MAINE-ANJOU Headquarters
M. BLAKE NELSON AMAA Executive Vice President
Greetings, This summer has went by fast, the state shows and fall sales are knocking at the door and the National Junior Heifer Show (NJHS) is in the rear view. I am proud to say we had families and kids represented from 26 different states join us in Sioux Falls, S.D. for a very successful event. The NJHS is one of the major highlights for the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) each year. It is an educational opportunity for our future leaders and showcases some of the best cattle that Maine-Anjou has to offer. The Maine-Anjou Herdsmen Group had another phenomenal year raising money to support scholarships for American Junior MaineAnjou Association (AJMAA) members. This group is lead by Brett Carter and to date they have awarded over $110,000 in scholarships since its inception in 2012. Thank you to the Herdsmen and to all of you that have supported our youth! After leaving this event I feel both motivated and very blessed by the loyal members that we have and are investing in our breed, thank you! In this unpredictable time there haven’t been very many things that have been typical, but in agriculture we have seen some constants with the crops well on their way and the spring born calves coming on strong and these are great blessings in many ways. We are lucky to have room to get outside, visit with neighbors and to work with our animals and the land. Having that AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020
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sense of some normalcy around the farm has been a tremendous morale booster for our family. From a show management standpoint there have been many limitations and changes from the norm and I urge you to be thankful for the opportunity to show, roll with the punches and be patient with the entire situation. There are many moving parts to a show in regular years much less dealing with the Covid-19 requirements and the additional hoops to work through so that the show can go on. Although things may be different and inconvenient, please be appreciative of the opportunity and understanding of the big picture. Thank you to those many managers and volunteers that make these shows happen! Some other activities to start planning for are the Bright Lights Maine-Anjou Sale in Denver, Colo. The Bright Lights sale has historically featured some of the very best herdsire prospects and females that our breeders have to offer. This sale is held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show in the Yards. This is an excellent opportunity to market your program at the Super Bowl of livestock shows. The nomination forms will be available in early fall and if you have any questions please contact us. Our new genetic evaluation will be
finished very soon and that data will be uploaded into Digital Beef. We are very excited about this EPD run, which will include genetically enhanced data and updated carcass projections. Please recognize there may be some changes on your animals EPDs, the percentile ranking should be very close to before even if the numerical change is substantial. Take a look and if you have any questions or concerns please contact us at your convenience. The implementation of this technology will improve the accuracy of your animal’s genetic value and will be a great leap forward for our breed. I would like to wrap up by thanking all the sponsors, volunteers, families and our staff that played a part in the Maine-Anjou National Junior Heifer Show, great job! A special thank you to Cory Thomsen, Josh Cribbs and Dustin Hurlbut for all of their leg work getting the facility ready and to Lindsey and Heather for their unwavering commitment to both AJMAA & AJCA juniors! We truly have some of the most dedicated, selfless people in the cattle business that support Maine-Anjou and its members. I wish the best of luck to you and your families at your respective county/state shows and your fall cattle sales. Best Regards, Blake MAINE-ANJOU- Vision, Vigor, Value!
