The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 38, Issue No. 4 (APRIL 2024)

ONNECTION

34th Annual Yon Spring Sale Results

...................................................................... page 34

2024 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts .................................................. page 25

A Message from the CEO — Accountability - Part 2, by Colin Woodall ......... page 46

Alltech News ............................................................................................................. page 36

Amazing Grazing — Harnessing the Power of Electric Fences - Part 3

— Constructing Permanent Fences, by Dr. Matt Poore ............................... page 16

American Angus Association News ..................................................................... page 26

Animal Agriculture Alliance News ....................................................................... page 55

Ashley’s Beef Corner — Advancing Our Advocates, by Ashley W. Herring ... page 14

Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ............................................. page 48

Carolina Cooking — Sirloin Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade ............. page 69

Case IH News ............................................................................................................ page 67

Certified Angus Beef News ................................................................................... page 27

Director’s Report — A New Perspective, by Milo Lewis ...................................... page 3

E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture

— The Changes in a Farm Pickup for Today, by E.B. Harris ......................... page 20

Farm Credit News .................................................................................................... page 43

Forage News — Warm Season Forage Prep, by Reid Miller .............................. page 19

Have You Herd — Cracking the Code to Culling, by Tory Erwin ....................... page 22

International Genetics Solutions News .............................................................. page 73

Managing a Legacy Ranch w the Allure of the West ......................................... page 68

Measuring Genetic Progress in a Commercial Beef Herd ............................... page 70

Moldy Feed, Mycotoxins, and the Risk to Beef Cattle, by Bryan Sanderson .............................................................................................. page 53

N.C. Angus News — N.C. Angus Association 79th Annual Meeting, by Cortney Holshouser ........................................................................................ page 32

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ................................................... page 64

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — How Western Policy Impacts the Entire Cattle Industry, by Mark Eisele .......................... page 51

New Law Protects American Farmland and Food Security, by Mark Eisele ....................................................................................................... page 37

New NCCA Members for 2024 .............................................................................. page 42

North American Limousin Foundation News .................................................... page 56

North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ......................................... page 63

Pasture Management Systems, Inc. “Mile of Fence” Program Update ......... page 41

Purina News .............................................................................................................. page 61

Premier Select Sires News ..................................................................................... page 59

Red Angus Association of America News ........................................................... page 52

Ridley Block News — How are Bioplex Trace Minerals Different, and What Are Their Benefits for Modern Day Beef Productions?, by Laurentia VanRensburg .................................................................................. page 62

South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices .......................................... page 66

Texas & Oklahoma Fire Disaster Relief Fund ........................................................ page 3

The Chaplain’s Corral — A Trip Up the Mountain, by Trevor Lamar Norris .... page 23

The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker .................................................................. page 44

Trending in Food and Media .................................................................................. page 49

You Decide, by Dr. Mike Walden ............................................................................. page 24

Zoetis News

............................................................................................................... page 31

Old

Director’s report

By MILO LEWIS Executive Director, NCCA

A New Perspective

What an exciting start to 2024!

Though I anticipated a fast paced environment full of new people to meet, things to learn, and, of course, a conference to host, it has also been very nostalgic.

As I think about the last two months, which have included several county meetings, the NCBA and NCCA conferences, and quite a few Zoom meetings, it has been fun to reconnect with many that I have not seen in years and also meet and develop new relationships with members, vendors, and NCBA staff. Witnessing what goes on behind the scenes has given me a new and fresh perspective on what the association does and means to so many of you.

After several meetings, on a late

night drive home, I was reflecting on a conversation I had with a producer that evening. I started thinking about “the why” behind our members and their commitment to the NCCA. I then reflected on my own initial reasons. Like many of you, I would suspect that The Carolina Cattle Connection was a staple in my childhood home. I remember flipping through initially as a youth to read about programs taking place. As I moved into my adulthood and prior career position, I was more intrigued by the research updates and used them as a tool to keep relevant on topics affecting the industry.

While The Carolina Cattle Connection is a great source of information and is a

Texas & Oklahoma Fire Disaster Relief Fund

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is committed to supporting ranchers impacted by widespread wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma in recent months. The below collection of links and resources is provided as a service to our members and neighbors.

TSCRA’s Disaster Relief Fund provides financial assistance to ranchers in Texas and Oklahoma who are victims of a natural disaster and consequentially are financially needy or otherwise distressed. Assistance funds are designated for damage that occurred in disaster counties as declared by Texas.

If you would like to make a donation or for more information, please visit https://tscra.org/disaster-relief-fund/

tangible source of what your membership provides you, the association offers so much more! If you view the website, it states, “The NCCA is your organization that coordinates the promotion of beef and the beef industry. Through its membership dues, it assists cattlemen with legislative, regulatory, and production issues.” It later goes on to emphasize that the Executive Committee members are cattlemen elected by their peers.

So, what does all that mean?

Alongside all the great research you can read about associated with production, the association assists you as cattlemen on legislative and regulatory matters. That means while you are at home on your farms, we have conversations daily with elected officials and their staff along with regulatory agencies to ensure that you have the freedom to raise cattle without unnecessary regulations. The association has worked hard to secure and will continue to invest in these valuable relationships with state and congressional leaders to ensure that we serve as the

trusted voice for the cattle industry.

I had the chance to meet with the NCSU Collegiate Cattlemen recently. Their group is made up of individuals from both farm and nonfarm backgrounds with career intentions vastly different. I was intrigued when the majority shared that they have their own individual membership and was even more impressed with their answers to “the why” behind their commitment to join.

It is reassuring to know that the collegiate students I visited with, alongside each of you, recognize the role and see the value of the association. As we all know, it’s much more than just raising cattle.

I am eager for spring and what’s to come as we work together to serve the cattle producers in our great state and promote the beef industry.

So, what is your “why”?

Join me over the next few issues as we dive into the many different aspects of your association.

2024 Spotlight iSSueS Schedule

Most of the breed associations in North and South Carolina have stepped forward and renewed their contracts for Spotlight sections in The Carolina Cattle Connection for 2024. If your breed is not featured as a Spotlight section and you would like to inquire on any open months please feel free to contact me. Below is the tentative schedule for the upcoming year.

2024 Reserved Spotlight Issues

Spotlight on piEDMontESE e

Piedmontese — All About the Breed

History - Piedmontese cattle originate from the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, a region that is secluded and protected by the Alps mountain range. This area was populated with an ancient European breed of cattle known as Auroch ( Bos Primigenius ). Other domestic European cattle, common to the more temperate climate zones, belong to the species of bovine known as Bos Taurus.

Thousands of years ago, Zebu (or Brahman) cattle ( Bos Indicus ), which were common in tropical areas such as India and Africa, began to migrate, some of which stopped in the Piedmont region, taking advantage of the natural Alpine barriers.

These two distinct breeds, the Auroch and the Zebu, blended and evolved in the harsh and secluded mountain terrain over the centuries to become the Piedmontese breed. Today, they are truly an efficient animal, genetically designed to produce low fat, tender beef.

There are several breeds from Italy that also show the influence of this Zebu migration – these are the so-called Italian “white breeds,” but the similarity to the Piedmontese does not go further than the color.

In 1886, the appearance of double muscling in Piedmontese cattle attracted

the attention of breeders, who had the foresight to recognize the enormous potential of this development. The first Italian Herdbook was opened in 1887. Systematic improvement of the Piedmontese began around 1920, and a new herd book was set up by the Breeders Association in 1958. The Piedmontese was developed as a triple purpose meat/ milk/work breed. Today, however, it is used primarily for beef production, but some cows are still milked.

Piedmontese cattle are Italy’s most popular breed, and their numbers are growing worldwide. Piedmontese can be found in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Holland, Mexico, Poland, and New Zealand, in addition to the United States.

Introduction to America - The first Piedmontese in North America arrived in 1979 through an importation made from Italy by the PBL Cooperative of Saskatchewan, Canada. Additional importations throughout the 1980s added to the Piedmontese lines in North America. By the 1990s, importation of additional genetic material (semen and embryos) had dramatically increased, and there is now a wealth of bloodlines from which to select.

Characteristics - Double muscling is an inherited condition that occurs

in many cattle breeds. However, it is most prevalent in only a few breeds. What makes the Piedmontese cattle different from the others? It is the C313Y Myostatin gene. A full blood Piedmontese will always carry two copies of this special C313Y Myostatin gene marker and, therefore, will always pass one on to any offspring. No other double muscle breed will carry two copies of this particular C313Y marker.

In 1997, several research groups uncovered the genetic cause of double muscling by mutations in the Myostatin gene. This gene occurs naturally in all mammals, and its function is to restrict muscle growth. However, in the case of Piedmontese cattle, the C313Y gene naturally mutated, resulting in the enhanced development of the muscle. Muscle development in Piedmontese cattle averages 14 percent higher than in other average beef breeds. Most likely, all muscles of the body are affected to some degree, but the muscles showing the most obvious change are those of the thighs, rump, loin, and shoulder. This particular Myostatin gene mutation also helps to provide the consistent tenderness of Piedmontese beef. This added benefit is achieved through the stretching of the actual muscle fibers, making them thinner and, therefore, more tender without the need for artificial means to achieve the same effect.

Piedmontese are generally white to light grey in color, with the muzzle (including inside the mouth), around the eyes, ears, tassel of the tail, hooves, and horns being black. At birth, the coat color of the calves is of a deep pale fawn. The breed is of medium size with fine bone structure. Confirmation is broad and muscular with a medium sized dewlap. The cows generally weigh around 1,212-

1,322 lbs at maturity, and at birth, the calves weigh, on average, from 80-99 pounds. The average Piedmontese cow stands 57” at the hip, while bulls stand at 59” and weigh between 1,700-2,200 pounds. Piedmontese cattle dress out at a much higher percentage than that of other beef breeds. One Piedmontese bull can feed many mouths for months on end.

Piedmontese cattle are docile and highly fertile. They exhibit excellent mothering instincts, ample milk yield, and longevity; often producing for greater than nine years. Calving ease is a result of the delay in the manifestation of the muscling, usually occurring several weeks after birth. Combined with a light bone structure, this results in long, slim calves.

The milk production of the Piedmontese is sufficient to suckle the calf; this is a consequence of the multipurpose selection applied to the breed from the beginning. Some Piedmontese breeders also use the milk for cheese production. The cheeses Castelmagno, Bra, Raschera, and many of the Tome coming from the valleys of the region Piedmonte are produced with Piedmontese milk.

Piedmontese are known for their high feed conversion and efficiency and were ranked first for their feedlot performance ratio by the Great Western Beef Expo in 1991. Higher than average weight gains are common, and in some studies, the Piedmontese breed achieved a 4.44 lbs average daily weight gain.

The breed has a marked aptitude for the production of meat, characterized by an adequate somatic development. It has a good daily live weight gain and excellent adaptability to various environments, even in modest feeding conditions. Piedmontese have a broad and

Piedmontese cows are a gentle, trusting, and a high efficiency breed.

Spotlight on piEDMontESE e

muscular chest, wide withers, muscular loins, a long trunk, and good muscular development of the rump and the thighs. The carcass contains little fat and has a low percentage of bone; the beef is of excellent quality.

There is a biased assumption that larger cattle breeds are more aggressive, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Aggression in cattle is usually a result of fear, learning, and hormonal state. Piedmontese cattle are gentle giants. They are treated with care by ranchers that employ low stress handling and are given ample open land to roam about, free to express their curious nature. It is a winwin situation as the cows and ranchers stay happy as they build a relationship of trust between them.

Polled status - Full blood Piedmontese cattle are naturally horned animals as stated by the breed standards. However, the common practice of dehorning at a young age is generally conducted.

Body - The medium sized breed is fine boned. Feet and legs are clean, dry, and correct and show good, strong hooves. All meat body parts are long, wide, and muscular.

Production traits - Piedmontese cattle are calm animals with good pasture ability. They also have good fertility, longevity, and calving ease with good maternal traits. The protein containing meat is tender and fine grained with low fat and bone percentage.

General Statistics

• Early maturing and long living

• High fertility levels

• Calving ease

• High feed efficiency

• Climate adaptability

• High dressing percentages

• High cutability

• Beef with lower fat and cholesterol

Beef Comparative - Piedmontese cattle produce carcasses of considerable value which, thanks to the meat potential and the low fat rates, rank in the highest categories of the EUROP classification.

The mg of cholesterol in a 100 g piece of Piedmontese beef is just 48.5 mg compared with others: beef - 73 mg, pork - 79 mg, roast chicken - 76 mg, and sole52 mg. (www.piemontese.org.uk)

Results from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Meat Research Centers Germplasm Evaluation Program, comparing eleven breeds, report that although live weights of Piedmontese were significantly lighter than those of Angus or Herford sires, retail product of meat weight was greater because of the much higher dressing percentage. The unique heritable traits of Piedmontese are passed on in the first cross offspring, meaning that even a 50 percent Piedmontese will exhibit significantly more red meat with less fat and bone. The report also indicates that Piedmontese are an excellent candidate for use as a terminal sire for other breeds.

Additional research conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the MARC Center compared eleven breeds of cattle, and the results of these studies confirm that not only is Piedmontese beef genetically lower in fat than other breeds, but it also has the lowest fat thickness, .29 inches, and the greatest tenderness, 11.0 pounds on the Warner Bratzler Shear Force test, of all the breeds in the study. Results also showed that the average Piedmontese steak was almost 70 grams heavier than the Hereford-Angus cross steak (357.1 g compared to 288.3 g), which is expected due to larger ribeye areas on Piedmontese. (www.pauscattle.org)

Piedmontese cattle are prized by top beef producers around the world

A

because of their unique genetic makeup of noticeably enhanced musculature. The natural occurrence of significant muscle mass while at the same time remaining tender without the need for excess marbling is a dream trait for every chef.

Piedmontese beef is healthier than commercial alternatives and remains higher in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids while being consistently tender with fewer calories. The meat is lean without losing the rich, beefy flavor.

The concern about eating beef centers on the saturated fat the meat contains, but

what you don’t hear the media say is the equal amount of unsaturated fat in beef. Contrary to popular belief, consuming red meat and white meat has an equal effect on blood cholesterol levels. Moderation is key when choosing your diet, and no food should be eaten in excess. We eat more oats, barley, antioxidant filled fruits, and fortified foods to combat high cholesterol, but did you know you can still have red meat on a low cholesterol diet?

It is commonly known that Piedmontese beef is leaner than conventional beef, with less marbling. Other important qualities of the beef are higher in protein and lower in fat and calories, but most are unaware that purebred Piedmontese beef is also lower in cholesterol. USDA research shows that a 3.5 oz Piedmontese steak has 36 g of cholesterol versus 68 g for a regular steak. The nutritional profile does not lie. With nearly one in three American adults having high cholesterol, lean meat that contributes to a low cholesterol diet, like Piedmontese beef, becomes a hot commodity.

In the end, you may spend more on a low fat, low calorie, low cholesterol, high

New York Strip contains a total of 180 cal and 26 g of protein.

Spotlight on piEDMontESE e

Omega 3 fatty acid lean protein that tastes as flavorful and tender as any prime beef, but some feel that you get more bang for your buck. (www.piedmontese.org)

The topic of whether red meat causes heart disease has been beaten to death by everyone you talk to at this point. Not all beef is healthy for you due to the heavy processing before being presented to consumers. That does not take away from the fact that red meat contains an abundance of amino acids, vitamins A, B 6, B 12, D, E, and minerals, including iron, zinc, and selenium. Relative to caloric intake, beef is the best source of

high quality dietary protein.

When you think about it, it’s obvious. We’re eating less red meat than we were 30 or 40 years ago, but the rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer continue to rise. Nutrition specialist Dr. Seeman concedes that mainstream media points to skinless chicken and fish as healthy proteins, but all whole food sources, including unprocessed all natural beef, can be part of a healthy diet.

In this tug-of-war between white meat and red meat, the introduction of Piedmontese beef shakes up the whole game while keeping in mind the health

of consumers. Piedmontese cattle naturally have more muscle and up to 30 percent less fat than conventional beef due to superior genetics. Currently, there is a wide selection of Piedmontese beef that qualify as the American Heart Association’s certified heart healthy. ( www.piedmontese.com/about_nutrition. aspx)

It’s no surprise that grass fed beef is naturally healthier than grain fed beef due to having less total fat and cholesterol. Piedmontese cattle that are grass finished produce beef with five times more Omega 3 fatty acids and two times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), on top of being even leaner and more tender than grain fed beef. It’s easy to taste the difference.

Piedmontese Today - The Piedmontese was evaluated in Cycle IV of the Germ Plasm Evaluation Program at U.S. MARC. Birth wt. (80.2 lbs), unassisted births (92.5 percent), and survival rate to weaning (91.1 percent) of half blood Piedmontese calves were similar to Hereford x Angus cross calves. The same was true for 200 day weaning weight. Postweaning gain, however, was somewhat lower (2.49 vs. 2.74 lb./ day) and was comparable to the smaller Continental breeds. Dressing percentage (62.7 percent) was the highest of all Continental and British breeds. Fat thickness (0.31 in.) was the lowest of all 27 breeds evaluated in GPE, and ribeye area (13.19 sq in.) was the largest of all breeds. Percent retail product (73.4 percent) was the highest of all breeds, and

wt. of retail product (485 lbs) was second to the Charolais. Percent of carcasses grading USDA choice (41.7 percent) was the lowest of all breeds, except for Brahman (39.7 percent). In spite of low quality grade, tenderness as measured by shear force did not differ significantly from the average of Herefords and Angus. Research has shown that double muscled cattle, such as the Piedmontese, have a mutation in a gene known as “Myostatin.” This mutation is related to improved tenderness of the muscle. Age of half blood Piedmontese heifers at puberty (348 days) was among the youngest of all breeds. Pregnancy rate of heifers (95.5 percent) was second highest of all 27 breeds. Percentages of calves born (93 percent) and weaned (84 percent) for Piedmontese cows were higher than for Hereford x Angus cows (88 percent and 79 percent, respectively). However, the percent of unassisted calvings was slightly lower (84 percent vs. 87 percent). Calf weaning wt. (498 lbs.) was similar to Hereford x Angus cows (504 lbs).

Filets are a certified heart healthy beef cut.

Spotlight on piEDMontESE e

Doing the Lord’s Work on Farm HUB, Inc.

Keith and Bitsy Hoopingarner started their farm, Farm HUB, Inc., in March of 2020 in Franklin, N.C., in the western part of the state with their son Joshua and his wife, Courtney. They raise Piedmontese cattle for beef and seedstock and Royal White sheep for lamb and seedstock. Keith and Bitsy will tell you about their vision for their farm and why they are raising Piedmontese cattle.

The following are some questions asked to Keith and Bitsy about their farm: Keith, what were your reasons for starting a farm at this stage of your life? “Bitsy and I had moved to Franklin to be part of a church and to help with the church and the community. During that time, as I read my Bible, I kept reading about the land and that God desires to heal the land. So we prayed over the land in Macon and Rabun counties. We then went to Florida to look after Bitsy’s mother, who was battling dementia, and then my father, who had a stroke. One day as I was reading in 1 Corinthians 15, I read verse 46, which speaks of first the natural then the spiritual. It was a “wow” moment. I said, “LORD, are you talking about healing the physical land?” So we changed our focus and started looking at the land, naturally. I had some health trials, along with caring for my dad’s health. In this process, I believe the Lord was showing me that our land needs to be healed so that the plants can be healthy and, in turn, the animals and then the people. I have never read in the Bible about retirement - so that is why we decided to start a farm at this stage of our lives.”

Bitsy, what steps did you take during the health trials that brought you to where you are today? “Keith and I started educating ourselves on eating a more healthy diet. We learned about avoiding pesticides and herbicides found in much of processed foods these days. We started cutting out sugar and unhealthy carbohydrates. We read a book called “The Maker’s Diet” by Jordan Rubin, which taught us how to make more healthy choices with our food. Grass fed and grass finished beef is a healthy choice as you look at the Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. It has more Omega 3, which is what our bodies need.”

Keith, why did you choose the Piedmontese breed of cattle? “After months of research studying different cattle consultants’ guidelines and reading numerous cattle books, I made a list of what we wanted in our cattle. Piedmontese checked about all of our wants.

“I talked with numerous farmers/ ranchers who raised Piedmontese. I asked a medical doctor who raises Piedmontese why he chose the breed. He said he had six children and wanted them to have healthy food. He also lifts weights as a hobby, and the high protein, low fat, low cholesterol that this meat offered made his decision “a no brainer!” He said it was the healthiest meat one could find, and the only meat to rival it, not to do better, but to rival it, was wild caught deep sea fish.

This conversation really impacted me. We still hadn’t eaten any Piedmontese beef at this point but found a company in Nebraska, Certi fi ed Piedmontese, that shipped grass fed and fi nished Piedmontese. We ordered a box of steaks that were grass fed and finished. When we received the meat, we had a family get together with our three children, their spouses, our grandchildren, and my dad. Beforehand, I told everyone that we wanted their honest opinions about the meat’s tenderness, flavor, and texture as we would be investing a lot of time and money into our decision on which breed to go with. After eating the steak, they all said it was the best steak they had ever eaten. This was the final check on our list.

“So to list a few of the items on our checklist: good forager with good conversion rate; meat from a grass fed and grass finished beef that was tender, fl avorful and with good texture; good maternal instincts; good fertility; a temperament that would allow close working for pasture rotations; fine bone and elastic skin that are tenderness indicators; dark pigment to combat sun damage and pinkeye; white coat to help with heat stress and continue foraging when dark cattle are looking for shade; high dressing out percentage, availability of semen from bulls that were linearly measured to go with our planned A.I. program. (We can purchase semen from Anaborapi in Italy, which has a fantastic

bull testing program, as well as other breeders here in the United States.)

“When we found out that Piedmontese meat was naturally tender, fl avorful, low in cholesterol, low in calories, lean, and high in protein, I knew this would be a great help in the finishing of the grass fed and fi nished cattle for processing, as it would be hard for me to mess it up.”

Bitsy, what does a day on your farm look like? “Because we are only a few years into farming and small, we can be up close and personal with our herd. We check on all our animals, including sheep, livestock guardian dogs, and especially new calves. Every new calf is tagged, weighed, and a DNA sample is taken.

“We do rotational grazing, and our cattle are moved to new paddocks every day with fresh, clean grass. After we check on everyone and feed hay if needed, we make new paddocks. The rest of the day we work on fencing or whatever project we have at the time. Around 4:00 p.m. we move the cows. They know the routine and look forward to their move. Many times they will leap or jump as they come into their new paddock. After moving their water tubs and mineral box, we take down old paddocks, check the electric fence voltage, and head for home. Our mineral

box has 20 bins of free choice minerals, vitamins, and kelp with sea salt, so the cows can get what they need. It is amazing as they know what they are lacking and will go for that mineral. We have finally reached the point where we are selling some seedstock heifers, cows, and bulls and we have beef for sale.”

Do either of you have any fi nal words? Bitsy - “We are very grateful to have discovered the Piedmontese breed, and we are enjoying our healthy, tender, delicious grass fed beef!”

Keith - “We are grateful for the Lord’s help and guidance in this journey. There are many people along the way that have been very helpful. I would encourage all cattle producers to check out Amazing Grazing with Johnny Rogers and Dr. Matt Poore of N.C. State University. I believe that all of us want to see the land healed. I am amazed at the opportunity we have been given and the call. I am thankful that healthy meat doesn’t have to taste bad or be tough. The Piedmontese breed is naturally tender, naturally healthy, and naturally fl avorful due to their unique God given genetic makeup. I am thankful for finding out about this breed and now being able to work with them. Thank you all for allowing me this opportunity to share with you about the cattle breed, Piedmontese.”

Tenderness — What Consumers Want

Submitted

by

KEITH HOOPINGARNER Farm HUB Inc.

“Consumers consider tenderness to be the single most important component of meat quality. This fact is easily confirmed by the positive relationship between the price of a cut of meat and its relative tenderness.”

This is the opening statement of a study performed by USDA-ARS U.S. Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Neb., titled “Beef Tenderness, Regulation, and Prediction” by M. Koohmaraie, T.L. Wheeler, and S.D. Shackelford.

The study reports, “One supermarket chain that asks customers to return any meat they are not satisfied with had…78 percent

of which was due to tenderness problems.”

A very interesting statement from this study cites a quote from 1974: “The beef industry relies on the USDA quality grading system to segment carcasses into groups based on varying levels of expected meat palatability. However, the results of numerous investigations of the relationship between marbling and beef palatability indicate that, although there is a positive relationship between marbling degree and tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, this relationship is weak at best.”

And to further establish the weakness of connective tissue and marbling as

Old Rudera Farm — A Family Tradition

By LARRY STRICKLAND

Old Rudera Farm is a family owned farm going back three generations in Nash County. It was originally a row crop farm consisting of tobacco, corn, and soybeans. After two generations, it became a cattle farm when Larry and Marina Strickland took it over in 1996.

The farm’s name comes from a German castle in the area of Germany that Marina grew up in. We started out with commercial cattle and soon began looking for a niche in the cattle market. We researched many breeds and finally decided to try the Piedmontese breed due to its meat qualities. After producing several meat animals and eating the beef, we were sold.

Now we are still in the process of replacing commercial cows with registered Piedmontese. We currently run about 50 head of 100 percent registered Piedmontese, 15 crossbred cows, and two commercial cows. Our plan is to only have registered Piedmontese that have

the double myostatin gene that makes the beef very tender. Marina has her meat handler’s license, and our specialty is selling Piedmontese beef to the public at the Rocky Mount Farmer’s Market, selling from the freezer at home, and we enjoy promoting the breed.

