ONNECTION
2024 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts ........................................................ page 55
A Message from the CEO — Where Was NCBA?, by Colin Woodall .................... page 46
Amazing Grazing — August is the Time to Prepare Fields for Stockpiling, by Dr. Matt Poore ....................................................................................................... page 18
American Angus Association News ........................................................................... page 32
American Angus Association President’s Update, by Barry Pollard ..................... page 31
Animal Agriculture Alliance News ............................................................................ page 42
Ashley’s Beef Corner — Summer Continues to Sizzle, by Ashley W. Herring ..... page 16
Beef Checkoff News ...................................................................................................... page 59
Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ................................................... page 58
BioZyme News .............................................................................................................. page 60
Boehringer Ingelheim News — Reduce Antibiotic Use and Boost Your Bottom Line with Targeted Metaphylaxis, by Joe Gillespie ............................................. page 44
Carolina Cooking — Aji Braised Beef Short Ribs with Golden Herbed Quinoa ................................................................................. page 42
CattleCon 2025 — San Antonio Updates! ................................................................ page 55
Clemson Corner — Grazing Summer Annuals to Complement Forage Production and Quality, by Liliane Silva .................... page 24
Director’s Report — Invest in the Future of the N.C. Cattle Industry, by Milo Lewis ................................................................................................................. page 3
E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — Root Doctor, by E.B. Harris ......................... page 21
Farm Credit News .......................................................................................................... page 36
Federation of State Beef Councils Update ............................................................... page 56
Have You Herd — Building A Better Cow, by Abby Moreland-Holsomback ........ page 22
Is There a Correlation Between Summer Stock Shows and the Live Cattle Market?, by Jaclyn De Candio .................................................................................................... page 41
John Deere News ........................................................................................................... page 72
Large Animal Grants Program Accepting Applications ......................................... page 61
Merck Animal Health News ........................................................................................ page 68
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ......................................................... page 52
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — Lab Grown Protein Stumbles But Our Vigilance Remains, by Mark Eisele ....................................... page 51
National Grazing Management Survey .................................................................... page 64
New NCCA Members for 2024 .................................................................................... page 72
North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ............................................... page 23
Pasture Management Systems, Inc. “Mile of Fence” Program Update .............. page 71
Public Lands Council News .......................................................................................... page 54
Red Angus Association of America News ................................................................. page 35
Ridley Block News — Convenience, Time, and “Pop-Ups”, by Ryan Bapst ..... page 36
S.C Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ................................................................ page 45
South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ................................................ page 59
The Chaplain’s Corral — The Blood of Christ, by Cleo Faye Green ........................ page 27
Trending in Food and Media ........................................................................................ page 57
You Decide, by Dr. Mike Walden .................................................................................. page 26
Zoetis News .................................................................................................................... page 65
N.C. Cattlemen’s Association
President RYAN CLARK
5250 NC 772 Hwy. • Madison, NC 27025
Vice Presidents BRANDON BOWMAN
2346 Ann Street • Claremont, NC 28610
JIM LEDFORD
260 Mulberry Lane • Otto, NC 28763
JOEY CARTER
250 Penny Road • Beulaville, NC 28763
Immediate Past President SCOTT WEST
489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850
NCBA Policy Division Director - JOHN LANGDON N.C. Beef Council Director BROOKE HARWARD
Beef Board Director - BRIAN WARREN
Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON
Directors At Large
MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE
Executive Director - MILO LEWIS 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council
Director of Consumer Information
ASHLEY W. HERRING
Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE
S.C. Cattlemen’s Association
Executive Director - TRAVIS MITCHELL
P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138
Phone: 803-609-2828
Email: twmitch@clemson.edu
Website: www.sccattlemen.wildapricot.org
Executive Committee
President - Joe Oswald IV
1st Vice President - Gene Crim 2nd Vice President - Ashley Mills
Secretary - Carol Hendrix
Treasurer - Eric Seymour
Past President - Timmy Benton
John Lewis, Chester • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale
Ryan Whitehead, Union • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg
Lloyd Baxley, Georgetown • Joe Davis, Westminster
Michael Hall, Abbeville • Richard Sox, Lexington
Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Jamie Driggers, Hamer
Bonnie Cann, Abbeville • Ashley Mills, Blair
Haskel Sexton, Sparanburg • Gene Crim, St. Matthews
Al McClain, Anderson • Eric Seymour, Columbia Timmy Benton, Walterboro
S.C. Beef Council
Executive Director - ERIN DOLL
P.O. Box 11280 • Columbia, SC 29211
Phone: 803-734-9806
Email: edoll@scda.sc.gov
Website: www.sccattle.org
The Carolina Cattle Connection
Vol. 38, No. 8 AUGUST 2024
Sales & Publication Office
2228 N. Main Street
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Phone: 919-552-9111
Fax: 919-552-9216
Email: mail@nccattle.com
Website: www.nccattle.com
The Carolina Cattle Connection is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.
STAFF
Manager, N.C. MILO LEWIS
Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL
Editor & Advertising Director
CASEY L. HINNANT
Assistant Editor & Proofreader KIM BURDGE
N.C. Circulation KIM BURDGE
S.C. Circulation TRAVIS MITCHELL
Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All submissions become property of The Carolina Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to return items such as photographs and artwork as requested.
The Carolina Cattle Connection, the official publication of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association is published monthly by the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.
A complementary subscription is included with membership to each state’s association. Nonmember subscriptions are $30 per year.
All address changes for NCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
All address changes for SCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138
American Simmental Association News … page 8
Celebrating 50 Years of Simmental in North Carolina, by Doug Parke … page 4
Goddard Family Farms — Combining Cattle & Sports, by Jennie Rucker … page 10
JBB Simmentals — Generations of Proven Cattle, by Jennie Rucker … page 12
Twin B Farm & Double S Farm — Going Strong into the Third Generation, by Jennie Rucker … page 14
Director’s report
By MILO LEWIS Executive Director, NCCA
Invest in the Future of the N.C. Cattle Industry
The heat and humidity have been in full force this summer. In July, the drought monitors signaled alarms as every county across our state was in desperate need of rain.
Despite the tough weather conditions, the cattle market has been a bright spot for many of the members I have encountered over the recent months. The recent graded feeder calf sale was no exception, as they moved over 1,400 calves through the sale. At almost every producer meeting I have attended recently, industry experts have commented that now is the time to invest in your herd and infrastructure and save for the years to come. Just as you invest in your farm operations, the N.C. Cattle Industry
Assessment allows the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association to invest outside your fence posts in several different programming areas.
Funds collected stay in the state and are used to enhance programs specific to research, education, promotion, issues management, and youth.
Research projects focus on practical production issues that many of you face daily. The educational component takes the information learned through the research projects and turns it into practical tools you can apply back on your farm. If you have participated in past field days or state conferences or even read the articles in The Carolina Cattle Connection, you have seen
firsthand the results of these projects.
Promotion efforts center around programming that promotes both cattle and beef in North Carolina. The NCCA works closely with the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council, the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and many other organizations to reach consumers with our message to encourage the enjoyment of beef! One clear example of this is our recent contract with a news network out of Charlotte to sponsor their Burger Week segment. We are always seeking creative ways to engage with consumers to increase the demand for beef.
Having funds allocated for issues man agement gives the association the opportunity to engage with legislative and regulatory officials daily. This is a powerful tool that allows us to be your voice and advocate for your needs back on the farm. Now more than ever, we must continue to demonstrate the importance of our industry to ensure you have the freedom to operate.
Sponsoring educational events such as judging and skillathon contests, leadership development events, and livestock schools are just a few of the ways we impact our state’s youth. Supporting programs that benefit our youth proves beneficial in building future leaders for our industry. It also gives exposure to so many who will choose
career paths outside of agriculture but will forever champion our industry.
Through each project funded by assessment dollars, we hope to support and strengthen existing cattle operations to ensure a strong and sustainable industry for future generations to enjoy in our state. However, it takes commitment from each of you to continue this great work.
On October 30, there will be a North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum, which takes place every six years. With the passage of the referendum, first established in 1957, the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association would continue to collect $1 per head sold within the state in addition to the national Beef Checkoff. Our assessment dollars will get to stay right here in North Carolina.
All cattle owners at least 18 years of age as of October 30 will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place at the N.C. Cooperative Extension offices. All eligible voters must vote in their county of residence. Absentee ballots may be obtained by contacting your N.C. Cooperative Extension office.
It is evident through past results that when we all work together, we can do big things! I encourage each of you to visit your local extension office to participate in the Referendum on October 30. Feel free to reach out for additional details on voting procedures or funding priorities.
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Celebrating 50 Years of Simmental in North Carolina
By DOUG PARKE DP Sales Management
The North Carolina Simmental Sale is the longest continuous Simmental Association sale in the United States. That accomplishment is one of a kind, with consignors and buyers from North Carolina, surrounding states, and all over the country. Each year, 20-25 breeders and people come together for the same cause. That is a huge testament to the state association, its members, and the whole state. There are many reasons for these huge accomplishments, including today’s leadership and that of 50 years ago.
We at DP Sales Management, Doug, Debbie, Holli, and Drew, have worked as sale managers along with the main backbone of the state association, Jennie Rucker. We have managed the sale for more than 13 years, and Jennie has served as the secretary-treasurer for 31 years. It looks like we both have the same passion. In 2019, Jennie received the highest honor of the National Simmental Association, the Golden Book of the World Simmental Fleckvieh Federation. The work Jennie does all year long doesn’t go unnoticed, and I refer to her as “busy as a bee” when talking to others. Jennie and her husband Phil have consigned over the years as well.
The N.C. Simmental Association owes a debt of gratitude to the charter members for their foresight and dedication, which enabled the Simmental breed to grow in popularity and quality. They really never knew where the breed was going, but they started the state association in 1993. In the early years, many commercial breeders liked utilizing the growth, hybrid vigor, and calving ease of Simmental cattle. That still holds true today. Commercial breeders love the end results, performance, and profit.
Over the years, the American Simmental Association has worked with state associations to advance the breed through cost share programs, along with many other programs to assist both seedstock and commercial breeders. ASA continues to offer members programs using calf crop genomics, cow herd round-up, and total herd enrollment.
ASA has always been at the forefront of the advancement of science and DNA in the cattle business. In the past several years, International Genetic Solution (IGS), in collaboration with ASA, started science based genetic predictions to enhance the profitability for beef cattle producers. This is fueled by data from more than 20 progressive organizations around the globe, with a combined 22 million animal records. It is the largest database of this sort of information in the world.
In 1974, the first state sale was highly successful. There were 24 consignors from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, and Montana. Cattle were sold into seven different states. Just in the last 13 years, seedstock has sold into 30 different states. As technology has changed, the internet has played a big part. The cattle were in huge demand, just like in the sales 50 years ago.
