News Update
January 3, 2014
Ranchers Helping Ranchers
Angus breeder Keith Russell, Johnstown, Colo., says he looks to improve his herd every day, but after the devastating flooding in Colorado, each day is a challenge. Since the massive rainfall that hit the area in 2013, Russell’s homestead has been left with mud and debris, and little to no winter feed or equipment.
In support of Russell, and to honor his commitment to the Angus breed, an online auction is now live, and offers top-quality Angus semen and embryos.
Supporters can find the auction at www.disasterrelief.dvauction.com. The sale ends at noon Jan. 25. For more information about sale offerings, call DV Auction at 402-316-5460.
Cash donations are welcome and can be mailed to the Keith Russell Benefit Fund at PO Box 331, Columbus, MT 59019. To find out more about the benefit, contact Phil Trowbridge, Ghent, N.Y., at 518-369-6584 or trowbridgefarms@me.com; John Patterson, Columbus, Mont., at 406-445-2332 or blkcow@hotmail.com; or George Marcy, Fort Collins, Colo., at 970-294-1134 or marcylivestock@msn.com.
MCA Convention Kicks Off
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) kicked off the 46th Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show yesterday, Jan. 2, at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Lake of the Ozarks. More than 200 attendees made their way to the first day of the convention, which concludes Sat., Jan. 4. MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering said there is still time for cattle farmers and ranchers to attend the convention and trade show.
“We’ve undoubtedly had a year full of success for cattlemen across the state. We have worked together as both cattlemen and businessmen to make the future of this industry better for the next generation. We encourage cattlemen and their families to come to our convention and network with fellow cattlemen, hear insight on what the coming year has in store and celebrate the agricultural industry,” said Deering. “The trade show is a perfect opportunity to get the latest information on trends and technologies in the industry, while our evening activities include fun for the whole family.”
Membership in MCA is not required to attend the convention, but Deering encourages non-members to consider investing in the future of their industry by joining the association.
“This is a convention for cattlemen. Anyone with an interest in this business is welcome,” said Deering. “Our hope is that non-members will see firsthand the value of joining the association representing their industry.”
USDA Makes Permanent Meat and Grain Serving Flexibilities in National School Lunch Program
Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon announced Jan. 2 that USDA is making permanent the current flexibility that allows schools to serve larger portions of lean protein and whole grains at mealtime.
“Earlier this school year, USDA made a commitment to school nutrition professionals that we would make the meat and grain flexibility permanent and provide needed stability for long-term planning. We have delivered on that promise,” said Concannon.
USDA has worked closely with schools and parents during the transition to healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Based on public feedback, USDA has made a number of updates to school meal standards, including additional flexibility in meeting the daily and weekly ranges for grain and meat/meat alternates, which has been available to schools on a temporary basis since 2012.
USDA is focused on improving childhood nutrition and empowering families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food. Data show that the vast majority of schools around the country are successfully meeting the new meal standards.
Collectively, these policies and actions will help combat child hunger and obesity and improve the health and nutrition of the nation’s children. This is a top priority for the Obama administration and is an important component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat the challenge of childhood obesity.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Show Animal Medicine Continued Education Course
It is again time for the major livestock shows. Stock-show medicine is a rewarding experience but can be frustrating for exhibitor and practitioner alike.
Come to College Station Jan. 18 to gather the perspective of the stock show officials, veterinary pharmacologist, meat specialist and three of your colleagues recognized as experts in stock show medicine. The meeting will be at the O.D. Butler Jr. Animal Science Complex, approximately 8 miles west of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Exhibitors devote endless hours to caring for their animals and sometimes at the last minute, illness or injury can jeopardize their project. This purpose of this meeting is to update veterinary practitioners on matters related to stock-show medicine.
Lunch is included and cost to attend is $50 payable at the meeting site. Please register for meal count.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Maximizing the Value of Corn Stover
Beneath the snow now blanketing Michigan’s corn fields lays a valuable but underused commodity: corn stover. The term “stover” refers to all of the leaf, stalk and cob tissue commonly left after grain harvest. Grain gets all of the attention, but only accounts for 50% of each corn crop by weight. This means that the average acre of corn in Michigan yields approximately four tons of stover material on an annual basis. Corn stover has traditionally been returned to the soil as an important source of organic matter and plant nutrients. Yet, increasingly tight margins in the crop and cattle sectors have some producers looking to capture additional value from this abundant coproduct.
In some ways, harvest and feeding of corn stover seems perfectly simple. Volatility in hay and corn grain markets, made worse by the drought of 2012, has pushed livestock producers to seek out alternative forages. Due to its relative low cost and ubiquitous availability, corn stover is quickly gaining recognition as a viable option for a portion of the forage component in ruminant livestock rations. Corn stover’s greatest drawback is the fact that it contains only one-third the protein of average-quality hay. Yet, careful supplementation of stover with high protein feeds like forage brassicas or dry distillers’ grains can overcome this deficit.
However, it is important to remember that removing crop residue from the field has the potential to negatively impact long-term soil health. Stover protects the soil from the erosive forces of wind and water. It also returns carbon and nutrients to the soil as it is decomposed by soil biota.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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