was at Southern States, I was working 50 to 60 hours a week, then looking after my cattle. I had to do one or the other.”
The decision to become the full-time owner/operator of Circle K Farms brings up reason No. 4.
“I have a passion for the cattle business,” he states. “I love animals in general, and I love the thought of helping people by feeding them.”
However, in spite of his passion, the career change was no impulse move. The Virginia producer knows he has the same challenges every producer faces, like uncertain markets and weather. However, he has the scales tipped in his favor.
For more information, view the Angus Journal article online.
From Conception to Consumption
A self-described urban rat, Bill McLaren has cornered the market on direct product marketing, adding value to his beef operation long before it was cool. McLaren, along with his wife, Linda, has had an interest in direct product marketing for more than 20 years.
Little more than a stone’s throw from the Saint Louis County line, the McLarens have taken their Crooked Creek Beef straight off the farm and into the homes and fine restaurants of beef-eating consumers in and around the gateway city. With the tagline “From conception to consumption,” the McLarens realize the value of Angus genetics in their quest to provide customers with a good eating experience.
Back in the mid 1990s, the McLarens were among the first in the nation trying to sell premium pork to consumers. McLaren says they even traveled to Washington, D.C., to get a label and operating protocol to market their product. However, direct marketing then was a different bird than it is today — and McLaren says it’s been a learning process.
Continue reading in the Angus Journal article online.
USCA Cattle Producer’s Forum
The 2016 Cattle Producer’s Forum, hosted by the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and in partnership with the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Montana Cattlemen’s Association, Bitterroot Stockgrowers, Beartooth Stockgrowers, and the Marias River Livestock Association, will feature panels focused on the future of the U.S. cattle industry.
Following the USCA Annual Meeting on Friday, Sept. 9, the Forum will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. Producers, students, industry representatives, media and members of the general public will participate in roundtable-style discussions lead by industry professionals.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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