The AJSA junior program has always
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been active, with a very dedicated group representing North Carolina. Each year, the juniors have a donation auction on the night before the sale. Many breeders and ag related companies are huge supporters. The Pinkstons have been huge donors, and local stockyards have been buyers since the beginning. Several times in the past, the N.C. Junior Simmental Association has hosted a very successful Eastern Regional AJSA show. In the October sale, juniors have been both consignors and buyers. Remember, the show and sale results will be forgotten, but the memories and friendships these juniors make will last forever.
Here is where I will mess up trying to mention the names of those who were here in the beginning and are still with us today — Preston Cornelius, Gene Parks, Marvin Hutchinson, Myra Morrison, Fred Smith, and a long list of others. Hopefully, they will be at the 50th celebration. Many of these are still consignors each year. The list of breeders who have been a huge part of the sale is also long — Gordon Hodges, Eugene Shuffler, Ralph Blalock, Governor Jim
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and Carolyn Hunt, the Massey family, Frank Bell, and many others from North Carolina and out of state. In the 2023 sale, nine consignors were from out of state.
Since 1974, the Simmental breed has seen many changes and has gone in different directions. However, breeders in North Carolina were able to adapt and provide for the needs of their customers. The leadership, just like the cattle, has changed over the years. However, faithful breeders and leaders continue to be dedicated to their association.
Over the years, North Carolina has been a role model for other state associations. Simmental in North Carolina have thrived and been an asset with their individual genetics. The association always includes dedicated people. I continue to say it is all about the people. Over the years, I have heard both buyers and consignors comment, “I love coming to the sale whether I buy anything or not.”
As a sale manager, I have no doubt
the N.C. Simmental Association will continue to represent the beef industry and assist the membership of their state association with their marketing needs. We are glad to be part of the 50th celebration. See you in Union Grove at the Shuffler sale facility!
50 th Simmental Celebration. We have been gearing up for this event for almost a year. We are celebrating the 50th consignment sale that the N.C. Simmental Association has hosted. Their charter began with the formation of the N.C. Simmental Association in 1973, with their first sale on November 4, 1974, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. We are planning a field day on September 6 with our 50th sale, now named the Fall Harvest Sale, on September 7. We will begin at noon on Friday with a food truck or two available to serve you lunch. Then you can visit with our many sponsors or go through the rotations such as watching a breeding
By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association
soundness exam with Dr. Ruffin Hutchison, hearing about genomic testing with Sydney Tuckwiller, listening to Marcus and Brooke Harward talk about marketing Simmental influenced cattle, or visiting with our sale manager Doug Parke as he goes through the Fall Harvest Sale cattle.
We thank our wonderful sponsors, who will have booths set up for you to visit. Our Premier Sponsors supplying the great Friday night dinner are Fred Smith Company Ranch in Clayton and Bear Creek Beef in Bear Creek. Our Gold Sponsors are Morrison Farm in Rockwell, Pasture Management Systems in Mount Pleasant, and AgSouth.
Silver Sponsors are Southern States in Waco, Union County Farm Bureau, Neogen, Performance Livestock and Feed Company in Lawsonville, Waco Cattle Company in Waco, Heritage Farm Supply in Weaverville, and Lonesome Valley Investments in Alexander. Bronze Sponsors include Farm Systems, Inc. in Statesville, Rocking F Farm in Climax, Iredell County Farm Bureau, Davidson County Farm Bureau, and Forsyth County Farm Bureau. All these great sponsors are making this event possible.
That evening, we will have a free catered meal with beef provided by the Fred Smith Company Ranch. Our headline speaker for the evening is Dr. Wade Shafer, Executive Director of the American Simmental Association. We are pretty sure this is his first trip to North Carolina, so we are proud to have him attend our historic event.
Of course, the weekend’s main event is what we are actually celebrating — our Fall Harvest Sale. We believe it to be the longest running state Simmental consignment sale. You will have a chance to select cattle for your program from some of the very best producers in North Carolina and surrounding states. In fact, Bill McDonald of the long time McDonald Farm in Blacksburg, Va., is offering the “pick of his herd” in this sale. What an opportunity! All our friends from other states are planning to come out and support North Carolina.
We hope you can make plans to attend or watch the sale online through
DVAuction. For a sale catalog, you can contact the NCSA office at 336-468-1679 or by email at ncsa@yadtel.net
Half Price Membership Drive. For the first time, we are holding a half price membership drive in conjunction with our 50th Celebration. Until September 6, membership dues for the N.C. Simmental Association are only $25, half off the regular $50. If you are considering consigning to our Fall Harvest Sale and have not paid your dues yet, you must pay them before the sale to get the half price deal. We welcome anyone who wishes to join. You can just send your check for $25 to N.C. Simmental Association, 1341 Highway 21, Hamptonville, NC 27020. Of course, you are welcome to pay at our 50th N.C. Simmental Celebration. If you pay this summer, you can be listed in our breeders directory.
Hodges Elected to BIF Board. Long time Simmental producer Gordon Hodges from Hamptonville, N.C., has been elected Vice President of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF). Gordon Jones of Tennessee will be the new President for 2024–2025. The BIF met in June for their annual symposium in Knoxville, Tennessee. More than 500 people attended this event. The purpose of the Beef Improvement Federation is to improve the cattle industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation. Congratulations to Gordon Hodges. Gordon also plans to attend the 50 th Simmental Celebration so he can discuss any information from the BIF.
Gordon Hodges, front row, second from the left.
Picture of the very first N.C. Simmental Association sale catalog from 1974.
Simmental News
Applications Open for ASA Executive Vice President Position. The American Simmental Association is currently accepting applications for the Executive Vice President (EVP) position. Dr. Wade Shafer, the current EVP, recently announced his retirement, effective July 1, 2025. Please see the application details below and read the submission instructions carefully. All application materials must be sent to the ASA Board of Trustees Executive Committee and ASA’s legal council with the subject line “ASA EVP Position.” Contact information is shared at the end of this document.
The EVP is hired and employed by the ASA Board of Trustees. This person manages and administers the business affairs of the Association in accordance with the policy directives from the Board of Trustees, in addition to a wide range of responsibilities.
The full job description and instructions for applying can be found at www.simmental.org/site/index.php/evpjob-description
All who are interested in this position are encouraged to send a letter of inquiry and resumes to:
• ASA Legal Counsel - jmersen@ kkmlaw.net
• ASA Chairman Chris Ivie - iviejc@ usit.net
• Vice Chairman Victor G.Guerravgg03@aol.com
• Treasurer Scott Trennepohlsttrennepohl@yahoo.com
• Executive Position Chad Cookbridlebitsimm@gmail.com
• Executive Position Ryan Thorsonryanthorson7@gmail.com
Please include the subject line ASA EVP Position. Please call ASA Chairman, Chris Ivie, at 931-215-0316 with any questions.
About the American Simmental Association. Founded in 1968, the American Simmental Association is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. ASA is committed to leveraging technology, education, and collaboration
to accelerate genetic profitability for the beef industry. In keeping with its commitment, ASA and its partners formed International Genetic Solutions — the world’s largest genetic evaluation of beef cattle. Learn more at www.simmental.org
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Spotlight on SiMMEntAl
Goddard Family Farms — Combining Cattle & Sports
By JENNIE RUCKER
From the age of 13, Derek realized he really loved working with cattle on his family’s farm in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Before that, he was all about sports, but the livestock farm work also appealed to him. He was the first generation of his family to attend college and got his undergraduate and graduate degrees just a little way up Highway 421 at Appalachian State University in Boone. He intended to become a lawyer but instead decided to take the plunge and start his own company. That was the birth of Blue Ridge Environmental Consulting 22 years ago. Things have worked out very well for Derek and his wife, Whitney, who is also an Appalachian graduate, and their 13-year-old daughter, Delia.
There are many facets to Blue Ridge Environmental Consulting besides consulting on engineering and environmental designs for things such as Dollar General, Starbucks, and other stores. They also do agricultural consulting work as contractors for the
USDA with water sheds and riparian areas. Derek does a good bit of traveling with his work, and he often works on a visit to different cattle ranches across the United States.
While he does have a full time farm employee, Derek gets out to the farm to be among the cattle as much as possible. The farm began with commercial cattle, but now the largest portion of the herd is Angus. Derek realized his customers were missing out on heterosis, so he added Fleckvieh Simmental cattle to his herd.
“Crossing these on Angus cattle gives you more bang for your buck,” says Derek. He always admired Simmental cattle and found them to be a very complimentary breed to use with Angus cattle. They add needed bone and growth and will definitely put the pounds on the calves.
When Derek did make the decision to add Simmental, he realized that the most
hybrid vigor would come from crossing a pure strain of Fleckvieh cattle on his Angus. He searched across the country but knew he needed to find cattle from an area with a very similar climate to Wilkes County. “We select EPDs for everything in the world, but we don’t have an EPD for geography,” states Derek. “The soil type, climate, and forages can make a huge difference when you bring cattle from a place totally foreign to your area. The cattle can make an adjustment much quicker when you buy from similar geography.”
He found the cattle he needed at Little Creek Cattle Company in Starkville, Mississippi. He was able to purchase some females and found OCC Blaze Jet Fleck 279Z, a half blood, black, blaze faced bull sired by OCC Jet Stream 825J, which has been an excellent herd
sire at Goddard Family Farms. He is also using a fullblood Fleckvieh bull, Crossroad Radium 789U. This bull is a son of MF Mr Evan 14P and out of a BHR Doorn G629E cow. The fact that this bull is horned makes no difference to Derek because breeding him to Angus cows takes the horns right off anyway. He just adds so many good qualities like thickness, capacity, and structural soundness that Derek is excited to be adding him to the herdsire group. His EPDs are very favorable because he is in the top 10% for Calving Ease and Milk and the top 3% for Docility.
He ended up buying a lot of embryos and semen when he couldn’t find the Fleckvieh in the appropriate climate, but his search led him to Golden Dawn Farms, owned by Stanley Martins in Postville, Iowa. This farm also has the fescue that fills the pastures at Goddard Family Farms. The females he purchased from Stanley Martins became donor cows for Derek. Golden Dawn Hollie is one sired by SouthSeven Mr Adonis 96Z and out of a MFI Whistler 5244 daughter. He also flushes Golden Dawn Jewelz, sired by LRX HP Rocket 23Y and out of a Smithbilt Molson 21M cow. Another purebred Simmental cow being flushed that Derek says is one of the best he’s ever seen is Sandeen Loaded Lady 8465, sired by W/C Bankroll 811D, out of a Remington Lock N Load 54U daughter. He even has one of his own cows, Goddard Esmeralda 88, serving as a donor cow. Esmeralda is a daughter of the old bull, Bar 5 SA Mario 801X. Ashby Genetics in Virginia does the embryo transfer work.
Derek likes to use older Angus
Delia, Whitney, and Derek Goodard at the Appalachian football stadium.
