News Update
May 17, 2013
The American Royal Announces
Return of the Steak Competition Event
The American Royal Association announced May 16 that the second annual American Royal Steak Competition Winner will be announced at their 2013 Grapes & Steaks Competition on October 9, 2013. Beef producers from across the nation are invited to submit ribeye steaks to compete for the best tasting steak. Steaks will be judged by a panel of experts.
Each steak will be prepared in an identical manner at the Kansas State University (K-State)–Olathe campus. Points will be assigned for flavor, juiciness and texture. The judging will take place mid-September and the winners will be honored at the American Royal 2013 Grapes & Steaks Competition on October 9.
It is hard to imagine a more appropriate place to hold a steak competition than the American Royal, where 114 years ago the country’s first exposition and sale of purebred cattle took place.
Steaks are submitted frozen to the K-State–Olathe campus and entry forms must be submitted online at www.americanroyal.com. There is no entry fee for this competition.
To read the full release, click here.
Reward in Cattle Shooting Case Grows
On May 17, 2012, someone opened fire in a remote Hankinson, N.D., pasture, killing 13 cows and a calf and shattering the sense of security for many in the small Richland County community. That someone is still at large, but officials are hopeful a beefed-up reward will generate new interest and leads in the case.
Kevin and Patty Kluge, a brother and sister-in-law to the victim, pitched in an additional $1,000 to the reward fund this week. Together with other private donations, the Kluge reward totals $5,100, in addition to the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) standing reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone stealing, butchering or shooting cattle, horses or mules in North Dakota.
The NDSA has offered a standing reward since its inception in 1929. For many years, the reward was worth $1,000, until the NDSA board of directors raised its value to up to $10,000 last year.
Kevin Kluge underscored the impact of the Richland County crime: “This was more than the loss of some cows. This was the loss of a significant share of a family’s livelihood. And that affects the dollars that are spent on Main Street; the tax dollars that are sent back to the state; and everyone who goes to the grocery store and purchases beef.”
Kluge reported that “Missy,” a calf that was orphaned in the shooting and later raised by two surrogate nanny goats owned by longtime NDSA members Daran and Deb Sagvold of McLeod, N.D., is thriving and “a symbol of the animal’s and the family’s resilience.”
NDSA East River Fieldman Fred Frederikson of Carrington, N.D., is assisting the Richland County Sheriff's Department and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation in investigating the case. If you have information about it, contact Frederikson at 701-290-3993 or the Richland County Sheriff's Department at 701-642-7711. If you have information regarding any other livestock-related crimes, including the 2011 and 2012 shooting cases in Griggs, Oliver and McKenzie Counties, call NDSA Chief Brand Inspector Stan Misek at 701-223-2522.
“The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association works hard to protect the state’s livestock industry,” said NDSA Brand Board Chairman Fred Helbling, a Mandan, N.D., rancher. “We are committed to bringing to justice the person who is responsible for this horrific crime.”
Careers in Agricultural Sciences, Plant Pathology
Are Focus of June 12 Program in Manhattan, Kan.
Undergraduate college and high school students are invited to attend a free program Wednesday, June 12 , in Manhattan, Kan., to learn about the array of career possibilities in plant pathology and agricultural sciences in general.
“Many students — even if they really enjoy science — do not know about the many careers available in the agricultural sciences. They often have not been exposed to the career paths that they can begin while in college and even in high school,” said Chris Little, assistant professor in Kansas State University’s (K-State) Department of Plant Pathology.
Little is coordinating the program, which is planned as part of a meeting of the North Central Division of the American Phytopathological Society at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Students will meet at the hotel. Transportation will be provided to the field tours and Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center at K-State for lunch and afternoon lab tours and activities, before returning to the hotel. A complimentary box lunch will be provided for students who register by June 3. Students can register by contacting Stephanie Alvord-Albanese at stepha1@ksu.edu or 785-532-6176. Students should include their name and/or faculty or student advisor’s name, email address, telephone number and mailing address. The student’s school, year in school and name of academic advisor are also requested.
More information can be found at the Angus Journal Virtual Library’s calendar of upcoming events. Click here for the full release.
Angus Juniors Recognized as BEST Winners
The 2012-2013 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association BEST (Beef Exhibitor Show Total) Program wrapped up on May 11 with its annual awards banquet held at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.
Several representatives from program sponsors Bob Evans Farms, Burroughs Frazier Farms, Farm Credit Mid-America, Green Oak Farms, M.H. Eby, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Weaver Livestock were on hand to help present awards totaling more than $35,000 in belt buckles, furniture, show materials and other awards.
This year’s BEST program featured 16 sanctioned shows that weaved its way across the state. More than 525 head of market animals and heifers were shown and 355 youth participated.
The champion Angus heifer was exhibited by Lydia Dance of Hillsboro, Ohio. Champion Hill Georgina 8156 is a Feb. 2012 daughter of SAV Prosperity 9131 and bred by Champion Hill, Bidwell, Ohio. Lydia is the daughter of Henry and Barbara Dance.
The reserve champion Angus heifer and fourth overall novice heifer belongs to William “Hadley” LeVan of Woodstock, Ohio. His heifer, SSF Blackcap Style 2282, is a Feb. 2012 daughter of Silveira’s Style 9303. Ethan Whiteside of Queenstown, Md., bred the heifer. Hadley is the son of Louis and Melissa LeVan.
The champion Angus steer was exhibited by Jessica Lohr, Bucyrus, Ohio. Z373 is sired by BG Bold Look 373W and bred by Boysel Cattle Co., East Liberty, Ohio. Jessica is the daughter of Andy and Tonya Lohr.
Will Harsh, Radnor, Ohio, exhibited the reserve champion Angus steer. RF Buckeye 1227 is sired by Rito 9FB3 of 5H11 Fullback and bred by Paige Thomas, Clinton, Ill. Will is the son of Tim and Elizabeth Harsh.
Michelle Bockelman, Napoleon, Ohio, exhibited the fifth overall bred-and-owned heifer. DBA Aimee 1244 is an April 2012 daughter of BC Eagle Eye 110-7. Michelle is the daughter of Mark and Patty Bockelman.
A belt buckle was awarded to these Angus juniors. The case for their belt buckle was sponsored by the Ohio Angus Association.
BEST is a youth program of the OCA that recognizes Ohio’s junior beef exhibitors through a series of shows. Juniors who participate in these sanctioned shows earn points for their placing at each show. The OCA BEST program promotes educating Ohio’s juniors about the beef industry’s issues and rewards the successful accomplishments and hard work of those junior beef producers.
59th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course
Scheduled Aug. 5-7 in College Station
The 59th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is scheduled for Aug. 5-7 at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Weather outlook and a cattle market outlook are two of the featured topics to be discussed during the general session scheduled Aug. 5.
“A lot of producers are wanting to know how long this current market cycle will last and how to go about herd expansion strategies in the future,” said Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist and conference coordinator. “The long-term outlook is one of the many topics that will be featured in the 22 different cattleman’s college sessions at the short course.”
The short course has become one of the largest and most comprehensive beef cattle educational programs in the United States, Cleere noted.
The cattleman’s college portion provides participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on their level of production experience and the needs of their ranch, Cleere said.
“These concurrent workshops will feature information on introductory cattle production, retiring to ranching, management practices in the areas of forage, nutrition and reproduction, record keeping, genetics, purebred cattle, landowner issues, and much more,” he said.
In addition to classroom instruction, participants can attend one of the popular demonstrations on the morning of Aug. 7.
For more information on the conference and registration, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library’s calendar of upcoming events here.
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