News Update
January 22, 2018
National Junior Angus Association Announces State of the Year Award
Participation of state associations in contests and events is an integral piece of National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) success. In order to recognize state associations that go above and beyond, the NJAA established the State of the Year Award. Winning states have demonstrated outstanding performance in their services and are dedicated to ensuring the achievement of junior members.
The NJAA Board of Directors will select a winner from applications received prior to the 2018 National Junior Angus Show in Madison, Wis. Deadline for applications is March 1, 2018. Participation will be considered on a weighted basis and take into account the number of members in the state association and/or the number of members who attend junior activities. Adult association activities will not be taken into account, unless the junior association planned the activity.
“The State of the Year Award was created to recognize junior state associations that are committed to going the extra mile,” said Director of Events and Education Jaclyn Clark. “We want to commend them for providing opportunities for junior members in the areas of involvement, leadership, growth and development.”
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
More Than Marbling
It was inevitable: There would be more beef to sell in this third year of U.S. cow herd expansion. Better news emerged by spring: More of it would be premium quality. The news was even better by summer: The rancher, restaurateur and retail partners in the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand were headed for another record year.
Sales of 1.121 billion pounds (lb.) marked an increase of 106 million lb., or 10.4% compared to fiscal year (FY) 2016. That makes CAB’s 39th fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, one of its best and part of a two-year growth of 25%.
“This is more than a celebration of marbling,” CAB President John Stika said at the brand’s annual conference in September. “This is about relationships and the people who have elevated the relevance of this brand in the eyes of the consumer and across an entire industry.”
Encompassing seven of the 10 best sales months in CAB history, FY 2017 set an 11th consecutive annual sales record, continuing a 13-year-streak of year-over-year growth.
The gratitude, Stika said, belongs first to the ranching families who meet consumer demand with “intentionality” and uncommon speed.
Read the full Angus Journal article online.
Farmers Union Urges Increased Funding
for Farm Safety Net, Releases Priorities for Farm Bill
Given the persistent and ongoing economic challenges in farming and rural economies, National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling on Congress to increase funding for farm programs in the farm bill and pass the legislation as soon as possible. The NFU Board of Directors recently passed a resolution to this effect, outlining requirements for a farm bill that family farmers and ranchers can support.
“American farmers are not only suffering from price pressure that has reduced net farm income by half over the last four years, but devastating wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters continue to punish agricultural communities,” said the Board. “Trade policies continue to promote the sale of farm products at prices below the cost of production. Farm bill legislation in 2018 must strengthen the safety net so that farmers and ranchers can manage risk, stay in business and continue to feed our country.”
The board laid out a series of 14 recommendations that Congress should follow to provide a sufficient farm safety net, support rural communities, protect natural resources, improve beginning farmers’ and ranchers’ opportunities for success, and ensure the nation’s most vulnerable people have enough to eat.
For more information, view this NFU release online.
Passing It On
David Trowbridge got his wish and then some.
A decade and a half ago, the Tabor, Iowa, feedlot manager was quoted as saying: “We would love to have more cattle perform as predictably as the Hubach cattle.”
That was back in 2002, when Johnnie Hubach’s northern Missouri family farm earned the CAB Commitment to Excellence award. In the years since, they’ve passed plenty of similar, and improving, cattle to their feeding partner. The title of their Angus Journal story then was “Taking The Luck Out of It.”
Indeed, luck had little to do with the 55% of his calves that met Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand specifications when industry average for black-hided calves was just 17% at that time. Up to 96% of his cattle were grading Choice, too.
By then, he had been utilizing artificial insemination (AI) for more than a decade to bring proven, high-accuracy bulls into the herd. Hubach continued to build on that with several generations of precise, individual matings to bring balance to his herd and deliver consistent results for his heifer development and their feedlot-bound siblings.
Keep reading this Angus Journal article online.
K-State’s Winter Ranch Management series set for February
Kansas State University (K-State) will host a series of meetings to help beef producers focus on management and profit strategies for the new year.
Bob Weaber, a K-State Research and Extension cow-calf specialist, said this year’s Winter Ranch Management series is titled “Corrals, calcium, costs and cows: management and profit strategies for 2018.” The meetings will be hosted at four sites in Kansas and will feature presentations and comments by extension educators on profit-enhancing strategies.
The meetings will also feature a popular “town-hall” style question-and-answer session between Kansas’ cattle producers and extension specialists. Weaber said the series has a history of being a successful stretch of meetings.
Weaber, along with other state, district and local extension staff, will take part in the series to help answer producers’ questions. The specialists will answer a wide range of questions on beef cattle issues including animal health, nutrition, management, genetics and reproduction.
“Over the past few months we’ve received quite a few questions from producers looking for profit tips and tools,” Weaber said. “The Winter Ranch Management series provides another great opportunity for state and local specialists to take our expertise out in the country for a series of impactful face-to-face meetings.
For more information please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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