Our son A.J. and his wife Kaitlin, who live across the road from us, now have their own farm under the Strickland Bar Ranch name, and we operate together. They will be the fourth generation to work the farm. A.J. and Kaitlin enjoy showing the Piedmontese beef cattle at the Kentucky State Fair, Nebraska State Fair, and, our favorite, the N.C. State Fair.

tenderness indicators. it states under “The Sources of Tenderness Variation,” “Utilizing the data collected from the Germplasm Evaluation Project (GPE), Crouse and coworkers determined that connective tissue and marbling combined only accounted for 20 percent of the observed variation in meat tenderness. Therefore, we could not account for 80 percent of the variation in meat tenderness.”

And in another area of this report under “Indirect Methods of Predicting Beef Tenderness” 1. Predicting Beef Tenderness with Carcass Traits. ‘We and others have found that marbling will account for at most 15 percent of the variation in aged beef tenderness.’ “

So, after reading this report and data known since 1974 about marbling being a poor indicator of tenderness, why is it still being used as the standard to grade our beef in 2024, 50 years later?

I found another study performed at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, ARS, USDA, Clay Center, Neb. 68933-0166 by T.L. Wheeler, S.D. Shackelford, E. Casas, L.V. Cundiff, and M. Koohmaraie, titled “The Effects of Piedmontese Inheritance and Myostatin Genotype on the Palatability of Longissimus Thoracis, Gluteus Medius, Semimembranosus, and Biceps Femoris.”

If you are like me, I didn’t know what these muscle groups referred to, but fortunately, in the study it gave the layman terms: The longissimus thoracis (ribeye), gluteus medius (top sirloin), semimembranosus (top round), and biceps femoris (bottom round).

Please search online for the full reports of these studies. They were very detailed, and great care was taken to find true results.

Under the “Materials and Methods” section of this study:

“Animals. The Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) Animal Care and Use Committee approved the use of animals in this study. Over a four year period, 25 to 37 F-1 Piedmontese x Hereford (or 31 to 56 Piedmontese x Angus) females (depending on year) from Cycle IV of the Germ

Plasm Evaluation Project were mated to Piedmontese, F-1 Piedmontese x Hereford (or Piedmontese x Angus), or Hereford (or Angus) bulls to produce 305 Piedmontese crossbred steers (n =190) and heifers (n = 115). These progeny had 25:75, 50:50, or 75:25 ratios of Piedmontese: Hereford (or Piedmontese: Angus) inheritance and had 0 (+/+), 1 (mh/+), or 2 (mh/mh) copies of inactive myostatin alleles. In addition, 45 Hereford and 45 Angus steers were produced from the same Hereford and Angus germ plasm for comparison as 0 percent Piedmontese. All Piedmontese cross animals were genotyped to determine the number of inactive myostatin alleles.”

A quote from the study, “The present experiment indicates that in Piedmontese, mh/+ or mh/mh improves the tenderness of all four muscles evaluated relative to the +/+ genotype. Furthermore, round and sirloin muscles from mh/mh seem to be at least as tender as longissimus (ribeye) from +/+ and gluteus medius (top sirloin) from mh/+ was as tender as longissmus (ribeye) from +/+ cattle. The values of round cuts, chuck cuts, and lean trimmings have decreased 20, 23, and 31 percent, respectively, relative to total carcass value, whereas the values of rib and loin cuts have increased. The beef industry has made it a priority to improve the value of these lower quality carcass components, which make up 66 percent of the carcass. Our data imply that producing mh/+ cattle not only improves the tenderness of the valuable longissimus (ribeye) but also could be one method of improving the quality of the lower valued cuts. At current prices, improving the value of top sirloin to that of ribeye and strip loin improves carcass value by about $50. It seems likely that many lower quality muscles would be improved significantly in mh/+ cattle, resulting in substantial improvement in total carcass value.”

Implications - “These results indicate that mh/mh Piedmontese bulls could be used as terminal sires to produce mh/+ progeny with improved tenderness in at least four muscles, resulting in a substantial increase in carcass value in addition to the previously demonstrated advantage in yield of saleable product.”

Spotlight on piEDMontESE

Characterization of Topcross Progenies from Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese Sires

By M.D. MACNEIL, R.E. SHORT, and E.E. GRINGS

ABSTRACT - Breeds of larger mature size tend to grow more rapidly and be older when attaining a given level of fatness. Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese are of approximately equal mature size and yet may vary in body composition at a given degree of maturity. However, direct comparisons among these three breeds were not found. Therefore, the objective of this research was to compare Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese progenies for economically important traits. Crossbred cows were bred to Hereford (n = 23), Limousin (n = 24), or Piedmontese (n = 24) sires. Male calves were either left intact or castrated at approximately two months of age. Calves remained with their dams until weaning at an average age of 179 days. Male calves were then individually fed a growing ration until they reached 851 lbs and then fed a fi nishing ration either 90 or 132 days. They were then slaughtered at a commercial abattoir, and carcass data were collected. Female calves were group fed and used to examine nutritional effects on age at puberty. Data were analyzed using REML and linear contrasts among the breedof-sire effects evaluated. Hereford sired calves had shorter gestation periods and weighed less at birth than either Limousin or Piedmontese sired calves. Calving difficulty of Hereford and Limousin sired calves was less than that of Piedmontese sired calves. Limousin sired calves tended to grow more rapidly than Hereford sired calves. By the fi nishing phase, Limousin and Hereford sired calves had greater average daily gains than Piedmontese sired calves. Differences in dry matter intake among breeds of sire were relatively small. Differences in carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, fat depth, and percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat resulted in a clear strati fi cation of USDA yield grade between breeds of sire. Differences in percentage primal cuts were similar to those for USDA yield grade. Hereford sired calves had more marbling than progeny of Limousin or Piedmontese sires. However, the force necessary to shear cores from steaks of Piedmontese

sired calves was less than for progeny of Limousin or Hereford sires. Hereford and Piedmontese sired heifers were younger at puberty than Limousin sired heifers. Within breeds of similar mature size and growth rate, ample variation exists in age at puberty and body composition at an approximately equal degree of maturity.

Introduction - Degree of maturity (the ratio of current size to mature size) accounts for substantial fractions of variation in both growth and body composition of livestock. Thus, differences in growth and body composition among breeds varying in mature size are to be expected when expressed at age or weight constant endpoints. Breeds of larger mature size tend to grow more rapidly and be older when attaining a given level of fatness. However, contemporary comparisons among breeds of beef cattle having similar mature sizes are infrequent, especially beyond comparisons of Angus and Hereford.

Appropriate use of breed differences is a recommended strategy for matching biological types of beef cows with production environments and for producing beef products that are consistent with consumer desires relative to composition and palatability. In rotational crossing, using breeds of comparable characteristics such as birth weight, size, and lactation potential has been advised to avoid calf losses associated with dystocia, to stabilize nutrient requirements in the cow herd, and to control variability in product composition. However, this restriction may be relaxed in exploiting breed resources in specialized roles.

Indirect evidence suggests that Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese are of approximately equal mature size and yet may vary in body composition at a given degree of maturity. Therefore, the objective of this research was to provide direct evidence of comparative performance for Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese sired calves from birth to slaughter of male progeny at less than two years of age and from birth to puberty of female progeny.

Materials and Methods - Crossbred females, ranging in age from 1-11 years (average 3.8 years), were bred randomly by A.I. for three years to Hereford (n = 23), Limousin (n = 24), or Piedmontese (n = 24) sires. The crossbred cows were mainly ½ Red Angus, ¼ Charolais, and ¼ Tarentaise, but additional germplasm from Angus, Hereford, Simmental, Jersey, Shorthorn, Pinzgauer, and other breeds was also included. Calving date, birth weight, and calving difficulty score were recorded at birth. As part of a collaborative project, male calves were randomly assigned within sire to be left intact or castrated at approximately two months of age. Calves remained with their dams until they were weaned at an average age of 179 days. During this time, all cows were managed together and grazed either improved, irrigated pastures or native rangeland. Weaning weights were adjusted to 180 days.

After weaning, male (bulls and steers) calves were placed into covered pens with individual electronic feeding gates with six animals per pen. Excess calves, beyond the capacity of the individual feeding facility, were fed in feedlot pens of approximately 25 animals. Bulls and steers were penned separately. Calves were fed once each morning. From weaning to 851 lbs, they were fed growing diets and thereafter were individually switched to fi nishing diets for 90 or 132 days. Diets differed in either level or degradability of protein. Effects of these dietary treatments on growth and carcass traits have been reported previously. Cattle were weighed unshrunk every 28 days except when they approached 851 lbs; at this time, they were weighed weekly to determine the appropriate time to switch diets. Weighing was done in the morning, approximately 24 hours after feeding.

Longissimus muscle area and backfat thickness were determined by ultrasound scanning within ten days of completing the growing phase. Measurements were made by one of two trained technicians using an Aloka 500V realtime ultrasound unit equipped with a 6.6 inch scanning width, 3.5-MHz linear array transducer.

The transducer was placed across the longissimus muscle between the 12 th and 13 th ribs. Images were recorded in a computer and later measured for longissimus muscle area and backfat thickness with the AUSKey 2.0 computer software package by one of the two technicians.

Cattle were slaughtered at a commercial abattoir using standard industry procedures. Hot carcass weight was measured on the day of slaughter, and other carcass measures were taken after 48 hours of storage at 35.6°F. Dressing percentage was calculated as 100 times the ratio of hot carcass weight to live weight taken one day before slaughter. Longissimus muscle area between the 12th and 13th sternal ribs was measured using a planar grid. Fat thickness over the longissimus muscle was taken at the 12th rib. The kidney, pelvic, and heart fat was estimated and recorded as a percentage of carcass weight. Marbling was evaluated by subjective comparison of the amount of fat within the longissimus muscle between the 12 th and 13 th ribs with photographic standards. Primal cuts of one half of the carcass were weighed and included chuck, rib, short loin, sirloin, and round. Meat tenderness was determined on the longissimus muscle taken at the 12th rib on the left side of the carcass. After aging for 14 days, steaks were flash frozen and stored at 5°F for later analysis. Steaks were then thawed at 41°F for 40-48 hours and cooked to a 158°f internal temperature. After cooling for a minimum of two hours, five cores 0.5 inch in diameter were taken parallel to muscle fibers, and Warner-Bratzler shear force was determined.

After weaning each year, female calves were used in experiments examining nutritional effects on age at puberty and subsequent breeding performance. In 1995, the 208 available heifers were blocked by breed of sire and randomly assigned within blocks to one of four treatments. The feeding protocol provided for either a controlled gain or a stair step gain in which periods of high and low gain alternated. Trace mineral supplementation provided additional Cu,

Zn, and Mn to one half of the heifers. Additional details concerning this experiment can be found in Grings et al. In 1996, the 246 available heifers were stratified by breed of sire and within strata randomly assigned to diets containing either 1.9 or 4.4 percent fat. Saf fl ower seeds provided the added fat. Further details concerning this experiment can be found in Lammoglia et al. Heifers were observed twice daily for estrual behavior. The occurrence of estrus was confirmed by the presence of a corpus luteum and serum progesterone concentration greater than 1 ng/mL 6 or 7 to ten days after observing estrual behavior.

Pedigree data for the Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese sires were obtained from the respective breed associations or, in the case of Line 1 Hereford sires, from the research database of Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory. The pedigree information was at least three parental generations deep for all sires. All dams were assumed to be unrelated. This pedigree information was used in accounting for relationships among animals.

Data analyses were conducted using REMLas implemented by Boldman et al. Each trait was analyzed separately, and different models were used to analyze

Spotlight on piEDMontESE

traits measured before and after weaning, although some effects were common to both models. To account for differences in breed of dam, both models included linear regression effects of proportion of maternal heterosis, Hereford, Charolais, Tarentaise, Simmental, Jersey, Shorthorn, Pinzgauer, and “other” germplasm of the dam. The effect of percentage Angus in the breed-of-dam was set to zero by elimination of the equation from the coefficient matrix. A discrete fixed effect for breed-of-sire was also included in both models. Finally, a random animal effect was common to all analyses. Analyses of gestation length, birth weight, calving dif fi culty incidence and score, gain from birth to weaning, and 180 day weight included additional discrete fixed effects for year of birth and age of dam by sex of calf subclasses and an uncorrelated random effect associated with dams. Analyses of traits measured after weaning and on the carcass included a fi xed effect for contemporary group composed of calves born in the same year, to the same age of dam, of similar sex condition (bull or steer), and subject to the same nutritional and managerial regimen. Convergence was determined by the variance of the simplex of parameter estimates being less than 10−10. Global convergence was assumed when analyses

with different starting values converged to similar parameter estimates, and no further improvement in the log likelihood was observed. The linear functions of breed-of-sire solutions for Hereford vs. Limousin, Hereford vs. Piedmontese, and Limousin vs. Piedmontese were computed in the converged analyses.

Results and DiscussionSampling of sires is a critical issue in breed evaluation. The Limousin and Piedmontese sires were sampled from their respective breeds without regard to pre-existing genetic information. The average additive relationships among Limousin and Piedmontese sires were 0.9 and 8.2 percent, respectively. Seventeen of the Hereford sires used came from the Line 1 Hereford population of Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory. The remaining six Hereford sires included both horned and polled germplasm that was widely available for use in artificial insemination. The average additive relationship among the Hereford sires was 31.0 percent, which is approximately one half the average additive relationship among contemporary Line 1 Hereford cattle. Line 1 has made a substantial genetic contribution to the U.S. Hereford

population. However, to the extent that the sample of Hereford used here was not randomly drawn from the U.S. population, caution is advised in making broad inference characterizing Hereford.

Shown in Table 1 are numbers of observations, average levels of performance, and indicators of variability for the traits measured in this evaluation. Although the number of observations is suf fi cient to provide adequate power of the test for comparisons among the breeds of sire, they are hardly sufficient to precisely estimate heritability. This situation is most acute for postweaning and carcass traits. Heritability estimates are presented merely to provide an indication of the average level of variation among sires within breed in these data. Phenotypic CV for indicators of growth were from 11.1 percent for 180 day weight to 19 percent for average daily gain during the finishing period. For the carcass traits indicative of mass, the CV ranged from 5.3 percent for hot carcass weight to 6.1 percent for primal cut weight. Indicators of fatness were more variable, with CV from 13.4 percent for marbling score to 36 percent for fat depth.

Contrasts among the breed of sire solutions for calving traits are presented

Spotlight on piEDMontESE e Special Section f

in Table 2. Hereford sired calves had shorter gestation periods than either Limousin or Piedmontese sired calves, which were similar. Breed of sire effects on birth weight were similar to those on gestation length. However, calving dif fi culty was similar for Hereford and Limousin sired calves and less than for Piedmontese sired calves. The results observed here for Hereford and Limousin are qualitatively similar to those observed in characterizations of these sire breeds in New Zealand and at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. In slight contrast to the present results, Cundiff et al. found Piedmontese sired calves had similar birth weight and incidence of calving dif fi culty, despite a longer gestation period, relative to the average of Hereford and Angus sired calves. Direct comparisons of calving traits expressed by Limousin and Piedmontese sired calves were not found. Collectively, the results indicate little cause for concern associated with incompatibility in calving traits among these breeds, contraindicating their use in rotational crossbreeding programs. However, segregation of alternative alleles at the myostatin locus with major effects on birth weight and calving difficulty in F-2 Piedmontese crosses make Piedmontese better suited to use as a terminal sire breed than in rotational crossing.

Differences among progeny of Hereford, Limousin, and Piedmontese sires in gain from birth to weaning were relatively small but became larger as the calves grew older. Limousin sired calves tended to grow more rapidly than Hereford sired calves. By the fi nishing phase, both Limousin and Hereford sired calves had greater average daily gains than Piedmontese sired calves. Thus, Limousin sired calves reached 851 lbs at a younger age than Piedmontese sired calves. Both Hereford and Limousin sired calves were heavier at slaughter than Piedmontese sired calves. The similarity in growth rate of Hereford and Limousin sired calves seen here is consistent with earlier reports in the literature, as is the reduction in growth rate and final weight of Piedmontese sired calves relative to Hereford sired calves. Hoving-Bolink et al. found Piedmontese sired calves also weighed less at slaughter than Limousin sired calves, although the breed effect was confounded with one half the individual

heterosis being expressed by Piedmontese crosses and full individual heterosis being expressed by Limousin crosses.

Differences in dry matter intake among breeds of sire were relatively small. This may result because differences truly do not exist. However, the measurement of individual feed intake may be subject to greater experimental error than other traits, and the number of observations was substantially less than that of other traits. Differences in dry matter required per unit of weight gain were consistent with differences in growth during the respective feeding periods. In experiments conducted in the United Kingdom and at Clay Center, Neb., Limousin sired calves were less ef fi cient in converting feed to live weight gain than Hereford sired calves when carried to fat constant end points. However, to weight or age constant end points Limousin sired calves were more efficient than Hereford sired calves. The endpoint used in the current study, while neither strictly age nor weight constant, more closely resembles a weight (CV of slaughter weight = 4.9%) or age (CV of age at slaughter = 5.3%) constant end point than a fat (CV of fat depth = 36.0%) constant end point.

Live weight at slaughter was less for Piedmontese sired calves than for either Limousin or Hereford sired calves, which were similar. However, due to differences in dressing percentage, Piedmontese and Limousin sired calves had similar carcass weights and were heavier than Hereford sired calves. Longissimus muscle area was greater, and fat depth was less in Piedmontese sired calves than in either Limousin or Hereford sired calves. Likewise, longissimus muscle area was greater and fat depth less in Limousin sired calves than in Hereford sired calves. Piedmontese sired calves also had less internal fat than either Hereford or Limousin sired calves, which were similar. These differences in carcass traits resulted in a clear stratification of USDA yield grade between these breeds of sire. Differences in percentage of primal cuts mirrored differences in USDA yield grade. Even when carried to fat constant end points in other trials, edible product yield from carcasses of Limousin sired calves has exceeded that of Hereford sired calves. Cundiff et al. also found offspring of Piedmontese sires to be leaner and to

have greater longissimus muscle area at a constant age, and to produce more retail product at a constant level of fatness than progeny of Hereford sires. In a direct comparison of Piedmontese and Limousin sired bulls and heifers, the progeny of Limousin sires had more subcutaneous and intramuscular fat than progeny of Piedmontese sires.

Hereford sired calves had more marbling than progeny of either Limousin or Piedmontese sires, which were similar. However, the force required to shear cores from steaks of Piedmontese sired calves was less than that needed for steaks from progeny of Limousin or Hereford sires. The force required to shear steaks from progeny of Hereford and Limousin sires was similar. Contrasts of Piedmontese progeny vs. Limousin progeny, Piedmontese progeny vs. Hereford progeny, and Limousin progeny vs. Hereford progeny indicated similar tenderness of the longissimus muscle among these breeds of sire.

The liver may account for 2025 percent of an animal’s total energy expenditure. It is also readily obtainable and easily weighed at slaughter. Thus, liver weights are used here as an indicator of maintenance energy requirements. However, differences in body composition and associated differences in tissue requirements also complicate de fi nitive inferences relative to maintenance requirements. A tendency for liver weight of Limousin sired progeny to exceed that of Hereford sired progeny was noted. Otherwise, liver weights were similar for progenies of these breeds of

sire.

Hereford and Piedmontese sired heifers were younger at attainment of puberty than Limousin sired heifers. The differences observed between breeds in the present study are qualitatively similar to those observed previously. It is noteworthy that longissimus muscle area and percentage of primal cuts of F-2 50 percent Piedmontese steers and heifers without the Piedmontese mutation at the myostain locus were more similar to Hereford than to Limousin. Thus, the genetic relationship between leanness and age at puberty may result from the polygenic background, whereas the extreme leanness of Piedmontese results primarily from a mutation at the myostatin locus. However, the implied antagonism between leanness and age at puberty is not absolute. Dual purpose breeds that have a history of selection for milk production reach puberty at a young age, and yet they are also relatively lean.

Implications - Within breeds of similar mature size and growth rate, ample variation exists in body composition and age at puberty at an approximately equal degree of maturity. This contraindicates use of these breed resources in rotational crossbreeding systems. Limousin and Piedmontese germplasm may be best exploited as terminal sires without creating problems with excessive birth weight, calving dif fi culty, and resultant neonatal mortality in crosses with British breeds, such as Hereford.

Reprinted from Journal of Animal Science. 2001. 79:1,751-1,756

Our breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to reach producers and cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the Southeast. Advertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.

Ashley’s Beef Corner

TAdvancing Our Advocates

By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council

Although we’re a few months in, it always feels like spring is the start of the year. The grass turning green in March is like a huge weight lifting off our shoulders. I’m sure the warming of spring is why March was chosen as National Agriculture Month, with National Ag Day falling on March 19. With a national focus on agriculture and a local focus on farms as a part of our heritage, our history, and our current culture, it’s an easy time to highlight beef.

I’ve always heard that things come full circle, and the modern trend of caring about food and, thus, caring about farms gives us lots of opportunities. When folks are seeking information about our

farms, we can easily share photos and videos across miles of physical distance in mere seconds. Our research tells us that consumers appreciate simply knowing that more information is available, even if they aren’t asking for it. They like knowing they can ask for details, even if they don’t know how to ask or ask at all.

In February, at our N.C. Cattle Conference, we recognized eight N.C. Beef Ambassadors for their work in advocacy. These young people talked about beef on social media, in classrooms, in civic meetings, and at their part time jobs. They advocate in ways that are truly meaningful and “move the needle” in educating about beef. Our

2023 N.C. Beef Ambassadors are Maddie Carpenter, Cheyenne Childers, Mazie Bunn, Lydia Hill, Aubrey Mekus, Anna Brown, Kirsten Greene, and Abigail Gant. Thank you all for doing an incredible job representing beef!

I’m pleased to share that we have a new group of excited beef ambassadors to start this year.

They’ll be helping us converse about beef at NCSU’s Farm Animal Days and school ag days across the state. We’re ready to listen and share information about the beef industry in a positive way that helps all of us. If you’re interested in becoming a beef ambassador, please send me an email at ashley@nccattle.com, and I’ll get the details to you.

Social license to operate is a term used widely when discussing corporations

and businesses with multiple levels of production. It refers to the ongoing acceptance of an industry’s operating procedures by the public. It may seem that this does not apply to agriculture or, specifically, beef, but it does. We maintain and improve our practices with programs such as Beef Quality Assurance to ensure there is demand for beef.

Social license is sometimes more important than any other. Transparency is critical to earning and maintaining trust, which is the keystone of social license. We offer transparency when we share information in conversation and show our beef production practices in photos and videos. The beef ambassador program does just that in a way that helps consumers feel informed while feeling comfortable in asking for more information.

By DR. MATT POORE N.C. State University

Harnessing the Power of Electric

Fences - Part 3

— Constructing Permanent Fences

Braces and Posts. It is turning out to be a beautiful early season, with things greening up and starting to grow almost a month earlier than normal. Now that the weather has moderated and the cattle are at pasture, you may find time to get on that fence construction project that has been waiting for you.

In the first two parts of this series, I covered fence energizers, grounding systems, and lightning protection. I described those components as the heart and soul of your electric fence system. The permanent fencing is also a critical component and is kind of like the backbone of your system. Because permanent fences should last well over 25 years, it will be very important for you to build something that will continue to function and look good during that time. The permanent fence represents an important capital investment and is undoubtedly the most expensive part of your fence system.

Because permanent fences are so expensive, it seems like an area where you could cut some corners and save a little money. This is true to some extent, but there are critical components you really need to put in right. Important components are braces, wires, and gates. Each of these components will be discussed in the next two parts of the series.

One of the most important things to understand about permanent fences is that building a good electric fence is much less expensive than building a good fence that is not electrified. An electric fence is a mental barrier, while the conventional fence has to be a physical barrier. If the energizer and ground system are functioning well, then the electric fence can easily contain animals that you would need to have an incredibly strong physical fence to contain. Also, with time, animals rub and scratch on non-electrified fences,

which stretches the wire and loosens the braces. A good electric fence will have relatively little, if any, pressure from actual animal contact.

Cost of fence varies, but in general, a multi-strand high tensile electric fence can be built for less than $2.50 per foot, a traditional barbwire fence will cost about $3.50 per foot, and a hinge knot field fence with a strand of barbwire on top (a very common traditional fence) will cost well over $5 per foot to construct. A fixed knot high tensile fence will cost about $6 per foot but may be desirable as a strong physical perimeter. This ultimate fence is expensive but may be the choice where there is a lot of development near your farm or when you have small ruminants.

The electrical fence is also less expensive to maintain than a nonelectrified fence. Occasionally, we will have hurricanes, tornados, or strong thunderstorms that may down trees across our fences. An electric fence built out of high tensile wire may be downed by the tree, and you might break some insulators, but after the tree is removed, it will take a little repair to restore it to its new condition. A non-electrified fence in the same situation can be repaired with a lot of effort, but it will be nearly impossible to put it back in that like new condition.

There are situations where a landowner will want to build a traditional hinge knot field fence, board fence, fixed knot, etc., primarily for the aesthetic value. In that situation, I would always recommend adding a single strand of high tensile electric wire on offset brackets to keep animals off the nice, new fence. That will extend the life of the fence by many years. Likewise, an older barbwire or field fence can have its life extended for many years by installing a single offset electric wire on the inside.

