News Update
July 1, 2014
Register for the South Dakota
Annual Angus Tour
Angus breeders can now register for the South Dakota Annual Angus Tour, scheduled for Sept. 22-23. The tour allows Angus breeders to meet new people, learn more about Angus cattle and visit ranches across southeastern South Dakota. This year’s tour features 21 Angus farms in the state and begins in Mitchell, S.D.
“We are ready to showcase Angus in South Dakota,” says Malynda Penner, event co-chair. “We always look forward to meeting Angus producers who share the same passion for Angus cattle that we do.”
Registration costs are $100 per couple or $75 for a single person before Sept. 1. After that date registration increases to $125 per couple or $100 for a single person. Registration includes meals for both days, a hotel room and transportation.
Angus farms included on this year’s tour are Moore Angus, Blacktop Farms, Geppert Rock Creek Angus, Callies Angus, Bruns Angus, Hyland Angus, Cotton Angus, Buseman Angus, JK Angus, Bussmus Angus, Carter Angus, Peterson Angus, Roth Angus, Mogck & Sons Angus, LaGrand Angus, Mogck Angus Farms, Koupal Angus, Koupal’s B&B Angus, Varilek Angus, Mohnen Angus and Soulek Angus.
The tour will feature:
- Fourth and fifth generations of line-bred cattle.
- Calves out of the new Genex sire Sitz Investment, the $192,000 Mogck Bullseye, the $42,000 Mogck Frontmann 114, the Accelerated Genetic’s Mogck Sure Shot, and Select Sire’s newest edition, MAF Tanker. Also, see first sons and daughters of the $75,000 PA Fortitude 2500 (Genex) and numerous Power Tool daughters.
- The dam and daughters of Koupal’s B&B Identity 0020 will be showcased along with the dam and progeny of Koupal's B&B Ft. Knox 2077; dam of Koupal’s B&B Titan 3013, the 2014 top selling bull to Lindskov-Thiel Ranch; dam of Koupal’s B&B Dante 2069; daughters and progeny of Koupal’s B&B Extra 0011 and the Koupal’s B&B Endurance 202 sire and progeny.
- Everyone will have the opportunity to evaluate the $120,000 Mohnen South Dakota 402 along with his outstanding progeny. Also on display will be the $160,000 Mohnen Impressive 1093, and calves by Long Haul, Long Distance, Sandhills, Harvestor, Sierra Cut, VAR Reserve and more.
For more information on the event or to register, contact Malynda Penner at 605-929-7314 or mrs.penner@hotmail.com.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Download Angus Mobile Before the 2014 NJAS
Prior to arriving at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Indianapolis, Ind., be sure and download the latest version of the Angus Mobile smart phone application. Angus Mobile allows users to keep up with the show’s events and have all of the latest Angus information at their fingertips.
“Angus Mobile allows members attending NJAS to stay up-to-date with the latest news and showring coverage,” says Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association director of events and education. “It’s a free app that can keep you informed throughout the event, whether you’re at the show or following from home.”
Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can download Angus Mobile. Once the app is installed, the “events section” can be found under the “more tab” button at the bottom of the screen. Select the “National Junior Angus Show 2014” button and scroll through alerts, schedules, show results, maps, restaurants and more.
After the event is over, members can use the Angus Mobile app to keep their Angus operations and news organized. The app offers tools such as a calving book, gestation calculator and serves as a direct link to the Association database in Saint Joseph, Mo. Also, the event section will be updated throughout the year to share coverage of other Angus events.
Visit the iTunes Store or App Store when using an iPhone, iPod or iPad. For Android devices, visit Google Play or the Amazon App Store and a quick search for Angus in the application link will lead you to installation.
The Angus Mobile app is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (third generation and forth generation), and iPad. It requires iOS 5.0 or later, which can also be downloaded through iTunes and installed by connecting the iPhone to a computer.
For the best possible experience with Angus Mobile, update the application when a new version is released.
For more news and information from the 2014 NJAS, visit www.angus.org to find contest results, awards, scholarships and show photos. Backdrop and candid photos will be available for purchase online. Coverage will be available on the NJAA Facebook page, as well.
Also, plan to tune in to a special NJAS episode of The Angus Report at 7:30 a.m. CST Monday, July 21, on RFD-TV.
NFU Urges Congress to Stay the Course on COOL
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to renewed efforts by opponents of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) to repeal the consumer labeling requirements:
“The World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) report on COOL’s compliance with trade obligations has reportedly been transmitted to the U.S. government, but not yet been made available to the public. Despite that fact, the multinational meatpackers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are pushing to repeal COOL without knowing the full findings of the WTO compliance study. Urging Congress to repeal COOL laws before the WTO report is issued is just another desperate attempt to prevent consumers from having access to basic information about their food.
“NFU eagerly awaits the WTO report and will recommend a response if necessary. Consumers have a right to know where their food comes from, and our family farmer and rancher members agree. The WTO has already ruled that the U.S. COOL law is acceptable. There are many policy or regulatory options — if any are needed — that can be adopted in order to comply, although NFU feels the current COOL regulations are WTO-compliant.”
USDA Continues Farm Bill Implementation
with Provisions to Help Farmers Manage Risk
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced June 30 continued progress in implementing provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill that provide new risk management options for farmers and ranchers. These improvements to crop-insurance programs will provide better protection from weather disaster, market volatility and other risk factors to ensure farmers aren’t wiped out by events beyond their control.
Vilsack also announced new support for beginning farmers that will make crop insurance more affordable and provide greater support when new farmers experience substantial losses. These announcements build on other recent USDA efforts to support beginning farmers.
“Crop insurance is critical to the ongoing success of today’s farmers and ranchers and our agriculture economy. These improvements provide additional flexibility to ensure families do not lose everything due to events beyond their control,” said Vilsack. “We’re also acting to provide more support to beginning farmers and ranchers, so that they can manage their risk effectively. We need to not only encourage new farmers to get into agriculture, we must ensure they’re not wiped out in their riskiest initial seasons so they can remain in agriculture for years to come.”
The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) filed an interim rule with the Federal Register June 30, allowing USDA to move forward with changes to crop insurance provisions. The provisions provide better options for beginning farmers, allow producers to have enterprise units for irrigated and non-irrigated crops, give farmers and ranchers the ability to purchase different levels of coverage for a variety of irrigation practices, provide guidance on conservation compliance, implement protections for native sod, and provide adjustments to historical yields following significant disasters.
The Farm Bill authorizes specific coverage benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers starting with the 2015 crop year. The changes announced exempt new farmers from paying the $300 administrative fee for catastrophic policies. New farmers’ premium support rates will also increase ten percentage points during their first five years of farming. Beginning farmers will also receive a greater yield adjustment when yields are below 60% of the applicable transitional yield. These incentives will be available for most insurance plans in the 2015 crop year and all plans by 2016.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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