News Update
December 22, 2017
Office Closed
The American Angus Association and Angus Productions Inc. offices will close today at 2 p.m. Central and remain closed until Wednesday, Dec. 27, when regular office hours will resume. Merry Christmas!
Angus Foundation Raises $43,500 in Las Vegas
The Angus Foundation beneficiaries hit the jackpot in Las Vegas. Supporters raised more than $43,000 (gross) of unrestricted funds for Angus youth, education and research at the 2017 National Finals Angus Sale Dec. 10. Hosted by Decades of Excellence Group, Linz Heritage Angus and the American Angus Hall of Fame, the sale featured five unique packages at auction.
“Generosity abounds this holiday season,” said Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “Our many thanks to the package donors, buyers and contending bidders for helping make this fundraising activity successful. We are thrilled to be able to put these funds to good use in 2018 toward Angus youth scholarships, leadership training, producer education, beef cattle research projects and other programs.”
2018 Angus Foundation Golf Tournament Event Title Sponsorship — Donated by the Angus Foundation, the event title sponsorship includes farm/ranch/company logo display on banners at the event, in promotional brochures, on the Angus Foundation website, and in news releases and other media distributed about the golf tournament, as well as a complementary, full-page, four-color ad in the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) event program.
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
Transportation Training Available
The checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has launched a new training and certification program for cattle transportation. The program, known as Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT), provides cattle producers and haulers with comprehensive training based on their roles in the cattle industry. Online training will be made available beginning immediately, and in-person training opportunities will begin soon.
“The BQA Transportation training and certification program has been a long time coming,” said Chase DeCoite, director of Beef Quality Assurance for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the beef checkoff. “By educating cattle haulers and producers on the best practices in cattle transportation, BQA is helping make improvements in cattle care and beef quality. Participating in BQA Transportation will be an indicator that the beef and dairy industries are committed to responsible animal care during transportation and makes both the BQA and dairy FARM animal care programs more complete.”
The BQA program was first funded by the beef checkoff in the early 1990s and developed its first guidance on transportation in 2006.
Learn more in the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Calling for COOL
The slogan “Make America Great Again” helped Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election, and now conservative commentator Tomi Lahren is using a spin-off of that mantra to try to gain new traction for mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL).
Lahren, a former host on the network The Blaze who recently joined Fox News as a contributor on Hannity and for digital development, was in Rapid City, S.D., Aug. 26 as the keynote speaker at the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) 18th Annual Convention. Lahren’s presentation was titled “Making the Dinner Table American Again,” and her fiery comments focused on pushing for passage of COOL.
“Labeling on our meat products is a commonsense thing, and American consumers should know. … You know where apples and oranges come from, but you don’t know where meat comes from,” she expressed.
She continued, “I challenge you to ask friends and family and on social media, ‘Do you know where your beef is coming from?’… All we need is a sticker on it, and the American consumer can decide.”
Read this Angus Journal article online.
Montana Angus Tour 2017
With the lifting of the clouds, revealing the snowcapped mountains of the Bridgers, Hylite’s, Spanish Peaks and Tobacco Roots that ring Montana’s Gallatin Valley, 400 Angus enthusiasts representing 26 different states and three Canadian provinces were treated to a truly breathtaking backdrop as the 2017 Montana Angus Tour kicked off.
Recent storms had quelled the fear of fire that had gripped the state in which more than 1.2 million acres had burned in the past 90 days. The smoke that had been choking much of the West had dissipated. The weather for the 2017 tour was best described as “ideal.”
As the morning’s gray chill gave way to a partly cloudy, beautiful afternoon, folks gathered at the historic VanDyke Angus Ranch in Manhattan, Mont. On display were cattle from VanDyke Angus, Kimm Angus, Hyline Angus and Logterman Livestock. Along with viewing of the cattle, folks caught up with friends from near and far. Clint Rusk from Oklahoma State University presented a live demonstration on foot and leg structure.
Read the full Angus Journal article online.
K-State to Host ‘Calving Schools’
in Several Kansas Communities
With the new year, beef producers are anxious for the 2018 calf crop. In anticipation of calving season, the Kansas State University (K-State) Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and K-State Research and Extension are planning a series of calving schools in January.
The program will outline the normal processes of calving. A.J. Tarpoff, K-State Research and Extension beef veterinarian, said the goals of the calving schools are to increase knowledge and practical skills, and increase the number of live calves born.
The schools will also share tips on when and how to intervene to assist the cow and how those times may be different when dealing with young heifers. Presenters will demonstrate proper use of calving equipment on life-size scale.
“This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and review the calving process,” Tarpoff said. “We will discuss timelines on when to access calving cows and when to call for help if things are not going well.”
Several of the meetings will also cover topics such as cow nutrition during the winter months and managing cull cows.
For more information please view the full release here.
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