Braces - Braces provide strength

to the fence. There are multiple types of braces, but I will only discuss the two most common types: the H brace and the dead man or bed log brace. Because the real strength of your fence is related to how good your braces are, it is highly recommended that you put a lot of time and effort into making those braces. You can get away with some material and labor savings elsewhere, but build the braces right the first time.

Posts for braces (or line posts, for that matter) can be set either by driving or by digging and tamping. Driving is a very quick and practical way to set posts if you have deep soils without a lot of rock. There are a variety of commercial drivers on the market that quickly drive the posts, and you might find someone locally who would come drive posts for you on a custom basis. Some people prefer to use a chain saw to sharpen the tip of a post so it more easily goes into the ground, while others say it is not necessary.

One thing that is sometimes done in tougher ground is the drilling of a pilot hole in the ground several inches smaller than the post. Regardless, drive the post with the small end first, and that will help make the whole thing tighten as it goes in. It has been said that a driven post is many times stronger than a dug and tamped post, and that might be true, but if you have very challenging soil conditions, driving can result in some very crooked posts. Also, if you have to strike the post too many times, it can result in internal fracturing of the grain of the post, which can lead to moisture penetration and early deterioration.

If you are setting posts by digging and tamping, there are a couple of rules of thumb that can make them stronger and nearly as good as a driven post. In general, the key is getting them deep enough, putting in a small amount of dirt, tamping well using the flat end of a

tamping bar, adding a little more dirt and tamping, and so forth. I like to use some 2-3 inch rocks tamped securely into that bottom six inches of the hole as well. As a general quality control test, after tamping the first 12 inches of soil around the post, it should feel tight when you try to wiggle it. If it is not, you need to spend more time tamping that first 12 inches. The common thing I see is producers getting into too much of a hurry and filling the hole about halfway up with loose soil, tamping it, then filling up the rest of the hole, tamping, then filling in the last and tamping. The post may feel firm at that point, but after some settling through rain and time, the post will loosen up and will be very difficult to ever firm up.

Some producers use concrete to set posts, but in general, that is not a good idea because concrete tends to hold moisture around the post and may lead to early deterioration. In very challenging conditions where you can’t get the post as deep as you would like, it might help to tamp a four inch layer of dry concrete around the post near the bottom, but in general, the use of concrete is discouraged.

H Brace - The H brace is the most practical brace you can build and is critical for high tensile fences with four or more wires. It gives you a lot of strength if built well because it allows you to spread the pressure across two posts that actually work against each other to make it a lot stronger than just the strength of the two posts. A single H brace is needed at each end of a long stretch of fence, and there are very few situations where you could put up a fence long enough to exceed what a single H brace at each end will handle. In some cost share programs, a double H brace is required for long stretches, but in general, the extra strength offered by the second H is not necessary.

The first key to building any brace,

Figure 1. H brace

including the H brace (Figure 1), is to use big posts (5-6 inch tops if possible) and to get the posts deep enough. Depending on the type of soil you have, the brace posts should be set 36 inches deep or deeper. That is easy if you have deep sandy soils, but if you have rocky shallow soils, it is a lot more work but well worth the time it takes. If you hit rock, cut through it. If you have a terrible rocky layer you just can’t get through, cut a hole at least six inches into the rock for the post to slip down into and do the very best job you can tamping.

The most common mistake in building H braces is to put the two upright posts too close together. For the H brace to function correctly, the posts need to be more than twice as far apart as the fence is high. Therefore, if your top wire is at 48 inches (which is a good practical height for a cattle fence), the distance between the posts (and the length of the cross piece) needs to be at least eight feet. A slightly smaller post can work for the cross piece (four inch top minimum), but again, don’t cut corners by using a very light post for that crosspiece because it will bend over time. Some commercial fence builders make all their H braces ten feet apart using a two inch steel pipe as the crosspiece, and that makes for a very effective brace.

To do a really good job of your fence building, use a string or polywire to keep things straight. Set the end posts for either H brace, stretch out your string or polywire, and then use that to mark the locations for your second brace posts. Once those locations are marked, undo the string but keep it around for marking out the line posts once you have the H braces set. It is probably a good idea to go ahead and set those brace posts first before you start marking out where all the line posts go because you might need to adjust the position slightly if you hit huge rocks or other challenges.

As you set the second H brace post, make sure that the spacing between them is right. It needs to be within one inch of being exactly right for your crosspiece to make it possible to slip it in or to pull it up tight when you tighten the brace.

Once you are happy that the posts are well set, then it is time to install the crosspiece. Some folks notch the upright posts to have a place for the crosspiece to fit in, but I don’t like that approach. The most often recommended method is to use a pin, which is essentially a ½ inch galvanized rod to hold the cross piece in place. The first of these needs to be about six inches long, three inches inserted into a drilled hole on one end of the post, and the other three inches set into a hole drilled into one of the upright posts. For the other end, you need to drill a hole into the other end of the brace post and then drill a hole all the way through the other upright post. Have someone help you hold the post up with the first end held in place, and then drive the second pen (nine inches long) through the second upright and into the crosspiece, holding it in place. Another recent invention is a bracket with teeth that you nail into the post, and that prevents you from drilling all those holes. Note that the proper location for the crosspiece is halfway between the top and second from the top wire. So, on a fence with a 48 inch top wire and ten inch wire spacing, you should place the center of the crosspiece 44 inches high.

At this point, you can see the brace taking shape. The final step is to install a diagonal wire or cable from the bottom post at the far end of the brace to the top side of the post toward the direction of the pull. This is critical; a diagonal in the other direction will not help make the brace stronger. Personally, I make these diagonals from a doubled strand of high tensile wire and use a commercial strainer to tighten it up. I use a loose staple (driven in to about ¼ inch of being tight) to hold it in place at the top and bottom of the post.

Traditionally, folks used a twist stick placed between the two sides of the diagonal wire and twisted it until it was tight. The problem with a twist stick is that with time, the posts might shift a little, no matter how well they were set, and then you will want to tighten up that diagonal wire. That is difficult with a twist stick after the fence wires are in place but easy with a strainer. The product called a gripple can make the installation of a diagonal cable or wire very fast and

Figure 2. Bed Log Brace

Amazing Grazing continued from the previous page

easy, but I still make mine out of strainers and high tensile wire. However you do it, tighten it down enough to snug up the crosspiece.

The final touch is to put a sleeve on the diagonal wire to snug the two sides together so they don’t touch the fence wires that will eventually be there. Again, you can buy a real slick little sleeve to do that with, but I use loosely wrapped high tensile wire. You need two of those, so take two lengths of high tensile wire about 18 inches long and wrap them around the two sides of the diagonal wire about six times near the middle, where it is easy to pull the two sides of the diagonal together. Once you have them in place, slide them either up or down the diagonal wires, which will further tighten them and make for a nice, neat looking finished brace.

Bed Log Brace - The second brace

I am going to describe for you is called the Dead Man or Bed Log brace (Figure 2). It is simple because it is a single large post and is well suited to three strands or less of high tensile wire. This brace

is also good for making a gradual corner in a line between two H braces in a fourplus strand fence, and in this application, we call it a turn post. There are three key components to the dead man brace: the angle at the post is set, the base rock on the back side of the bottom of the hole, and the bed log at the bottom of the front side of the post. The post is initially set at about a 5º slant away from the direction of the pull. Again, it is critical that the post be set as deeply as possible. If it is driven, then there is no base rock, but in a dug and tamped post, after tamping the first six inches of dirt around the post, set a solid rock as big as you can get down into the hole on the backside of the post. Then, continue to tamp in dirt carefully to create a tight post.

Finally, use a piece of treated post 24 inches long or a big, long, flat rock (that is called the bed log) carefully set into the soil with contact on the inside of the post. It is important that the bed log be set tightly into a trench dug in front of the post and set down about six inches below the surface of the earth. The trench should

be slightly smaller than the log or rock so it can be tamped tightly into the trench. Again, tamp carefully all around the post and over the bed log. After you put the wire on the fence and start to provide tension, the post will be pulled up into a straighter position, the bottom will be forced against the base rock, and near ground level, it will be pulled up against the bed log. This will produce a very strong brace that will either serve as an end brace for that three strand or fewer fences or can effectively take you around up to a 15º turn in a four strand or more fence.

Posts - There are several types of posts available to construct fences out of. Most common and most useful to me are pressure treated pine posts. The treatment for commercial treated lumber has changed, but pressure treated posts still commonly use copper arsenate (green color), which is a great preservative and is rated for ground contact. Each post should have a label indicating the treatment used and to show that inspection for quality has occurred. Creosote (dark brown color) treated posts are also still available in many areas and also can work out well. Again, picking out posts is a key to a good fence, so you should be aware that not all wood posts are created equal. Used telephone poles may make a suitable post, but make sure they are sound and free from rot.

There are two common types of treated pine posts: pulp wood posts and peeler core posts. Pulp wood posts are made from small pine logs, typically from a pine thinning process. They have the bark removed and are then cut to their final length before treatment. They are often not exactly straight and are usually larger on one end than the other.

Peeler core posts result when large pine trees are processed to produce plywood. The large log is clamped at each end and turned while a long blade peels off a thin layer of the wood. The turning results in one continuous thin piece of veneer, and eventually, once the core is about four inches in diameter, it is no longer possible to turn off more veneer. At this point, the core is a very nice, smooth, and precise size, and it is treated and sold as a post.

Often, an unsuspecting customer will purchase these peeler cores instead of pulp wood posts because they are more uniform and look better than the pulp wood posts. However, there is a key difference you should understand. In general, peeler core posts look great when they are new, but they don’t have the strength of a pulp wood post. To

understand this, look at the end of a pulp wood post and a peeler core post. The pulp wood post will have concentric rings that represent each year of growth, and the rings start at the center of the post and uniformly extend out. A peeler core post often shows that the core is not exactly the center of the tree. This is because it is common for a tree to grow faster on one side than the other, making the measured center not the physiological center of the tree. The concentric rings of a pulp wood post make them stronger and resistant to warping and bending. I have seen beautiful fences made from peeler core posts that warped and looked terrible after only a few years.

Untreated wood posts are also available that work well, and our options in the Carolinas are Eastern Red Cedar (all over both states) and Locust (mountains). We sometimes see a call for cedar or locust posts on organic farms because the organic standards don’t allow the use of new treated posts. Also, depending on where you are and your labor availability, the natural wood posts might be less expensive—a few things to understand. Cedar posts with a lot of white wood (sap wood) and a little red core don’t make a good post. This is common in young cedar trees that came up on an old piece of cropland because they grow fast and have a thick layer of the white wood. The older, slower growing cedars to be found along the edge of fields or in the woods where they have more competition tend to have a larger red center and less white wood. The importance of this is that the white wood will rot rapidly over just a few years, so the posts will really loosen up with time if they have much of the white wood. To get around that, I like to use a sawn post that has all red wood at the bottom where they go into the ground, and some custom saw millers will make those for you.

Locust posts are different than cedar in that all the wood is very resistant to rot. They are hard as a rock, and if you can find a supply, they make very good fences. They are not uniform and are very hard to work with, so I would recommend not using them to build your H braces unless you have some very smooth round ones, but they work well for line posts, although you may have to drill pilot holes for nails or screws used to put on the insulators. Natural untreated wood posts are less and less common, primarily because of the high labor cost to produce them.

Many electric fences are built using steel t-posts for the line posts;

sometimes, you will see them used for the corners. In general, using them is not a great idea because as the fence ages and insulators start to fail, they provide multiple opportunities for dead shorts. At home, we have some stretches we have built that way, and if I ever have severe power problems on the fence, I know these sections are likely the source of the problem. Other types of posts available can be used for line posts, including recycled plastic posts and UV treated fiberglass posts. Either of these can be effective, assuming there are no curves

or turns in the fence. The fiberglass posts will resist bending, but the softer plastic posts will just bend over time to relieve pressure on the posts.

In the next edition, I will continue this by discussing selecting wire, deciding on wire spacing, laying out the fence, and putting it up. Until then, I hope your cows are in good quality grass and being moved frequently to take advantage of our good growing conditions. If a permanent fence is the limitation to your system, start thinking about where to start improving your fence system.

FORAGE NEWS

By REID MILLER, Clemson University

Warm Season Forage Prep

Spring is a busy time of year for most South Carolina farmers and ranchers. Between weed control, planting, fertilizing, and timing them all with the weather, it can be a tough balancing act. Before we discuss a few tips on weed control and fertilization, we need to pay attention to the weather patterns that occur this time of year. Whenever we transition from winter to spring in South Carolina, there is always a risk of a false spring or a late freeze. Even though the month of April is spring on the calendar, a frost event is still a risk factor for many areas of South Carolina. The last frost dates of spring vary widely depending on the region of the state. Areas of Walhalla have a 50 percent chance of freezing as late as April 20, whereas Beaufort has a 50 percent chance of freezing as early as February 26, simply meaning that Beaufort’s last frost should occur way before Walhalla’s. The S.C Department of Natural Resources has an online list of spring and fall frost dates and the percentage of risk associated with 62 sites across the state.

Nonetheless, it is that time of year for most areas to begin controlling for warm season weeds and fertilizing warm season forages. With the temperatures increasing, you will begin to see warm season weed emergence if you haven’t already. Before you load the sprayer, be sure to scout and identify problem weeds and select your herbicides accordingly. Also, keep in mind that you should select herbicides based on the forages you grow to avoid damaging them unnecessarily. The herbicide label will provide this

information. Remember, the label is the law. It is important to spray most weeds at the seedling stage for herbicides to be the most effective. Although, some weeds are most affected at later stages. One example

is Carolina horsenettle, which should be sprayed at the flowering stage. This is one of many reasons why weed identification is important. When addressing soil fertility, it is always best to start with a soil sample. Ideally, soil sampling for warm season forages should be done in the off season around the month of November, so lime will have time to raise the soil pH if needed. If the soil pH is out of the crop’s required range, you won’t get the full benefit of the fertilizer you apply. When you receive your soil sample results, you will see recommendations for each crop you requested. If you are applying commercial fertilizers based on your nitrogen requirements, it is best to split the total N (nitrogen) recommendation listed on your soil sample results into separate applications. For example, coastal bermudagrass hayfields can utilize 200-400 lbs of pure N per acre over the course of the season. The total amount you choose should be based on your yield goals as long as you’ve received adequate rainfall. Fertilizer can be applied at 75-100 lbs of N per acre (pounds of total fertilizer will vary depending on the compound) once after spring green up and once after each cutting, preferably just before a rain event. Potash (potassium) and phosphorus should be applied based on soil test

recommendations. With concern for the weather when deciding the time to apply fertilizers, it is ideal to apply nitrogen just before a rain event during spring green up and after the risk of frost is at a minimum. If you apply fertilizer to warm season forages when there is a major risk of frost ahead, you could spend a lot of money fertilizing a field just for it to get burned by frost. In addition to this, pay close attention to your potash levels. For all the pasture and hay field soil samples that go through my office, potash is the one nutrient that seems to get neglected in many places. Potash is key in maintaining a plant’s resistance to disease and winter injury. Potash deficiency symptoms include yellowish streaked leaves (followed by burnt leaf tips), stunted growth, and short, narrow leaves. Since forages can take in more potash at a time than they actually need, it is important to apply potash in separate applications instead of one shot, especially on hay fields where potash is being removed from the field each cutting. These are general tips and recommendations to help you set yourself up for a successful summer growing season. For more specific recommendations and questions about preparing your pastures and hay fields for the summer, contact your local Clemson livestock and forages agent.

By E.B. HARRIS

The Changes in a Farm Pickup for Today

The first pickup I remember here on the farm was a 1950 Chevrolet. It was black, and I was about three or four years old. I remember it happening, but I can’t tell you how old I was. I fell out of the truck and broke my collarbone. I was in the front seat and didn’t know if the door came open or what. Daddy was coming around the curve in the back grove, and I fell out.

Like all the trucks on the farm of that era, it had a set of livestock stocks for hauling cows, goats, sheep, or pigs. There were very few trailers, and if you had one, it was a single axle trailer. The biggest transportation was pickup trucks for livestock. The next truck I remember was about a 1956 Ford. He had to modify the sides because there was a difference in the length. I guess you would call those trucks today a short bed. The next one I remember him buying was a brand new 1961 Chevrolet pickup. All these trucks were step side, and this truck was longer.

My daddy did not think the pickup sides could be modified to fit this truck. He had my granddaddy on my mama’s side, Boyd Reams, who lived in Afton,

to get all the material, bolts, and catches for the back gate together. One day he went up there to work on building the sides, and I went with him. They spent about all day building those sides for the new truck. This was a real set of livestock sides.

The gooseneck trailers had not come in this area, but a few tag alongs were in the area, but they were rare. The stockyards had a two ton truck that would go out and pick up livestock. If Daddy had a big load of livestock to go to the market the stockyards would come pick them up. The pickup truck was the main transportation here on the farm for moving stock. When the sides were not on the truck to help move the livestock, he would take the sides off and hang them up in the eaves of the barn on a rack, which he still hangs there today.

The next truck was a new 1967 Chevrolet, and I think the sides of the 1961 truck fit the 1967 truck the same way. They were the same size and style body. He continued to use the sides for hauling livestock until he retired.

I looked at the new pickup trucks

today, and they have all the comforts that you would have in your living room. They have heated seats, air conditioning, power steering, power windows, and cruise control. The changes in the trucks from the 1960s to the 2020s are just almost unreal. The biggest change I see in the trucks is in the back bed. They have lights, plugs to plug 110, and lots of plastic, but not a place to put your livestock racks.

I look in the back of those new pickup trucks and think about what my daddy did with his pickup truck and what they are built for today – almost two entirely different things. If you were to have a set of livestock on the back of the truck, how long do you think those little plugs in the back would last with a set of feeder pigs? One thing about a pig is he is either eating or rooting when he is awake. They would not last as long as Pat stayed in the army. I just say that the people

“If you have cattle, pastureland, or raise hay like I do, you need to call Donna Byrum. In 10 minutes on the hood of my pickup, she signed me up for a program that I had no idea about. The next time she came by the farm, she brought me a check!

~ E.B. Harris

building the trucks are not thinking about hauling feeder pigs in the back of the truck as we did in the ‘50s and ‘60s. If they were, they would put crates over the lights and plugs in the back and have three side pockets per side for livestock sides that would be left uncovered.

DONNA BYRUM

First Choice Insurance

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Any news from your county? Be sure to share your meetings, sales, field days, etc., with your fellow cattlemen through the Connection!

By TORY ERWIN N.C. State University -- ANS 402 Beef Management

Cracking the Code to Culling

Introduction - Culling is one of the most complex and crucial concepts in the beef industry. There is no single system for determining who to keep and who to cull, as every farm and management system is unique and values different aspects in a cow. Although this can be overwhelming, this can simultaneously be an exciting time, as culling helps dictate the breeding herd’s future profitability and genetic potential. Along with this, 1020 percent of cow/calf producers’ income can come from cull cows, and if aligned correctly, can be a great way to increase returns for your farm (Dennis, 2021)

Economics - Culling is a crucial part of every cow/calf operation and is the final result for the majority of all cows. Every cow has a place within culling sales. Dairy cattle, mature bulls, and older cows can all be utilized for ground beef and merchandisable beef cuts. These are the market’s two primary functions for these cull cows, and their sale prices

can vary with seasonality. Prices for all quality grades of cull cows typically peak in the summer months, especially in July, with holidays and strong demand for beef products in food service paired with a lower supply of cull cows on the market (Dennis, 2021)

The basis for culling decisions is deciding the age at which the marginal benefits of keeping a cow for an additional period are just equal to the marginal benefits of immediate replacement. This means that good record keeping on the individuals in your herd is critical. This can help show you trends of lower performing individuals compared to those of greater reproductive yield in your herd, along with health strength, which is valuable information when it comes time to cull. Record keeping can also help keep track of information like vaccine withdrawal times, which is critical to know before a cow leaves the farm.

The size of your herd can greatly

impact what you cull for. If you have larger herds of 300+ cattle, you have more flexibility in culling for economic reasons, as you have more of a financial buffer. Smaller herds lack this and, therefore, must be more proactive when it comes to cows that will present potential economic loss. The primary reason for culling across all herd sizes is due to age and teeth (Hersom, 2018) . Older cows offer less reproductive potential and can pose more healthcare concerns along with less fertility. Cows with dentition issues can’t properly eat the forage based diets that they must rely on in most management systems for body conditioning and survival.

Culling First Time Heifers - There are important factors to weigh when deciding whether to cull replacement heifers or first time heifers that did not breed back after their first calf. This is because they hold the most reproductive and genetic potential but also can be the most difficult to manage with their increased nutritional and management needs. It’s crucial to analyze your unique management system to see if this cow can still fit or if it’s more profitable to be culled. Some things to consider trying to proactively prevent open heifers include:

• Separating younger cows/heifers from mature cows allows them to receive higher quality feeds without being too costly for the whole herd; it can also decrease competition and stress over food.

• Utilizing synchronization techniques can better the chances of breeding back. Aim to breed them 2-3 weeks prior to your mature cows, as first time heifers need more time with the additional stress they naturally undergo.

• Utilizing A.I. for guaranteed calving ease, therefore increasing the chances of her reproductive tract repairing in time for the rebreeding season.

Alternatives for Culling Open Cows

- Just because a cow in your herd doesn’t breed back doesn’t mean you should automatically cull. Farmers have the option to rebreed the cow for a later calving herd or calving season. For example, rebreeding open females for a fall herd and then selling any remaining open females can retain some cows and simultaneously provide cull cows for the summer season. Along with this, producers can watch for trends in sale prices and retain open/cull cows for a later sale date when prices are highest (Figure 1). This decision ultimately depends on if your farm can utilize retaining cows to sell later to offset feed costs, which can sometimes not be feasible. Creating a system to create a cutoff of when to cull is a great way to maintain consistency within your herd. For example, setting a standard to cull cows with the bottom 25 percent of calf weaning weights along with open cows later in the summer when prices are highest (Figure 1) can be a great way to increase profits (Dennis, 2021)

An important factor in open cows is timing, as the breeding season should be relatively short and is critical for the sale price of the calf herd in the future. To manage this, proactive and accurate pregnancy detection should be utilized as early as possible, within 30-45 days after breeding. This can aid in deciding what to do with the cow (cull, retain for rebreeding, or retain to sell later) if she is still open. Utilizing estrus detection patches is an extremely simple but powerful tool for spotting which cows are still open. Being proactive in open cow culling due to proper pregnancy checking can allow for more marketing and profit opportunities by being able to make quicker herd decisions instead of waiting months later to see if cows are pregnant.

The reason for proactively checking

Figure 1: 10 Year seasonal price index – South Dakota slaughter cows. Note: Prices are for cows grading breaker and weighing 1,200-1,600 lbs.

which cows are open or pregnant for cow/ calf operations is that the objective is to produce a live calf on an annual basis. Any cow that does not breed back or wean a live calf should be a main candidate for culling. The annual production of a calf provides the farm with the revenue it needs to offset yearly expenses related to cow maintenance, initial cow purchase, heifer development, and, ultimately, the returns for the farm as a whole.

Other Reasons to Cull - Other reasons to cull include poor calf performance. This can be due to poor dam milk quality/production, genetics, calf sickness, or a combination of these. Culling for this should be determined over several years to determine if it’s the dam. Age is another reason, with reproductive success usually declining after 10-12 years of age (Hersom, 2018) . Along with this, dentition and age go hand in hand to be the primary

reasons for culling nationally (Figure 2) (Hersom, 2018). Having a broken mouth (Figure 3), impacted teeth/ “smooth mouth,” or lumpy jaw prevents the cow from consuming the nutrition it needs. Structural soundness, udder conformation/ health, prolapse, disposition, and overall health are all also factors necessary to consider when seeking which cows to cull on an annual basis.

References

Dennis, E., Wilke, K., & McCarthy, K. “The impact of price and management on culling decisions. Center for Agricultural Profitability.” (2021) www. cap.unl.edu

Hersom, M., Thrift, T., & Yelich, J. “Culling and Replacement Rate in the Beef Cow Herd” (2018) www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Melton, B.E. “Economics of Beef Cow Culling and Replacement Decisions Under Genetic Progress.” (1980) www. jstor.org

Powell, J., & Ward, H. “Culling the Beef Cow Herd.” (2022) www.uaex.uada. edu

Williamson, B. “Replacement heifers: Management options benefit bottom line.” (2023) www.extension.psu.edu

Have you Herd Article written as a

portion of ANS 402 Beef Management course requirement at N.C. State University Department of Animal Science under instruction of Dr. Carrie Pickworth. The opinions of Tory Erwin are not necessarily those of N.C. State University or Dr. Carrie Pickworth.

the chaplain’s corral

By TREVOR LAMAR NORRIS Chaplain, Cowboys for Christ

A Trip Up the Mountain

This past fall, I had the great opportunity to spend some time in Walden, Colo., working for the Medicine Bow Outfitters, owned by the Florell family. My main job was to help Jarred Florell and Paul Clancy escort hunters and their gear from the ranch to the base camp and then on to a drop camp. Each leg of the trip was 3-8 miles. Horse drawn wagons and a string of riding horses would meet the hunters at the ranch, and we would begin the trip back to base camp. This was a good time to get a feel of the guests riding experience and to get to know them one-on-one.

