News Update
October 20, 2016
A New Kind of Roundtable
Norman poet Robert Wace first described King Arthur’s Round Table in the year 1155 as a table around which Arthur and his famed knights would congregate to humbly discuss issues or settle disputes. As the name suggests, the table had no head, implying that each individual seated around it was no greater than any other; each possessed equal status.
Carrying the tradition of King Arthur’s chivalric order into the 21st century are 98 experts and leaders representing every facet of the beef industry, from cow-calf production through cattle feeding and all the way to the end consumer. Though likely not clothed in Medieval garb or donning gold crowns, the members of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) are serving as champions for the sustainability of the beef industry in modern agriculture.
The organization hosted its second conference as a precursor to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual Summer Business Meeting in Denver, Colo., on July 12-13. There, the group’s members convened to discuss the past year’s accomplishments and the coming year’s goals.
Continue reading in the Angus Journal news article online.
Global Conference Advances Beef Sustainability
Advancing zero deforestation in beef production, assessing the overall sustainability of the beef value chain and connecting consumers and sustainability were just a few of the topics discussed at the 2016 Global Conference on Sustainable Beef (GCSB) hosted Oct. 4–7 at the Fairmont Hotel in Banff Springs, Alta, Canada.
Nearly 225 beef value chain stakeholders from 15 countries around the world participated in seminars and moderated discussions focused on advocating for continuous improvement in the global beef value chain. The conference was co-hosted by the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).
“We were delighted with the mixture of people that attended the conference,” said Dennis Laycraft, president of the GRSB. “We covered a number of critical industry topics on beef sustainability and fostered discussions that brought people together. With that, I think we achieved what we had hoped for — we are bringing more interest and recognition to sustainability and the role of the beef industry.”
For more information, view the GRSB news release online.
Finding the Best Fertilizer Recipe
Trying to decide how much fertilizer to use in fields producing forage grasses is a challenge.
Forage grasses often do best with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. But increasing one can reduce the impact of the others. Producers sometimes apply more fertilizer than needed, which wastes money, causes excessive runoff and harms the environment.
By studying the effects of nutrients applied at different rates, a USDA scientist in Georgia developed a formula for optimally fertilizing fields used to produce forage grass in southeastern United States. The improved formula should curb runoff and reduce costs for beef and dairy producers in the Southeast who raise their own forage.
William F. Anderson and his colleagues with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Tifton fertilized a commonly used forage grass at six different application rates for nitrogen fertilizer and at three different rates for the phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
For more information, view the ARS news release online.
Thank a Farmer or Rancher
“Thank an American Farmer or Rancher,” a Thanksgiving-themed activity for pre-K to first-grade students, helps teachers explain where food comes from, courtesy of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
Through this activity, teachers also ask students to write, draw or create thank you letters or cards for America’s farmers. A free lesson plan and a letter from a farmer, suggestions for books to read, class discussion ideas and more are available online.
Classroom ideas include:
- Complete a free sample lesson from Farm a Month and read a free sample letter from a pumpkin farmer, followed by a discussion about farming in America.
- Pull up a picture of a Thanksgiving Day plate or ask students to name common holiday foods such as turkey, cranberries, green beans, potatoes and stuffing, then discuss the agricultural origins of each item.
For more information, view the AFBF news release online.
Seminar Gives Details of Leasing Farmland
Landowners and tenants can learn about Missouri land leasing laws at a Nov. 1 seminar at the University of Missouri (MU) Extension Center in Cass County.
MU Extension agriculture business specialist Nathanial Cahill says Missouri’s leasing laws differ from bordering states. The growing number of absentee landowners makes understanding Missouri’s complex leasing laws critical. Missouri also allows oral leases that are binding.
The seminar covers topics such as types of leases, equitable leasing rates, Missouri land and rental rate trends, Missouri leasing laws, and the important parts needed to form a legal lease.
Cahill says attendees can choose from two sessions, 2-4:30 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m., at the MU Extension Center in Cass County, 201 W. Wall St., Harrisonville.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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