Derek says this Arrowquip chute is the best investment in equipment he has made.
A SimAngus bred heifer that Derek hopes to consign to the Fall Harvest Sale.
These rolling hills make up the pastures at Goddard Family Farms.
Derek is very proud of this first calf heifer.
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genetics and then puts the Fleckvieh cattle on them. The resulting calves have explosive growth with plenty of bone, good feet and legs, and good maternal traits for keeping replacement females. He is also very strict about culling in his herd. He wants his cattle to be moderately framed with good udders and feet. He likes a mature cow size around 1,300 pounds. “You know you are making a difference in your herd when it actually hurts to cull,” he states. “But if anyone tells you they don’t cull, never buy from them because they aren’t making any improvements.”
Earlier this year, in February, Goddard Family Farm held its second Blue Ridge Brutes Bull and Commercial Female Sale at the Mt. Airy Stockyards, with E.B. Harris serving as the auctioneer. This sale did very well, with cattle selling to three states. The commercial bred heifers averaged $3,100. “It is a really good auction for the commercial man,” says Derek.
Derek hopes to offer some bred heifers in the 50th N.C. Simmental Sale on
September 7. He has served as a director of the N.C. Angus Association in the past and hopes to get as involved with the N.C. Simmental Association.
Goddard Family Farms also has another unique aspect that combines Derek’s love of cattle with his appreciation for sports. They supply the beef for the Appalachian State Football Team. He started doing this a few years ago, and now Goddard Beef is the Official Beef of the Appalachian State Athletic Program. Only one other college team has an official beef, and that is Texas A&M, with beef supplied by 44 Farms.
“These football players eat so many calories, 7,000-8,000 a day and feeding them is a big expense,” states Derek. “I have also gotten to know many of the players. Some of them come from farm backgrounds and while they are at Appalachian, they live, sleep, and breathe football. They really enjoy coming out to the farm and just hanging out, maybe fishing or swimming and seeing the cattle.”
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They have made several commercials about Goddard Family Farms beef and the football players. They are filmed on the farm, and the offensive line has actually gotten into the farm spirit and calls themselves “The Bulls” now. “This is about more than supplying beef. We are building relationships.” Derek and his family get to attend all the games, and Derek gets to be on the sidelines every game.
Gretna, Va., and then offered for sale at the Blue Ridge Brutes Sale. One important thing is the Goddard Guarantee, which you get whenever you purchase from Goddard Family Farms. Bulls carry a one year breeding guarantee, and if you purchase a bred female, Derek guarantees a live calf. As his website states, “Our business is based on long term relationships and multiple repeat customers.” They definitely stand behind all the seedstock
Derek and his family are strong Christians, and he realizes how much his family has been blessed. His wife homeschools Delia so they can accompany Derek and the Appalachian football team to away games. Delia especially enjoys flying with the team.
To be able to supply the amount of beef needed by the team, Derek has a spring and fall calving season. The breeding season now is 60 days, but he hopes to tighten it to a 45 day breeding season.
Pasture management is very important to Derek. He has all his pastures cross fenced, and each is funneled where cattle can go to the catch pen and working facilities. Derek says the best money he has ever spent on the cattle is his Arrowquip working chute. He is able to do so many things with the cattle now and get it done safely and humanely. He practices intensive grazing and lets the cows with new calves graze the good pastures first. He also has pastureland at other places in Wilkes County, West Jefferson, and Sparta.
Derek develops his bulls and heifers mainly on forages but also feeds them a barley based ration from G&M Milling. They get fed around 2-3 percent of their body weight. They are developed in
produced at Goddard Family Farms. Derek’s success in business, farming, and life can be attributed to his philosophy, “Surround yourself with good people and trust good people to do good things.” He also knows the Lord has truly blessed him with Whitney, Delia, and a life he loves. He is able to combine his dreams of cattle and sports. For more information on the farm, visit the website at www.goddardfamilyfarms.com or like them on Facebook.
This is Crossroad Radium, the new herd sire at Goddard Family Farms.
This purebred Simmental bred heifer will be heading to the Fall Harvest Sale.
Derek Goddard enjoys his time on the farm among his cattle.
Appalachian football player Isaiah Helms really enjoys eating the Goddard Family Farms Beef!
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JBB Simmentals — Generations of Proven Cattle
By JENNIE RUCKER
Although Dr. Jeff Broadaway of Monroe, N.C., is still young, he has already accomplished many things and is known for producing some outstanding Simmental and SimAngus cattle. He started helping his stepdad Mike and stepgrandfather Addison Mills with his commercial cattle on the farm Mills purchased in the 1950s. The original farm was 125 acres, but they have since bought additional acreage as it became available. It is now around 170 acres.
The farm has always had a close working relationship with N.C. State University, first with sheep, developing Polled Dorsets and researching those genetics. After that, they went to stocker cattle and did test trials with N.C. State University. After the stockers, Mills decided to try brood cows and bought two truckloads of Hereford based heifers. Their commercial herd has been a closed herd ever since. Jeff was middle school aged when his mother married into the Mills family, and Mr. Mills tested him as he worked on the farm. He made Jeff prove himself before he let him do much. After he saw what Jeff could accomplish, he let him begin selecting the replacement heifers. Jeff is the one who brought the use of artificial insemination back into the herd. Mr. Mills and Jeff would discuss what bulls to use on the commercial cattle. Since the purebred cattle belonged to Jeff, he alone made those decisions. The first bulls used on the commercial herd were the Angus bull Rito 6I6 and the Simmental bull SSS-SCF Craftsman. Of the resulting calves, four of the Craftsman daughters stayed in the herd. Jeff went on record with Mr. Mills regarding
breeding one commercial Angus heifer in particular. Mr. Mills wanted the heifer bred to the Angus bull, and Jeff thought the Simmental would be the better cross. Well, of course, Mr. Mills won the discussion, but when the resulting calf was born, Jeff was proven right. “That proved to be the knottiest calf in the whole group,” said Jeff. So again, Mr. Mills realized that Jeff was a good judge of cattle. From all his previous work with N.C. State University, recording performance data and keeping records has always been important to Jeff. They worked with Gary Gregory and have more than 15 years of performance data on the commercial herd. Jeff carried all that into his Simmental herd, keeps meticulous records, and is a part of THE (Total Herd Enrollment) through the American Simmental Association.
Jeff purchased one of his first purebred Simmentals while he was still a student at N.C. State University. He was talking to Anna Munday (now Anna English) in the Animal Science lounge about the Breeders Top 10 Sale in Kentucky. Anna was interested in some open heifers there, and Jeff really wanted a bred heifer. Three bred heifers caught his eye, so he called Johnny Moore, the herdsman at Double S, about what heifers would actually work at Jeff’s farm. Jeff ended up purchasing what became his foundation cow and the most profitable donor cow he has ever had.
This bred heifer was S.S. Jokers Lady L6L, a daughter of PVF-BF BF26 Black Joker and out of an NLC Black Aesop daughter. This cow family worked so well for Jeff that he still has some daughters in the fourth generation. “These genetics have stood the test of time, and the old girl earned her right to be buried on the place,” says Jeff.
With such high praise, her EPDs prove she deserves it because they record her being in the top 1% for Maternal Milk and the top 3% for Stayability. She produced up into her teens and lived to the old age of 20, so she has definitely proven those EPDs. Jeff says, “She is still the standard that I judge other cattle by.”
Jeff runs a tight breeding season, with the whole herd being synchronized to either receive an embryo or be artificially inseminated at the end of December. After that first go round, a bull is put in with the commercial herd, but the purebred cattle get one more round of A.I. Any cattle bred by the clean up bull after December are usually marketed in another way. Ashby Genetics does the embryo work for Jeff. He still has some embryos in the tank from Jokers Lady and will continue to use them to get more of her daughters in the herd. He actually had sold a Jokers Lady X LRS Preferred Stock 370C bull that he wanted to buy back as a three-year-old to use in his herd. This bull has proven himself, and his calves actually outperform the A.I.
sired calves. He has even had his semen collected for future use.
JBB Simmentals has produced many of the top selling Simmental and SimAngus bulls at the Union County Bull Sale, held on the first Saturday of December. “The very first bull I sold there was a gray Black Irish Kansas son which actually didn’t sell at the sale but sold a week later,” states Jeff. “Talk about a learning experience and a place to grow from.” His primary market is still bulls, but he also sells females through the N.C. Simmental Fall Harvest Sale in September. Jeff is currently serving as President, an office he has held many times. He is excited to be a part of the 50th Celebration of the N.C. Simmental Association’s consignment sale.
Since this year is such a special sale, Jeff is consigning from the very top of his herd. He plans to put two bred heifers and one bred cow in the Fall Harvest Sale. One of the bred heifers is a True Justice daughter out of a Hooks Bounty cow with solid bloodlines on top and bottom. She sells safe with a heifer calf to Uno Mas. The other bred heifer is sired by W.S. Proclamation out of his red donor cow. She is safe to Mr SR Right Now. The bred cow is a purebred Angus safe to the Simmental bull, LBRS Genesis.
Jeff actually prefers the good old pedigrees. “They are functional, good, proven cattle and not so flippin’ short!” His cattle must meet pretty strict requirements. “I cull off performance but also eyeball the cattle. They must have good feet, a good disposition, be a good mama, and have got to work. If they happen to have a white face, that’s a bonus!”
“The whole herd is actually run as a commercial herd. Some just happen to have registration papers,” he says and smiles. “Our cattle work; they are nononsense and no frills.”
Being into research and performance, Jef f has the entire calf crop, even the steers, DNA tested, and the bulls and the heifers are all ultrasounded for carcass data. He takes careful weight measurements, and his bulls on test get checked for rate gain and feed intake every two weeks throughout the test. This
One of the right kind for JBB Farms, especially the blaze face!
Dr. Jeff Broadaway among his herd.
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year, he has ten bulls on-test. He added the Angus breed to the mix after customers asked for them. Now, his primary Angus focus is to produce F1 SimAngus. He only retains purebred Simmental and sells all the SimAngus females. His Simmental clean up bull this year is a red baldy E.T. calf sired by SS Fort Hayes out of a half sister to Lock N Load.
He does purchase purebred Simmental occasionally and does his homework if he is interested in sale cattle. He likes to talk with the herdsman and get videos. If he purchases a female, he wants them good enough to be a donor cow. He has bought from 3C Simmentals and TNT Simmentals and has great respect for Nick Sloup and these long time Simmental producers.
When it is time to select A.I. bulls, Jeff has his cow herd on a spreadsheet and tries to individually mate the cows. He likes to use more proven bulls but will use a younger bull on more proven cows. He usually ends up using 8-10 bulls on his 30 cows. “I just enjoy the genetic side of it. It’s probably my hobby,” states Jeff.