Once at base camp, gear was loaded onto pack horses, and we started our trip up the mountain to the drop camps. Now, you must remember that I’m new to this country and unfamiliar with the trails. So, when we struck out with Jarred and three pack horses in tow, five hunters who had not ridden since they were young boys, and myself, leading another three pack horses into thick Aspen woods, you wouldn’t have been wrong to say I was awful curious how this was all going to turn out. Thankfully, I had Jarred leading the way, and my main task was to make sure no hunters fell off or pack horses ran away. We rode for what seemed like hours through these woods, gaining elevation regularly, all the while still only being able to see maybe 15 feet in any direction I would look. We went up and down, through creeks and mud bogs, and crossed downed logs. Then, seemingly all at once, the woods gave way to this enormous bald face of the mountain, and as the 13 head of horses stepped their way across, I was able to see just how far we had come. I could see the base camp, the ranch, and the town of Walden.

Each time I took up that mountain, I always looked forward to the moment when the trees opened and we rode across the face of the mountain. It took me a few trips before it hit me, but this is so very similar to how God works in our life. We don’t know His plan and may feel like we are lost in the Aspens of life. But if we stick to His path and look towards his guidance, we eventually make our way out of the Aspens and come out onto that mountain face where everything is revealed. We see just how amazing He is. We see how far he has brought us through our own doubts, our struggles through the creeks and the bogs of life, the tiring climb that seems to never end. His timing is perfect, and while it is hard or sometimes impossible for us to see things at the moment, there is a purpose for everything. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares The Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

I would like to encourage you not to wait until the mountain to praise Him but to be thankful in the bogs and the creeks, knowing that He is guiding you through these hurdles and that it is all meant to build a stronger relationship with Him. I know life can get stressful. Bills add up, cars break down, that guy at work is just an extra bit of a jerk, but if we know God has a plan for us and ultimately for everyone, we can start to be a light for Christ in every aspect of our life. You never know who you are going to impact with your actions throughout your day. Shouldn’t we do our best to make sure those actions point as many people to Christ as we possibly can?

“Keep climbing that mountain!”

Figure 3: Example of a cow with a broken mouth.

Figure 2: Percentage of cows or operations that culled a cow by reason.

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus N.C. State University

You Decide: Has the State Labor Market Changed Since COVID-19?

Think about where you were four years ago, in February 2020. My wife and I have birthdays early this year — mine in late January and hers in late March. To celebrate both, we often do something fun in February or early March.

For 2020, we planned a weekend trip to New York City to see a Broadway revival of the Neil Simon comedy Plaza Suite. My wife is a New Yorker from the upstate, and since we first met 50 years ago, we’ve enjoyed theater performances. In February, just as we were getting excited about our trip, concerns over COVID-19 were starting. We brushed them aside and assumed our trip would happen as planned.

In the second week of March, Broadway

shut down. Shortly after that, Governor Roy Cooper announced a statewide stay-at-home order. Thus began our multi-year ordeal with the disease of our lifetimes.

Although COVID is still a threat, our everyday lives today are much closer to normal. Even Broadway has reopened! Still, for many people and for many aspects of our everyday lives, “normal” has been redefined.

The purpose of today’s column is to look at how normal has potentially been changed for the labor market in North Carolina. To accomplish this, I’ve done a deep dive into the pre- and post-data for North Carolina’s labor market. After presenting the results, I’ll let you decide if the apparent changes are positive, negative, or a “wash.” On a technical note, I used February 2020 as my pre-

COVID-19 benchmark and December 2023 for the post-COVID-19 marker.

One of the best results of my analysis is that the total number of jobs in North Carolina is up 7 percent from the preCOVID-19 economy to now. This is more than twice the percentage increase for the national economy. Clearly, North Carolina continues to maintain its position in the post-COVID-19 economy as a fast growing state for jobs.

But of course, we wouldn’t expect job growth to be the same for all sectors of the economy. Sectors that stand out with much faster growth are education and health care (10 percent), wholesale trade (13 percent), financial services (16 percent), warehousing/transportation (20 percent), and professional jobs (29 percent). Again, let me emphasize these are not changes from the low point of the economy during the pandemic. Instead, the numbers show the percentage change in jobs from the high point prior to COVID-19 to today.

The strong increase in professional jobs continues a long-term trend due to more tasks requiring training in high level skills. One question is if this trend will continue as A.I. (artificial intelligence) becomes more capable and pervasive. The strong increase

in transportation and warehousing likely is a result of the changes in how we purchase and receive products.

Two sectors lost jobs. Manufacturing jobs dropped 1 percent from the preCOVID-19 level to the end of 2023. Additionally, government jobs in North Carolina lost 2 percent of their preCOVID-19 total.

Let’s now look at the geography of job growth in North Carolina. For most of the last four decades, the strongest job growth has been in metro areas, such as the Triangle, Charlotte, and Wilmington, while job growth in many non-metro — or rural — regions has been slower or sometimes negative. This difference has contributed to an urban/rural divide in the state.

Interestingly, there appears to have been a slight shift in the geography of jobs thus far in the post-COVID-19 economy. From February 2020 to December 2023, total employment in North Carolina metro regions rose 6.6 percent, while employment growth in non-metro areas jumped 8.7 percent. Have lingering pandemic worries motivated more businesses and workers to choose less dense regions, where viruses may be more difficult to spread? Or are the steep prices of real estate and homes in metro areas

pushing people to rural regions where prices are more modest?

Lastly, I examined two key factors measuring working conditions: worker hours and worker earnings. Compared now to the pre-pandemic economy, the average worker is clocking about 2 percent fewer hours per week on the job. This doesn’t seem like much, but it is a distinct change from the decade prior to the pandemic when weekly hours were relatively stable. Of course, there are always differences among economic sectors. Weekly hours increased for construction but were down more than the average in leisure and hospitality businesses — almost 4 percent.

There are numerous possible explanations for the decline in the workweek in the post-COVID-19 economy. One is that it’s a perk that companies have used to deal with labor shortages. Another is younger workers, in particular, want a different work/ life balance, so they only look for jobs with fewer hours. Companies may also expect shorter workweeks to create more happiness among their employees, thereby boosting productivity.

However, maybe the most notable difference between the pre- and postCOVID-19 labor market has been in earnings — specifically in earnings per hour, often called the wage rate. Overall, the average wage rate in North Carolina increased 22 percent from the preCOVID-19 economy to the most recent post-COVID-19 reading. This was slightly better than the total 20 percent increase in prices — aka, inflation — during the same time. Yet what is interesting is that higher paying sectors, like finance and professional jobs, had smaller wage gains than some lower paying sectors, such as construction and leisure/hospitality firms. Again, it will be important to see if these trends are maintained.

It appears that there have been significant changes to the North Carolina labor market after COVID-19. How do you rate them — good, bad, or mixed?

You decide.

You Decide: What Are the Key Challenges for N.C.’s Future? Long ago, my father told me it was always good to look ahead. Why? Because problems may appear that take a while to solve. Without advance planning, there may not be enough time to find a solution and avert possible disappointment or even worse.

In over seven decades of living, I’ve tried to follow my father’s advice, and I am thankful for doing so. Yet the idea of looking ahead applies to more than just individuals. The advice could help North Carolina identify some of the key challenges for the state’s future.

In no particular order, my top six challenges in North Carolina’s future are energy, skill training, spreading economic prosperity, housing, transportation, and staying competitive. I’ll comment on each and let you decide if my look ahead makes sense.

Like all states and many nations, North Carolina is adjusting its energy production and usage to be friendlier to the climate. All key participants in the energy market — including those in both the private and public sectors — appear to agree with this goal. However, disagreements occur in two ways. First, which components — such as fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear power — should be part of our future energy production? Second, how fast can we move to a more climate friendly environment and still support the energy needs of North Carolina?

These energy challenges are actually more difficult for North Carolina for one reason: We are a fast growing state, and more growth means more energy use. North Carolina’s population is expected to increase almost twice as fast as the nation’s (32 percent versus 17 percent) from 2020 to 2050. According to some forecasters, this growth could result in a 50 percent increase in electricity usage by 2050. The growth could be larger if new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) take hold.

A strong economy obviously relies on

a workforce trained for the skills needed in that economy. However, the skills needed constantly change over time, and many experts think these changes will accelerate in the coming decades. One big game changer will be artificial intelligence. One study predicts 30 percent of all hours worked today could be eliminated by AI as soon as 2030. Unlike the past, when job losses from new technology were concentrated in blue collar fields, such as manufacturing, AI has the potential to substitute for workers in many white collar jobs, with many of the displaced workers having college degrees.

We can hope new jobs will be created in other fields, but the question is where? The North Carolina Community College System has already recognized this challenge by committing to follow job growth and align programs with that growth. Four year universities and colleges will need to do the same. Some also predict a big increase in on-the-job training. A new study reports that almost half of college graduates are not working in the field related to their degree.

It has become more expensive to purchase or rent shelter in North Carolina. For example, since 2000, home prices in the state have more than doubled, far outpacing household income gains. Importantly, this number is after adjusting for changes in the size and amenities of shelter.

The increase in shelter costs is most prominent in metropolitan regions, like the Triangle and Charlotte areas. These regions have experienced rapid population growth, resulting in more people competing for the limited homes and apartments located close to jobs, schools, entertainment, and other amenities.

One solution to the high housing costs is to build more structures by increasing density in cities. But even this approach is limited. A second idea is for individuals who can work remotely to live in more moderately priced housing in nonmetropolitan regions. And for those who don’t work remotely, a third idea

2024 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts

is to encourage developers to construct residences in outer areas of the metro regions where land is more affordable and then have rapid bus systems transport workers to and from jobs in the big cities.

There are two challenges with transportation. One is to move to commuting methods that are friendlier to the climate. This has already started with the push for drivers to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). The second challenge is financing transportation projects. With large population gains predicted, North Carolina will likely need additional highways. But how will the roads be financed if gas tax revenues drop as more drivers use EVs? One solution is a mileage fee, which is independent of the fuel used by a vehicle. Another is to finance road and possibly rail projects with general revenues, such as from the state income tax or sales tax.

A final challenge for North Carolina is staying competitive. By this I mean continuing to attract both in-state and outof-state investments that will create good paying jobs, particularly in parts of the state that have lagged in economic development. All states have this goal, so North Carolina must constantly reassess its policies and programs against those of other states.

I have a simple answer for maintaining North Carolina’s competitiveness. It is to keep our collective eye on the challenges identified above and to constantly work to confront and succeed in surmounting those challenges.

In the almost 50 years I’ve called North Carolina my home, I’ve watched the state totally transform its economy and move to the top of the rankings for many economic measures. But there will always be challenges — some old and others new — and I’ve identified many I think will be important in the coming decades. However, you may decide to create your own list of future challenges and solutions. Whichever you choose — mine or yours — you will be following the advice of my father to look ahead.

ANGUS NEWS

Apply for Angus Foundation’s Commercial Cattlemen Scholarship. Students whose families use registered Angus genetics in their commercial operations can apply until May 1. Applications are open for the Angus Foundation’s Commercial Cattlemen Scholarship, which awards four $1,500 scholarships to outstanding young people in the beef industry. This scholarship is unique from others offered by the Foundation as it aims to support students specifically from the commercial sector of the industry.

“We’re proud to offer this scholarship opportunity to students from commercial cattle backgrounds,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “We recognize the importance of supporting young people using Angus genetics and want to help them succeed in our industry.”

Students should be pursuing an undergraduate or vocational degree at an accredited higher education institution. Selection emphasis is placed on the applicant’s knowledge of the cattle industry and their perspective on the Angus breed.

“I want to look at the DNA sequence of cattle and see what I can do with it,” said Addison Hillman, a 2023 Angus Commercial Cattlemen’s Scholarship recipient studying animal science with an emphasis in biology and biotechnology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Young men and women whose families use Angus genetics in their commercial operations are eligible to receive the scholarship if they have transferred a registered Angus animal into or out of their herd in the past 36 months (on or after May 1, 2021). For further details on applicant qualifications, view the application at www.angus.org/ Foundation.

About the Angus Foundation. Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $4.5 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade. For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 22,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers. For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org

Certified Angus Beef news

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships. Applications are open through April 30 for Certified Angus Beef’s scholarship fund, supporting college students pursuing food and agriculture. Continuing to support the next generation of leaders in the beef industry, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) will give a record amount of $100,000 in scholarships across three categories this year. College students with a passion for agriculture and a drive to innovate are encouraged to apply for this scholarship opportunity.

The Colvin Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Louis M. “Mick” Colvin, cofounder and former executive director of CAB, aims to empower students who are dedicated to advancing the beef industry. Over its two decade legacy, the fund has supported more than one hundred students pursuing their educational and

professional goals in agriculture. With increasing support from brand partners, this amount continues to grow. In 2023, the CAB awarded $81,500 to 23 scholars.

“The Colvin Scholarship Fund represents our commitment to nurturing the future leaders of the beef industry,” says Danielle Matter, director of brand experience and education. “We are thrilled to increase our support this year, providing even more opportunities for aspiring professionals.”

The 2024 Colvin Scholarship supports the next generation of agricultural leaders who are dedicated to preserving farm and ranch traditions, researching and developing improved beef quality practices, and devoting their careers, studies, and activities to making the beef industry even better.

The production agriculture, undergraduate, and graduate scholarship

categories each have unique requirements, including essay questions, resumes, and letters of recommendation.

Applications for the 2024 Colvin Scholarship will undergo a comprehensive evaluation process, considering factors based upon the applicants’ academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, communication skills, and commitment to the beef industry. A selection committee comprised of industry experts and CAB representatives will carefully review each application to identify the most deserving candidates.

Scholarship recipients will receive financial support and the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and mentors. Top place winners in each category will receive $7,500 and an all expense paid trip to the 2024 CAB Annual Conference in Verona, N.Y., providing them with a platform to connect with professionals from across the beef industry.

Applications for the 2024 Colvin Scholarship are now open and will close on April 30. Interested students can learn more about eligibility criteria and apply by visiting www.certifiedangusbeef.com/ recruiting

Who is Certified Angus Beef? At Certified Angus Beef, we know people want to put great meals on the table. Our employees work across the beef supply chain to ensure chefs and home cooks find and prepare the best Angus beef. Led by our culinary, beef, and marketing experts, our team provides consultation, marketing materials, training, market insights, and tools that help businesses like grocery stores and restaurants thrive. Our team is also dedicated to sharing the story of family farmers and ranchers who supply the brand.

NOTICE

Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input. HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.

NEWS

Local Communities Support

Future Agriculture Leaders Through Zoetis Industry Support Program. The annual program is committed to helping FFA chapters nationwide. Veterinarians and animal health distributors continue to support the next generation of agriculture through the Zoetis Industry Support Program. Through April 30, customers may designate a portion of sales from eligible Zoetis Cattle and Equine products to their local FFA chapters. Last year, more than $375,000 was donated to 1,175 FFA chapters, and over 25,000 students benefitted from the contributions.

FFA chapters use the program funds in various ways, from helping defray travel and event costs to funding community projects and scholarships.

Christy Schuler, an FFA advisor in Bridgeport, Neb., used funds to purchase FFA jackets for new student members. “It’s a special way to welcome members into the chapter and show them the

opportunities that they have in FFA and agriculture. They will make so many memories wearing those jackets.”

“As an organization, we are committed to supporting the next generation of agriculture and recognize the vital role that FFA plays in shaping tomorrow’s leaders,” said Jared Shriver, Senior Vice President, Head of Livestock, Equine and Platinum Performance at Zoetis. “The Industry Support Program provides our customers a unique way to support this mission in their own backyard. We’re proud to have continued this program with the National FFA Foundation and our customers for over 15 years.”

Schuler echoed the importance of community engagement and support. “The community is what built the [FFA] program and the community is what keeps it going.”

“These contributions make it possible for FFA to provide teachers and advisors with resources that have a lasting impact,”

added Lori Randle, Senior Regional Director of the National FFA Foundation.

“The Industry Support Program is a great example of building support for local FFA chapters and supporting the next generation of leaders in agriculture.”

The 2024 Industry Support Program will conclude on April 30. Zoetis customers have until May 5 to enroll and designate their preferred FFA chapters. To learn more about the program and how to contribute, please contact your local Zoetis representative or visit www. ZoetisUS.com/IndustrySupport

About Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide –from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock farmers and ranchers. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $8.5 billion in 2023 with approximately 14,100

employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com

About National FFA Organization. The National FFA Organization is a school based national youth leadership development organization with more than 945,000 student members as part of 9,163 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. For more information, visit the National FFA Organization online at www.FFA.org

About the National FFA Foundation. The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations, and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders, and support the future of agricultural education. A separately registered nonprofit organization, the foundation is governed by a board of trustees that includes the national FFA president, educators, business leaders, and individual donors. For more, visit www.FFA.org/Give

By CORTNEY HOLSHOUSER, NCAA Executive Secretary

N.C. Angus Association 79th Annual Meeting

The 79 th N.C. Angus Association Annual Meeting was held on February 10 at the Yadkin County Agricultural and Educational Center in Yadkinville, North Carolina. The theme for this year’s meeting was “Strategies and Technologies for Future Farm Profitability.” The educational sessions were informative and well received by the audience. The educational sessions were made possible by generous sponsorship from Corteva AgriScience, EBS Farms, and FerAppease. The first session, presented by Andrew Branan, Associate Extension Professor with the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at N.C. State University, outlined the basics of farm succession planning.

The second session, presented by Dr. Sydney Tuckwiller of Neogen, concentrated on using genomic tools

replacement heifer selection. The third educational session was presented

by Dr. Esther Tarpoff, American Angus Association Director of Performance Programs. Esther provided the latest update on the new Functional Longevity EPD.

The N.C. Angus Auxiliary and N.C. Junior Angus Association held their annual meetings early in the day. The Auxiliary met at the Yadkin Masonic Lodge, enjoyed brunch and coffee from local favorite Milk & Honey, made plans for the coming year, elected officers, and made handcrafted clay cow magnets. The Auxiliary also hosted the always popular silent auction throughout the day. The Auxiliary graciously provided the decorations for the day. The juniors visited a local feed mill in Elkin, enjoyed lunch, made plans for the coming year, and elected new officers as well.

Attendees were able to enjoy coffee

and refreshments throughout the day courtesy of Bravo Cattle and Wood Angus.

The annual business meeting was next on the agenda for the day, where members received updates from all committees, conducted business, and elected new Board Directors. Congratulations to Mattie Harward, Michael Jensen, Matt Morrison, Kate Reichert, and Kim Starnes for being elected to serve a three year term. Retiring Directors Greg Collins, Louis Fulcher, Scottie London, Roy Swisher, and Michael Wyatt were recognized for their years of service and dedication to the Association. The 2024 NCAA officers include Callie Carson, President; Michael Wyatt, Vice President; and Kim Starnes, Treasurer.

After the annual business meeting, the social began, and members were able to interact with sponsors and fellowship with old and new Angus friends. The social was graciously sponsored by Eberlee Farms, Harvest Hosts, and Shiner’s Stash, Inc.

After the social, premium advertising spots were auctioned as well as items to benefit the N.C. Angus Juniors and Auxiliary. An exciting feature of the annual meeting this year was a drawing for a brand new MVE XC 20 Signature semen tank donated by sementanks. com . Attendees who registered early

received a complimentary raffle ticket. The proceeds from the sale of semen tank raffle tickets are going to the William Sanders Scholarship Fund and will make a significant impact on our N.C. Angus Juniors. John Barnes was the lucky winner of the drawing, and he graciously donated the semen tank back to be auctioned for the benefit of the Sanders Scholarship. Carpenter Family Farm and EBS Farms purchased the semen tank. What a great impact both parties were able to make. Thank you to Will Thompson for serving as the evening’s auctioneer and to all who participated in the auction to make it a success.

John Barnes won the drawing for the MVE XC 20 Signature semen tank.

2024 NCAA officers - Executive Secretary Cortney Holshouser; President Callie Carson; Vice President Michael Wyatt; and Treasurer Kim Starnes.

2023 retiring NCAA Directors were presented plaques in appreciation for their three years of service to the Association. Pictured with President Callie Carson are Michael Wyatt, Greg Collins, and Roy Swisher.

Dr. Esther Tarpoff provided an explanation and update on the Functional Longevity EPD.

Dr. Sydney Tuckwiller gave a presentation on using genomic tools for replacement heifer selection.

Andrew Branan with Emily Barnes after his presentation on farm succession planning.

for

Special guests in attendance for the day included Bryan Blinson with the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association (NCCA), who gave a brief update on the state of the beef industry and introduced the new Executive Director of the NCCA, Milo Lewis. Dr. Joe French, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences Assistant Commissioner of Agricultural Services, also gave an update on issues currently facing North Carolina agriculture.

Coming as a surprise to them both, Joe Hampton presented Bryan and Joe with the coveted N.C. Angus Hall of Fame Award. Both of these recipients are very deserving of this honor for their contributions to the N.C. Angus Association.

Next, we celebrated the accomplishments of our members throughout the year. Biltmore Estate received the Ira Gentry Memorial trophy for having the high selling lot in the 2023 Spring Fever Sale with their pregnancy of Biltmore Lucy 148J and Poss Winchester, which sold to Dr. Barry Pollard of

Oklahoma. Justin Wood next presented Maddie Grace Carpenter with the DeEtta Wood Achievement and Leadership Award and recognized Lynae Bowman for receiving the DeEtta Wood Memorial Scholarship this past summer.

Brooke Harward and Mattie Harward presented the N.C. Junior Angus members with the Auxiliary Achievement Awards. Recipients included Nate Bowman, Maddie Grace Carpenter, Caroline Scarlett, Jonathan Scarlett, Emma Vanhoy, Hannah Vanhoy, and Ava Wood. Nate Bowman, Maddie Grace Carpenter, and Hannah Vanhoy were recognized for receiving the award for three years. Additionally, Lynae Bowman was recognized for receiving her Gold Award, and Maddie Grace Carpenter was presented with her Bronze Award by American Angus Association representative Dr. Esther Tarpoff.

on the university’s research stations and shared several goals and how they may benefit our farm operations in the future.

Our organization is so appreciative of all our sponsors for the evening. We were able to create a first class experience for attendees with their generosity. General sponsors for the evening include Forsyth County Farm Bureau, 701X, AmeriAg LLC, Alamance County Farm Bureau,

Chatham County Farm Bureau, Chaudhry Meats, Iredell County Farm Bureau, JC’s Ranch, Johnston County Farm Bureau, Person County Farm Bureau, Sale Day, Stanly County Farm Bureau, Stokes County Farm Bureau, and Surry County Farm Bureau.

Our Allied Industry Partner program allows us to work with sponsors throughout the year on various projects, including our annual meeting. The 2024 Gold Level Allied Industry Partners include ABS Global, Biltmore Estate, Chessie Creek Farm, Farm Credit Associations of N.C., Harvest Hosts, Neogen, Performance Livestock & Feed Co, Piedmont Custom Meats, Inc., Trans Ova Genetics, and Zach Moffitt Cattle Marketing & Consulting. Silver Level partners include Beef Traxx, Boehringer Ingelheim, Clifton Seed Company, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Southeast AgriSeeds, and Sunset Feeds. Bronze Level partners include Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange, LTD Farm & Garden, Mitchell’s Meat Processing, and Windy Hill Farms LLC, powered by Vytelle.

It was a treat to have many of our supporters in attendance throughout the day to interact with our members.

Guests were treated to a delicious Certified Angus Beef Prime split strip for dinner, which has been a recent highlight for the brand. With only the top 3 percent of beef qualifying for Certified Angus Beef Prime, it was a treat to be able to celebrate the evening with the best of the best. Banquet sponsors included Biltmore Estate, First Bank & Trust Co., and G5 Agency.

The evening concluded with a keynote address from Dr. Rich Bonanno, Associate Dean, N.C. State College of Ag & Life Sciences & Director of N.C. State Extension. Dr. Bonanno gave an update

Back Creek Angus, Barenbrug USA, Bill Kirkman – ST Genetics, Blue Ridge Brutes Bull Sale, Buncombe County Farm Bureau, Carolina Stockyards Co., Carson Family Farm LLC, CattleMax,

A huge thank you to the Annual Meeting Committee for planning a spectacular event. Members included chairman Emily Barnes, Brooke Harward, Nichole Carpenter, Greg Collins, Derek Goddard, and Callie Carson. We are also extremely grateful to Yadkin County Ag building manager Steve Potts and Claudia Austin for handling registrations throughout the day. Their help was invaluable in making the day a success. We are excited to begin planning next year’s event, where we will be celebrating our 80th anniversary. We invite everyone to join us in 2025!

Maddie Grace Carpenter was presented her NJAA Bronze Award by Dr. Esther Tarpoff.

Dr. Rich Bonanno was the keynote speaker for the evening’s events.

Guests enjoyed delicious Certified Angus Beef Prime split strip for dinner.

Bryan Blinson received the N.C. Angus Hall of Fame award from Joe Hampton.

Dr. Joe French received the N.C. Angus Hall of Fame Award from Joe Hampton.

Kyle Mayberry accepts the Ira Gentry memorial trophy from Brent Scarlett and Zach Moffitt.

N.C. Junior Angus members Caroline Scarlett, Maddie Grace Carpenter, Ava Wood, Hannah Vanhoy, and Emma Vanhoy received their N.C. Angus Auxiliary Achievement Awards from Auxiliary members Brooke and Mattie Harward.

Justin Wood awards Maddie Grace Carpenter with the 2023 DeEtta Wood Achievement and Leadership Award.

North Carolina Angus Association

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS

Backed by the world’s largest and most reliable genetic evaluation program.

Registered Angus genetics deliver better calving ease, more growth, and superior marbling.

