News Update
September 13, 2017
Register for the 2017 Angus Convention
Registration is still open for the 2017 Angus Convention, Nov. 4-6 in Fort Worth, Texas. If you haven’t registered yet for the American Angus Association’s premier event, you can still take advantage of the affordable $125 registration fee through Sept. 30.
“The 2017 Angus Convention truly offers something for everyone,” says Clint Mefford, director of communications with the American Angus Association. “From the National Angus Tour and Angus University workshops to the trade show and, of course, the 134th Annual Convention of the Delegates, it’s an event seedstock breeders, commercial producers and feeders won’t want to miss.”
Full convention registration at www.angusconvention.com includes access to all workshops, convention events, Certified Angus Beef® meals, entertainment and more. Single day passes are also available, and attending only the business meeting is free. Special events, such as the Angus Foundation Supporter Recognition Event, American Angus Auxiliary Breakfast, Association Awards Breakfast and National Angus Tour are all ticketed events at additional cost. You can also make your hotel reservations while you register.
In addition to fantastic events and a dynamic trade show, 2017 Angus Convention sponsors are giving away two grand prizes, totaling more than $100,000, to two lucky attendees.
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
USDA Eases Program Rules to Aid Florida,
Other Irma-Stricken Areas
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue outlined Sept. 12 steps the USDA has taken to help the people of Florida and other states and U.S. territories ravaged by Hurricane Irma, underscoring the USDA’s commitment to feeding all those in need in times of disaster.
“USDA stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Americans struggling in the path of devastation created by this historic storm,” Perdue said. “Working with our state and private-sector partners, we are actively taking measures to ensure that people in these areas get the food they need.”
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently approved a temporary waiver and supported other actions that will help households participating in the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Florida, Georgia and the Virgin Islands and the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico access food in the wake of Hurricane Irma, including:
- Allowing SNAP participants in Florida to buy hot foods and hot ready-to-eat foods with their benefits through Sept. 30.
- Supporting Florida’s plan to issue all September SNAP benefits on Sept. 7 and Georgia’s plan to issue all remaining benefits for September on Sept. 10.
Learn more in the full USDA news release online.
Improper Mosquito Control on Livestock
Can Do More Harm Than Good
In an effort to save their livestock from the torment caused by the plague of mosquitoes in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, some producers are making the mistake of misusing chemicals to control the pests, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
“The results can be potentially disastrous,” said Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension livestock entomologist at Stephenville. “Misuse of potent chemicals can quickly become an example of ‘the cure is worse than the malady,’ not only for the animals being treated but also to the environment.
“I have heard people promoting the use of premise treatment products for mosquito control on their cattle,” she said. “They’re reportedly using pyrethroid chemicals that are labeled ‘NOT FOR USE ON ANIMALS’ on their cattle. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to follow the label, even if it’s 10 pages long. What a tragedy it could be if producers whose animals survived the storm lost them through their own wrongdoing.”
Joe Paschal, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Corpus Christi, said he’s also heard reports of off-label pesticide use by some in the affected area.
For more information, view the AgriLife release online.
Cattlemen Launch Monthlong Media Campaign
for Comprehensive Tax Reform
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Sept. 7 kicked off a media and advertising campaign that will shine a spotlight on how various federal tax provisions impact America’s cattle and beef producers. The campaign, which will focus heavily on the death tax, aims to build support in Washington for comprehensive tax reform that makes our tax code fair for agricultural producers. The campaign will be centered around a new website, CattlemenForTaxReform.com, and will run through September.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enact truly comprehensive tax reform, and we can’t afford to let this opportunity pass or to get it wrong,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Craig Uden. “Family ranchers and farmers deserve a full and permanent repeal of the onerous death tax, which charges them in cash on the often-inflated appraised value of their property and equipment. This campaign will shine a spotlight on the stories of real ranchers who have had to deal with this issue, and it will also highlight current tax provisions that we need to maintain, such as stepped-up basis, cash accounting and deducibility of interest payments.”
Read the full NCBA news release online.
Ranch Management University set for Oct. 9-13
From soil management to cattle, forage and wildlife, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Ranch Management University Oct. 9-13 in College Station will offer a little something for everyone, according to coordinators.
The workshop will meet at the G. Rollie White Visitor Center, 7707 Raymond Stotzer Parkway on the Texas A&M University campus, said Larry Redmon, Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences associate department head and AgriLife Extension program leader, College Station.
Registration is $500, with attendance limited to the first 50 who enroll. To register online and for more information, go to http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter “ranch management” into the search window.
The five-day event is designed to help new and novice landowners improve their understanding of resource management on their ranch properties, Redmon said.
He said topics to be covered include soil fertility and sampling; hay production, sampling and sprayer calibration; financial considerations and government programs; forage legume management and winter pasture establishment and utilization; beef nutrition requirements and supplements; body condition scores, stocking rates, marketing and genetic strategies for livestock; pond and wildlife management; horse production; and chuteside live-animal handling demonstrations.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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