Working through the American Simmental Association, he has used both the Cow Herd Round-Up and Calf Crop Genomics. As Jeff says, “How do you know what you have unless you get the whole genetic picture?”
Jeff is a veterinarian but is currently in the first position of its kind in the state. He is employed by Union County as a county vet with responsibilities in
Spotlight on SiMMEntAl
the public health department, sheriff’s department, animal shelter, and extension. Jeff states, “We are literally building this plane as we fly it.” He started this job in March of 2022 and enjoys the different challenges that face him each day. He has done things such as have a rabies pre-exposure clinic for farmers and wildlife rehab people and vaccinate 150 people at no charge. In the long run, this probably saved people who could have been exposed to rabies in their normal activities thousands of dollars from treatment. He works with the Veterans Department on a foster program for vets with PTSD and so many other things. He still gets to help during the N.C. State Fair livestock shows, and he really enjoys seeing kids have such memorable experiences with livestock.
As if that isn’t enough to keep him busy, Jeff also has a Nubian dairy goat herd that he has had since high school. He also does milk performance testing on them and enjoys researching Nubian genetics. He milks them twice a day, and he says, “This is my quiet time when I can actually think.”
As President of the N.C. Simmental Association, during this important 50th sale year, Jeff hopes that many people will attend the field day and sale on September 6-7 in Union Grove. He wants people to realize the benefits of the breed, and he sees no reason whatsoever for a commercial cattleman not to take advantage of the heterosis that Simmental
can offer to an Angus based commercial herd. “Simmental offer growth, milk, performance and disposition, and the end product is desirable and what consumers are yearning for.”
To anyone wanting to get into the purebred business, he has some advice, “Get the best commercial herd you can first, then buy a few purebred cows. Learn the genetics and then go from there. You have to like what you see in
your pasture.” For information on the sale cattle that Jeff is offering on September 7, please give him a call at 704-221-0997 or email him at jeff.broadaway@gmail.com
As President, he invites all cattlemen and women to the 50th Simmental Celebration beginning at noon on September 6. Great speakers and presentations, vendors, and a great complimentary beef evening meal!
This bred heifer is a daughter of W.S. Proclamation E202 and safe to Mr SR Right Now. She sells at the Fall Harvest Sale.
This bred heifer is sired by True Justice and safe to Uno Mas. She will be selling at the Fall Harvest Sale.
“DESIGNED FOR CATTLEMEN BY CATTLEMEN”
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Twin B Farm & Double S Farm — Going Strong Into the Third Generation
By JENNIE RUCKER
It’s hard to believe that Terry Boyles, the man known as a real cowboy, grew up near downtown Greensboro. He even plays an important role as The Barn Loft Cowboy Santa Claus every year and gets asked by children at the fair, “Are you a real cowboy?” He admits that he “didn’t know diddly squat about cows,” but he found that he really liked them when he helped his first father-in-law with his herd of 50 mama cows. This was around 1980. But now, many years later, Terry still can’t get cows out of his system.
Terry got to know Charlie when Charlie was still a young’un in high school, and he has been a solid friend ever since. Amber was showing some commercial Simmental cattle for Charlie and did very well with them. She purchased those heifers and took them to the junior show at the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh. It happened to be the first year the exotic commercials were separated from the British commercials. Amber had a second and a first in big classes of exotic commercials! Those heifers made excellent mama cows. These first calf Simmental influenced heifers weaned off steers that weighed 630 and 650 pounds! Terry said, “I had never had calves weaned off that heavy, so I’ve been hooked on Simmental genetics ever since. You can almost watch them grow.” Charlie had named one of these commercial Simmental Vidalia. She
weaned off a 720 pound calf with no creep feed as a three-year-old.
A big believer in improving his herd using embryo transfer, Terry wanted to flush their best Red Angus donor cow, Twin B Eleanor, to a Simmental bull. Eleanor goes back to Leachman bloodlines and the first cow Leachman cloned, R2R First Eleanor CLN. The first time they flushed her to a Red Angus, they got 22 embryos. They chose the red baldy purebred Simmental bull, Felt Last Call 304F, to flush with Eleanor. Terry likes chrome, so he wanted to use this baldy bull for many reasons, but one was that he was hoping for some baldies. He ended up with a red heifer and a baldy bull. This baldy bull, TAB TRB Last Kall K086, won his share of purple banners, topping off his show season by being reserve champion
Percentage Simmental bull at the N.C. State Fair last year. Terry was happy to see the picture of his bull listed in the show results of The Register, the official publication of the American Simmental Association. “All the years we showed Red Angus and had champions, we were never listed in their publication. I couldn’t wait to show this picture to Amber,” stated Terry.
He started out with commercial cattle, then purchased a Red Angus bull from his boss. His Red Angus herd grew from that point. Both of his children, Tanner and Amber, grew up showing Red Angus. His daughter Amber Stephens is still in the cattle business with her farm, Double S Farm of Quicksburg, Virginia. Now in the third generation, Amber’s daughters Clara and Charlotte are already successfully exhibiting livestock at the young ages of nine and four, respectively.
When Terry and his wife Michelle made the move to Denton, N.C., they had to sell all but two of their Red Angus cattle. They were introduced to SimAngus cattle through their good friend Charlie Thomas.
champion Percentage
Clara did her share of working with this bull and fell in love with his easygoing manner. She was heartbroken when Terry said they needed to sell the bull. The good news was that Terry’s next door neighbor purchased Last Kall, so Clara can see the bull whenever she comes to visit Terry and Michelle. “In fact, as soon as Clara gets out of the car, she rushes over to the neighbor’s fence to see her bull even before she goes to see Mamaw and Papaw,” laughs Terry.
Clara is showing a full sib to this bull, Twin B Miss Kitty, this year. This heifer will be a two-year-old in September but already crosses the scales at 1,420 pounds! Just recently, Clara was the reserve champion Percentage Simmental
Charlotte and Amber Stephens, Terry Boyles, and Clara Stephens at the Carolina Classic Fair.
Michelle & Terry Boyles and their farm dog.
Reserve
Simmental bull, TAB TRB Last Kall K086, shown by Amber Stephens.
One of the thick, deep bodied SimAngus cows that Terry owns.
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at the Northwest District Livestock Show in Virginia. Clara was also the grand champion novice showman with Miss Kitty. This team should have a successful show season together. Clara is a member of the American Junior Simmental Association.
The majority of their herd is commercial SimAngus cows with embryos in about eight cows. Dr. Allen Strecker does their embryo work, but Amber has also learned a lot from Allen Heishmann, another Simmental producer in Virginia and the Virginia Simmental Association Vice President. She has learned more about the Simmental breed and its protocols and was a guest consignor at the inaugural Blue Ridge Classic Sale, where she consigned embryos. Both Amber and Terry hope to increase their registered Simmental numbers in the future. Terry would really like to increase his herd size to 40 cows. Most of the recips are calved out in Virginia. Then, after weaning, the calves are brought down to Denton to Terry’s farm, where he takes over their development. Terry says that some of the SimAngus calves are weaning off at 700+ pounds while the Red Angus calves are 50 pounds lighter. The females even weigh close to what the bulls are weighing.
There are only about 11 acres surrounding Terry and Michelle’s house, but they also rent 125 more acres with 75 acres of grass. Zac Bray is currently
renting the additional pasture. Terry enjoys helping him with the cattle when needed. Michelle decided one very hot July evening years ago that she had enough of the cattle business. She still works her public job at Environmental Air Systems out of High Point. Terry retired in 2022 as a project manager for a mechanical contractor. Now, he just enjoys working and improving life on his farm. He helps his son Tanner when he needs a truck driver, someone to plant soybeans, or wherever he is needed. Tanner has his own company, Union Cross Land Development & Grading.
Terry has gotten his meat handlers license and is also dealing in freezer beef sales. He purchased a huge freezer that can fit a whole steer and then sells by word of mouth. Most of his customers buy a side of beef, but he is also selling some package deals. The steers come from Amber’s farm, and Terry feeds them out in his place. He uses a CPC feed that he stores in a brand new feed bin that he just got last fall. (That’s what retirement allows him to do... have time to make all those improvements!)
Double S Farm in Virginia consists of 38 acres, with 12 more acres holding two broiler chicken houses on it. They calve in the fall and then will use A.I. on all registered cattle. They will put embryos in the commercial cattle and also use a clean up bull. They used a Red Angus bull as clean up at Amber’s farm and the SimAngus bull, TAB TRB Last Kall K086 bull as clean up at Terry’s place. Temperament is very important at Twin B Farm, and all their bulls are as docile as puppy dogs. Anyone who has been around the show ring at the Carolina Classic Fair or the N.C. State Fair has seen Clara leading around huge red bulls with no problem these past years. The only problem is Clara letting go of them when they have to be sold and moved on to other pastures. But she’s a farm kid who is always looking at the next crop of calves and seeing which one has the potential to walk with her into the ring and come out a champion! It will be exciting to see in the future as this third generation will be working at Twin B Farm and Double S Farm, selecting good genetics, halter breaking and leading calves, and following in the bootprints of her grandfather and mother. For more information on their program, contact Terry Boyles at 336-8162355 or twinbfarm1@gmail.com
Terry Boyles has made adjustments to the lighting so he can see what embryos or semen he is working with.
Ashley’s Beef Corner T
Summer Continues to Sizzle
By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council
We have kept a steady schedule of beef promoting events that highlight the reason summer is known as grilling season. We started with a meat cutting demonstration and beef marketing workshop hosted by Piedmont Custom Meats. The small workshop allowed producers to go behind the scenes and observe the carcass breakdown process. Then, a Marketing 101 Workshop was hosted by Lee Menius of N.C Choices. Tips and pointers for marketing beef directly to consumers were discussed with time for questions. Conversations flow easily in this small group setting. A special thanks goes to Adam Lawing and Dalton Suits for preparing our lunch that day. We enjoyed listening to everyone’s wins and needs from the field.
Next, our North Carolina beef ambassadors helped at the repeat event, Touch a Tractor in Midtown Raleigh. The Midtown Farmer’s Market hosts our annual agriculture commodities event, which is well attended by urban families. We have a fun day filled with children’s activities and share the story of how beef makes its way from pasture to plate with the eager to learn visitors.
This event is one of our best opportunities to reach those outside our typical agriculture familiar audience. The shopping center in Raleigh’s North Hills combines retail space with condominiums and very densely populated neighborhoods. It’s safe to say that many are not connected to how food is grown or produced. And they are quite eager to learn and discuss this with our agriculture organizations.
Special thanks to Chaney Leonard, Leelee Votaw, and Emily Oberman for helping make the day go so well. They did a tremendous job speaking with the families and helping them to feel more confident in choosing beef.