4K FARMS

Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 • rdkirkman@spectrum.net

BACK CREEK

Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla

704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) robinbackcreek@att.net

Facebook: Back Creek Angus

BILTMORE ESTATE

Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 • livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com

CARSON FAMILY FARM, LLC

John, Callie, Isaac & J.R. Carson Laurel Springs 336-818-9087 • carsonfamilyfarm@gmail.com

CHAPMAN CATTLE COMPANY

Bryant Chapman Taylorsville 828-514-0526

https://.m.facebook.com/chapmancattleco

FOUR S FARMS

Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes

Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 • kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com

GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS

Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 • whgentry@windstream.net

GRAGG FARMS

Paul, Chris & David Gragg Boone

828-268-4136 (Paul); 828-268-4137 (Chris) 828-268-4135 (David) gragg_farms@hotmail.com

H&H FARMS

Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 • jennham@bellsouth.net

HI-LO FARMS, LLC

William “Monty” & Kate Reichert

Fuquay-Varina 919-717-1903

HILL ANGUS FARM

Dr. Gary M. Hill

Hendersonville 229-848-3695 • gmhill@uga.edu

Cortney Holshouser

NCAA Executive Secretary

919-796-2346

ncaa.sec@gmail.com www.ncangus.org

34th Annual Yon Spring Sale Results

JACK KNOB FARMS

Karl, Janet & Logan Gillespie

Franklin 828-371-2220 • karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com

JENKINS ANGUS FARM

Jaime & Christy Jenkins

Marshall 828-206-1345 • jenkinsangusfarm@gmail.com

KNOLL CREST FARM

The Bennett Family Red House, VA 434-376-3567 • knollcrestfarm@knollcrestfarm.com www.knollcrestfarm.com

LANE ANGUS

Roger & Bundy Lane

Bundy Lane - Manager

Gates 252-398-7705 (Bundy); 252-398-7719 (Miranda) 252-357-1279 (Office) bundylane@hughes.net; laneangusbeef@gmail.com www.laneangusbeef.com

N.C. State University

- E. Carroll Joyner Beef Unit

Matt Morrison - Manager

Raleigh 716-720-0227 • mdmorri8@ncsu.edu

PANTHER CREEK FARMS

John C. Smith, Jr.

Pink Hill 252-526-1929

• johnsmith3982@embarqmail.com

S&J Farms

Steven & Julie Lung

Nathan Lung - Manager

Carthage 910-947-3414 • sandjfarms2013@gmail.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM

Marty & Lynne Rooker

Norlina 252-213-1553 • mrooker@mrookerlaw.com

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS

Phil Goodson

Louisburg 919-880-9062 • philgoodson2@gmail.com www.springfieldangus.com

TRIPLE LLL ANGUS

Greg Little

Monroe 704-219-1294 • greg.little@atimetals.com

VANDEMARK ANGUS

Keaton & Janie Vandemark

Spring Hope 252-885-0210 • keaton@vandemarkfarms.com

WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC

Michael A. Moss

Will Moss - Manager

Ramseur 336-460-7451

• windyhillfarmsllc@gmail.com

WINSLOW GENETICS

Ben & Kathleen Winslow

252-578-5487

Halifax

• bensbulls@gmail.com

WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC

Russell Wood

Willow Spring

919-275-4397

• rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

A cold but sunny day was enjoyed by all at the 34th Annual Yon Spring Sale on February 17. The sale offering included both bulls and females, mainly registered Angus, with a select offering of SimAngus and Ultrablack genetics. The sale was broadcast live on DVAuctions.com. The auctioneers were Eddie Burks and Dave Mullins.

The top bull sold for $20,000 as Lot 1. Yon Top Cut L225, sired by Yon Top Cut G730, sold to Justin Spickler of Glenfield, North Dakota. (Yons retained a ⅓ semen interest.) The top selling fall pair, Lot 166/166A, Yon Sarah H344, sold to Herndon Farms in Lyons, Ga., for $20,000. Lot 166 served as a donor cow at YFF and is sired by Deer Valley Growth Fund. She sold with a heifer calf at side sired by Yon Saluda.

The top selling bred cow, Lot 204,

Yon Sarah H401, sold to Herndon Farms for $20,000 . Lot 204 was also a donor at YFF and is sired by Yon Chattooga E46. She is due to calve to Yon Premium in March 2024.

Cattle sold into 16 states, with long time repeat customers as well as first time buyers sharing in the purchases. The internet saw active bidding all day long, with almost half of the winning bidders being online. There were cattle for every budget, with excellent genetics at affordable prices. All cattle were sold with satisfaction guaranteed.

The Yon Family Farms Fall Sale will be held on October 15-16 in Ridge Spring, S.C., where approximately 400 head will be offered. Visit their website at www.yonfamilyfarms.com for more information.

SALE RESULTS

• 118 yearling Angus bulls averaged $7,602

• 12 yearling SimAngus bulls averaged $6,750

• 4 yearling Ultrablack bulls averaged $4,375

• 23 Angus fall pairs averaged $10,130

• 7 SimAngus fall pairs averaged $6,000

• 6 Ultrablack fall pairs averaged $4,750

• 12 Angus bred cows averaged $7,188

• 7 Angus spring calving bred heifers averaged $5,964

• 39 Angus fall calving bred heifers averaged $5,115

• 5 SimAngus fall calving bred heifers averaged $4,500

Scenes from the 34th Annual Yon Spring Sale

Dr. Colm Moran appointed Alltech’s chief regulatory officer. Dr. Colm Moran has been appointed chief regulatory officer at Alltech, a global leader in agriculture with more than 5,000 team members serving customers in over 120 countries.

Moran has worked with Alltech for more than 20 years, most recently serving as director of European regulatory affairs and as chairman of Alltech’s crisis management team.

“Alltech’s regulatory strategy is moving into new strength under Colm’s leadership,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “This positions Alltech firmly at the leading edge in delivering innovation to our customers.”

Moran has worked in the feed industry for 23 years and has extensive experience in zootechnical studies for registration of feed additives for livestock and poultry species. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and three

master’s degrees in food biotechnology, food regulatory affairs, and brewing and distilling — from the University of Strathclyde, University of Ulster/ University College Dublin, and HeriottWyatt University, respectively. He also has a Ph.D. in fermentation microbiology from the University of Plymouth.

Moran has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in his subject area. He has received two international patents and has presented at numerous international conferences. He is based in Marseille, France.

Moran serves on the board of directors for the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF).

Alltech continues partnership of mentorship program for women in food and agriculture. Applications are now open for the 2024 Women in Food & Agriculture Mentorship Program. Alltech is proud to continue to partner with the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program. Applications are now

open for new mentors of any gender and for female mentees from across the global food and agriculture sector. Now in its fourth year, the free-to-join program is dedicated to supporting women across the global food and agriculture sector by providing invaluable mentorship opportunities. It has proven to be a beacon of support for women seeking guidance, advice, and networking opportunities in their careers.

Findings from the WFA survey and ongoing feedback from all levels of the food and agriculture sector consistently suggest that a hurdle to greater success for women in the global agri-food industry is a lack of mentorship opportunities. To tackle this issue, WFA launched its Mentorship Program.

WFA matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include the gender of the mentor, areas of expertise, language, and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections. Since the inception of the program, WFA has received an overwhelming response, with 3,051 applications from individuals seeking mentorship and 1,691 industry professionals offering their mentorship services. This remarkable level of engagement underscores the program’s significance in addressing the need for mentorship opportunities within the food and agriculture sector.

To date, the program has facilitated over 562 pairings, connecting mentees with experienced mentors who provide invaluable insights and support. These pairings have spanned various roles and sectors within the industry, ranging from CEOs of agribusinesses to smallscale farmers, academics, and ag-tech professionals.

“Our partnership with the Women in Food & Agriculture mentorship program is an investment not only in the lives of women, but in the future of agriculture as the industry most integral to the nourishment and vitality of our planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech.

Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, global chair of WFA, expressed her enthusiasm for the program’s continued success, stating, “We are delighted to see the overwhelming response to the WFA Mentorship Program, which underscores the importance of mentorship in empowering women in the food and agriculture industry. With Alltech’s ongoing support, we are confident that the program will continue to make a positive impact, fostering diversity and inclusion across the sector.”

Orla McAleer, chief culture officer at Alltech, reiterated the company’s commitment to the program, stating, “I am excited to reaffirm our support and

sponsorship of the WFA Mentorship Program in 2024. We believe in championing the advancement of women in this vital sector and helping to cultivate a more vibrant, equitable and diverse agricultural community. As a mentor and advisor to the program, I understand the value and impact the mentorship connection brings to everyone involved.”

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity, drives innovation, and is essential to the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty. In 2019, Alltech selected Gender Equality as one of the nine United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which the company committed to advancing.

Applications are now open for the 2024 WFA Mentorship Program, supported by Alltech, to individuals seeking mentorship as well as industry professionals interested in offering their mentorship services. The program welcomes applications from across the global food and agriculture sector, and applicants will be personally matched based on their preferences and professional objectives. For more information and to apply to be a mentor or mentee, visit wfainitiative.com/mentorship-program

About Alltech. Founded in 1980 by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech delivers smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture. Our diverse portfolio of products and services improves the health and performance of plants and animals, resulting in better nutrition for all and a decreased environmental impact.

We are a global leader in the agriculture industry. Our team produces specialty ingredients, premix supplements, feed, and biologicals backed by science and an unparalleled platform of services.

Strengthened by more than 40 years of scientific research, we carry forward a legacy of innovation and a unique culture that views challenges through an entrepreneurial lens. As a private, family owned company, we adapt quickly to our customers’ needs and focus on advanced innovation.

We believe agriculture has the greatest potential to shape the future of our planet. Our more than 5,000 talented team members worldwide share our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty. Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies, and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Ken., Alltech serves customers in more than 120 countries, has five bioscience centers, and operates more than 80 manufacturing facilities across the globe. For more information, visit www.alltech.com

New Law Protects American Farmland and Food Security

By MARK EISELE President, NCBA

In Washington, there is a little known government board called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Its purpose is simple — review foreign transactions for their national security implications in the U.S. — but today, this committee has new importance for protecting America’s farmland and food security.

The committee was first created by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975 and consisted of several cabinet officials, including the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, Commerce, the Attorney General, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. CFIUS was designed to be a central group that would review foreign investments, analyze developments, and make recommendations to the President. Over the years, the committee’s work would be shaped by changing legislation, but its core function makes a lot of sense. After all, we wouldn’t want a foreign power to buy out the American companies that build our military’s ships, planes, or tanks.

CFIUS is currently chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury, and the U.S. Treasury Department is responsible for reviewing proposed acquisitions. If a purchase by a foreign company raises alarm bells, the President has the power to step in and block a transaction that might harm national security.

Today, we face new threats to our country that also pose a risk to American agriculture. As farmers and ranchers, we know that we cannot have national security without food security. The food we provide supports our fellow citizens and powers our military. Hunger also creates tremendous unrest. The foreign acquisition of agribusinesses and farmland has raised alarm bells in recent years.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) believes farmers and ranchers should have a seat at the table, starting with the Secretary of Agriculture. The agriculture appropriations bill signed into law by President Biden formally adds the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS as a permanent member, ensuring that this critical national security board always has a voice that represents America’s agricultural community.

NCBA has long pushed for this representation. Last September, we backed Representative Frank Lucas’ (R-Okla.) Agricultural Security Risk Review Act to

add the Agriculture Secretary to CFIUS.

Two years ago, NCBA was at the White House for the signing of a national security memorandum that directed top government officials to identify threats to the food and agriculture sector and develop effective responses. NCBA will continue to work to ensure the federal

government recognizes food security as national security.

The U.S. cattle industry faces many threats, from cyberattacks to foreign animal disease, and adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS is an important step forward for strengthening our security. Now we have a permanent

seat at the table and an advocate for protecting American agriculture from foreign national security risks. On behalf of NCBA, thank you to Representative Lucas, our supporters in Congress, and to the White House for standing with America’s cattle producers.

1 MILE OF PASTURE MANAGEMENT FENCING SUPPLIES

AWARDED TO THE NCCA COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

RECRUITING THE MOST NEW MEMBERS IN 2024

Grand Total 109

New NCCA Members for 2024

In 2007, the NCCA Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members, defined as someone who has never been a member or has rejoined after a break in membership, in The Carolina Cattle Connection. Below are NCCA’s new members for the last month:

Out-of-State

Marcus Bauman – Virginia

Richard Coggins – 221 Cattle – South Carolina

Alexander County

G&M Cattle Company

Ashe County

Tony Phillips – Phillips Farm

Avery County

R.J. Weaver – Double Bar R Cattle

Buncombe County

Tyler M. Roberts

Cabarrus County

Salem Austin

Caldwell County

Ward Prestwood

Phillip Zuzolo – Zuzolo Farms

Chatham County

Michael Buckner – Dry Creek Farm

Margaret B. Elsee – Cornerstone Angus

Travis Wolfe – Wolfe Farms

Cherokee County

Phil & Pam Pressley

– Friendship Valley Farms

Michael D. Stiles – Stiles Farm

Edgecombe County

Dylan Proctor

Riley Proctor

Franklin County

Jeremy Holland – Grateful Acres

Gaston County

Steven Gunnell – Pecan Ridge Farm, Inc.

Guilford County

Cooper Little – Little’s Cattle

Hyde County

Stephen Pugh – Middle Creek Farms

Jackson County

Lisa McBride – WNC Farm to Table

Montgomery County

Jeffrey Webb – Webb Cattle Company

Nash County

Nicholas Carter

– Shallow Creek Grain & Cattle Company

Randolph County

Eddie Hinshaw

Richmond County

Paul Bryan Wilson

Rockingham County

Kathryn Combs – Locust Point, Inc.

Rowan County

Thomas Byrum

– Crescent Cattle Company

Sampson County

Stewart (Buddy) Clement

– Stewart Clement Farms

Michael Weaver – Weaver Ranch

Transylvania County

Chris Clayton – Clayton Farms

Wake County

Megan Bahr

Glenn Bridgers – Glenn Bridgers Farms

Allyson McCarty

Watauga County

Rylan Coffey – Coffey Cattle

Wayne County

Michael Jones – M. Bryan Jones Farms

Tony E. Smith – Smith Cattle Company

Wilkes County

Jacob Wayne Eller

Thomas Nichols

– Rendezvous Valley Farm

Farm Credit News

The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. announce 2023 award recipients. The Farm Credit Associations of N.C., AgCarolina Farm Credit, and AgSouth Farm Credit announce the 2023 Innovative Young Farmer of the Year and Excellent in Agriculture award recipients. Both award recipients were recognized at the recent N.C. Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Breakfast with the Commissioner.

Lancaster Farms, recipient of the Innovative Young Farmer of the Year award, is a seventh generation farm in Stantonsburg, North Carolina. Recognized family members include Sarah Lancaster Carraway, Derek Lancaster, Bryant Lancaster, and Vann Lancaster. Lancaster Farms produces tobacco, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, sweetpotatoes, and turkeys.

Nominated by Norman Harrell, Wilson County Cooperative Extension Director, Harrell says, “I believe these four young farmers truly deserve to be recognized as the Innovative Young Farmer of the Year. They are hardworking, and all play critical roles in the operation of Lancaster Farms. They are well on the way to preparing the farm for the eighth generation to return to the farm.”

In addition, Harrell explains that while the cousins are always working hard to produce high yielding crops and increase profitability, they know the generation before them is always there

to provide them with advice and support when they need it.

In addition to their roles operating the family farm, each of them serve the local agriculture community by serving on various boards such as the N.C. Sweetpotato Commission, N.C. Farm Bureau, Wilson County Cooperative Extension Advisory Council, Wilson County Young Farmers Association, and Wilson County Tobacco Advisory Committee.

Danny Kornegay, recipient of the Excellence in Agriculture award, is a diversified farmer from Princeton, North Carolina. As a lifelong farmer, he is well known throughout the state for his incredible contributions to the agriculture industry. His major commodities include tobacco, sweetpotatoes, cotton, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, and hogs.

In a joint statement, Evan Kleinhans, CEO of AgCarolina Farm Credit, and Vance Dalton, CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit, said: “We are pleased to recognize both Lancaster Farms and Danny Kornegay. Both of these awards are well deserved as they are deeply committed to serving the agricultural industry. We commend them for their hard work and dedication as they are paving the way for future generations of North Carolina farmers.”

The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. raise $90,000 for N.C. 4-H & N.C. FFA. AgCarolina Farm Credit and AgSouth Farm Credit announce the

fundraising results of $90,000 from the 2023 Pull for Youth sporting clays events. These events benefit N.C. 4-H and N.C. FFA. This year marked the seventh annual Pull for Youth event.

Over the past seven years, the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina, with support from CoBank, have raised over $740,000 for the N.C. 4-H & N.C. FFA programs. This year’s donation of $90,000 was presented to both N.C. 4-H and N.C. FFA at the Southern Farm Show.

CEOs of AgCarolina Farm Credit and AgSouth Farm Credit, Evan Kleinhans and Vance Dalton, expressed, “We recognize the importance of cultivating the next generation’s passion for agriculture and are thrilled to partner with various local business sponsors and CoBank as together we donate funds to N.C. 4-H & N.C. FFA. These funds will provide valuable resources for our young people involved in agriculture. We also want to say a special thank you to all the volunteers, participants, and sponsors that made these events successful.

About AgCarolina Farm Credit.

AgCarolina Farm Credit is a member owned financial cooperative with

headquarters in Greenville, North Carolina. They are the leading provider of credit to full and part-time farmers in central, eastern, and southeastern North Carolina. AgCarolina Farm Credit has over $3 billion in loans and commitments outstanding to nearly 6,000 members across their 46 county territory. Loans are made to finance land, homes, farm buildings, operating expenses, livestock, and equipment, as well as other purposes across their 46 county territory. Federally chartered and a part of the national Farm Credit System, AgCarolina Farm Credit is locally owned by its members. AgCarolina Farm Credit helps achieve goals and dreams while strengthening communities. AgCarolina Farm Credit owes its successes to its members and appreciates their support in helping them grow and remain financially strong. Each member has a direct impact on the association’s continued growth and the payment of patronage. Returning a patronage refund is evidence of their commitment to their members and the cooperative principles, which makes AgCarolina Farm Credit the most reliable and trusted agricultural lender in the area.

50 th N.C. Simmental Sale Celebration. This year, 2024, marks the 50 th year that the N.C. Simmental Association has held a consignment sale. This is possibly the longest running state Simmental consignment sale in the country. Nevertheless, we in North Carolina are very proud to be associated with such a consistent event. We invite cattlemen and women to come on September 6 from 1:00 p.m. until evening to enjoy some educational events and to see the quality of sale cattle that will be offered at this historic sale. We are expecting some of the most high quality cattle at this sale and many from neighboring states (that don’t have a consistent state association). We will

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association

hold a silent auction of our donated items brought by members of the association. We will serve a delicious beef dinner catered by the lady who runs the Cowboy Café in Siler City. Still, we are especially happy to announce that Dr. Wade Shafer, the Executive Vice President of the American Simmental Association, will be our keynote speaker for the evening. He can give us plenty of insight into Simmental genetics and the beef industry. There is no cost for this event, but PLEASE RSVP so we can prepare enough food for the dinner. You can send the number attending by calling the office at 336-468-1679 or by email to ncsa@ yadtel.net or, if you prefer, text 336-4690801.

Regular copy deadline is APRIL 5 for the MAY issue.

Is there a problem?

Our sponsors are the ones to thank for providing for the meal, especially our Premier Sponsors: Fred Smith Company Ranch in Clayton and Bear Creek Beef in Bear Creek. We also would like to thank our Gold Sponsors: Pasture Management Systems in Mt Pleasant, AgSouth Farm Credit, and Morrison Farm in Rockwell. Our Silver Sponsors are Southern States in Waco, Heritage Farm Supply in Weaverville, and Lonesome Valley Investments, LLC in Alexander. Our Bronze Sponsors are Neogen and Farm Systems, Inc. in Statesville. Thank you so much for partnering with the N.C.

Simmental Association to provide another great cattle event.

Our Fall Harvest Sale will be held on September 7 at 1:00 p.m. Come early that morning for some breakfast treats and to view all the sale cattle. They will be in the grass lots where it is easy to observe their movements and really look them over well. If you have never attended this sale, it is one to attend. We will have online bidding through DVAuction if you are unable to attend. Please make plans to attend this 50th celebration! Check our website at www.ncsimmental.com for upto-date information.

Beef Promotion and Research Program

PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM

Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine. Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).

Today’s Date: ________________

Seller’s Name:

Name:

Seller’s Signature: _________________________ Buyer’s Signature: _________________________

Both the seller & the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1.50 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Beef Promotion & Research Board.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.8 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disbility, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, or protected genetic information. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14 th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

A MessAge froM the Ceo

By COLIN WOODALL National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Accountability, Part 2

I didn’t have enough space in last month’s article to discuss all the various levels of accountability we have in place to ensure we are using membership dues and Beef Checkoff dollars effectively, frugally, and according to federal law. Let’s continue that discussion by looking at how NCBA competes for Checkoff funding.

Each September, NCBA goes before the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) to present the work we would like to do with Checkoff dollars. The BPOC is made up of cattle producers representing the Federation of State Beef Councils and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). NCBA, along with the other contractors, presents our project proposals and a request for the funding needed to execute them through an Authorization Request, or AR. The AR is a written form that lays out

all the details of the work we would like to perform for the Checkoff. Examples of the projects we pitch include the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. campaign, issues monitoring and management, culinary work, and research. The BPOC process is much like an interview where NCBA staff present our ideas on work we want to do for the Checkoff and answer questions from the BPOC members on the details of our ARs. The BPOC discusses and debates all the proposed projects and, ultimately, decides which ones they want to approve and how much money they want to provide to get the work done.

NCBA does not automatically get Checkoff dollars. We must earn them by pitching quality ideas and projects the BPOC members want to fund. If they don’t like our idea, they won’t fund it.

When the BPOC makes its decision on which projects it approves and funds, those projects are considered by CBB’s Executive Committee, which is comprised of cattle producers from across the country appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. They review the BPOC’s actions and must approve the scope of work by the selected contractors. Once that takes place, the projects are submitted to USDA for the final round of approvals to ensure the work is consistent with the purpose of the Checkoff. Only after final USDA approval of the projects and their associated budgets can NCBA begin our work. Our ARs are available for your review on the CBB’s website at www.beefboard.org

It is also important to know that Checkoff contractors, like NCBA, work on a cost recovery basis. We front the money for the projects we conduct, and then we submit our time and expenses to CBB for audit and review. CBB audits this information to ensure compliance with the Act and Order, to ensure the time and expenses are for the work approved by CBB and USDA, and to hold us accountable for the commitment we made to execute these projects according to the ARs we submitted to the BPOC. If we meet the standards of the review, our expenses are reimbursed. No profit margin can be incorporated into these expenses.

Accountability is not limited to Checkoff funding, though. We must be

equally accountable and transparent in the work we do with NCBA dues dollars. Our Finance and Audit Committee is made up of NCBA members appointed by the officer team and led by the NCBA treasurer. This committee meets multiple times throughout the year to monitor and guide NCBA’s financial health. They are responsible for reviewing and approving the annual policy and Federation budgets before they go to the Executive Committee and the NCBA Board of Directors for review and approval. They also meet with our independent auditors each year after the close of the fiscal year to analyze our financial position and compliance with all rules and regulations. A portion of that meeting is an executive session between committee members and the auditors without any NCBA staff in the room. After that, the auditor’s report is then presented to the NCBA Executive Committee for their review.

The Executive Committee plays a tremendous role in the overall accountability of the association. They meet in-person four times a year and have video conference calls in the intervening months. They review our policy actions in D.C., review and approve any legal action we take, look at our membership recruitment actions, and provide direction to us on their expectations of what they want us to achieve. The Executive Committee is also the group that puts together NCBA’s strategic plan every five years. The layers of accountability go further with the weekly video conference call of the NCBA officer team. Each Tuesday morning, they meet with me and other NCBA staff to discuss strategy, membership, finances, and more. If I don’t have the answers to their questions, it is expected that I find out and get back to them quickly. In addition, the NCBA president and I have a call each week so we can stay synced up. This allows me to fulfill my role in keeping the president apprised of the details of my work and the work of the staff team and to address issues ranging from personnel to the general health of the association.

Finally, accountability ultimately rests with you as members of NCBA. If you don’t like what you see out of this association, you are not going to remain a member. Without your membership, it would get harder for us to keep this operation going. That is why we must communicate with you about our wins and losses, execute the policy priorities you establish, and show you why your investment in NCBA is critical to the sustainability of your operation and this industry. To help illustrate my commitment to all the levels of accountability, I have written about this month and last, I am ending this article with my email address and the invitation to contact me if you have any questions at cwoodall@beef.org

NCBA PresideNt’s rePort

By MARK EISELE National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

How Western Policy Impacts the Entire Cattle Industry

As I begin my term as NCBA president, first and foremost, I want to say thank you. It is an honor to advocate for the industry I have worked in my whole life, and I look forward to serving this association and protecting a bright future for the next generation.

