News Update

August 2, 2017

Angus University at the 2017 Angus Convention Brings Beef Industry Experts

The 2017 Angus Convention offers a tremendous lineup of speakers and workshops for the fourth annual Angus University on Sunday, Nov. 5, sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

“Every year, we’re excited to bring in a diverse set of beef industry experts to share valuable information with attendees at Angus University,” says Clint Mefford, director of communications at the American Angus Association. “2017 promises to be the best yet, focusing on topics that are important to cattlemen and their operations.”

The Angus University general session features two outstanding keynote speakers: Ed Hendee, owner of the famous Taste of Texas restaurant; and Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO.

Hendee and his wife, Nina, own and operate the renowned Taste of Texas restaurant in Houston, which launched in 1977. The restaurant has gained local and national acclaim for setting the standard of steakhouse excellence and its consummate Texas hospitality. In 1984, Hendee embraced Certified Angus Beef^® and doubled the restaurant’s sales in three years, ensuring its survival. In 1991, the Hendees constructed their own building, leading to a 300-seat hotspot and growing fame as today’s top volume, independent restaurant in the world for Certified Angus Beef^®.

Continue reading this Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Angus Media staff.

Farm Bureau Decries D.C. Circuit’s ‘Endangered’ Wolf Ruling

The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall:

“Today (Aug. 1), the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a thriving population of 4,000 gray wolves that threatens farmers and ranchers in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin was somehow endangered. This ruling defies common sense.

“The court handed down this opinion despite an abundance of scientific and commercial data showing no material threat to the wolf population. Neither the goals outlined in various recovery plans nor the aggressive and successful leadership to save the wolves in affected states moved the court to do the right thing.

“Congress needs to take action to reform the broken and outdated Endangered Species Act. There’s no question the wolf packs have recovered. We only wish we could say the same of farms and ranches within their reach.”

— Adapted from a release by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Secretary Perdue Appoints New Leadership for Food Safety

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Aug. 1 made two appointments to help fulfill the mission of the USDA to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. Perdue announced that Carmen Rottenberg was selected as acting deputy undersecretary for food safety and Paul Kiecker was named acting administrator for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The two will serve in those capacities until presidential nominees are confirmed by the Senate for those roles.

“Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is our most important responsibility, and it’s one we undertake with great seriousness,” Perdue said. “Both Carmen and Paul have dedicated their careers to the mission of food safety, and I am pleased to have appointed them to these important roles within the USDA,” said Perdue. “I commend the work of the entire USDA’s food safety team for painstakingly safeguarding the food we serve our families every single day.”

For more information, read the USDA news release online.

— Adapted from a release by the USDA.

Perdue to Kick Off ‘Back to Our Roots’ RV Tour

Perdue Aug.1 announced that he will embark on a five-state RV tour, titled the “Back to Our Roots” Tour, to gather input on the 2018 Farm Bill and increasing rural prosperity. Along the way, Perdue will meet with farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, students, governors, members of Congress, USDA employees, and other stakeholders. This is the first of two RV tours the secretary will undertake this summer. In making the announcement, Perdue issued the following statement:

“The ‘Back to our Roots’ Farm Bill and rural prosperity RV listening tour will allow us to hear directly from people in agriculture across the country as well as our consumers — they are the ones on the front lines of American agriculture, and they know best what the current issues are,” Perdue said.

“USDA will be intimately involved as Congress deliberates and formulates the 2018 Farm Bill. We are committed to making the resources and the research available, so that Congress can make good facts-based, data-driven decisions. It’s important to look at past practices to see what has worked and what has not worked, so that we create a farm bill for the future that will be embraced by American agriculture in 2018.”

Read the full USDA news release online.

— Adapted from a release by the USDA.

Making Standards and Technology Work
2017 Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability

Data. Gathering it should be easy. Just ask the right questions, get simple answers and store it until needed. When it comes to livestock traceability data, there are a lot of moving parts.

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), or ‘health paper’ accompanies livestock when transported from state to state. Its purpose is to make any animal disease outbreak easily traced back to its source. Standards put together by the USDA in 2012 gave generalized guidelines on what should be included in a CVI and how it should be included in a transfer of livestock.

Kansas Animal Health Commissioner and veterinarian Justin Smith, will moderate a panel discussion on “Making Standards and Technology Work” at the upcoming National Institute of Animal Agriculture (NIAA) and U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA)-hosted 2017 Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability to be hosted in Denver, Colo., in September.

How to gather the pertinent data, what to include, how to meet various state requirements and how to transfer that data to where it needs to go, while conserving privacy, are all continuing issues to be discussed. For more information, view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.

— Adapted from a release by Katie Ambrose, National Institute for Animal Agriculture.

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