Up next on the calendar was N.C. FFA state convention. It’s always nice to see the enthusiasm for agriculture these youth have. Their skills in livestock evaluation and many other food animal based topics is exciting to see develop.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture hosted SummerFest, a beef grilling demonstration at the State Farmer’s Market. Grillmaster Ron Simmons of Masterblend Family Farms served as the grill guide, serving burgers, burnt ends,
and steak tips to visitors. He explained the details of charcoal grilling and shared samples with visitors. Our beef puzzle was a hit with families (both parents and children).
We’ll be back next month with more information on the summer advertising campaign taking place in southeastern states. Stay cool. We’re all hoping fall weather will be here soon!
By DR. MATT POORE N.C. State University
August is the Time to Prepare Fields for Stockpiling
August is a key time to plan for stockpiling forage for winter grazing, either in fescue or bermudagrass based systems. It seems like a long time until winter, but spending time now thinking through what you need to purchase and how daily management will impact your ultimate forage yields is critical if you want to optimize your opportunity for winter grazing.
In fescue based systems, nearly all producers should plan to stockpile part of their acreage for use during the winter.
Stockpiling is simply accumulating forage growth and deferring grazing from when the forage is “ready to graze” (about 6-8 weeks of regrowth) until much later when it is needed. In the autumn, this works especially well for tall fescue as it is the most resilient of our forages to weather and maintains its quality well into winter. In North Carolina, we have been researching fescue stockpiling systems for many years, and it is a practice I would never want to do without on my home farm in Southern Virginia.
Our on-farm research showed that after applying 54 lbs of nitrogen per acre to pastures about September 1, the yield was about 2,542 lbs of forage per acre, which provided 105 cow grazing days per acre during the winter grazing season. It is important to note that on these farms, care was taken with the stockpiling process. Pastures were clipped or grazed and then rested during the month of August, and grazing was deferred until December or later.
Of course, your yield will depend on timely rainfall, but doing everything right, including getting fertilizer out on time and giving the grass a rest, will help make use of the rain when it does come. If you continuously graze pastures, it is critical to note that cattle must be removed from these pastures about a month before fertilization if you want to get a successful stockpile.
The best fields to stockpile will be mostly tall fescue (other grasses, especially clover, decay more rapidly than fescue), and fertility status (including pH) should be adequate to support good forage growth. Nitrogen has traditionally been recommended at between 50 -100 lbs per acre, but producers need to consider both the cost of nitrogen and the ability of their land to produce without supplemental nitrogen when making a decision on application rate.
The source of nitrogen is often discussed, and the least expensive source (30% liquid urea/ammonium nitrate or UAN) may not be the best choice for autumn applications. The reason for this is not well understood, but it has been speculated that burning the green leaves can set the plants back for several weeks, which can make a big difference in the amount of forage accumulated.
Urea is another inexpensive source of nitrogen, but it also has limitations. In hot, dry weather, urea can be hydrolyzed on the surface of the soil, resulting in the loss of nitrogen as ammonia gas. A good
rain immediately following application can reduce the problem of burn with UAN and the volatilization from urea, so if you use those sources, they should be applied right before a rain if at all possible.
The nitrogen source of choice for stockpiling in the past has been ammonium nitrate, but because of public safety concerns, it is no longer widely available to farmers. In its place, many suppliers have developed a formula of granular 34% N that is a mix of ammonium sulfate and urea. This product spreads like ammonium nitrate but also provides significant sulfur, which may be needed in some situations. Be aware, however, that ammonium sulfate is among the most acidifying of nitrogen fertilizers, so expect an increased need for lime where it is applied.
Many producers have also used a lot of poultry litter and biosolids or have a good rotational grazing system with substantial legumes. Each of these situations may result in a lot of nitrogen cycling in the soil. Sometimes, there is nearly as much yield without nitrogen application as one might expect with the addition of N, so farmers would benefit from not applying nitrogen at all in those cases. In a study conducted several years ago with Dr. Alan Franzluebbers, we found that many farms with a high level of grazing management could not economically justify applying supplemental nitrogen.
As stated earlier, the stockpiling process should start with clipping or grazing in August, followed by at least two weeks of rest before the nitrogen application. Pastures that have been grazed short during summer (to less than three inches) should be rested for four weeks prior to the nitrogen application. Nitrogen fertilization should occur in mid-August in the most northern and mountainous parts of Virginia, as well as in the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina. In the Piedmont, the
Cows grazing stockpiled fescue in February.
application of nitrogen should occur near September 1, and in the Coastal Plain regions, it should be in mid-September. This will allow at least 60 days of good growth before cool weather slows the forage accumulation.
Once forage is accumulated, you should wait until December or later to graze after the toxin levels in KY31 decline. This is sometimes a stumbling point for producers who may be out of grass before then, but if you change your thinking about this, autumn is actually not a bad time to do some hay feeding before going to the stockpiled grazing at a later date.
At home in the southern Piedmont of Virginia, we generally save most of our stockpile for after the holidays when our toxin levels have declined and when we would rather be grazing than feeding hay. We fertilize September 1, then accumulate forage until just before Christmas, and then try to have forage to graze through the end of February. We rotationally graze pastures that are not targeted to stockpiling during the autumn and will start unrolling some hay when those pastures are mostly utilized. This makes for a short 30-45 day winter hay feeding period during March in a normal year, with no late winter hay feeding in a good year!
One new development is novel endophyte tall fescue, which doesn’t accumulate ergot toxins, so it can be grazed before the holidays without problems. If you have established some novel fescue, you can graze those stockpiled fields first and then move to KY31 later. Research at NCSU has shown that novel endophyte tall fescue is as productive and as resilient in a stockpiling system as toxic tall fescue.
Frontal Grazing - Frontal grazing is a critical management tool for getting the most out of stockpiled forage. Giving cattle strips with no more than three days of forage available will stretch grass by preventing the damage and decay of forage the cattle don’t yet need. The slow rate of regrowth means you don’t need to
NOTICE
Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input.
use a back fence, simplifying the process. Also, the systematic management of the cows with frequent movement calms them down, makes them easy to check and count, and just, in general, makes them easier to deal with.
As you get started with frontal grazing, you will find that it is actually quite an easy process, but you do need to have an eye for animal behavior and residual forage amount to get the best results. In our research, we have typically targeted an 85 percent utilization of the available forage (down to a 2 inch stubble height), and that is very efficient and works great for cows, but we have always thought it might limit the performance of growing animals. Recently, we published a three year study that showed giving a more liberal forage allowance than we usually provide (about 25 percent more available grazing) reduced the animal grazing days we got out of the pasture but improved the gains on replacement heifers by about 0.25 pounds per head per day.
In that same study, we found that providing a protein tub to the heifers improved their performance by a similar amount as the extra forage allocation. The combination of the two was additive, such that supplemented heifers that were given extra grass and a protein tub gained about 0.50 lbs per head per day more, which can make a real difference to a developing heifer.
Bermudagrass can also be stockpiled for autumn grazing, so in systems with a bermudagrass base, plan on fertilizing with 50 lb/acre of nitrogen in late August after a grazing or hay cutting and allow the forage to accumulate for about six weeks. Then, instead of taking a last hay cut, frontal graze the pastures as described for stockpiled fescue. These pastures will deteriorate rapidly once freezing temperatures arrive, but they can provide good grazing for cows through about the middle of November. It is critical in bermudagrass systems to remove the old summer growth through grazing or cutting of hay as that old material will be of very low nutritive value once autumn grazing begins.
HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.
August is the time to think about your winter feed supply and to prepare for stockpiling forage. Whether your system is based on tall fescue or bermudagrass, stockpiling for fall and winter grazing can really help reduce your hay feeding bill.
For more information on stockpiling tall fescue, plan on attending an educational webinar presented by Dr. Miguel Castillo on October 2 from 3:004:00 p.m. To register, visit https://go.ncsu. edu/efsme8b or go to the NCSU forage program website at https://forages.ces. ncsu.edu
E.B.'s ViEw from thE Cow PasturE
By E.B. HARRIS
Root Doctor
I had a phone call the other day, and on the other end, I recognized it to be Harvey Alston. Harvey lives in Franklin County, just across the line, about eight miles from the house in the community that we call Schloss. From my house, it lies just a little southwest. Through the woods, it’s probably about five miles, and by the road, it’s about eight miles.
He went on to tell me he had a few head of cattle that he wanted to go to the market. I have been hauling Harvey’s cattle to the market for many years. We have built a good friendship over the years, and this particular morning, it worked out for me to pick up his cattle for the market. I backed up the chute, loaded his cattle, and took care of the paperwork. Harvey has been using different bulls of mine over the past 15 years. He was proud of his calves and mama cows and wanted to show them to me.
As we were walking across the yard, he was calling the cattle up. He said to me, “Old Arthur (arthritis) has come to visit me.” I said, “Harvey, they always told me don’t believe nothing you hear and half of what you see, but I am going to tell you what I do. I got this from a root doctor, and I don’t have Arthur. Let’s put it like this, if I did not know my birthday date, I would not know how old I am. But, as time goes by, at some point, your joints don’t move like they did when you were playing sports when you were 15, 16, or 17 years old in high school.”
“This is what I was told to me by a root doctor. I get me a box of golden raisins. You can find them in the supermarket, but not as easily as regular brown raisins. Then I go by the Aunt Bessie Club (ABC store) and buy me some lime flavored gin. I soak the raisins in the gin in a quart jar for about a week. I keep two jars, so I always have them available. I eat a spoonful of the raisins every morning. I am not saying they will cure you, but they certainly won’t hurt you. If you decide to try it, I hope it may do you some good. I think they work. I am not a medical doctor or anything like that, but if you want to call me a root
doctor, that will be fine.”
Speaking of root doctors, I have seen/ heard of a few in my day. There was one here in the county who was so famous there would be two Trailway buses at a time lined up, hauling people from the northern part of the U.S. down here to see him. I have seen this with my own two eyes. The bus would be parked at the gate, and when one came out, another would go in. I have been told by different people the folks on the buses were treated for all kinds of ailments, love affairs, or to get a conjure on a person who would bother them. It must have worked because his reputation spread far and wide. He had cattle on his farm, and the person renting it now has cattle on it today.
Another root doctor I knew said he went to a lady’s house that said she had haunts in it. He said it was hot summertime. He crawled up in the attic, looked around, and could see there was a high infestation of rats and mice. He went to town and bought some little bags of rat poison, spread them in the attic, and then sprinkled flour around the house. I think this was a decoy. He told the lady she
Sometimes “Root Doctor” medicine works.
would hear the haunts the next night or two, but then they would get quiet. When they really leave this house, it will get to smelling, but don’t worry about it. It will go away after a while. I think this is about the best root doctor story I have heard.
Some other things, I am sure, have worked over time for people. Some have talked warts off kid’s fingers. We used to have a lady who kept Jimmy and me as children, and if we stepped on a rusty nail, she would go find the nail, straighten it out, grease it with hog lard, and drive it in an oak tree. She said this took all the soreness out of your foot. I don’t know if it did or not, but it got our minds off what we had done on the rusty nail.
