News Update
December 27, 2017
CAB offers $40,000
in Colvin Scholarships
Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) is now accepting applications for its annual Colvin Scholarship, awarded to college juniors, seniors and graduate students committed to the beef industry.
The Colvin Fund honors CAB co-founder and executive director of 21 years, Louis M. “Mick” Colvin, for his dedication to the brand, carrying on his legacy of inspiring others to achieve and to be their best.
This year’s fund features a record amount of up to $40,000.
Five undergraduate scholarships in the amounts of $7,500, $6,500, $5,000, $4,000 and $3,000, are offered, totaling $26,000. Juniors and seniors who have shown that commitment through coursework or extracurricular activities should apply by Jan. 15, 2018.
Submit two essays along with a transcript copy and two recommendation letters. The first is a 1,000-word response to the prompt, “Over the next 10 years, what marketing strategies can Certified Angus Beef LLC develop to meet the demands of the rapidly changing global demographics and to keep up with future expansion?” The second is a 500-word response to, “Why are you pursuing the career path you have selected?”
For more information, please view the CAB news release online.
That’s a Wrap
With almost 2,500 attendees, the three-day 2017 Angus Convention was a resounding success. The American Angus Association celebrated a year full of progress and innovation, including two groundbreaking announcements during the convention.
Allen Moczygemba, Association CEO, announced the acquisition of Verified Beef and its Reputation Feeder Cattle® program during the Opening General Session Saturday, Nov. 4. The deal is a pivotal decision that will grow the value and relevance of the Angus breed today and in the future.
The Association also introduced a new genomic profile, Angus GS™, which offers breeders an affordable tool to empower genomic selection. The Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) team developed the tool specifically for Angus cattle and designed it to genotype the whole herd, not just bulls.
“This year’s Angus Convention was a tremendous success thanks to our dedicated membership and talented staff,” Moczygemba said. “It was truly a monumental year of innovation and progress for the Association and will set up 2018 to be an even more successful year. The Angus breed enjoys a leadership position today because of the collective efforts of producers, industry partners and Association supporters.”
Read the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Association Perspective
The American Angus Association is recognized as the nation’s largest breed organization, having a membership of more than 25,000 breeders who, in fiscal year (FY) 2016, registered in excess of 320,000 head of cattle.
The Association also holds the distinction of having the largest field staff of any beef breed organization, employing 13 full-time regional managers who travel extensively in their respective territories throughout the year representing the American Angus Association and its membership. These individuals are not only knowledgeable of the Angus breed, they possess a thorough understanding of the Association and its four entities, rules and policies, and all programs and services offered by the organization.
The American Angus Association prides itself in being a service organization, and the regional manager team plays an important role in the educational process of the membership. The Association and its entities have developed numerous programs to assist both the new and veteran breeder in achieving their production goals and objectives and building a profitable program.
With more than 20 million records in its database, the Performance Programs Department provides the membership with cutting-edge genetic selection tools and programs such as Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®) and MaternalPlus®.
View this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA column online.
CAB Opts for USDA Grading Modernization
It’s no big deal, literally, but grading rules that applied needless discounts to a tiny fraction of carcasses are no more for most beef. As of Monday, Dec. 18, all graded beef in the United States can be evaluated for the most youthful “A” maturity category based on dentition, as well as traditional skeletal metrics when assigning quality grades.
After input from industry stakeholders citing research and economics over the past year, USDA announced the change to modernize grading standards in that way.
Quality grading assesses both marbling and maturity.
“Nearly all of the large beef processing plants have been using dentition for more than a decade to meet export requirements,” says Clint Walenciak, director of packing for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand. “Roughly 95% of all fed cattle are graded to inform consumers on tenderness, juiciness and flavor, and this minor rule adjustment shouldn’t affect the number graded.”
Studies showed beef ruled “A” (under 30 months of age) by dentition but with advanced skeletal maturity (B and C) was just as palatable as beef that did not exhibit such skeletal traits.
Read more of this CAB news release online.
Future Angus Stockmen Scholarship Awarded
The American Angus Association launched the Future Angus Stockmen program to encourage the next generation of commercial cattle producers. This program awards a $1,000 scholarship annually thanks to support from Allflex.
Catie Wharton, Syracuse, Kan., was awarded the scholarship during the 2017 Angus Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.
Wharton is a freshman at Texas Tech University studying animal science with an emphasis in production. She fell in love with the beef industry as a young girl raising her first Angus bucket calf and now aspires to become a beef producer.
Wharton has served as treasurer, vice president and president in her county 4-H program and has taken grand champion accolades in beef, sheep, horse and photography projects. During her 4-H and FFA careers, Wharton has learned the value of utilizing high-quality Angus genetics.
Continue reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
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