I started my career as a hired hand on a ranch just north of Cheyenne, Wyo., over the years, I bought into the ranch until I eventually became its sole owner. Today, my ranch is a family operation, and nothing brings me more joy than to work alongside my wife, children, and grandchildren. When I was starting out in the cattle industry, all I wanted to do was raise cattle and raise a family in the rural community, which shaped me, but I quickly found out this business is much more complicated. Getting involved with my county and state cattle associations was imperative. Before long, I faced the same environmental activist litigation and government red tape threatening many ranchers today, and I turned to NCBA for help. Seeing NCBA go to the ring to fight for an individual cow/ calf producer like me showed me the value of banding together to defend our common interests as farmers and ranchers.

I graze my cattle on a mix of public and private lands, which is a common practice in much of the West but may sound very different to the rest of the country. In my part of the world, many ranchers hold either a lease or a permit to graze on public lands owned by the federal government. The agencies — either the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service — charge us a grazing fee per Animal Unit Months (AUM) and set specific regulations for when we can graze, how many head we have on the land, and how long we can be there. Access to the forage on these federally owned grazing lands is crucial in the summertime, and it is one of the key components keeping the ranching industry alive in the West.

Ranching is inseparable from our U.S. history, and cattle have been grazing these landscapes since the earliest days of Western settlement. In 1934, the Taylor Grazing

Act set up the grazing districts and permit system we still use today. It also enshrined in law the role of livestock grazing as a tool for managing and maintaining vast Western landscapes. Additional legislation in the 1970s further solidified this concept by requiring the federal government to balance multiple uses of public lands, such as grazing, timber, mining, and recreation.

Why does any of this matter for the producers living in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Nebraska, or Texas? Public lands ranchers are often the first target of federal government regulation because we depend on access to public lands and, in many cases, cannot survive operating solely on our private property. We are also the first targets for environmental activists and their deep pockets for litigation. We are a testing ground to see if their strategies can succeed in harming folks on private lands as well. We are often the first to shoulder new government rules and regulations that make it harder to stay in business, with the government testing how far it can push its reach into your backyard. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a perfect example of a federal law that has been weaponized, both inside the administration and outside, to restrict cattle producers. ESA listings and the habitat designations can tie a producer’s hands behind their back, barring them from grazing — or doing other management activities — on the land. They can also block producers from taking action to protect their cattle from predators like the gray wolf. In the last three years alone, the Biden administration not only failed to delist the fully recovered gray wolf, but they’ve actually proposed adding more predators to the equation in some areas. Their proposal to airdrop grizzly bears into Washington state is one example of a choice made far away in Washington, D.C., where bureaucrats don’t have to deal with an apex predator around their children and their cattle herd.

If you need proof of the administration’s ability to squash the industry through the ESA, even on private

lands, look no further than the designation of the northern long eared bat. Even a species that is declining due entirely to natural causes can be weaponized to slow grazing, fence construction, and other human activities — whether they happen on public land or private. As NCBA president, this is one issue I am committed to working on so we can get back to our job of raising cattle without worrying about more red tape from Washington, D.C.

No matter where you raise cattle or

what policy issue is most urgent to you, I encourage you to make your voice heard. A great opportunity to get involved is coming this spring when NCBA hosts the annual Legislative Conference. This event will occur from April 17-19 in Washington, D.C., where you will have a chance to meet with policymakers faceto-face to discuss the issues impacting our way of life. I hope to see you there!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve and for putting your trust in NCBA.

RED ANGUS NEWS

Inmon promoted to DNA customer service specialist. The Red Angus Association of America is pleased to announce the promotion of Andi Inmon, Loveland, Colo., to DNA customer service specialist. Inmon moved into this new role on March 4.

“We look forward to working with Andi in this new capacity and appreciate the work she has done for RAAA and the Red Angus breed,” said Tom Brink, RAAA CEO.

Inmon joined the member services department in August 2023. She is a 2018 graduate of Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a minor in business. She was a member of the 2017 CSU meat judging team.

“I’m excited to step into this new role with the DNA department and the opportunity it provides to work with producers and help them meet their goals,” Inmon said. I also look forward to getting to know and working with more of our members.”

For more information about the Red Angus Association of America or marketing programs for Red Angus influenced cattle, visit www.RedAngus.org

Genetic Merit Pricing Task Force Holds Meeting. The Genetic Merit Pricing Task Force held its second meeting on February 21-22 in Kansas City. Since convening in late 2023, the industry based group has been working to help the cattle market transition toward widespread use of genetic information in pricing feeder cattle and calves. More than 95 percent of U.S. feeder cattle change ownership without the benefit of objective genetic information. Thus, genetic information plays almost no meaningful role in the value discovery process.

Ken Odde, Ph.D., former Kansas State University animal science department head and the group’s facilitator, says the Genetic Merit Pricing Task Force has an important mission that can help make all industry segments more efficient. “Today, few commercial beef herds use quantitative genetic information when marketing their feeder calves. While most buy bulls with EPDs and Indexes, they are not using that information in marketing their calves. Investing in genetics that are superior for growth and carcass traits without using that

data for marketing purposes may be leaving money on the table.” Odde said. “Prospective buyers would then have genetic information that would help them more properly value feeder cattle they are seeking to purchase.”

At meeting, task force members discussed numerous topics, including the ability of genetically superior Bos Indicus cattle to grow rapidly and create valuable carcasses, as well as the important role of auction markets in helping bring genetic information into feeder cattle price discovery.

The group also participated in two breakout sessions. The first involved adding useful genetic data to written cattle descriptions that did not originally contain such information. The second breakout focused on identifying barriers to advancing the use of genetic information on both the buyer and seller side of the market. Task force members recognize numerous challenges to the industry using genetic information, many of which relate to sellers not having the necessary data and buyers not asking for or knowing what this data means.

“We call this the cold start problem,” said Tom Brink, one of the task force founders. “Sellers need to begin offering genetic information before buyers will pay attention and start to use it. Buyers need to request it to encourage sellers to step up and obtain genetic information on their cattle.

Cole Maness, President - scmaness3@gmail.com

Both sides need to take action if we are going to make progress down this road.”

The task force also discussed the need for more genetic ‘proof of concept’ data and helping both cattle sellers and buyers understand that the genetic tools available today, EPDs, $Indexes, and commercial DNA tests, are useful in identifying better performing cattle. David Trowbridge, task force member and manager of Gregory Feedlots in Tabor, Iowa, believes more people need to become convinced that various genetic metrics work effectively in the real world. “There are people who are still skeptical about EPDs, but there is ample research to support their predictive accuracy, especially on the highly heritable growth and carcass traits.”

The next quarterly meeting of the Genetic Merit Pricing Task Force is scheduled for May 7-8 in Denver.

About the Red Angus Association of America. RAAA serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and using scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org

Contact these RAAC members to learn more about Red Angus genetics and how they can fit into your herd.

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE

Ronnie & Donna Holman 4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659

ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com

JK RED ANGUS

Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-315-3821

jkredangus@gmail.com

LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL

John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010

johnlangdon5@gmail.com

ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY

Johnny & Sharon Rogers 945 Woodsdale Road • Roxboro, NC 336-504-7268 rccbeef@gmail.com

PRESNELL RED ANGUS

Jonathan & Jacob Presnell 368 Whitaker Road • Shelby, NC 704-473-2627 (Jonathan) • 704-616-8775 (Jacob)

BULL HILL RANCH

Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828

bullhill2@mindspring.com

COUNTRY BOY FARMS

David Miller 316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709

Moldy Feed, Mycotoxins, and the Risk to Beef Cattle

By BRYAN SANDERSON Alltech

Beef animals can be at risk for mycotoxin related health issues. Why haven’t we given more thought to mycotoxin risk in beef cattle? Other animal industries have long recognized the risk, but it’s often overlooked in the beef industry. However, that narrative seems to have changed somewhat over the past few years, as better testing methods have revealed more mycotoxins and as producers better understand the negative impact mycotoxins can have on beef animals.

Mycotoxins can be found in feedstuffs often fed to beef cattle. Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by certain types of molds (fungi), with some of the more common ones being from the Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Claviceps families. Although the process isn’t fully understood, it is believed that mycotoxins are expressed when molds undergo stress.

This stress can be induced by fluctuating temperatures, drought, or excess rainfall, among other stressors. Sound familiar in recent years?

Mold growth in feedstuffs can lead to a mycotoxin issue at any point in the life of the crop – during the growing season, after harvest, or during storage. When tested, most feedstuffs will show more than one mycotoxin present, and it is not uncommon to have five or more. Alltech’s 2023 Harvest Analysis, a look at the mycotoxin risk in the corn harvest — both in silage and grain — showed an average of 4.9 mycotoxins per sample, with 91.5 percent of samples showing two or more. The analysis represented 400+ feedstuff samples from across areas of the United States. These samples were tested by the Alltech 37+ lab.

A mycotoxin issue can present itself in several ways. Mycotoxins have been shown to decrease cattle performance

and thriftiness, decrease conception rates, increase animal health issues, and increase pregnancy loss. Some common symptoms of a mycotoxin challenge could include decreased and inconsistent feed intake, lack of response to treatment, decreased average daily gain, lameness, abortions, open animals, and decreased milk production, which can lead to lower growth rates in calves.

There are several ways to test for mycotoxins. Grain producers may be familiar with the black light test, performed at some elevators, that is used to visually inspect for some mycotoxins. This test, however, doesn’t work for all mycotoxins, particularly those that are most prevalent in the United States. To get a better idea of the total amount and varieties, it is better to send a sample into a lab to be tested. There are some variations in equipment, processes, and number of mycotoxins that can be

detected by different labs. The Alltech 37+ lab in Lexington, Ken., currently tests for 54 different mycotoxins and will give a report that shows the types and quantity detected along with the potential impact those mycotoxins can have, especially in combination. This information can help producers to understand the physical and financial impact of mycotoxins on their operations.

You can mitigate mycotoxin risk through testing and proactive nutrition. Mycotoxins can occur at any time and have been shown to negatively affect animals in all stages of beef production. Fortunately, there are ways to help offset the risk mycotoxins pose. Talk to an Alltech representative about mitigation strategies, like feed ingredients that can be added to your loose mineral and mineral blocks, protein and mineral tubs, calf creep feeds, and range cubes, feedlot supplements, and micro-dosing machines.

4B FARMS, LLC

Shelby, NC

Bryson Westbrook

Ed Soto (Manager) 980-230-4868 - Bryson 704-974-1407 - Ed brysonw@thewestbrookco.com

BLINSON

POLLED HEREFORDS

Lenoir, NC

Keith & Peggy Blinson - 828-310-4526

Bryan & Beth Blinson - 919-422-9108

DOUBLE J FARM

Traphill, NC • Earlysville, VA

John Wheeler 910-489-0024 doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com www.doublejfarmllc.com

E. CARROLL JOYNER BEEF UNIT

Raleigh, NC

Matt Morrison 716-720-0227

FIVE J’S BEEF & CATTLE COMPANY

Clayton, NC

Jody & Angela Standley

Kim Prestwood (Manager) 828-320-7317 - Kim jodystandley@gmail.com

North Carolina Hereford Advantage at www.nchereford.com

HEREFORD HILLS

Greensboro, NC

Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative

LOOKABILL FAMILY LIVESTOCK

Lexington, NC

Reggie, Patty, Tyler & Noah Lookabill 336-240-2142 rlookabill6015@gmail.com

McCOY CATTLE FARM

Cove City, NC

Myron & Charlie McCoy 252-229-4602 mccoycattlefarms@gmail.com

MITCHEM’S FARM 3C

Vale, NC

Wayne, Crystal, Regan & Jordan Mitchem 704-472-4369

mitchemsfarm@bellsouth.net

NORTH PINO

LAND & CATTLE COMPANY

Mocksville, NC

Kevin Robinson 336-940-2547

kevrob1@aol.com

LOVE FARMS

Blowing Rock, NC

Jim Love 828-266-1458 cell • 828-295-4236

P and J FARMS

Monroe, NC

Andy Smith 704-400-3436

pandjfarmsherefords@gmail.com

PRESTWOOD BEEF CATTLE

Lenoir, NC

Kim & Lori Prestwood 828-320-7317 - Kim 828-432-7434 - Lori brownloriclyde@yahoo

QUAIL RIDGE FARM

Rutherfordton, NC

Mark Brewer 828-329-2074

markbrewer65@gmail.com

TAYLOR’S MILL FARM

Zebulon, NC

J. Brent Creech 919-801-7561

tmfherefords@icloud.com

TERRACE FARM Lexington, NC

Jim, Linda & Chad Davis 336-247-1554

jgdavis101@yahoo.com

TRIPLETT POLLED HEREFORDS Statesville, NC

James Triplett 704-902-2250

triplettmarble@bellsouth.net

W&A HEREFORD FARM Providence, NC

George, Tammy, William, & Andy Ward 434-251-3637

NEWS

Animal ag and public health on the docket at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit. Veterinarian and master of public health Michelle Kromm, alongside HealthforAnimals’ Alex Rinkus, will dive into the topic of animal agriculture and its role in public health at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit.

“Antibiotics are an important tool for people and animals, and their continued effectiveness is paramount to safeguard animal health and food availability,” said Emily Ellis, manager of communications and content at Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Eliminating this tool from farmers’ toolboxes would do more harm than good and be in direct violation of recommended animal welfare practices. Michelle and Alex will provide an expert view on the subject, backed up with decades of research, to support the animal agriculture community and our partners along the food chain in identifying solutions to the challenging issue of antibiotic resistance.”

Antibiotics and their effectiveness have been a long standing hot topic in the agriculture community and with consumers. Kromm and Rinkus will share more than 20 years of insights into managing the balance between animal and public health. This includes data on the OneHealth approach, which recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the shared environment. Rinkus and Kromm will also provide information on additional support and tools needed on the front lines for farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians to continue making progress in this area.

Kromm, DVM, MPH, MAM, Diplomate ACPV, is the principal at Food Forward LLC, a consulting practice focused on improving the resiliency of the food system. She is a board certified poultry veterinarian who received a concurrent doctorate of veterinary medicine from Iowa State University and a master’s of public health from the University of Iowa in 2006. Kromm has served on more than 15 task forces and committees addressing the topic of emergency disease preparedness, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance, including serving as the vice chair of the National Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education.

Previously, she worked as the vice president of animal health and welfare for Hormel Foods.

Rinkus is director of communications and stakeholder engagement at HealthforAnimals, the global animal health association that believes healthy animals are fundamental for improving global well being, sustainability, and prosperity. Rinkus joined HealthforAnimals in 2016, following previous roles in agriculture, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. He holds a bachelor’s degree from American University in political science.

Drive trust in farmers, trust in food at the 2024 Stakeholders Summit. Joel Leftwich, chief strategy officer at Kansas Farm Bureau and president of the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, is teeing off the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit with a session on driving trust in farmers and food by engaging directly with voters.

Members of the food and agriculture community understand the challenges and opportunities that define the sector. While this audience often looks to elected officials for action to protect or advance the needs of the agriculture community, it tends to overlook engaging directly with voters. Research consistently highlights the trust that citizens place in farmers and ranchers as credible sources of information regarding policies that affect the food supply. In his keynote, Leftwich will explore the value of trust as a currency in the democratic process and how to position farmers and ranchers as influential voices for informed decision making. Leftwich’s keynote is sponsored by broadhead. + Filament.

“Animal rights groups are consistently using voter led initiatives to further their agenda of ending animal agriculture by adding burdens to farmers and ranchers that in turn raise the cost of meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood in the grocery store,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, president and CEO, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Engaging directly with the public to assist them in making sound voting decisions can help to spare farmers and ranchers from having to make the difficult decision of whether to stay in business, and grocery shoppers from deciding whether they can afford to feed their family animal protein as part of a nutritious meal. Joel’s session will

provide insights into how we can better partner with state and local organizations to engage voters before these initiatives pass and we’re all left to navigate the ramifications.”

Prior to joining Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) in 2021, Leftwich worked in Washington, D.C., for nearly 20 years with public and private sector experience in food and agriculture policy. Leftwich spent most of his time as a staff to Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), serving in his personal office and then on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee as majority staff director. He also worked for Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture during President George W. Bush’s administration. His private sector experience includes positions with global food and agriculture companies PepsiCo and DuPont. As chief strategy officer for Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich works with organizational leadership and members to develop and implement new programs and strategies to accomplish KFB’s mission. This includes initiatives like the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, a 501(c)4 organization focused on public education of the importance of keeping the U.S. food supply safe and affordable. Leftwich received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Friends University and a master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago in political science.

The annual Summit is a one-of-akind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including

representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies, and media.

Thank you to our 2024 Summit sponsors: Farm Journal, Meatingplace, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Watt Global Media, Cargill, Zoetis, American Feed Industry Association, broadhead. + Filament, Merck, United Soybean Board, Dairy MAX, Farm Credit Council, National Pork Producers Council, Pet Advocacy Network, Smithfield Foods, United Egg Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation, Cal-Maine Foods, Cobb-Vantress, Inc., Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Kemin, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Board, Phileo Lesaffre Animal Care, Progressive Dairy, Protect the Harvest, Sustainable Environmental Consultants, Trans Ova Genetics, Eggland’s Best, N.C. Farm Bureau, and Vivayic.

About the Animal Agriculture Alliance . The Alliance safeguards the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

LIMS: Whole Herd Reporting.

Want to save money on registrations, transfers, and genomic profile testing? Looking to spend less time on the computer and more time outside? Tired of handwritten forms and paperwork? Want more reliable EPDs? Then, the LIMS program is for you!

The Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) is an optional, web based, whole herd reporting program for active members (Founder, Lifetime, Junior, and Annual members) of the North American Limousin Foundation. The program was first launched in 2006. The current LIMS program is a cumulation of many years of trials, breeder feedback, and the addition of new tools available in the Digital Beef

registry platform.

The LIMS program is mutually beneficial for both members and NALF. There are incentives to capture unbiased, complete performance and reproductive data for more accurate EPDs. Members benefit from a simplified and lower cost way of conducting business. One question that gets asked a lot is, “Isn’t my herd too small for LIMS?” The short answer: absolutely not. There is no herd too big or small for the LIMS program. Small to medium sized herds can see a cost benefit from moving to the LIMS program almost immediately. If you are curious about the exact dollar figure for your herd, reach out to the staff to break down the program for you in a way that makes sense and is not overwhelming and to determine if the

* On-farm aspiration of oocytes via Ultrasound Guided Ovum Pick-Up (OPU).

* Embyos come back in 8 days for placement or direct thaw freezing on-farm.

* Can do on donors aged 8 months and older, up to 120-150 days pregnant Doesn’t interfere with pregnancy.

* Pregnant cows work really well, so the cow doesn’t get out of her production group.

* Can do a donor every 2 weeks.

* NOW AVAILABLE * Small Ruminant Laparoscopic Artificial Insemination (AI) & Embryo Transfer (ET)

Oocytes fertilized at BoviteqUSA in Madison, Wisconsin. www.boviteq.com

LIMS program is right for you.

Cost savings - Among the many benefits that LIMS has to offer, what stands out most among members is the cost saving aspect of the program. LIMS members are required to enroll 100 percent of their females at a rate of $32 per active cow each year. The $32 cost to enroll each cow each year includes the free registration and transfer (up to 30 months of age) for that year’s calf crop. With NALF’s current pricing structure, the least costly registration and transfer is $62 per animal. But with LIMS, it’s all covered in one fee of $32, which is at least a $30 savings for members.

Efficiency - Work smarter, not harder! Time is one thing we all wish we had more of, especially during calving and breeding season. Enrollment in the LIMS program breaks your herd into spring and fall calving cows, with each set having their own data tab. This concentrates all calving records in one place in Digital Beef, allowing you to see exactly what calves have been registered to which cows and who is missing data. Each cow enrolled in LIMS will need to have a calf recorded or a reason for no calf (i.e., calf died before weaning) for each calendar year, and each calf will need a weaning weight recorded or a reason for no weaning weight. The LIMS tab will help you identify the females or calves that are missing records. Complete performance and reproductive information required for inventory based recording is submitted online. The more specific you are with recording this data, the easier and quicker your registrations will be later on. In addition, managing your herd through the many tools on the NALF Digital Beef platform will also be easier and more comprehensive. Digital Beef has the capacity to keep all these records for members so that you can look back on historical calf crops without having to worry about losing data.

More reliable EPDs - This total herd reporting program contributes more complete and comprehensive production information, helping to position breeders and the Limousin breed as a whole for future improvements. By reporting all your animals, you allow your top animals to stand out. The combination of performance data, genomic testing, and NALF’s partnership with International Genetic Solutions has allowed for the most up-to-date EPDs on animals. As an IGS partner, these EPDs are comparable across 16 other breeds. These tools have helped Limousin identify areas of improvement and become more competitive in the seedstock industry.

Be certified - LIMS members have access to the LIMS certified seal. This

seal signifies commitment to providing whole herd performance data. This means that 100 percent of the registered cows in your program are enrolled in LIMS and requires you to report complete and comprehensive data on all your cows and calves. This total herd reporting program signifies to other members and commercial producers that you are committed to providing more and better information on the genetic merit of your cattle.

The certified LIMS seal appears on your member site and on the animal view screen of every animal in your herd. It is also available to all LIMS members and can be used to further promote their herd in sale catalogs, advertisements, etc.

With the ever changing cattle industry, NALF strives to maximize profit for its members. LIMS members have seen more precise EPDs and have saved time and money from being a member. You are encouraged to look into the program and see how it can benefit your cattle operation.

If you want to enroll in the LIMS program, please contact Alison Jones at Alison@nalf.org or Tammy Anderson at Tammy@nalf.org

To view a LIMS calendar, visit https:// nalf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ LIMS-Calendar-2023.pdf

New Tools To Improve Profit and Efficiency. Improving production and efficiency of feed utilization are key strategies to improve profitability and sustainability for beef producers. With feed costs continuing to rise and accounting for the vast majority of variable costs of cattle during finishing, selection for improved efficiency should be a part of every commercial cattleman’s breeding plan. New tools are available that assist commercial producers in identifying the most valuable and profitable bulls for use in their herds. The new tools include genetic predictions for dry matter intake, average daily gain, and a new sub-index to predict differences in feed efficiency. A new Terminal Index (TI) that combines dry matter intake, calving ease, growth, and carcass merit also debuts. TI is a powerful new tool that utilizes the latest selection index modeling in iGENDEC to provide a prediction of a net merit for progeny sold on the rail. The new traits and index are described below.

Dry matter intake (DMI) is based on individual feed intake measures of cattle during confinement feeding. The trait is reported as the genetic difference in pounds of expected average daily dry matter intake of progeny. The trait is computed using both feed intake records reported by seedstock producers and

post weaning growth data. DMI and post weaning gain have a strong genetic relationship, so information provided on the growth of an animal provides valuable information for predicting feed requirements. DMI is best utilized as an economically relevant trait in construction of an endpoint aligned selection index, as it represents a direct cost to production. Selection directly on DMI without regard to other traits is strongly discouraged. Post weaning average daily gain (ADG) has long been recognized as a key indicator for improved efficiency in beef cattle and is reported in differences in pounds of daily gain during the post weaning period. Cattle that better gain have more favorable dilution of maintenance cost.

Dilution of maintenance reflects the relative differences in energy an animal allocates to growth above maintenance costs. Animals with more favorable ADG typically allocate a lower percentage of intake to maintenance through either lower maintenance requirements, increased gross intake, or a combination of both. Selection for ADG independent of other traits will result in larger mature weights of cows and fed cattle.

A new feed efficiency (FE) sub-index has been created by the researchers at International Genetic Solutions, NALF’s genetic evaluation partner. The new FE sub-index puts differences in DMI and ADG in context. Without some measure of the relative input-output relationship, it’s difficult to know if increased DMI or ADG has a positive effect on efficiency. The FE subindex is an economic index that reports the difference in expected value of gain less the cost of feed to achieve that gain. FE is reported in dollars of marginal profit and will be particularly useful for providing context to the value of changes in DMI and ADG genetic potentials.

A new Terminal Index (TI) has been constructed to identify sires that produce the highest profit potential fed cattle. The new index was created using the most recent ten years of USDA reported fed cattle and grid pricing data, K-State reported feedlot cattle performance, and NALF data. The bio-economic index represents a leap forward in selection technology and was developed using the iGENDEC platform. The new TI index models the use of Limousin sires on Angus based cows will all calves marketed on a value based carcass grid. The units reported represent expected differences in profit per mating.

Together, the new suite of feed efficiency related genetic predictions and the new Terminal Index offered by the North American Limousin Foundation

provide users of Limousin and Lim-Flex bulls unparalleled opportunity to drive improvement in feed efficiency, profit, and sustainability in fed cattle production.

NALF Releases New EPDs and Indexes. The requirement to produce superior quality genetics that enhance profitability is why your NALF board and Breed Improvement Committee have pushed forward with the release of new commercially relevant EPDS and updated indexes, which are vital to not only building superior seedstock but also relevant to commercial cattlemen.

In February of 2024, NALF released an average daily gain of EPD and Dry Matter Intake EPD produced by IGS. ADG is simply post weaning gain (YWWW/160 days). NALF has been pushing for the development of Dry Matter Intake (DMI) for the last three years, and IGS has finally completed it. For cattle that have a phenotype available, which NALF actually has 5,000 head that now have intake, RFI, and ADG, the data will increase accuracy. For the remainder of the cattle, DMI will be estimated on growth data, which has a very high correlation for accuracy on the trait.

The key to DMI is to remember that a lower percentile rank is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as cattle are giving you back adequate gain for their intake, then you are still producing pounds efficiently. The real use of DMI is to get to the good stuff. Conversion rates are the most important item to measure, and NALF will do this with the new FE subindex and updated Terminal Index that are now being published.

