News Update

April 21, 2017

Final Call for Angus
Scholarship Applications

The deadline is quickly approaching to apply for scholarships through the Angus Foundation and American Angus Auxiliary. Applications must be postmarked by May 1. Angus youth should act now to ensure their materials arrive in a timely manner.

The Angus Foundation offers general scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in higher education. Angus youth meeting the eligibility requirements for the Angus Foundation’s 2017 Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship Programs will be considered by the Angus Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee. As in past years, other specific and special criteria scholarships administered by the Angus Foundation will also be available. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the 2017 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Des Moines, Iowa.

A long-standing scholarship awarded through the Angus Foundation is the $1,000 Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB)/National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) Scholarship. Applicants must have at one time been an NJAA member and must currently be a junior, regular or life member of the American Angus Association, along with being an incoming sophomore, junior or senior in college majoring in animal science, meat science, food science, agricultural communications or a related field of academic study.

For more scholarship information, read the complete Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jena McRell, Angus Media.

Outstanding NJAA Leadership Award

To recognize Angus youth who exemplify what it means to be a true leader, the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) presents the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award each year at the Angus Convention.

The prestigious award is based on leadership roles within the Angus business and other activities and ways the nominee has committed to helping others develop those skills, as well. The Outstanding Leadership Award recipient will receive an award, presented by the NJAA, and a scholarship for $2,500.

Applications for the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award are available online and must be completed by May 1. Only current NJAA members who are at least 17 years old as of Jan. 1 will be considered for the award, and a selection committee formed by the NJAA Advisory Board determines winners.

Learn more in the Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jena McRell, Angus Media.

College Station Laboratory Celebrates Grand Opening

On April 19, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) celebrated the grand opening of the new, 93,000 square foot College Station laboratory and agency headquarters.

In 1967, the Texas Legislature created TVMDL and for 50 years the agency has helped protect animal and human health through diagnostics by working hand-in-hand with veterinarians and animal owners to identify animal disease agents and collaborate on treatment and prevention techniques. The new College Station laboratory is one of the largest of its kind in the country and will allow the agency to continue to provide the highest quality diagnostic testing available.

In May 2013, the Texas Legislature appropriated $53M to fund the construction of the facility at College Station. With architectural firm Perkins+Will and professionals from Vaughn Construction, TVMDL broke ground on the lab in late 2014.

Continue reading this news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Shawn Eyre, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

McDonald’s Makes Changes

Fast-food giant, McDonald’s, recently announced that it would begin using fresh beef instead of frozen patties in its quarter-pounder burger. All other beef sandwiches will continue using frozen product.

The new move comes at a time when McDonald’s is seeking to respond to lower traffic at its more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants. Rival Wendy’s was quick to point out that they’ve been serving fresh beef in all of their restaurants for almost 50 years.

As trends toward speciality burger restaurants — such as Certified Angus Beef® brand partner Smashburger — have led to greater competition when it comes to finding that perfect hamburger. McDonald’s says it will have fresh beef in the quarter-pounder by mid-year 2018.

Watch this week’s The Angus Report online to learn more. You can also catch the show at 1:30 p.m. CDT Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CDT each Monday morning on RFD-TV.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

Angus Talk: Trend Setters

Along America’s Angus Trails is glad to find out that ranchers and their families have long been in the vanguard of yet another hot societal trend — DIY. Do It Yourself.

I mean, gosh, that’s just the way we’ve always done it. Out of necessity, if nothing else, when you’re 40 miles or so from the nearest town with a general store or Wal-Mart or something. But let the modern hip intelligensia get a hold of it, and suddenly a new trend is born, one that accidentally puts us in the forefront. Why use that mass-manufactured, shipped-in factory-made stuff, when you could DIY it?

Most people groan at ranch chores and other busywork, embracing time-saving devices and products. Then there are those who deliberately increase their workloads by making their own household staples.

Hard as it is for me to believe that anyone would actually do this, there are people out there who are making their own laundry detergent, bathroom cleaners, dryer sheets, dishwasher soap, window spray, toothpaste, teeth whitener, deodorant, mascara and tanning oil.

View the Angus Media news article online.

— Adapted from commentary by Dan Green, Angus Talk.

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