Like a lot of North Carolina and Virginia, we could all use some rain. My brother Jimmy called last week and said it was going to rain in the next few days. I told him to tell me about the rain. He went on to say he had killed a 4½’ black snake and hung him on the fence. By his root doctor calculations, it was going to rain 2¼” in the next few days. This was a root doctor guideline that he had heard all his life. Except for the calculation of the length of the snake to the amount of rain, it will happen more times than not. We did get a nice rain in two days. I did not have a rain gauge up, so I can’t say whether it was 2¼” or not. I am going to say Jimmy was close to right.
“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
By ABBY MORELAND-HOLSOMBACK N.C. State University -- ANS 402 Beef Management
Building A Better Cow
Genetics significantly affects how our cattle grow, develop, and ultimately gain profit. In recent years, genetics has begun to be a bigger discussion for producers around the world. Most seedstock cow/ calf producers consider genetics regularly when producing the next generation of cattle, which affects our feedlot producers because they are receiving those cattle. One consideration when selecting genetics for your herd is regionally adapted genetics. Regionally adapted genetics is the genetic change in cattle that have effectively adapted to their environment over multiple generations.
Factors such as temperature and altitude can negatively affect cattle’s efficiency if they are not in the right environment. The lack of adaptation costs the cattle industry billions of dollars a year. Since different cattle breeds and genetics thrive in different environments, selecting traits that will thrive in your region is essential.4 Figure 1 shows the patterns of different breeds based on their location in the world. Hybrid cattle exhibited more heat tolerance than British breeds in North Carolina and South Carolina.5
One current adaptation seen in cattle in the South is early season hair shedding.4 When a herd sheds its winter coats early in the season, this indicates its heat adaptation. Heat tolerance is a significant adaptation in the southern states because temperatures often reach triple digits with high humidity. We can use a score of 1-5 to measure how much coat the cattle have left, with 1 being completely slick and 5 being full winter coat. The University of Missouri observed a 35-50 lb. difference in calves from cows being slick over a full coat at weaning.4 Higher weaning weights contribute to reduced heat stress, and cows can expend more energy on their calves.
While all breeds will eventually adapt to their environment, it can take many generations to do so. Some breeds, such as those in the Bos indicus family, are naturally more heat tolerant than others.3 Figure 2 shows breeds such as Beefmaster, Brangus, and Santa Gertrudis perform the highest, while the Angus and Herefords perform lower when
comparing heat tolerance.3 The American breeds also perform very evenly across the board, proving they are a great result of hybrid vigor. This crossbreeding of American breeds to Bos indicus breeds has dramatically improved heat tolerance within herds. Depending on the goals of
your operation, crossbreeding with Bos indicus may be a great option if your herd struggles with heat tolerance.
Fescue toxicity resistance is another trait that cattle are gaining. While fescue is the most common forage cattle consume, it can have endophytes that cause toxicosis, fescue foot, low pregnancy rates, and reduced weight gain. 1 All of these symptoms can negatively affect a farm’s productivity and cause a loss of revenue. Figure 3 compares the average daily gain in steers grazing on endophyte infected fescue versus a non-infected variety. Overall, there was a 0.73 lb. decrease per day while grazing the endophyte infected fescue. 6 Fescue toxicosis costs the livestock industry one billion dollars annually. 1 Since fescue is the
most common grass cattle graze in the southeast, it is hard to prevent cattle from consuming it, so producers can select for fescue toxicosis resistance instead.
This is where genetics comes into play. Research has shown that cattle can become resistant to the endophyte’s toxin and pass that resistance on to their offspring. 2 The resistance has been identified the most in Angus cattle. While methods to identify how cattle gain resistance are being studied, it is difficult to conclude how actually to select for this trait. However, it has been observed that cattle with more heat tolerance typically have more resistance to fescue toxicosis, so the two adaptations mentioned correlate.2 This resistance can be especially beneficial to producers that graze on fescue or feed fescue hay. It can
Figure 1. Breed performance findings based on biomes of the world.5
save producers money on finding alternate sources of nutrition for their herd.
If you are buying cattle to bring into your operation, it is necessary to consider the location they come from. EPDs are great tools to evaluate traits in a bull. However, those traits may not perform the same in a different environment. This is due to genotype-by-environment interactions, which are the interactions between the cattle’s genetic makeup and the environment they are living in. For example, if you were to buy a bull from Maine and bring it to North Carolina in the mid-summer, he may not be as productive as he was previously. This could be attributed to a lack of heat or
fescue toxicosis adaptations that cattle from North Carolina have developed. Researchers are currently working on ways to predict how a bull’s genetics will perform in different parts of the country.4 This advancement will allow producers to select sires with optimal performance in their region.
When cattle are more heat tolerant, it allows them to be more comfortable and, in turn, increases their production. When cattle do not have to expend energy to fight disease or cool down, their bodies can utilize the extra energy to gain more weight, increase milk production, and mature faster. 4 While profit is the objective of most operations, producers
put their cattle’s well being first. Selecting for traits such as heat tolerance and fescue resistance are ways producers can continue increasing their cattle’s health, thus increasing their profitability.
REFERENCES
1Beck, M. “Fescue toxicity: What are your options?” (2016) www.agproud.com
2 Browning Jr, R. “Tall Fescue Endophyte Toxicosis in Beef Cattle: Clinical Mode of Action and Potential Mitigation through Cattle Genetics.” (2003) www.tnstate.edu
3 Hammack, S. “Texas Adapted Genetic Strategies for Beef Cattle V: Type and Breed Characteristics and Uses.” (2014) lavaca.agrilife.org
4Rowan, T. “Cattle genomics: Breeding a better adapted cow: U.T. beef & forage center.” (2022) utbeef.tennessee.edu
5McIntosh, M., Spiegal, S., McIntosh, S., Castano Sanchez, J., Estell, R., Steele, C., Elias, E., Bailey, D., Brown, J., & Cibils, A. “Matching beef cattle breeds to the environment for desired outcomes in a changing climate: A systematic review.” (2023) www.sciencedirect.com
6 Master Grazer Education Program. “PPT - Effects of endophyte infected fescue on animal performance PowerPoint presentation - ID:2691663.” (2014) www.slideserve.com
Have You Herd is written as part of the ANS 402 Beef Management course requirement at N.C. State University’s Department of Animal Science under the instruction of Dr. Carrie Pickworth. The opinions of Abby Moreland-Holsomback are not necessarily those of N.C. State University or Dr. Carrie Pickworth.
Figure 2. A study done in Texas comparing different breeds and important characteristics.3
Figure 3. The difference in ADG in steers grazing on endophyte infected fescue versus noninfected.6
Clemson Corner
By LILIANE SILVA, Clemson University
Grazing Summer Annuals to Complement Forage Production and Quality
Warm season annual forages are fast growing, high quality forages that can supplement production and quality to support animal performance. In the Southeast, they are planted from April through June and can be used under baleage or greenchop production, or grazing management. Most livestock operations in the region are based on perennial grasses, such as tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ), bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), and bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon ). Summer annuals are a good alternative to complement those operations’ nutritional and yield requirements. For example, they are a good option to support higher nutritional requirements for heifers in development during the summer months. Also, due to their fast growth and stand establishment, summer annuals can help fill the gap of forage production in operations.
Warm season annual forages can be grown either in monoculture or in mixtures in the region, as seen in Figure 1. They require proper soil pH and fertility and adequate land preparation ahead of planting. Among the grasses, the most used ones are crabgrass ( Digitaria sanguinalis ), pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ), sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), and sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum × drummondii ). These grasses have, on average, 16–20% crude protein (CP), depending on fertilization management implemented, and crabgrass can be managed for reseeding. Proper grazing management is essential to avoid issues with prussic acid poisoning or nitrate toxicity, mainly when drought or frost events occur. Sugarcane aphids can be an issue. If left uncontrolled, they can reduce forage yield and quality of sorghum containing forage stands.
With the increasing costs of offfarm inputs and growing environmental concerns, the incorporation of legumes into grass based stands is a viable option to add organic nitrogen into the system while improving forage quality and soil fertility. Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata )
and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) are summer annual options to be incorporated into mixtures with grasses, as seen in Figure 1. When using forage mixtures, it is necessary to adjust seeding rates and management practices to allow the species to grow and establish well. These forage legumes have over 18% CP concentration and tolerate grazing, but the pastures should be managed under rotational management to allow proper forage removal and resting time for plants to recover and regrow. For example, sunn hemp can tolerate drought, and grazing
should start around 45-60 days after planting when plants are one to three feet tall.
When managing summer annual forage mixtures, it is important to avoid overgrazing to preserve the growing point of plants and maintain adequate leaf residual biomass for proper regrowth. As a rule of thumb, annual forage stands should not be grazed below 16”, and forage mass should be measured to adjust the stocking rate and the rotation length during the season. To assess the agronomic and environmental benefits of summer mixtures, a two year research trial is being conducted in South Carolina to evaluate one grass only (pearl millet + crabgrass) and two grass-legume mixtures, as seen in Figure 2. In 2023, paddocks were planted in May, and 50 lbs of NPK/acre was applied. No additional nitrogen was applied throughout the
season. The annual forage yields ranged from 5,100-6,600 lbs of dry matter/acre, with crude protein ranging from 13-21% throughout the grazing season. Grazing management is an important tool to keep the plants in the vegetative stage over time. It is crucial to avoid letting the plants get overly grown and mature because this will cause higher trampling and waste of forage biomass and can compromise the length of the growing season. In 2024, the prolonged drought in this area has compromised growth and production in early season. However, legume containing mixtures have been able to secure moisture and establish better than grass only mixtures during this period. Based on preliminary results, summer annual forage mixtures may be a viable alternative to provide high quality forage and increased forage production during summer months in South Carolina.
Figure 1. Warm season annual mixtures in Blackville, S.C.
Figure 2. Grass-legume warm season annual mixture in Blackville, S.C.
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You Decide!
By DR. MIKE WALDEN
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus N.C. State University
You Decide: What’s the Biggest Issue Facing the Country? At the numerous presentations I give during the year, I am frequently asked this question: What is the most important issue facing the country? Since I know the question is coming, I’m always thinking about it. Also, since I’ve been making public presentations for almost half a century, my answer has often changed.
What is my current answer? I think the most prominent issue today is ensuring we have a training system in place that qualifies workers to perform the tasks needed in the future.
Notice the words I’ve chosen. I used “training system” instead of “education” to emphasize that there are ways of learning skills in addition to formal education programs.
Also, recognize I used the word “tasks” rather than “jobs” or “careers.” This, too, was on purpose. As I will explain, many experts think modern technology will eventually divide many jobs into tasks done by machines and tasks performed by people.
