News Update
March 17, 2017
American Angus Association Member Notice
April 7 is ‘E’ Day: Be sure you are an eligible voting member
Preparations for the 2017 Annual Convention of Delegates have begun. The American Angus Association will mail delegate nomination forms only to active regular and life members who qualify as eligible voting members prior to the deadline of 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) on April 7, 2017.
To be active and eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age, as well as a life or regular member, when the nomination period begins (April 10, 2017). Dues must be current and paid in full. In addition, you must have registered at least one animal or have conducted a minimum $250 worth of business with the American Angus Association or Angus Genetics Inc. within the 12 months preceding the nomination period (April 10, 2016-April 7, 2017). Please make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements by the close of business (4:30 p.m. CDT) April 7. Members can determine their eligibility status through AAA Login at My Account > Your American Angus Association Information.
The Association’s annual meeting will be convened Monday, Nov. 6, during the Angus Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.
Blach Encourages Producers To Look Ahead To ‘New Normal’
Thousands of cattle producers from across the country gathered Feb. 2 for the 2017 CattleFax Outlook Session hosted annually in conjunction with the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.
As CattleFax CEO Randy Blach opened the seminar, he addressed producers saying, “I know a lot of you have questions about these markets. It’s been one of the most volatile markets in history.”
To illustrate the market extremes, Blach cited the low prices of 2009, when fed cattle were selling at $80 per hundredweight (cwt.).
“A year later — boom — we woke up and fed cattle were at $173 per hundredweight,” he said. In jest, he added, “I’m sure you all forecasted that, too.”
For more information, view the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Business Succession Planning Tools
Business planning succession is often avoided due to fear, noted Michael McCormack as he addressed cattle producers attending a Learning Lounge session offered Feb. 2 at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.
McCormack, a financial advisor with Lincoln Financial Agribusiness, explained that the most common “fear” scenario he sees among family businesses — such as farms and ranches — is that the owners do not teach the next generation how to run the company because they do not want to lose control.
The situation is often compounded because the majority of individuals in the second generation will not challenge the tradition being set by the owner. Or, McCormack said, the second generation becomes trapped and often feels the sentiment, “Every time I get close to the end zone, Dad moves the goal posts.”
Continue reading the Angus Media article online.
Using Genetics to Select for Healthier Cattle
“Genomics allow us to look ‘under the hood’ of an animal so to speak,” said Alison Van Eenennaam with University of California–Davis as she addressed Cattlemen’s College® attendees Feb. 1 at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
Van Eenennaam provided an overview of the history in DNA sequencing that has brought the industry to where it is today. She commended breed associations for the incorporation of genomic information into their national cattle evaluation (NCE) programs.
That said, Van Eenennaam said a hindrance for the future is collection of new data to develop new trait selection tools for fertility, feed efficiency or disease traits not currently represented in the NCE.
However, a five-year USDA-funded project is helping address that data hindrance, at least with regard to bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
Read more in the Angus Media article online.
Meat Magic
Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) meat scientist Phil Bass threw around knives and steer-shaped stress balls inside the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show Learning Lounge Feb. 1, but not without polished technique. Bass worked the crowd as part of the Cattle Industry Convention hosted this year in Nashville, Tenn.
“This is meat science, not rocket science. We kind of just call it what it is,” he told a full crowd while holding up a round, exhibiting meat cuts and explaining to attendees each cut’s best use.
“I’ll happily throw steers at you if you interact,” he told his audience, encouraging participation.
Participate it did, as Bass covered topics from marbling to trends.
Bass described the significance of each cut and the importance of using it correctly, cooking it to the correct doneness and not wasting any parts of the carcass. He talked about trends, including new cuts like the Denver steak, flat-iron steak and ribeye cap muscle, which can be marketed for more than $30 per pound.
Continue reading the Angus Media article online.
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