News Update
December 13, 2013
Applications for Stockmen's Aid for
Atlas Disaster Relief Fund Now Available
The North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation (NDSF) is now accepting applications and nominations for assistance through its Stockmen's Aid for Atlas Disaster Relief Fund. The NDSF established the special fund to aid North Dakota livestock producers who were devastated by winter storm “Atlas” in early October.
Atlas claimed the lives of many cattle, sheep and horses on Oct. 4-5, 2013.
“Many ranch families were impacted by this incredibly destructive storm,” said NDSF President and Towner, N.D., rancher Jason Zahn. “The Stockmen’s Foundation wanted to reach out and provide support to producers on both sides of the border.”
In addition to its financial assistance to the South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund, the NDSF established the Stockmen’s Aid for Atlas Disaster Relief Fund to provide relief to North Dakota producers who suffered catastrophic livestock losses in the blizzard, which was marked by up to 2 feet of snow in the southwestern quadrant of the state. It pooled its and the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s resources with gifts from private donors to establish the fund.
The NDSF will disburse the funds in early 2014 to producers based on need.
Application forms are available online at www.ndstockmen.org or by calling the NDSF at 701-223-2522. Nomination forms can also be downloaded from that site or be requested. Nomination forms are intended for those who want to submit the names of friends or neighbors who need assistance, but who might not apply themselves. To be considered, application and nomination forms must be submitted to the NDSF by Jan. 31, 2014.
Angus Central Official Opening
After three years of planning and preparation, the Canadian Angus Association (CAA) officially opened its first member-owned national headquarters, Angus Central. While the Association moved to many provinces, Angus Central, located just north of Calgary, is the first building owned by the Association.
More than 200 Angus members, vendors to the Association and industry partners were in attendance as the doors opened to this exciting new building. An official ribbon cutting by the CAA Board of Directors was a highlight. All past presidents in attendance also shared a special photo representing the historical development of the breed coupled with their futuristic vision of maintaining the Association in a financial situation to purchase such a property.
Junior members along with families representing more than 100 years of raising Angus cattle were present representing provinces coast to coast. The new showcase of Angus history featured years of artifacts from the breed's past, including letters from the Queen Mother, certificate seals decades old, herd books from more than 100 years ago, and much more.
Current CAA President Kevin Blair summarized the future of the Angus breed as being all about the youth. He asked those in attendance “Who is going to back-fill behind the older generation as they retire in the next five to 10 years?”
“I want us to embrace and encourage our youth by supporting them financially and mentally,” said Blair. “So, here’s to our future. Welcome to Angus Central.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
KAA Partners with CAB for Annual Carcass Data Project
The 2014 Carcass Data Project (CDP) is designed for producers using registered Angus bulls that may not have enough steers to make a whole pen at a commercial feedyard but who want retain ownership and collect individual carcass data on their steers, or for producers who may want to feed a few head and compete for recognition as the 2014 CDP winner. Kansas Angus Association members are encouraged to promote the CDP to their bull customers. To participate in the project producers must enter a minimum of five spring-born steers weaned at least 45 days prior to delivery. Steers must be out of a registered-Angus bull and have a known sire or sire group. An approved vaccination program and individual identification tags are also required.
The KAA is proud to continue its partnership with Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) to enhance your CDP experience. CAB is sponsoring up to a $1,000.00 in cash awards and Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand merchandise to the owners of the top group of steers (based on participant’s top three steers using CAB acceptance and quality grade as the main criteria). In addition, CAB will present each CDP participant with CAB logo merchandise. Actual cash award is based upon participation. McPherson County Feeders (MCF), Marquette, Kan., will host the CDP for the third year.
The annual CDP gets under way in December. Entries are due Dec. 16, the $5-per-head entry fee is payable to the Kansas Angus Association. McPherson County Feeders will bill participants twice a month for feed. Participants are responsible for delivery and transportation to MCF Dec. 26-28, 2013.
For more information, please view the event’s website here.
Training Modules Offer Veterinarians
Flexibility in Furthering Business Expertise
The Animal Care Training program hosted by the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University (K-State) continues to grow and provide education for beef, dairy, equine, transportation and livestock marketing. Among the most widely attributed programs are the business-training modules released earlier in 2013, which are offered by the National Food Animal Veterinary Institute (NFAVI) and tailored for veterinarians’ continuing education.
Five courses and 25 video modules are being offered online to address topics such as budgeting, recruiting and hiring new employees, improving client satisfaction, personal financial management and sales forecasting. The program, which targets veterinarians in rural areas, is available on K-State’s Beef Cattle Institute website www.beefcattleinstitute.org/.
Educational institutions, including Oklahoma State University and Iowa State University, are using these video modules for students studying to become veterinarians and have purchased use of the program for their curriculums.
Chris Ross, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, said business training is essential for those out in the field.
“Business-management instruction is not a major part of our curriculum, and we were looking for high-quality material to make available to students with or without course credit,” Ross said. “It would be nice if those people in the trenches knew how the business side was run in addition to being a doctor.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Southwest Beef Symposium Set for
Jan. 9-10, 2014, in Clayton, N.M.
The Southwest Beef Symposium, jointly hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, is set for Jan. 9-10, 2014, at the Clayton Civic Center, 124 N. Front St. in Clayton, N.M.
“This is the 10th year of the Southwest Beef Symposium,” said Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo. “We continue to address issues of concern to the industry at large, but also at the ranch level.
“This year we are focusing on aspects as the industry hopefully turns a corner and begins to stabilize the national cow inventory, and as the weather hopefully turns a corner and allows ranchers to continue the recovery from the drought conditions of the past few years.”
Individual registration is $70, which includes a steak dinner on Jan. 9, lunch on Jan. 10, refreshments and symposium proceedings.
Registration forms are available at http://aces.nmsu.edu/register/swbeef/. Registration and payment can be completed online or via regular mail. If registering by mail, checks should be made payable to: N.M. State University and mailed to: Southwest Beef Symposium, Box 30003, MSC 3AE, Las Cruces, N.M. 88003.
Although registration will be available onsite, those planning to attend are asked to complete registration by Jan. 3, to aid in meal planning, McCollum said. Late registrations cannot be guaranteed a meal.
Shuttle service is available from all lodging locations to the Civic Center. Transportation also will be available from the Civic Center to the museum for the social hour.
For more information, go to the Southwest Beef Symposium website http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/swbeef/ or contact McCollum at 806-677-5600 or ft-mccollum@tamu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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