News Update
November 5, 2014
The Angus Foundation Supporters
‘Light the Way’
The Angus Foundation would like to thank those who attended its 2014 Supporter Recognition Event, hosted Nov. 3 at the Hilton Hotel Kansas City Airport, in conjunction with the first-ever Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show. Themed Lighting the Way, the event honored Angus Foundation supporters who have contributed $250 or more during the past fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2013-Sept. 30, 2014).
“This wonderful event is our way of saying thank you to our supporters,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “These are just a few who enable the Angus Foundation to be successful, and, in turn, advance the Angus breed for years to come. Their giving allows us to invest in our mission of education, youth and research. They are shining a light for the Angus breed.”
More than 250 attendees listened to emcees Cory Watt, Iva, S.C., chairman of the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB); Will Fiske, Greenville, Va., foundation director of the NJAB; and Scott Foster, Niles, Mich., chairman of the Angus Foundation Board of Directors.
Highlights of the event included recognizing Thomas and Catherine Chambers of Chamber Angus, Ontario, Ore., posthumously, as Angus Leaders who contributed $250,000 or more during the fiscal year. Wilma Minix of Black Witch Farm, Athens, Ga.; Robert Funk of Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla.; and Charles W. and Judy Herbster of Herbster Angus Farms, Falls City, Neb., are considered Angus Builders who contributed $100,000 or more during the fiscal year.
Additional highlights from the evening included a special presentation to the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) Steer Carcass Contest winners and recognition of Chairman Foster for his service and leadership on the Angus Foundation Board of Directors.
Because of the generosity of its dedicated supporters, the Angus Foundation announced a new fiscal year total revenue record of more than $2.4 million.
For more information, please view the full release here.
An Angus Homecoming
For many in the Angus business, the American Angus Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo., is an extension of their farms and ranches — a valued partner for processing cattle registrations, performance information, genomic data, and offering marketing and promotional services.
The Association’s nearly 25,000 members are located throughout the United States, and many of them may never get a chance to visit the building and meet the employees on the other end of the telephone or computer screen.
On Nov. 3, the Association opened its doors for members and visitors, prior to the start of the first-ever Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show in Kansas City, Mo.
“I’ve been a breeder for quite a few years, so I thought it would be really exciting to come to see the headquarters,” says Rick Van Dyken, Thousand Hills Angus, Toston, Mont. “It’s really a neat experience to actually get to meet people and put a face with a name. The employees are a vital part of our operation — without them, we couldn’t do it.”
Saint Joseph, Mo., has been home to the business breed for nearly 60 years.
On June 29, 1956, a thousand visitors crowded into the brand-new American Angus Association headquarters, an unassuming brick building located in what was then the eastern edge of town. Fifteen days prior, the beef breed organization packed up its offices in the Chicago Stock Yards and moved across the Midwest.
While in the office Nov. 3, tour participants were able to see first-hand treasured history of the Angus breed, including original artwork by Frank Murphy, visit the Association’s museum and library of historic publications, and spend time in the Board room — where many of the breed’s significant decisions were made over the years.
Building an Angus Legacy!
Welcoming visitors to the Association is a brand-new entryway, lined with granite planters and pavers that pay tribute to the Angus breed’s devoted farmers and ranchers. The project was made possible thanks to donors to the Angus Foundation’s Building an Angus Legacy! project.
Prior to the open house, the Angus Foundation hosted a ribbon cutting to dedicate the new walkway at the Association headquarters.
“On this noteworthy day for the Angus Foundation, we were honored to have buyers of the planters and pavers present for the event where they were able to see where their paver or planters is placed at Association headquarters,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “It marks a long process, great people and hard work to create such a beautiful entryway for the Association and fundraising opportunity for the Angus Foundation.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Take Steps to Avoid Costly Agritourism Accidents
Corn mazes, apple picking, hayrides — autumn might be the best time of year to enjoy agritourism, but autumn is also peak time for agritourism injuries.
“If there is a serious injury, whether as part of a regular farm or an agritourism activity, there will be negative consequences for the farm,” said Marsha Salzwedel, agricultural youth safety specialist with the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. “Attendance can go down; sometimes you get sued. Depending on what happens, this can close down the farm or operation.”
Consider these incidents, all from the last two weeks of October:
New Jersey: A 2-year-old girl died when a bus rear-ended another bus on a one-lane exit road at a harvest festival, pinning three victims between the two vehicles.
Maine: A 17-year-old girl died and more than 20 others were hurt when a jeep towing a wagon on a downhill road lost control and hit a tree. The wagon was part of a Halloween-themed attraction.
New Hampshire: A 2-year-old boy was critically injured and a 3-year-old also was hurt when a bouncy house reportedly went airborne because of high wind.
Idaho: An 18-year-old boy playing a zombie at a Halloween-themed corn maze was killed after falling under a moving bus.
A farmer engaged in agritourism faces unique safety challenges involving visitors and employees. The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety can help. The center’s agritourism website, www.safeagritourism.com, offers virtual safety walkthroughs specific to more than a dozen topics, insurance information, printable signs for communicating with guests, as well as other resources.
The website, “Integrating Safety into Agritourism,” is loaded with resources to address safety shortcomings. The website was recently updated to reflect research and feedback from agritourism operators.
“Farmers tell me that they sleep better at night knowing that they have done all they can to ensure a safe agritourism visit for everyone,” Salzwedel said.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Southwest Beef Symposium Set for Jan. 14-15
in Amarillo, Texas
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. 14-15 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 3100 Interstate 40 West, Amarillo, Texas.
“Looking to the Future” is the theme of this year’s conference, said Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo.
“After some very rough years of drought, we will address issues of concern to the industry at large, but also at the ranch level. Hopefully, we have turned the corner and are beginning to stabilize the national cow inventory.”
Individual registration is $80, which includes a steak dinner on Jan. 14, lunch on Jan. 15, refreshments and symposium proceedings. Registration is required by Jan. 9 and seating is limited to 150, McCollum said, advising participants to register early. Others will be put on a waiting list.
Register online at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu or by phone at 979-845-2604.
The opening session from 1-5 p.m. on Jan. 14 will address big-picture emerging issues in the global beef industry, he said.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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