News Update
June 30, 2017
LEAD Conference:
Navigating North Carolina
The Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference is set to take place Aug. 3-6 in Raleigh, N.C. The 2017 event is themed “Navigating North Carolina” and is designed for National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members 14 to 21 years of age.
Junior Angus members will travel from across the nation to experience local agriculture and to partake in leadership workshops coordinated by the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB). NJAB Leadership Director Tim Mardesen says LEAD is an opportunity to network with fellow juniors and engage with industry leaders.
“LEAD is an excellent venue to market yourself,” Mardesen says. “There might not be a better place to network and get your name known throughout other breeders who are looking to do the same thing.”
Angus juniors will have the opportunity to hear from professionals covering a wide variety of topics including marketing, genomics and professional development.
Read the Angus news release online.
Deluxe Feeds and Kent Nutrition Group Announce Expansion
Deluxe Feeds Inc., a division of Kent Nutrition Group (KNG) in Muscatine, Iowa, announced plans June 22 for an expansion to its Sheldon, Iowa, location that will allow the plant to better serve customers and offer a wider variety of products and services.
The expansion will provide Deluxe Feeds with new innovations and products that will bring value to the Deluxe Feeds and KNG customers in this market. The plant will increase capacity and versatility by adding five new pellet mills, two separate processing lines, high-efficiency packaging equipment, robotic palletizers, grain cleaning and packaging innovations, and a 50,000-square-foot warehouse.
“This investment and expansion reflects our deep commitment to the industry. We are focused on providing innovative products and solutions to address the challenges and opportunities our customers face both today and in the future,” said Gage Kent, chairman and CEO of Kent Corp.
For more information, read the news release online.
Doud Nominated to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator
On Friday, June 16, President Trump announced his intention to nominate Gregg Doud as the administration’s chief agricultural negotiator under the U.S. Trade Representative.
United State Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) President Kenny Graner issued this statement following the announcement:
“USCA welcomes the nomination of Gregg Doud to the position of chief agricultural negotiator. As the current president of the Commodity Markets Council, a former senior aide to Chairman Pat Roberts, and a Kansas wheat farmer, Gregg understands the complexities of agricultural trade on a global level and will serve as a valuable asset to U.S. cattle producers at the negotiating table.
USCA has enjoyed its working relationship with Gregg during his tenure on Capitol Hill and looks forward to a quick Senate confirmation process for his nomination.”
BI Supports Enhancement of Stockmanship
and Stewardship Program
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Stockmanship and Stewardship is a successful program that helps cattlemen become better animal handlers. Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) is furthering its commitment to cattle well-being by becoming the premier sponsor of the Stockmanship and Stewardship events in 2017, in addition to its ongoing commitment to BQA. Program support from BI allows for the number and scope of the events that are hosted regionally to reach cattlemen in all corners of the country.
Five regional events have been scheduled for 2017. Cattle producers will notice a renewed focus and increased effort around hands-on training, cattle handling demonstrations and beef quality assurance certifications — all bringing value back to their operations.
Local events will still be offered; however, the enhanced Stockmanship and Stewardship program will be featuring new multi-day events that are sure to attract cattlemen and women from a larger region at a central location.
Learn more in the full news release online.
Georgia Beef Commission Check-Off
Georgia beef producers overwhelmingly voted to continue the $1 per head assessment for beef animals through the renewal of the Beef Commission Marketing Order. The vote to support the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Beef was approved with an 80.7% favorable vote of the ballots returned.
The marketing order was first approved in 2014 and requires an assessment to be collected on all animals sold for beef in Georgia with a value of more than $100. The marketing order must be voted on every three years for continuation.
Funds from the assessment are used to fund research, education and promotion projects for Georgia cattle producers. In the three years since the assessment began, more than $1 million has been committed to research projects with the University of Georgia and in-state education and promotion efforts focusing on nutritional qualities of beef.
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