News Update
August 20, 2010

Angus Juniors Gather in Nashville
The 2010 Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) Conference themed, “Angus: Live and Loud,” brought together 207 Angus participants — including juniors ages 14-21 — from 34 states, Canada, Russia and Australia, Aug. 5-8 in Nashville, Tenn.

Junior members participated in team-building and leadership activities organized by the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) board of directors.

“LEAD Conference is a unique, once-a-year opportunity for Angus youth,” says Robin Ruff, American Angus Association director of junior activities. “The juniors had a great time and learned valuable leadership skills that will benefit them in all areas of their lives. Most importantly, their enthusiasm will encourage the success and future of the Angus breed.” Read more.

“Beef Bash” Field Day to Focus on Beef Cattle
The University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association will host Beef Bash 2010, a unique field day for Kentucky beef cattle producers, Sept. 23, at the Research and Education Center in Princeton.

This is the second time for this field day, which had a successful first offering in 2008. Nearly 500 people attended the inaugural event, which also included 30 commercial exhibitors.

Research and outreach efforts such as Beef Bash are an important means of providing up-to-date information to cattle producers, said Roy Burris, UK Extension beef specialist.

“With the Beef Bash, we offer a field day that features more hands-on opportunities and more live cattle exhibits than the typical field day,” Burris said.

These hands-on demonstrations will give participants an up close look at timely topics including dead animal composting, hay quality (sampling, testing and feeding), alternative feed storage and fall pasture management.

Burris notes that Beef Bash will feature meaningful beef cattle research that is practical for Kentucky cow herds and will also have commercial exhibitors featuring new beef-cattle-related products.

Dave Maples, executive vice president of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, agrees the field day will be a great opportunity for beef producers to visit the UK beef research station and talk with the researchers and fellow cattlemen about their industry.

“This field day is a good opportunity to learn more about the current issues that we are facing in the beef industry,” Maples said.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. CDT with field exhibits and demonstrations beginning at 10 a.m. A meal will be available for purchase the day of the event. No preregistration is required.

The UK Research and Education Center is on Ky. 91 South, 1.5 miles southeast of the Caldwell County Courthouse in Princeton.

For more information contact Roy Burris at 270-365-7541, ext. 208 or by e-mail at rburris@uky.edu or a local UK Cooperative Extension Service office. You may also visit http://ces.ca.uky.edu/beefirm/bash for more detailed information on exhibits and demonstrations.

— Release by UK Cooperative Extension Service.

AMIF and NAMP Partner to Offer Two Education Opportunities in September
Registration is now open for the Center of the Plate Training® Short Course, co-sponsored by the North American Meat Processors (NAMP) and the American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF). The course will be at Kendall College in downtown Chicago, Ill., Sept. 23-24, 2010.

Center of the Plate Training teaches participants about standards and specifications by demonstrating how the cuts commonly found in foodservice and retail are fabricated. Participants also learn about variations in quality and how standards can affect the consistency of meat products.

AMI members are eligible for the lower, members-only rate. In addition, if three people from the same organization register, the fourth registration is free.

For more information and details, please visit www.namp.com.

AMIF and NAMP are also partnering to offer the upcoming E. coli O157:H7 Conference for Beef Further Processors.

This year’s conference, scheduled for Sept. 28-29, 2010, in Chicago, will devote an entire morning to achieving validation for further processors.

Other topics that will be covered include a preharvest update, an FSIS policy update, a discussion of how science and the law affect the industry, information on suppliers and an overall HACCP plan update.

For more information and to register, go to www.namp.com.

— Release by AMIF.

Program That Assists Farmers with Disabilities to Be Showcased at Farm Science Review
The Ohio AgrAbility program will once again be showcased at Ohio State University (OSU) Farm Science Review, Sept. 21-23 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

The program, part of the national AgrAbility program, assists farmers with disabilities. Visitors to Farm Science Review can stop by the AgrAbility booth along Land Avenue of the exhibitor area to learn more.

“Visitors to Farm Science Review can stop by the booth to meet and greet our staff and learn more about AgrAbility and what the program can do for them,” said Dee Jepsen, OSU Extension state safety leader.

“The program has a mission to improve a high quality of life for farmers and other agricultural workers with disabilities, so that they and their families continue to succeed.”

In addition, Ohio AgrAbility will be showcased in the McCormick Building on Friday Avenue as part of the Universal Design exhibit. Universal Design is a user-friendly method of home accessibility for all. This year, the Universal Design area will expand to include a garage/farm shop design. AgrAbility will participate by showcasing ergonomic tools and equipment.

The Ohio AgrAbility program advances efforts to address a wide variety of disabling conditions faced by many working in agriculture, including arthritis, spinal cord injuries, back impairments, amputations, brain injury, visual impairments, hearing impairments, disabling diseases, cerebral palsy and respiratory impairments.

To learn more about the national AgrAbility program, log on to www.agrabilityproject.org. Ohio joins 27 other states with AgrAbility projects.

Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.

Farm Science Review pre-show tickets are now on sale for $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets will also be available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21-22, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23.

For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.

— Release by OSU Extension.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.