The major reason I assert our training system for the tasks of the future is our most pressing issue is because I think both key components of my statement, training and tasks, are facing pressure to change. Consider the formal educational system which dominates today’s broader training system. Many K-12 schools are struggling to recover from the educational losses suffered during COVID-19. Also, many K-12 schools are still trying to find educational methods and tools that can achieve success for all students.
At the higher education level, the two big issues are relevance and cost. Recently, more employers — one survey found half — have concluded college degrees are no longer needed for many jobs. At the same time, the surge in college tuition and accompanying student debt are putting higher education out of reach for many young people.
While questions about training are being asked, technological developments appear poised to change the nature of work in a dramatic way. Of course, this is not new. Beginning at least 300 years ago, the creation of machinery
and new tools changed what workers did. The most recent version of this was the development of the computer. I’ve had a front row seat to watch the implementation of the computer in numerous jobs, including mine as a college professor.
But many observers say the next phase, artificial intelligence (A.I.), will generate impacts we’ve never seen before. The new and unique impact of A.I. is that it will be able to accomplish cognitive tasks, something that, up to now, only humans have been able to do.
The conclusion is the workplace will be shaken up like never before. There will be a re-sorting of the work tasks humans do and the work tasks that technology — specifically A.I. — will do. For people, this means a big change in the training we will need for the redesigned human tasks.
This is why I believe understanding the restructuring of workplace tasks and the necessary training for humans to do those tasks pose our most important future challenge.
It shouldn’t be surprising that there are pessimists and optimists about our ability to succeed with this challenge. Some pessimists see traditional technology combined with A.I. ultimately performing most of the work tasks needed in the economy. Hence, there will be little work left for humans. As a result, most households would need to be supported with public financial payments. Education and training would be confined to teaching people how to enjoy life and pursue hobbies. While some may consider this result desirable, pessimists argue such a lifestyle would leave a void of purpose that most humans need.
The optimists think human work will not disappear, but it will be very different. Perhaps ironically, many optimists predict the very technology generating the job disruption, A.I., could be used to quickly train workers for new tasks.
How would this happen? One idea is using A.I. to create personalized learning instructors for students, potentially for all levels of education. The A.I. tutor would use information about the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses to develop customized learning programs
implemented at a pace specifically for the student. Rather than a one-size-fits-all method of teaching, the A.I. tutor would be the ultimate in a “specific size for each student” approach.
In the fast paced changes anticipated in the future job market, there is also a worry that educational institutions won’t be able to adapt quickly enough to the new tasks workers will perform. As a result, some experts anticipate more companies training their hires on the job. Many higher education programs would then focus primarily on basic skills like communication and the use of technology. As a result, the average time spent at a college or university could be reduced to one or two years. But would this limit students’ exposure to broader topics, like history and literature, and what would be the consequences?
Of course, most of this discussion is speculative. Still, I think there is a coming overhaul of education and training as a result of the upcoming disruption in the labor market due to technology like A.I. Do you think this is the biggest issue facing us in the future, and if so, how should we respond? You decide.
You Decide: Have Cities Reached Their Peak? I grew up in a rural region outside Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1950s and early 1960s. Our home was around the corner from my paternal grandfather’s farm. I enjoyed the open spaces and clean air. Traffic was minimal, so I could ride my bike everywhere. However, there were some changes. Whereas my father walked to school, I took a bus.
It was a major occasion for my parents to take me to downtown Cincinnati for shopping, a movie, or a Cincinnati Reds game at old Crosley Field. It was probably then that I first became interested in cities. Downtown Cincinnati offered excitement, easy access to stores, restaurants, and
entertainment, and the wonder of seeing massive skyscrapers like the 49 story Carew Tower, still standing today as the second tallest building in the city.
It was natural that I carried this urban fascination to college. My initial intent was to become an architect and design big city buildings. A lack of design creativity pushed me to city planning, where I thought I could help manage cities. Then, I discovered economics and its power for understanding behavior. My Ph.D. dissertation focused on why some neighborhoods in Cincinnati that had fallen into decline were being revived by new investments and new residents.
When I came to North Carolina in the 1970s, the majority of people lived in rural regions. It wasn’t until 1990 that North Carolina officially became an urban state, with most people living in cities and their adjacent suburbs. Today, ⅔ live in urban areas.
Indeed, during most of the last three decades, urban areas, led by cities like Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, WinstonSalem, and Greensboro, have continued to increase their dominance. Over 80 percent of the state’s economic activity is now based in urban counties. Growing economic sectors like technology, pharmaceuticals, finance, and others have favored urban locations with their access to colleges and universities, a young workforce, and amenities like shopping, entertainment, and transportation, particularly airline flights.
However, there may be some cracks appearing in the dominance of cities, particularly big cities. Recently released U.S. Census data show that since 2020, more people in the nation have been moving out of urban regions than moving into those regions. The opposite has occurred for rural regions, where more people have moved to those areas than have left. I looked at these data
specifically for North Carolina and found the same results. Foreign immigration does not factor into these numbers.
Of course, the trend of urban areas losing people and rural areas gaining people may not continue. Some of the trends may be a reaction to the pandemic, when people sought comfort in rural regions where population densities are much lower, possibly providing partial protection from illnesses spread from person to person, like COVID-19.
Still, there may be several factors that will sustain a rural rebound. One is the increase in remote work. Remote work increased by 650 percent during the pandemic as offices, schools, and other businesses were closed to stop the spread of the virus. But even after the pandemic, remote work is over 300 percent higher than prior to COVID-19. A significant number of workers like the freedom provided by remote work, as well as the reduction in commuting. Many businesses
the chaplain’s corral
By CLEO FAYE GREEN Chaplain, Cowboys for Christ
The Blood of Christ
My name is Cleo Faye Green. I was born and raised five miles south of Lufkin in the piney woods of East Texas. The oldest of six girls with no brothers, I was Daddy’s tomboy and his right hand helper.
We were poor dirt farmers. We always had a garden to eat from or canned for the winter. We also grew cotton, peanuts, and sugar cane. I spent many hours with Dad in the fields every spring, summer, and fall. I plowed with the mare, he the mule. We planted, weeded, picked cotton, and pulled corn. Horses pulled our wagon. We walked behind, pulling corn and tossing the ears into it. The corn was used as feed for our animals and popping corn to eat or decorate our Christmas tree.
We always had a hog fattened with slop. Neighbors came to help butcher it. We enjoyed fresh meat, smoked some, and canned the rest. I killed my first squirrel with a .22 rifle when I was eight. My dad said, “Good girl. Now gut and skin it. We’ll have it for supper.” I killed my first deer when I was nine.
We cut wood for cooking and heating. We had no electricity or running water, but we thought we were rich because we had a two hole outhouse with a Sears and Roebuck catalog for toilet paper. Mother made our dresses from feed and flour sacks. Sometimes, we got handme-downs from our aunts, and we always got new shoes for Easter and school.
We were poor but didn’t know it. We had the woods across the dirt road we lived on, where we spent many hours
have also found remote work increases worker productivity and satisfaction, as well as saving the company money on office rent and maintenance.
A second factor is the expansion of high speed internet service. In part thanks to federal and state financial assistance, including in North Carolina, over 90 percent of individuals today say they have access to broadband.
A third factor is the growth in cyber buying combined with home delivery. For a large number of items, we don’t need to drive to stores for purchases. Orders can be placed for almost any product, and that product can be delivered to our doorstep. While the process may not be as available or easy in rural areas, the anticipated arrival of drone delivery in the future may make cyber ordering and home delivery convenient everywhere.
The conclusion is that cities may be losing some of their attractiveness in the post-COVID-19 period. Work, shopping, and information access via the internet are increasingly becoming available in small towns and rural regions. Even college classes can increasingly be accessed remotely.
movement continues, we may be approaching a shift in North Carolina’s economic geography. Growth in metropolitan populations may slow and possibly decline. At the same time, growth in small town and rural area populations could jump. Since the majority of remote jobs are hybrid — for example, working three days at home and two days at the worksite — rural areas within a one way commuting time of an hour to big cities (beyond which most drivers find the commute excessive) would see the biggest influx of workers.
Such a geographic shift could be a win-win for many. Households located in small towns and rural areas would benefit from significantly lower housing prices, less congestion, and more space. However, with slower — or negative — growth in cities, residents would see some easing in congestion and some reductions in the upward pressure on the costs of shelter.
playing. We made make believe stores, houses, and furniture. We swung from saplings, hunted berries, and goofed off like kids do.
My great grandmother was a short Cherokee woman, and we lived in her small five room house. Three of us girls would sleep together in one bed in one of the two bedrooms. It was so hot in the summer we would put our mattress on the open front porch and cover our heads to keep mosquitoes from biting us.
When I was five, my dad went to town on Christmas Eve for groceries. When he stepped down from the wagon, there was a $20 bill on the ground. Wow! He came home with foods we had never eaten before —sliced white bread, a head of lettuce, and mayonnaise. He also bought a rubber doll for me.
I had a happy childhood, but we only went to church occasionally. On June 27, 1958, I was born again as a 23-yearold young woman in need of a Savior. I was miraculously saved, and the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ washed away my sins. He changed my life.
I’ve raised one son and at least 23 foster children. I have great, great grandchildren, and I have buried three husbands who loved the Lord. Today, at 89 years young, I am still serving the Lord and couldn’t be happier about trusting my life to Jesus!
As it says in Ephesians 1:7 - “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
If the recent data on population
Traveling all across North Carolina for almost half a century rekindled my interest in rural areas as well as in cities. The widening urban-rural divide has been an issue in the state for decades. Is the gap between city life and country life about to narrow? You decide.
AAA
President’s UPdAte
By BARRY POLLARD American Angus Association
American Angus Association Members,
The American Angus Association Board of Directors met June 3-6 in Oklahoma City, Okla., where we discussed a wide variety of topics important to the membership.
We heard about the important updates made to the National Cattle Evaluation and Sire Evaluation Report in May. As we do annually, we updated economic assumptions driving the Association’s $Values, along with a core update to improve run times and efficiency. This change also included enhancements to the carcass model and its genetic parameters, including heritability estimates and genetic correlations. We’re fortunate to have expert researchers on staff to continually improve our evaluation tools.
Our organization remains in solid financial position, with registrations being up over last year. Each entity is performing ahead of budget and is on pace to finish the financial year, ending September 30, in a positive financial position.
The Association continues to encourage data collection and enrollment in Inventory Reporting and MaternalPlus. To date, data collection is up 1 percent overall, and increases are as high as 38 percent feed efficiency and up around 14 percent for teat and udder scores. There was a recent update to the MaternalPlus logo that includes the word “Herd” to denote that the animal comes from a herd, meeting the data submission standards for
the program.