You will find cattle that range in the 50-90 percentile for DMI but rank exceptionally well on their new FE (Feed Efficiency EPD) if they are converting their intake. The FE subindex that will be published weekly by IGS simply measures cost of feed and an animal’s individual intake versus the value of a fed steer on a five year average adjusted by an individual animal’s gain. The formula for FE is listed below:

(Ration cost @ $180 per ton/2000 lbs = -$.14 X DMI EPD)+( Fed market value at $1.17/160 days X PWG) = FE (Feed efficiency sub index)

In other words, the marginal value of gain over feed cost. The higher the FE sub-index, the better or reflective of superior conversion of feed to pounds gained. (Cost of feed based off an animal’s DMI is calculated as a negative number and added back to the market value per pound X an animal’s post weaning gain.)

The new Terminal Index (TI) was

developed via IGENDEC software, which is made available by the Beef Improvement Federation. These indexes are customizable. Dr. Spangler and Dr. Weaber were heavily involved with the development of the TI. Dr. Weaber was heavily involved with the NALF board for the last two years in building, constructing, and weighting traits for the new terminal index for Limousin.

NALF will continue to run MTI (NALF’s long standing Mainstream Terminal Index), which is primarily calculated off growth traits (Marbling and YG). The push by the NALF board and Breed Improvement Committee was to develop an updated index that is more reflective of today’s changing marketing environment for fed cattle.

Cattle are now being fed to much larger outwieghts and the majority of them are now sold on a formula or carcass grids. These grids are heavily dependent on adequate carcass weights, yield grade, and quality grade versus selling cattle live over the scale and sold with a standard shrink 10-20 years ago. The new TI index encompasses many traits. It is also much more heavily weighted on CW EPD rather than WW and YW growth traits to be reflective of formula and grid cattle.

Below is the formula and list of traits used in the new Terminal Index. You can see from the previous formula that CED, DMI, CW, REA, FT, and MB are all included in the new TI in addition to the Growth traits. The value of the weighting is represented in the pie chart below:

NALF Executive Director Mark Anderson says, “I can tell you after analyzing 100s of cattle on the new TI with Dr. Weaber, cattle have to have a well rounded trait deck to excel on the new index, but cattle that have exceptional Carcass Weight, REA, BF EPD (Yield grade) and adequate marbling really fly on the new TI. Individual DMI is in the index, but as long as they are providing adequate carcass weight EPD in return for their intake will do really well on the new TI as long as they are not severely deficient in an included EPD elsewhere.”

The new index is built to be relevant to the commercial cattle industry today and reflect the positive traits Limousin cattle bring to the industry in terms of superior yield grade (Enhanced by superior REA, CW, and overall cutability). Calving ease direct is also weighted lightly into the index to add a bonus to sires that excel at calving ease, even in the terminal index.

About the North American Limousin Foundation. The North American Limousin Foundation, headquartered in Englewood, Colo., provides programs and services, including the documentation of more than 25,000 head of cattle annually, for approximately 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The Limousin breed and Lim-Flex hybrid offer industry leading growth and efficiency while being an ideal complement to British breeds. For more information about NALF, please visit www.nalf.org

Emphasis Values of the MEV

NEWS

Premier Gives Over $20,000 in Support to Scholarship Applicants. Premier Select Sires awarded over $20,000 to students through the 2024 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program. Two students received $2,500 scholarships through the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship and the Wayne Dudley Scholarship. Nineteen other students received scholarships of $500 to $1,000 in value. Six students received an honorable mention with a $100 cash award and semen gift certificate.

Scholarship winners from North Carolina include:

Lemuel Coltrane of Pleasant Garden, N.C., is the son of Amy and David Coltrane. Lemuel is from Coltrane Dairy, a dairy farm with 550 milking cows and a total of 1,300 head from heifers to dry cows. He is a student at N.C. State University studying Agriculture Science. After college, Lemuel plans to return to the family farm. He is

excited to bring the skills and knowledge he has gained through his education back to the farm.

Joseph Coltrane of Pleasant Garden, N.C., is the son of David and Amy Coltrane. Joseph is from Coltrane Dairy, a dairy farm with 550 milking cows and a total of 1,300 head from heifers to dry cows. He is a student at N.C. State University studying Agricultural Science. After college, Joseph plans to return to the family farm. He hopes to use his education to learn new techniques and technologies, broaden his knowledge of agriculture, and build relationships with people in the agricultural field so he can help the farm produce quality products, ensure animal comfort and care, and run an efficient, healthy dairy farm.

Honorable mentions for the scholarship program from North Carolina include:

• Macy Chapman of Taylorsville, N.C.

• Alleigh Johnson of Statesville, N.C.

The Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program provides financial support to eligible students pursuing agricultural education, and it also provides additional return to the cooperative’s member-owners by supporting the next generation of young people desiring to study and work in the agriculture industry. The Premier Select Sires board of directors has made a commitment to providing money to support this scholarship program on an ongoing annual basis.

About Premier Select Sires. Premier Select Sires is a farmer owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23 state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need

to achieve success, Premier provides:

• Industry leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands

• Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies

• Reliable services and programs backed by years of success

• Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance

Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.

Our advertisers are “Champions” too. For expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies, check the Classifieds in this issue!

Purina Animal Nutrition is offering $20,000 in scholarships. Scholarships are open to students with experience in animal agriculture. Purina Animal Nutrition, along with the Land O’Lakes Foundation, has opened its scholarship program designed to assist students with experience in agriculture and livestock production in pursuing their passions and furthering their educations.

Now, along with undergraduate students, current high school seniors with experience raising and caring for small or large livestock, equine, and/ or poultry are eligible to apply for one of four $5,000 scholarships. Along with the impact animal agriculture has had on their lives, desired applicants will be able to demonstrate academic excellence,

NEWS

leadership skills, community involvement, and a clear vision for their future.

Scholarship applications will be accepted through April 17. Awardees will receive their scholarship funds for the Fall 2024 semester at their current or anticipated educational institution. The scholarship is open to all high school seniors who plan to enroll in full time undergraduate study at an accredited two or four year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic semester/term and undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited two or four year college, university, or vocational-technical school.

To learn more about the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship and apply today, visit www.purinamills.com/

scholarship.

About Purina Animal Nutrition.

Purina is a national organization serving producers, animal owners, and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other retailers throughout the United States. Every feed and nutritional product Purina makes is packaged with a

purpose: to maintain the integrity of the innovative nutrition inside. Purina is now partnering with forward thinking retailers and producers to give this packaging new life in an effort to leave a lasting legacy and impact for generations to come.

Purina Animal Nutrition is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Don’t put your cart before your horse...advertise that sale ahead of time! You’ll see positive results.

NEWS

By LAURENTIA VANRENSBURG, Ridley Block Operations

How Are Bioplex Trace Minerals Different, and What Are Their Benefits for Modern Day Beef Production?

Trace minerals are essential nutrients for animals. As such, a sub-optimal trace mineral status can potentially lead to poor growth, reproductive inefficiencies, and impaired health or immune responses. The right supplementation program can significantly impact animal performance and producer profitability. However, with so many different choices and brands available today, it can be somewhat daunting to choose a program that will fit your operation.

Trace minerals can be supplemented in either an inorganic or organic form.

Inorganic trace minerals (e.g., sulfates, oxides, and chlorides) are generally considered less bioavailable (meaning they offer lower absorption and utilization) than organic trace mineral sources, which explains why cattle might not always perform as expected when their diets are supplemented with these inorganic salts.

Organic trace minerals are generally recognized as being more bioavailable than their inorganic counterparts. The term “organic” is often used to describe all trace minerals that are complexed,

chelated, or otherwise associated with organic molecules. The typical organic molecules or bonding groups used for producing organic trace minerals include amino acids, peptides, sugars, and even organic acids.

However, under the wide umbrella of “organic trace minerals,” vast differences exist between different categories and brands. These differences can be due to production processes, quality control, and the type of bonding group (or organic molecule) used. These factors can have a direct impact on the overall stability of the molecule, which is important given that the more stable the molecule, the fewer interactions (or degradation) it will have with other nutrients, including vitamins. Stability can also impact how much of the product actually reaches the site of absorption, which can impact the mineral’s overall bioavailability and animal performance as well.

Bioplex, the organic trace minerals from Alltech that are used as a cornerstone and foundation of many Crystalyx products, are classified as proteinates since the metal ions are bound to amino acids and peptides, making this a true chelated and stable mineral molecule.

Utilizing this technology for improved stability and performance, Bioplex trace minerals offer higher bioavailability and support mineral retention and tissue reserves. Bioplex trace minerals are readily absorbed, stored, and utilized by the animal and meet the higher nutrient needs of today’s genetically advanced cattle.

Recent research from the University of Florida has demonstrated that Bioplex and Sel-Plex, Alltech’s organic selenium yeast product, can contribute to the optimal trace mineral status needed for reproductive efficiency, immunity, and growth. The researchers published a multi-year study on the pre- and postnatal effects of different supplementation strategies. The research was divided into two phases. Phase one evaluated pregnancy rates and weaning weights based on trace mineral supplementation by source (inorganic versus organic) on two large, adjacent cow ranches, whereas phase two looked at the impact of inorganic versus organic trace minerals on key production parameters by breed (Angus and Brangus). The inorganic trace minerals were supplied as sulfates and sodium selenite, while the organic trace

minerals were supplemented as Bioplex and Sel-Plex.

Over the course of the study, the organic trace minerals provided as Bioplex were shown to have a strong correlation with better weaning weights and pregnancy rates across breeds. The average weaning weight was more than 20 pounds higher in the cows supplemented with organic trace minerals, and pregnancy rates increased by 2.7 percent (from 92.6 percent to 95.6 percent). Bioplex supplemented heifers were also confirmed pregnant eight days earlier in year one of the study and 18 days earlier in year two of the study. Dr. Matt Hersom, who led the research, reported that both the pregnancy rates and weaning weights — which are key drivers of profitability — were positively

impacted by substituting inorganic trace minerals with organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex.

With these results in hand, it stands to reason that switching from supplementing inorganic trace minerals to an organic trace mineral program featuring products like Bioplex and Sel-Plex might cost a little bit more upfront, but if you consider the pounds of beef weaned or sold per exposed female, feeding organic trace minerals is actually a more profitable approach.

The positive results associated with supplementing organic trace minerals are not unique to these studies, and the benefits go beyond those outlined above:

• Calves supplemented with organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex have shown higher ADGs, reduced

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of FEBRUARY 2024

incidences of respiratory issues, and improved carcass characteristics and meat quality.

• Supplementing cows with organic zinc, copper, and selenium can lead to several reproductive benefits, including the increased diameter of ovulatory follicles and improved in-vitro maturation and embryo cleavage.

• Supplementation with organic trace minerals like Bioplex can improve the age at calving and early lactation milk production in heifers, which could also affect their future productive lives.

The nutritional status of the dam during gestation can impact the developing fetus as well. Fetal or developmental programming refers to the idea that maternal imprinting during a critical period of fetal development can have a long-term impact on the offspring. When the diet is supplemented with organic trace minerals like Bioplex, the impact of the trace mineral status on not only calving rates and weaning weights but on the reproductive efficiency of the offspring is notable, highlighting the importance and long term impact of trace mineral strategies on overall herd

profitability — especially for future heifer development. Heifers supplemented with organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex not only reached puberty earlier but were also confirmed pregnant eight days earlier in year one and 18 days earlier in year two, illustrating the importance of trace mineral source in relation to fertility indicators.

In one feedlot study, organic trace minerals like Bioplex also had a positive impact on health and growth performance. Steers that were supplemented with organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex had fewer incidences of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), higher average daily gains, and higher carcass weights.

For producers who want to ensure that they are feeding the highest quality trace minerals, Crystalyx offers many different supplement types and options to help improve performance across all phases of cattle production. With the need for beef production to be both efficient and profitable, this modern approach to mineral supplementation lends itself to a healthier end product while minimizing the impact on the environment as well.

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

NCBA News

New Resource Helps Cattle Producers Maximize Profitability. Culling Decisions Impact Animal Welfare and Bottom Line. A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions. “Right Way. Right Time. – A Guide to Cull Cattle Management” is now available at www.ncba.org

With effective planning, cull cattle can be a significant source of revenue and should not be overlooked. In essence, cull cattle are market cattle. This new document addresses key problem areas, provides strategies for making timely culling decisions to prioritize animal welfare, and is designed to help producers capture more value through effective management regarding cull cattle.

“Cull animals can contribute significantly to the profitability of the ranch,” said Dr. Trey Patterson, president/ CEO of Padlock Ranch Company. “We spend extensive time and money adding replacement cattle to our herd, so it is imperative that we capture good value for cull cattle to offset these expenses.”

For cattle producers across the country, whether beef or dairy, cull cattle are part of doing business. Animals age, they no longer breed back, and their health deteriorates. Incorporating culling decisions into an operation’s best management practices benefits both animal welfare as well as the producer’s bottom line.

“Managing cull cattle to be in good condition, sound, and fit to transport will increase their value significantly,” said Patterson. “The animals leaving

our ranching operations are not only a valuable financial resource, but they also constitute a class of cattle that need and deserve as much care as any other animal on the operation.”

According to the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit, the market cow and bull sector provides an alternative product and a secondary value to animals once their original purpose is no longer suitable. When it comes to product fabrication, market cows and bulls are typically associated with ground beef production. However, over time, the industry has realized that some market cows and bulls have the potential to yield valuable primals to be fabricated and sold as retail cuts and to the restaurant trade.

For more information or to access the resource online, visit www.ncba.org/ producers

NCBA Calls on Congress to Adopt FY24 ‘Minibus.’ Government Shutdown Would be Harmful to Cattle Producers. Recently, NCBA called on lawmakers to pass the minibus appropriations package recently announced by congressional leadership. The bill prevents a disastrous government shutdown and provides support for several key cattle industry

priorities.

“While this legislation is not perfect, it advances a number of priorities important to cattle producers, including critical investments in electronic animal ID tags for producers and strengthening oversight of lab grown protein,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele. “Further, a government shutdown would unnecessarily harm farmers and ranchers by restricting their access to federal personnel, essential market information, and delaying access to critical disaster assistance programs. We urge Congress to avoid a shutdown by passing this important legislation.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently crafting a rule that would require the use of electronic ID tags instead of existing metal tags on certain classes of cattle moving interstate. This change is designed to facilitate faster traceability in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States. In the event this rule is finalized, NCBA supports USDA in covering the entire cost of electronic ID tags for impacted producers. Additionally, NCBA supports greater oversight of emerging lab grown technology to ensure that

consumers are protected and that cattle producers have a level playing field with the lab grown protein products currently in development.

NCBA Statement on Latest Packers and Stockyards Rule. Recently, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement following the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest Packers and Stockyards rule:

“NCBA’s concern with this regulation has always been based in the rule’s unforeseen impacts to standard business practices. We have remained consistently opposed to any discriminatory practices in the marketplace. While we still have concerns about the unintended consequences of the rule, we are pleased that USDA has addressed most of our significant concerns between the proposed and final rules. We continue to urge USDA to ensure this rule remains focused on its stated objective — with which we wholeheartedly agree — and does not stray into extraneous, unrelated subject matter discussed in the proposal’s preamble.”

NCBA Hails Limited SEC Rule as Win for Cattle Producers. NCBA Advocacy Protected Family Farmers and Ranchers from Burdensome Regulation. Following continuous advocacy by NCBA, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a limited greenhouse gas disclosure rule that omits the requirement for large publicly traded companies to release greenhouse gas emissions data from private companies in their supply chain. This type of data, known as Scope 3 reporting, could have increased burdens on family farmers and ranchers whose beef is processed or sold by publicly traded companies.

“This limited SEC rule is a win for America’s farmers and ranchers,” said NCBA President Mark Eisele, a Wyoming rancher. “Since this proposal first arose in 2022, NCBA has worked to educate policymakers on the harmful unintended consequences caused by overreaching Scope 3 regulations. The final SEC rule that omits supply chain emissions reporting entirely is a testament to NCBA’s engagement with federal agencies and Congress to defend America’s cattle producers.”

In 2022, the SEC proposed a rule to require publicly traded companies to release data on their direct (Scope 1), energy and electricity (Scope 2), and supply chain (Scope 3) greenhouse gas emissions. The Scope 3 requirement was especially concerning to the cattle industry because numerous farmers

and ranchers have their beef processed by publicly traded companies or sold by publicly traded restaurants and retailers. These large companies have the resources to hire consultants and calculate emissions, but individual producers lack those same resources. NCBA has also raised privacy concerns, especially in light of court decisions that have solidified the right to producers’ data privacy.

“Cattle producers have a track record of sustainability and conservation, and EPA data confirms that beef cattle are responsible for just 2 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “With industry wide emissions data

already available from the EPA and the USDA Life Cycle Assessments, forcing individual farms and ranches to calculate and report emissions creates a costly and unnecessary burden.”

In addition to submitting technical comments to the SEC, individual NCBA members also submitted 7,406 emails to the SEC Commissioners and members of Congress detailing their concerns with the rule. NCBA also backed legislation like the Protect Farmers from the SEC Act, introduced by Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), to exclude agriculture from the Scope 3 requirement.

“NCBA’s grassroots members made a huge difference in this fight, and thanks to your engagement, the entire industry is protected from what could have been an incredibly burdensome regulation,” said Idaho rancher and NCBA Policy Division Chair Kim Brackett. “To the producers who spoke up and submitted the over 7,000 comments to the SEC, thank you. Today is the perfect example of why the whole cattle industry benefits from having NCBA working on our behalf in Washington.”

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NCBA

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NCBA Welcomes Landmark Habitat Conservation Bill. In a letter submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee, the NCBA urged members of Congress to support the recently introduced America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act (H.R. 7408). The landmark conservation bill, led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), was considered recently in a Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee hearing. The legislation would invest in state led conservation projects, push the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to delist species that are recovered, and provide regulatory certainty for landowners who participate in voluntary

species conservation agreements.

“We cannot effectively support the conservation and recovery of beloved wildlife species without the foundation of open, green, healthy habitat. Chairman Westerman’s legislation puts an appropriate focus on controlling what we can control, and conserving our nation’s prime habitat,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele. “This bill puts the people who are closest to the land and closest to the issues in the driver’s seat, by prioritizing state and tribal leadership. We appreciate Chairman Westerman’s support for conservation on working lands, and his effort in this bill to protect the voluntary investments that

S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of FEBRUARY 2024

SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Source: S.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Columbia, S.C.

farmers and ranchers make in wildlife conservation.”

Despite the best original intentions of Congress, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) over the last half century has become a bureaucratic nightmare that stifles voluntary conservation work, provides endless ammunition for frivolous litigation, and imposes unnecessary restrictions on farmers and ranchers.

H.R. 7408 would address many of these challenges by:

• Codifying Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCAs) and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs). The bill would prevent farmers and ranchers who are already doing habitat conservation work through a CCA or CCAA from being subject to a future critical habitat designation.

• Prioritizing funding for projects led by states and tribes rather than funneling more money into implementing topdown, one-size-fits-all federal species management plans.

• Requiring USFWS to set clear benchmarks for recovery when issuing 4(d) rules and to delist when those goals are met.

• Fixing the disastrous Cottonwood (2015) decision that has bogged the U.S. Forest Service down in ESA consultation and prevented crucial fire mitigation work from moving forward.

• Extending Good Neighbor Authority to USFWS to allow the agency to work with public and private partners across fence lines to conserve contiguous habitat.

NCBA Statement on “Product of USA” Final Rule. Recently, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus released the following statement on the USDA’s finalized rule on the “Product of USA” label:

“NCBA has been committed to finding solutions to this problem ever since a producer led NCBA working group raised the alarm, years ago, that imported beef could be mislabeled as a Product of the USA incorrectly at the end of the supply chain. We appreciate USDA’s effort to address this loophole. During the implementation period, NCBA’s focus will remain on ensuring that these changes result in the opportunity for producer premiums while remaining trade compliant.”

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org

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Case IH Showcases Magnum Upgrades and New Track Technology at Commodity Classic. New Magnum offers more horsepower, simplified precision technology, and greater efficiency for premium operator experience. Case IH is entering the next era of power and efficiency with the MY25 Magnum flagship models. Launching at Commodity Classic, the latest upgrades build upon Magnum’s legacy as the tractor of choice for more than 37 years. Case IH is also displaying next level track technology for Steiger Quadtrac and technology solutions that meet the needs of any grower.

The premium upgrades on MY25 Magnum tractors are designed with productivity in mind. The higher horsepower in MY25 Magnums — ranging from 265 to 405 models — helps operators efficiently complete tasks by handling larger implements, while also

improving pass to pass accuracy through automated speed and steering control.

“We continue to build upon Magnum’s strong roots as the most trusted tractor on the operation,” says Morgen Dietrich, tractor segment lead at Case IH. “Power, technology, and quality define the next generation of Magnums and we purposefully bundled integrated technology within the tractors to eliminate the hassle of purchasing individual tech components.”

Dietrich explains the new Magnum 355 model will come standard with the 21-speed PowerDrive transmission, which builds toward future autonomy capabilities with brake to clutch functionality.

Case IH tractor solutions don’t stop with new MY25 Magnums. Case IH continues to set the bar in track technology with the recent launch of the Quadtrac Heavy Duty Suspension (HDS) for Steigers. Built with a new

suspended track design, HDS elevates operator comfort and machine durability by significantly reducing shocks and jolts while increasing productivity with faster transport speeds.

“From Farmalls to Magnums and Steigers, we continue to build upon our tractor portfolio legacy by unleashing new options and purposeful solutions for our wide range of customers,” says Dietrich. “Our tractor portfolio, which ranges from 25 hp to 715 hp, demonstrates Case IH’s commitment to bringing solutions to operations of all sizes. It spans across tractors and harvesting to planters, tillage and technology.”

For producers looking to add technology to their existing fleet, Case IH is also talking about its aftermarket solutions at Commodity Classic.

Entry level telematics from Case IH deliver benefits to an operation through tracking and remotely monitoring machines without technology built in and other vehicles within a fleet. Available as an aftermarket kit, growers will receive a five year subscription to AFS Connect. Additionally, growers can add the Pro 1200 Guidance kit to enable guidance,

agronomic and telematics data transfers from older tractors through AFS Connect. This allows operators to have the same display user experience as other machines in their fleet, simplifying the training and management of operators.

To find out more about the latest product introductions, visit www.caseih. com

About Case IH. Case IH is a global leader in agricultural equipment, committed to collaborating with its customers to develop the most powerful, productive, and reliable equipment — designed to meet today’s agricultural challenges. With headquarters in the United States, Case IH has a network of dealers and distributors that operates in over 160 countries. Case IH provides agricultural equipment systems, flexible financial service offerings, and parts and service support for professional farmers and commercial operators through a dedicated network of professional dealers and distributors. Productivity enhancing products include tractors, combines and harvesters, hay and forage equipment, tillage tools, planting and seeding systems, sprayers and applicators, and site specific farming tools.

Managing a Legacy Ranch with the Allure of the West

Mark Eisele is no stranger to navigating the intricate, dynamic challenges and opportunities that define modern ranching. There is no better person to take the helm of NCBA at a time of immense pressure on agriculture from the federal government than the person who has dealt with those same pressures throughout his life. Eisele understands the delicate balance that is protecting private property rights and maintaining access to public lands while more people want to experience the beauty of the West.

For Eisele, success means “never quite getting there.” Although many would argue leading the nation’s oldest and largest national beef cattle association is the pinnacle of achievement, Eisele says that’s what has made ranching fun over the years: always trying to “get there” while always understanding there will always be more to do.

“We talk a lot about continuous improvement in our industry and, as producers, we all focus on that, no matter how incremental the improvement is. And the same goes for (NCBA) – there’s always work to be done to protect our freedom to operate and propel our industry forward,” Eisele said.

Eisele grew up on his family’s ranch and worked as a hired hand on the century old King Ranch in Wyoming as a teenager. He attended the University of Wyoming and received his agricultural engineering degree, but knew ranching was his long term goal. Without a clear path for full time work on his family’s operation, he continued his work on the King Ranch and slowly built his own herd. His years of hard work and contributions to the ranch’s cow herd and diverse business interests earned him a partnership in the ranch and, eventually, the opportunity to purchase the ranch from the King family. Mark and his wife, Trudy, and their family proudly carry on the ranching tradition.

“Mr. and Mrs. King believed in doing things right and balancing future innovation with a grounded commitment to land stewardship,” Eisele said. “It’s that focus that propelled us to where we are today.”

Eisele’s operation is located just outside of Cheyenne, where he raises Red and Black Angus cattle. The cows are separated into three distinct herds, each managed differently according to its respective environment: mountain cattle, a stay-at-home herd, and the family-trust herd with genetics that have been with the ranch since its inception.

Eisele said his goals for the ranch mirror those of many producers — to raise the best cattle possible and provide a high quality product for consumers.

“No matter how many head of cattle you’re raising, even if you have a small herd, you need to raise the best cattle you can in your environment and provide a great product for consumers. Everybody contributes, and every head counts,” Eisele said.

Along with a focus on genetics, environmental stewardship is front and center of their management plan, especially given the unique challenges of running cattle in Wyoming.

“Grazing cattle in the grasslands of the West is actually somewhat complex. We must take into account wildlife habitat, changes in the seasons, the elevation, the amounts of moisture, and more. For example, the ranch sits at around 6,500 feet elevation; it takes about 30 acres for a pair of cattle. A yearling requires about seven acres for the season. Cattle grazing in the forest have different requirements than those down at the ranch all year. So, we rotate our cattle to work in harmony with those factors and always try to anticipate future weather impacts. It takes time to learn the process, but once you understand it and learn how to work in sync with nature, it’s very rewarding,” he said.

