News Update
Dec. 23, 2008

Make plans for National Western

It’s time to finalize your plans for the 103rd National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo. Angus activities take place Jan. 13-17 with hundreds of entries expected for the super-point Roll of Victory (ROV) show on the Hill, and the carload and pen shows in the Yards. See a full schedule of Angus activities online at http://www.angus.org/newsroom/releases/09_NWSS_Preview.html.

All Angus producers attending the NWSS are encouraged to stop by the Association’s Listening Post in the Yards. This year, the Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) staff will be in one larger tent across the aisle from where they have traditionally been located.

Staff will be on hand daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, to visit with producers about Association programs and to hear what industry issues producers are thinking about. Be sure to stop by to chat and have a cup of coffee.

In addition to the Listening Post, Association staff will be available to visit with producers at the Association booth on the Hill. Scott Johnson, director of Angus Information Management Software (AIMS), will be in the booth Wednesday through Friday to answer any questions about AIMS.

All-Star Lineup at Northwest Cattlemen’s Workshop

Another all-star list of speakers from throughout the U.S. will be featured at the fifth annual Cattlemen’s Workshop. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, at 9:00 a.m. at the Blue Mountain Conference Center in LaGrande, Ore.

The central theme of the workshop — “Opportunities in a Changing Beef Industry” — will be an outstanding opportunity for Pacific Northwest cattlemen to attend the free conference and keep abreast of the changes in the cattle industry. The list of nationally renowned speakers includes:

• Tommy Beall, former director of market research for Cattle-Fax, will lead the discussion and provide insight into the day’s discussions.
  
• Tom Field, executive director of producer education for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), will discuss “Challenges and Opportunities for the North American Beef Cattle Industry.”
  
• Chandler Keys, senior spokesman for JBS, the world’s largest beef company, will speak on the political situation in Washington, D.C.
  
• Gary Sides, cattle nutritionist for Pfizer Animal Health, will share his insight on big picture strategies and provide insights he has gained from his travels to some of the major cattle producing areas.
  
• Jerry Lipsey, executive vice president of the American Simmental Association, is a meat scientist based in Montana. He has been a leader in developing innovative crossbreeding programs and conducting DNA research.
  
• Don Killingsworth, president of Killingsworth Trading in Kansas City, will present his outlook on the grain market and it’s implications to the cattle industry.
  
• Tom Brink, senior vice president of Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, will discuss “Tailoring Cow-Calf Production for a Changing Beef Industry.”
  

For more information contact Kim Verhelst at the Eastern Oregon Ag Research Center in Union at 541-562-5129 or kim.verhelst@oregonstate.edu.

— Adapted from an Eastern Oregon Ag Research Center release

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen to Celebrate 100th Episode

NCBA’s “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” an award-winning television program created by the NCBA in 2007, will celebrate its 100th episode Dec. 30. The half-hour program appears weekly on RFD-TV, debuting on each Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and repeating on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at midnight.

Highlighted in the 100th episode will be stories from the program’s first two years, including George Bush’s visit to the 2007 Spring Legislative Conference, a day in the life of NCBA officer Bill Donald of Montana, the cost of running a cow, the launch of the beef industry’s new consumer advertising campaign and a view of premises registration at Hedge Apple Farms in Buckey’s Town, Md.

NCBA’s “Cattlemen to Cattlemen” can be viewed each week at www.cattlementocattlemen.org.

— Release provided by NCBA

— e-List compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.