News Update
March 30, 2017
Painting the West Black
It’s interesting how a monochromatic breed can paint such a diverse canvas. The Angus breed celebrated 75 years of Western heritage at the 2017 National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo., but its history didn’t start there.
A historian, a Board member, a herdsman and a breeder haven’t so much as missed a single trip to the National Western since their families or they themselves started the tradition a half century ago. These Angus leaders tell their stories of Angus in the West.
It all started as a patch of dusty stockyards off the railroad in what is now one of the most populous urban cities in the western United States.
Dan Green, livestock historian extraordinare and frequent contributor to The Angus Report and the Angus Journal, grew up in the Livestock Exchange Building in the Denver Stockyards, where his family owned and operated the Record Stockman from 1937 to 2008. The publication brought livestock market news and radio broadcasting from the heart of the Denver Stockyards to ranchers and agricultural professionals throughout the area.
Continue reading this Angus Journal feature article online.
Farm Bureau Praises EPA Chlorpyrifos Decision
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall March 30 applauded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt for rejecting a petition that would have eliminated the use of chlorpyrifos in agriculture.
“Farmers nationwide depend on chlorpyrifos in managing their crops,” Duvall said. “It is widely and safely used for a wide range of crops, including alfalfa, citrus, vegetables, soybeans, almonds and others. It also protects hundreds of thousands of acres of grass seed production, where it controls aphids, cutworms and other pests. As USDA has noted, chlorpyrifos has been used as a part of environmentally friendly IPM (integrated pest management) programs for nearly 50 years.”
Duvall noted that the chemical is still subject to registration review and any concerns about its safe use can be addressed in that process.
EPA Administrator Delivers Message to Cattlemen
EPA Administrator Pruitt addressed cattlemen and women at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) annual legislative conference March 30 in Washington, D.C. In his remarks, Pruitt said he is working to build a partnership between the agency and the men and women who serve as the stewards of our natural resources.
“In Oklahoma, I saw firsthand that cattlemen care deeply about a clean and healthy environment, because their livelihoods depend on it,” said Pruitt. “Looking forward, we will build a partnership with landowners across the country and create commonsense rules that protect our environment.”
Craig Uden, NCBA president, said he appreciated the candid comments and looks forward to working in collaboration the Administration.
“After eight years of aggressive regulatory overreach, it is reassuring to have an Administrator that wants to work with our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said Uden.
For more information, view the NCBA news release online.
AFBF President Urges Confirmation of Judge Gorsuch
AFBF President Duvall urged swift confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court in a letter to the full Senate.
“Supreme Court decisions affect farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to be productive,” wrote Duvall. “Important cases are expected to be coming up, and we need a full Supreme Court to provide for the full functioning of our third branch of government. Most important, we need a justice as qualified and dedicated as Judge Gorsuch.”
Duvall also noted that previously, the Senate confirmed Judge Gorsuch for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals without a single dissenting vote.
“Likewise today, there is no rational basis to oppose his confirmation,” Duvall wrote. “Tactics to block a vote on this nomination appear to be cynical tit-for-tat politics. The public deserves better.”
Describing the many challenges facing the nation as “too important to continue with a vacant seat on the Supreme Court,” Duvall urged senators to vote in favor of confirming Judge Gorsuch and to oppose unnecessary delays.
American Angus Association Member Notice
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.
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