The ranch relies on grazing access near Medicine Bow National Forest, necessitating a careful balance between ranching needs and recreational use. Collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service, the Eiseles constructed gates and fences for cyclists while designating land for diverse wildlife habitats, including species like countless bird populations, pronghorn antelope, whitetail and mule deer, elk, moose, bears, and mountain lions. Regular reviews of ranch management practices aim to enhance this wildlife habitat.

While working continuously to improve his operation and produce great beef, Eisele quickly found himself in a situation that could have led to everything crashing down around him. He became involved in state legislative efforts spurred by the Kelo v. City of New London case. This was a landmark decision in 2005 in which the Supreme Court of the United States deemed legal the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private owner to further economic development. This controversial case led many states to strengthen their eminent domain laws, including Wyoming.

“At the time of that case, there was a proposed 1,100 home development outside of Cheyenne, which would have devastated our ranch and burdened county services. Wyoming had poor protections for property owners, and our ranch was about to become an example of bad things that can happen because of development pressures,” Eisele said.

He worked with his state livestock association and state legislators to develop a law protecting ranchers from eminent domain and condemnation threats. Through the process, all agricultural organizations banded together along with other stakeholders, and a law was passed granting ranchers bargaining rights, fair compensation, and protection against urban development threats.

“We found that we needed to have, in black and white, a dynamic definition of agriculture. Producers are always trying to adapt and improve, and that needs to be reflected in law. I also realized how important it was to start talking about ranchers’ commitment to preserving open space, wildlife habitat, clean water, and air. All the stuff we love is what the people coming to Wyoming want, too. So, finding a way to work with the inevitable population growth but making sure it didn’t threaten ranchers’ livelihoods was huge and a real learning process for me,” he said.

This is just one example of the personal experiences Eisele will draw from to share his priorities for NCBA as he enters his term as president. He

wants to advocate for opportunities that strengthen the industry for future generations and for producers’ freedom to operate. A top priority will be protecting property rights and reinforcing the cattle industry’s position as an ally in preserving open space and wildlife habitat through managed grazing practices.

“I manage both public and private lands and am often asked why public lands are such a big deal. Aside from it being just part of how we raise cattle in the West, it’s also an important place where the line is drawn in the sand. If they can take public lands away from us or regulate us into a position where we can’t use them any longer, it’s just a matter of time before they end up on your doorstep and come after your private property rights and water rights. I want NCBA to make sure that can’t happen,” Eisele stated. “Grazing is good, and beef is a valuable protein. We need flexibility in the way we produce it. Those are the simple messages I want to get across to decision makers.”

When he got into the cattle business, Eisele found that to both survive and thrive, he had to rely on both the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the NCBA. He credits his family’s ranch being intact today because of those associations. Therefore, Eisele’s responsibility as NCBA president hits close to home. As a part of that realization, he wants to open as many opportunities as possible for people who want to participate and succeed in this

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this issue!

“There’s a lot of concern about the age of the average producer and the transition of ranches and farms. I’m guardedly optimistic because I think there are a lot of opportunities. In my case, I found a mentor and a niche market to start in and grew from there. We have producers looking to retire and who maybe don’t have a direct line for transition; I think they’re going to be stepping away and looking for younger, or just interested, people to take over. We have to open avenues to make that simple and make sure we have a tax code that isn’t prohibitive,” he said.

Eisele highlighted the significant challenge posed by federal government tax policies, particularly the Death Tax, and emphasized the financial strain it places on those with valuable assets but limited cash liquidity. Eisele has seen how family disputes and a lack of estate planning can be more detrimental than adverse weather or market conditions. He stresses the importance of investing time and effort in developing a comprehensive plan to navigate these challenges successfully.

“I know from personal experience transition can be complex, especially in a situation as non-blood heirs, but this underscores that success can be achieved through collaborative planning. We need proactive planning and the ability to connect producers with shared experiences or similar interests to address transition planning and the tax code. We also need tools to help alleviate fears associated with taking the initial steps,” he said.

This year, one of the issues Eisele expects to tackle is the ongoing Farm Bill negotiations. This is top of mind for NCBA as the organization works to secure the reauthorization of animal health provisions, expand the accessibility and funding of risk management and disaster relief programs, and protect voluntary conservation programs. Conservation is always top of mind for Eisele.

He also emphasized the importance of recognizing and preparing for challenges posed by animal and environmental activists.

“You may not always recognize a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but they’re out there and coming for us. So, our industry must be prepared. We must be willing to offer our own stories, knowledge, and science to counter them. You have to participate in the industry to help yourself,” he stressed.

Eisele is committed to advocating for producers in all segments of the industry. He sees it as his opportunity to pay back

the efforts of those who fought for him, believing in the industry and its people. Acknowledging the influence of past leaders, Eisele asserts the need for current leaders to take initiative and lead.

“I believe in this industry and its people. I want to meet as many members as I can and hear stories about good things that have happened and some stories about bad things that have happened. I want to find out how NCBA can help and how we can open opportunities for young leaders,” he said.

Eisele emphasizes the importance of connecting with each other, acknowledging individual strengths and weaknesses, and creating a sense of unity. He’s seen this mentality and collaborative effort make organizations he’s been a part of successful, but he’s also seen it play out in his own family, which is what drives him.

“You’d never get anywhere on a ranch without the support of your family. My wife, Trudy, has been absolutely wonderful. This has always been a team effort, and I have always been supported by her. I’m so proud of the kids we’ve raised here. We also have people that work alongside us every day and, while they might not be related by blood, we consider them family too, and they care just as much about the cattle and the land as we do. The support of others around me to get to this point has been incredible,” Eisele reflected.

The Eiseles’ children, Kaycee, Kendall, and Colton, now play key roles as partners in the ranch and livestock ownership.

“I really value their participation and appreciate their input. An inclusive approach to decision making involves seeking suggestions from everyone and recognizing diverse perspectives that contribute to the ranch’s success,” he said. “What I’m focused on today is transitioning the ranch to my kids because they’re the future, and I have all the confidence in the world they’ll be able to continue our ranch’s legacy and make it even better.

“For me, one of the most meaningful things in my whole world is to have my family, my kids, and my grandkids here on the ranch with me. One of the reasons I want to serve and do what I’m doing is for my family. I want to transition. I want to pay back to the mentors who gave me a leg up in the industry. And I’d like to do something significant with my time here on the planet. The agricultural landscape is evolving, and I am confident that with the same spirit that has carried our association through the last 125 years, we will continue to thrive, innovate, and lead.”

Carolina Cooking

Sirloin Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade

Total Time - 40 minutes

1 beef top sirloin steak boneless, cut ¾ inch thick (about 1 pound)

1 clove garlic, cut in half

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 mini baguette rolls (each 8 inches long), split

¼ cup goat cheese crumbles

Marmalade

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups thinly sliced red onions

½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet or Merlot

¼ cup chopped pitted prunes

¼ cup fig preserves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

To prepare the marmalade, heat butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onions; cook 8-10 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine, prunes, preserves, and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid evaporates and the marmalade thickens and turns dark, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in thyme and salt. Set aside to cool.

Rub both sides of beef steak with garlic; sprinkle evenly with pepper. Place steak on a grid over medium, ash covered coals. Grill, covered, 7-11 minutes (over

medium heat on preheated gas grill, 8-13 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. About 2 minutes before steaks are done, place rolls and cut sides down on the grid. Grill until toasted.

Cook’s Tip: Four (4 inch long) French rolls, split, may be substituted for mini baguettes.

Carve steak into thin slices. Evenly layer steak slices, marmalade, and cheese on the bottom of each roll. Close sandwiches; cut each crosswise in half.

Makes 4 servings.

Sirloin Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade

Measuring Genetic Progress in a Commercial Beef Herd

Introduction. LC Ranch in Gainesville, Tex., changed management of their family’s commercial cowherd in 2021. Their cows represent a mixed breed base, consisting mainly of SimAngus and a small amount of Bos Indicus influence. The specific genetic background of these females is otherwise unknown.

Seeking improvement in their next calf crop, LC Ranch leased a registered Angus bull for the spring 2022 breeding season. The bull, GAR Horizon 6385 (AAA# 18333380), offers excellent genetics for marbling (top 10 percent of the Angus breed) and ribeye area (top 25 percent). His post weaning growth is closer to the breed average. Even so, this Top Dollar Angus qualified sire ranks in the top 15 percent for the American Angus Association’s $Beef index, indicating he should sire superior terminal traits, leading to more valuable feeder calves.

Fast forward to the fall of 2023, when their planned mating calves were approaching weaning. LC Ranch partnered with Top Dollar Angus and Neogen Corporation to find out how much genetic progress they had made in a single generation. Neogen’s Igenity Beef test was selected to quantify the genetics of 17 of their cows and the 17 calves these cows produced when bred to GAR Horizon 6385. DNA testing the cows and their single sire calves makes direct measurement of genetic progress possible. Would the calves exhibit more genetic merit than their dams? The Igenity Beef results would answer that question with easy to understand data not often seen in a commercial herd.

When Igenity Beef test results are

available on a commercial calf crop (most often, the heifer replacement candidates are tested), the four traits evaluated for potential Top Dollar Angus qualification are Average Daily Gain, Marbling, Ribeye Area, and Carcass Weight. Neogen uses a 1-10 scoring system for the traits it characterizes through Igenity Beef. Higher scores mean stronger genetics for each trait. The threshold for Top Dollar Angus qualifiable genetics is a 6.0 group average score for ADG, MARB, RIBEYE, and CW. Only the best 25 percent of the cattle in the United States meet or exceed this genetic threshold. A four trait average score below 6.0 will not qualify a group of feeder calves for Top Dollar Angus.

DNA Results. Table 1 presents four trait average scores for 17 LC Ranch cows and each of their calves. The average score for all cows was 4.4 out of 10 (range 3.5-5.3), which is slightly below the industry average. The level of growth and carcass genetics present in these cows can be accurately labeled as mediocre at best, but they do provide a foundation to build on.

DNA test scores on the LC Ranch calves revealed a higher level of genetic merit. Their Top Dollar Angus qualified sire, GAR Horizon 6385, improved the calves’ genetics for growth and carcass traits, resulting in higher average Igenity Beef scores for ADG, MARB, RIBEYE, and CW. The average four trait score on the calves is 6.3 out of 10, surpassing the required threshold and making these calves genetically eligible for Top Dollar Angus. Such scores objectively benchmark the LC Ranch calves as being in the top 25 percent of the U.S. beef

cattle population for growth and carcass genetics. They are genetically superior to 75 percent of the industry’s feeder calves and would be excellent cattle to feed out and harvest on a carcass-merit grid.

Table 1 shows that 100 percent of the calves outscored their dams, with a 1.9 point average increase in their four-trait-average Igenity Beef score. This difference is statistically significant (P<0.001). The amount of genetic improvement varied from calf to calf (+1.0 to +2.5 points), as expected. What we observe in this data is a one generation, positive genetic shift depicted by higher calf DNA scores. Measurable improvement has occurred. The result of using a superior genetic sire on an ordinary set of females.

Dam genetics also had influence on the Igenity Beef scores exhibited by the calves. The correlation between the cows’ four-trait-average Igenity Beef

score and that of their calves is 0.46. Cows with higher Igenity Beef scores for growth and carcass traits tended to pass on more genetic strength to their calves. The LC Ranch Angus bull was the genetic game changer, but cow genetics have an influence, too.

We now look more closely at each of the four traits of interest: ADG, MARB, RIBEYE, and CW.

Average Daily Gain. Post weaning average daily gain is directly correlated to feedlot gain. As a group, the cows scored only 3.5 out of 10 for this important trait. Their calves did considerably better, with an average score of 5.6, which is modestly above the industry average. As shown below in Table 2, all but one calf scored higher than its dam. The increase in ADG score for the calves versus their dams averaged 2.1 points.

Based on Igenity Beef test results, the mating to GAR Horizon 6385

accomplished measurable genetic improvement in ADG as a trait, which was one goal LC Ranch sought to achieve.

Marbling. Grids pay significant premiums for higher quality grades. Therefore, increased marbling potential is a worthwhile genetic objective for any producer. LC Ranch selected a high marbling Angus sire to advance the marbling genetics in their herd. As shown below in Table 3, their bull accomplished this task successfully, creating more valuable feeder calves as a result.

Given their Igenity Beef scores, the LC Ranch cows tested are below the industry average for marbling (mean score of 3.6 out of 10). No cow in the group scored above 5. Their GAR Horizon 6385 sired calves did significantly better, averaging 6.6, fully 3 points higher than their dams.

Every calf bettered its dam. Scores improved by as little as 1 and as much

as 5 points. This one generation increase in marbling is impressive and makes a strong statement about how rapidly genetics can be improved when an elite sire(s) is used.

Chart 1 illustrates the upward shift in marbling genetics from cows to calves in a different way. Cow and calf marbling scores are plotted from highest to lowest for all tested animals. Doing so reveals that the calves reside on a higher “genetic plane” compared to their dams. Variation in scores still exists in both groups of animals. However, the calves contain more positive genes for marbling, pushing them upward on Igenity Beef’s 1-10 scale.

Ribeye Area. Given their breed makeup, it is not surprising that the LC Ranch cows scored relatively high for the ribeye area, averaging 5.9 out of 10, and the highest of the four traits evaluated. Even so, the calves surpassed their dams, earning a 6.6 average Igenity Beef score for this economically important trait

(an increase of 0.7 points). As shown in Table 4, 11 of the 17 calves scored higher than their dams, 5 scored the same, and one calf scored lower than its dam. This outcome is consistent with a smaller upward shift in ribeye area genetics, coupled with the fact that the cowherd’s genetics for this trait were already reasonably strong. GAR Horizon 6385 brought favorable muscle genetics to a cowherd that already contained good

4.5 for Carcass Weight (ranging from 3-6), which is just below the industry average. As shown below in Table 5, their calves did better, with an average score of 6.1 (range 4-9). Of the 17 calves, 14 outscored their dams; the remaining three calves scored equal to their dams. Genetic progress is evident in these scores, just as intended by LC Ranch when they introduced a high genetic merit bull into their herd.

genetics for ribeye area. He solidified the trait while bumping up the calf crop’s genomic scores modestly.

Carcass Weight. Pounds pay is especially high in a high priced cattle market, as the industry is experiencing currently. The LC Ranch cows averaged

Maternal Traits. Our discussion thus far has been focused on post weaning growth and carcass genetics. Maternal traits appropriately enter the

Continued on the next page

Table 4

Table 5

Measuring Genetic Progress continued from

conversation as well. When cattle are tested with Igenity Beef, a Maternal Index is reported, providing producers with an estimate of maternal genetic merit. According to Neogen, “This index is highly maternal and designed to assist in selecting replacement heifers for fertility, longevity, and higher weaned calf weight.”

Group average Maternal Index scores for the LC Ranch cows and their calves were 5.0 and 5.1, respectively. Therefore, based on Igenity Beef results, the favorability of maternal genetics in the cows and their calves is virtually the same.

Summary. By utilizing a bull with excellent growth and carcass traits,

the previous page

observed in the cowherd, providing a useful illustration of how, with the right bull selection, measurable genetic improvement can occur rapidly in a commercial beef herd. Table 6 summarizes the Igenity Beef scores (110 scale) for the 17 cows tested and their calves. DNA scores improved by different amounts, as expected, due to Mendelian inheritance principles. Nonetheless, the calves exhibited more genetic merit than their dams in all four traits evaluated. Also noteworthy, Igenity Beef scores were high enough to qualify the calves for Top Dollar Angus, objectively identifying them as ranking in the top 25 percent of the beef industry for growth and carcass

LC Ranch cows produced a calf crop genetically superior to themselves.

Calf Igenity Beef scores for ADG, MARB, REA, and CW exceeded levels

traits.

Conclusion. A unique part of this project is the ability to observe genetic changes and improvements from a group

of cows to their calves using Igenity Beef. Rarely is this type of data available, and there are at least three important takeaways from the observed results.

1. Genetic selection does result in genetic change. LC Ranch selected for improved growth and carcass traits on the bull side of their breeding program. That is exactly what they achieved in their 2023 born calves.

2. By using superior bull genetics, meaningful genetic improvement can be made in a single generation. Rapid progress is possible.

3. Today’s genetic tools, EPDs, $Indexes, and commercial DNA tests (like Igenity Beef) allow producers to measure and advance the genetics in their herds like never before in the history of the beef business.

Answering an Important Question. Someone may ask whether the observed genetic merit increase in the LC Ranch calves, as quantified by Igenity Beef, will translate into better feeding and carcass results. In other words, is this just an academic exercise that might fail to produce real world benefits? To answer that question, take a moment to study the table below. Neogen has extensively evaluated the relationship between Igenity Beef scores and actual cattle performance.

Table 7 presents data from a large Neogen field study in which Igenity Beef scores were used to sort 6,249 feedlot cattle into two groups: Top Dollar Angus Qualified and Non-Qualified cattle. The qualified group, which represented 29 percent of all cattle in the study, scored 6.0 or higher (four trait average score) for ADG, MARB, REA, and CW when tested with Igenity Beef. The remaining 71 percent of the cattle had weaker genetics and failed to meet this required threshold.

Note that Top Dollar Angus qualified cattle outperformed the non-qualified cattle in all four of these economically important traits. They gained weight faster and produced heavier carcasses. They marbled better and had larger ribeyes. The Top Dollar Angus qualified cattle also created more valuable carcasses, which is what superior genetics do time and time again.

This data speaks well for Igenity Beef’s ability to differentiate genetic merit in commercial cattle, like the LC Ranch animals. Higher scores correlate to greater genetic merit and more genetic merit results in better performance and improved financial results.

Acknowledgement: Thanks to LC Ranch for cooperating with us on this project.

Table 7

International Genetic Solutions

Debuts New Informational Resource. IGS releases a new content platform complete with timely and relevant information. International Genetic Solutions (IGS) recently unveiled a new informational resource and video platform for important beef industry topics pertinent to producers’ bottom lines. The goal is to consolidate relevant information for commercial cattlemen into one easily accessible place.

“Our core competency at International Genetic Solutions is communicating credible and valuable genetic predictions to commercial producers,” says Chip Kemp, IGS Director of Commercial and Industry Operations. “It has come to our attention that we can communicate more effectively through an in-house channel that allows us to distribute content in a more timely fashion and archive that content over time.”

Kemp explains that the platform will offer a range of topics and trusted guest speakers who offer in-depth commentary about some of the industry’s most pressing issues.

“Our first feature is a bovine heart health series. It puts together the greatest experts in the business in trying to understand the current concerns with bovine congestive heart failure,” Chip says. “Many of our television productions will also be included on this platform, ranging from in-depth discussions about maternal longevity, to beef sustainability, to various breed composition issues.”

IGS hopes to provide commercial cattlemen with a “one-stop-shop” for their informational needs instead of browsing multiple resources. In-depth presentations and panel discussions will be highlighted, offering a deeper exploration of the latest issues and trends.

“Our goal is to make this readily accessible, simple, and easy,” Kemp explains. “Somebody who has spent all day calving in the mud, or somebody who is putting up hay late into the summer or breaking ice in the middle of the winter hasn’t got time to navigate some difficult platform. And our job is to provide decision support tools.”

IGS is an unprecedented collaboration between leading beef breed associations and partners to advance selection tools and producer profitability. The organization is also home to the nation’s largest multi-breed beef cattle evaluation, as well as the IGS Feeder

NEWS

Profit Calculator and other tools.

“Information is power,” Kemp says, “and this platform reflects our core mission of providing cattlemen and

women the information and tools they need to be successful.”

Visit internationalgeneticsolutions. com to learn more and to access the video platform.

About International Genetics Solutions. IGS is an unprecedented collaboration between progressive breed associations to enhance beef industry

profitability. Fueled by data from nearly 20 progressive organizations from around the globe, with a combined 20 million animal records, IGS delivers the best objectivity described, user friendly, and science based genetic predictions to enhance the profitability of beef cattle producers. Learn more at InternationalGeneticSolutions.com

NDEX OF DVERTISERS

ANGUS

Apr. 6 — Grassy Valley Angus 31st Annual Production Sale, Greeneville, Tenn.

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 13 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring

Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va.

Apr. 13 — Southern Synergy 17th Annual Female Production Sale, Wadley, Ga.

Apr. 19 — 35th Annual Virginia Angus Association Genetic Investment Sale, Harrisonburg, Va.

Apr. 20 — Precise Cattle Female Sale, Watkinsville, Ga.

Apr. 27 — N.C. Angus Association 40th Annual Spring Fever Sale, Union Grove, N.C.

May 4 — Whitestone Farm 31st Annual Pasture Performance Tested Angus Bull & Female Sale, Aldie, Va.

May 25 — Ankony Farms Female Dispersal Sale, Clarkesville, Ga.

Sep. 28 — Biltmore Livestock Sale, Asheville, N.C.

Oct. 19 — Fred Smith Company Ranch

Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.

Oct. 25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Female Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Bull Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Nov. 2 — TJB Balancer Maternal Magic XIII Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga.

Nov. 16 — Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C.

Dec. 7 — 49th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

2025

Jan. 4 — EBS Farms Select Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Brahman

Jun. 1 — The Carolina Brahman Breeders Association 44th Annual Sale, Laurens, S.C.

Brangus

Oct. 25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Female Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Bull Sale, Saluda, S.C.

CHAROLAIS

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 19 — Quest for Quality Bull Sale, Harrisonburg, Va.

Apr. 27 — Appalachian Classic Sale, Knoxville, Tenn.

VENTS

GELBVIEH

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 13 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring

Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va.

Nov. 2 — TJB Gelbvieh Maternal Magic

XIII Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga.

Dec. 7 — 49th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

HEREFORD

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 13 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring

Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va.

Apr. 19 — Virginia Hereford Association Mid-Atlantic Spring Bonanza Sale, Harrisonburg, Va.

May 4 — 4th Annual S.C. Hereford

Association & Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Joint Sale, Pendleton, S.C.

Limousin

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Red Angus

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

May 4 — 4th Annual S.C. Hereford

Association & Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Joint Sale, Pendleton, S.C.

SALERS

Apr. 6 — Southern Eagle Ranch Generations of Genetics Sale, Evington, Va.

Santa gertrudis

May 11 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas 51st Annual Sale, Monroe, N.C.

SIMMENTAL

Apr. 6 — Grassy Valley Angus 31st Annual Production Sale, Greeneville, Tenn.

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope

Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 19 — Virginia Simmental Spring

Sim-Sensation Sale, Harrisonburg, Va.

Sep. 6 — N.C. Simmental Association

Field Day, Union Grove, N.C.

Sep. 7 — N.C. Simmental Association

Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C.

Oct. 19 — Fred Smith Company Ranch

Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.

Oct. 25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Female Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Bull Sale, Saluda, S.C.

Dec. 7 — 49th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

WAGYU

Nov. 1 — Wilders Wagyu StayWILD ‘25 Production Sale, Turkey, N.C.

Commercial cattle

Apr. 6 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Services Spring Turn Out Sale, Oxford, N.C.

Apr. 13 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va.

Apr. 13 — 2024 Wolfpack Roundup Sale, Raleigh, N.C.

May 11 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas 51st Annual Sale, Monroe, N.C.

May 18 — Chessie Creek Farm & Partners 2nd Annual Heifer Sale, Walterboro, S.C.

OTHER EVENTS

Apr. 17 — Piedmont Forage Growers Conference, Seagrove, N.C.

Apr. 18-21 — Virginia Beef Expo, Harrisonburg, Va.

Apr. 27 — Showdown in the Foothills, Lenoir, N.C.

May 8-9 — Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit, Kansas City, Mo.

May 9 — Piedmont Emergency Animal Response Team Training Course, Winston-Salem, N.C.

May 19 — Beef Quality Assurance Training, Butner, N.C.

Aug. 15 — Piedmont Emergency Animal Response Team Training Course, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Sep. 17 — Piedmont Emergency Animal Response Team Training Course, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Livestock market sales

Apr. 1 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Apr. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Apr. 3 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Apr. 8 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Apr. 10 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Apr. 15 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Apr. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Apr. 17 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Apr. 22 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Apr. 24 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Apr. 29 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

May 6 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

May 7 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

May 8 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

May 13 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

May 15 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

May 20 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

May 21 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

May 22 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

May 29 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

IGHTER IDE

A man asks a farmer near the field, “Sorry sir, would you mind if I crossed your field instead of going around it? You see, I have to catch the 4:30 p.m. train.”

The farmer says, “Sure, go right ahead. And if my bull sees you, you might even be able to catch the 4 p.m. one.”

A violinist went to sleep. He dreamed that an angel appeared from the skies and told him, “I have some good news to tell you and some bad news to tell you. Which on do you want to hear first?”

The violinist replied, “Start with the good news.”

The angel continued, “After you die, you

will go to heaven, and you will be sitting besides Paganini, in the heaven’s orchestra.”

The violinist, stunned with this amazing news, asked about the bad news, and the angel replied, “The bad news is that your first rehearsal starts tomorrow.”

Many years back, a man by the name of Joshua had to go before a judge in magistrate court, to be sentenced for a crime he had committed.

The judge jokingly said, “Are you the Joshua who made the sun stand still?”

The man seriously replied, “No, sir, Your Honor. I’m the Joshua who made the moonshine.”