Perhaps the most exciting growth happening in Angus right now relates to AngusLink. Last month, we announced a new Genetic Merit Scorecard grid premium being offered by National Beef and U.S. Premium Beef. In addition, we plan to add a maternal score to the Scorecard in June. Both announcements have received widespread attention, and we continue to see tremendous growth in enrollment. These advancements are reinforcing our bull buyers’ decision to invest in registered Angus genetics.
In today’s world, we know members expect the ability to conduct business online. We continue to make improvements, and we are in the process of working on an online membership application to make it easier for members to apply. We are anxiously awaiting the launch of our updated Angus.org website and BEEF Academy this summer. The board saw a sneak peek of both projects, and I’m sure you will be happy with the improved usability of the website. BEEF Academy promises to have a broad impact and be a great tool for young cattlemen to learn more about the industry.
The digital advertising landscape changes constantly, and we have heard updates on Angus Media’s process as well as potential new products on the horizon. We are fortunate to have advertising products backed by first-party data and provide a competitive advantage to our members. We enjoyed spending time with our new Angus Media President, Benjie Lemon, as he prepares to officially start later this month.
Staff shared an update on a regional virtual meeting series planned for this summer. They will provide an opportunity for member feedback on research EPDs. Watch your email and the website for a schedule of these meetings.
The gene editing space is continually changing, and as a board, we’re monitoring those changes. We learned
about new FDA guidance documents being proposed for the gene editing process and also looked at consumer acceptance research. Our goal is to continue to learn as the industry evolves.
We also discussed the number of owners allowed on a registration certificate and made no changes to the current limit of three. We also approved small wording changes to rules 104 and 202 relating to genetic testing for embryo transfer calves.
A few outside speakers also contributed to our board meetings this week. We heard a member presentation on a proposed research project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We will continue to evaluate whether there are mutual benefits for both USDA and the Association members.
Dale Woerner, Ph.D from Texas Tech, shared his red meat yield research. As he pointed out, the system we currently use to measure rib eye area and fat thickness was created in 1960. While the best system at the time, today, the industry is looking at ways the entire carcass and potentially live animals could be evaluated to make more accurate predictions with technology like 3D imaging. Certified Angus Beef
continues to take a leadership position in industry groups working on this issue, and we will continue to evaluate how these advancements could improve our genetic evaluation.
The Association was invited to participate in the Producer Profitability Initiative, a collaborative effort by several beef industry organizations focused on mutually beneficial topics. We recognize how important it is for the beef industry to work together as much as possible and look forward to learning more about this initiative.
Our June board meetings are also the time when we begin to think about the board elections in November. Two of our current board members, Mark Ahearn and Darrell Stevenson, declared their candidacy for Treasurer of the board. We appointed Landi McFarlandLivingston, from Iowa, and Bill Bowman, from Missouri, to be the delegate election observers.
The board appreciates member feedback, so please feel free to reach out to ask questions or discuss any of these or other topics. For more in-depth discussion on many of these topics, listen to the June 7 episode of The Angus Conversation
Don’t get caught napping! Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!
ANGUS NEWS
Registration Open for the 2024 Angus Convention in Fort Worth. Join the Angus Family in Fort Worth, Tex., for the American Angus Association’s national convention. What better place to explore the future of the Angus breed than in a city built by the cattle industry. The American Angus Association is headed to Fort Worth for the 2024 Angus Convention on November 1-4. Cowtown will serve as a fitting backdrop to drive innovation, explore and shape the future of the Angus breed, and engage in education and conversation.
“We are looking forward to being back in Fort Worth for Angus Convention this November,” said Caitlyn Brandt, director of events and junior activities for the American Angus Association. “Cowtown certainly attracts cattlemen and women from across the country along with allied industry members.”
The event will kick off in a “Welcome to Texas” fashion with the National Angus Tour and Beef Blitz on November 1. These ticketed events immerse attendees in the local industry.
• National Angus Tour - Explore the Texas countryside, visit local businesses making big industry impacts, and catch up with fellow producers. Stops include Cox Ranch, Vytelle Corporate Laboratory, and Teskey’s Western Store.
• Beef Blitz - Spend the day with Certified Angus Beef and get a behindthe-scenes look at the foodservice and retail world, showing how progressive technology and merchandising offer consumers the best eating experience with the best Angus beef.
The stellar lineup continues through the weekend with general sessions focused on providing producers with unique perspectives and a little food for thought to take back to the ranch.
• Opening Session - Disruptive and Un-Traditional Marketing with Branding and Relationship Expert Scott Scratten - The ability to build relationships and be heard by your market has never been greater, but it is overwhelming to determine what tools to use. This entertaining and thought provoking talk covers both online and offline methods of staying in front of your target audience so when they have the need to buy, they choose you.
• Genetic Symposium - The Genetic Key: Revolutionizing Animal Health in Beef Cattle through Genetics - How
can genetics play a role in addressing health challenges in beef cattle? From hereditary diseases to resilience against environmental stressors, we will explore advancements made in other species and how genetic advancements could transform the landscape of beef cattle management. Discover how harnessing genetic insights can not only mitigate health issues but also enhance productivity, sustainability, and profitability within the beef industry.
• Inspirational Session - No Bad Days with Hunter Pinke: How to live the rest of your life without having another bad day - After becoming a paraplegic in a skiing accident, Hunter was told he would have good days and bad days. He decided differently. Hunter shares the real source of joy and the truths that can get you through any tough day.
A pillar of the annual convention, Angus University educational sessions will drive conversation around marketing, herd rebuilding, diversification, and succession planning.
• Angus Media Marketing Summit - Back by popular demand, the Angus Media Marketing Summit will help you reach new customers, tell your story, and leverage the right tools to get the job done. Angus Media’s team of experts will help you think about marketing from a new perspective – offering strategies to turn minor adjustments into major gains.
• Herd Rebuilding - Traditionally, herd rebuilding has allowed the cattle industry to make significant genetic gains. Do you have a road map to ensure your operation can capitalize on the opportunity?
• Diversification - New revenue streams can allow space for younger generations to come home to the operation or provide the security to take risks where you otherwise wouldn’t.
Explore the possibilities with experts in a variety of ranch adjacent opportunities.
• Succession Planning - Planning for life after the ranch can be a hard conversation to start. Let’s start it together with simple steps to help you explore the options, choose the right one for your family, and lay the groundwork to create peace of mind.
Angus Convention is not just for Association members. Texas Regional Manager Radale Tiner encourages local producers to take advantage of the
resources coming to their backyard.
“This is a great opportunity for both registered and commercial producers in Texas to learn more about innovations in our industry,” said Tiner. “It is also a great networking opportunity to share a bit about the great things we have going on in the state’s beef industry.”
All members are welcome to invite commercial customers to take part in the convention, connect with fellow ranchers, and attend the educational session. Angus University will host an additional session focused on commercial operations.
• Capturing Value: Commercial Cattlemen’s Session - Take an in-depth look at a rapidly evolving marketplace and how AngusLink may be your missing link to capturing added value.
Between educational sessions, we will celebrate the accomplishments of producers who have helped move the breed forward, elect the next Board of Directors, discuss the state and future of the American Angus Association, and explore new industry innovations at the trade show.
Join your Angus Family in Fort Worth! Together, we celebrate tradition & explore innovation. Register at na.eventscloud.com/ereg/index. php?eventid=792335&
North Carolina Cattlewoman Travels 1,249 Miles to Unlock Keys to Beef Value Chain. A Laurel Springs, N.C., cattlewoman is among a small group of breeders selected to attend the 2024 Beef Leaders Institute and spend a week learning about the beef value chain. From pasture to plate, it takes multiple links in the value chain to bring Americans the hamburgers they threw on the grill this Fourth of July. And each link is integral to the success of the others. That was one of many takeaways for the 25 Angus producers selected to attend the 2024 Beef Leaders Institute.
“To tour other parts of the industry, like a large packing plant, and hear about the challenges and how we, as producers, can help reduce those challenges, that is
very valuable,” said attendee Rob Phillips of RL Valley Ranch in Athens, Ohio.
The American Angus Association, in partnership with the Certified Angus Beef brand and the Angus Foundation, hosts the annual program to develop young cattlemen and women as industry leaders.
“Our Angus breeders are the very beginning of the food chain. They are raising the high quality Angus genetics that are the very start of things,” said Kara Lee, director of producer engagement at Certified Angus Beef. “However, sometimes producers can be so focused on executing that it can prevent them from having a better understanding of how they impact every step along the way to the consumer.”
Callie Carson from Laurel Springs, N.C., was selected from an application process to take part in the event. Carson and her husband raise Angus cattle on a forage based operation. She also works as a field representative for the N.C. Farm Bureau Federation.
Carson and her fellow producers started the five day tour at the American Angus Association in St. Joseph, Mo., and traveled to six states before wrapping up at the Certified Angus Beef headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. Attendees toured Tyson-Dakota City, Weborg Feedyard, Buckhead of Ohio, STgenetics, and a Meijer Grocery Store along the way.
The whirlwind of a travel week still allowed time for the attendees to get to know one another. This year’s group came from a wide range of operations that vary in size and kind, representing 16 states and two Canadian providences.
“Being a part of this really diverse and awesome group of people has been amazing,” said attendee Alli Fender of Flying F Ranch near San Diego, California. “It’s nice to now be able to pick up the phone and call any one of these producers to pick their brain about the industry.”
The Class of 2024 will have the opportunity to expand their network
further at the Angus Convention in November, where they will be invited to take part in a reunion event for all Beef Leaders Institute classes.
Applications for the 2025 Beef Leaders Institute will open in late fall to American Angus Association members between the ages of 25 and 45.
Despite a rain delay, the annual Angus Foundation Golf Tournament Occurs. The 23rd annual Angus Foundation Golf Tournament, held in Middleton, Wis., raised more than $15,700 for education, youth, and research. A three hour rain delay did not keep 83 golfers from enjoying a fierce and fun day of competition at the 23rd annual Angus Foundation Golf Tournament hosted at Pleasant View Golf Course in Middleton, Wisconsin. The event is held in conjunction with the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), the National Junior Angus Association’s largest youth event of the year.
“It is hard to bargain with Mother Nature but after the morning rain showers, the day was a huge success,” said Jimmy Stickley, Angus Foundation donor coordinator. “The teams and players that stuck it out had a blast on and off the course. We cannot thank everyone enough for sticking with us in the morning and seeing the day through.”
The tournament welcomed 21 teams and raised more than $15,700 to support the Foundation’s commitment to education, youth, and research.
The tournament winner from South Carolina:
• Longest Drive (Men) - Tanner Rhodes of Iva, S.C.
Each year, the tournament is supported by numerous sponsors dedicated to the Angus Foundation’s mission. This year’s event sponsor was Boviteq. NEOGEN continued its sponsorship of the luncheon and event hole flags. Turner Meadow Ranch of Wills Point, Tex., sponsored the clubhouse, Brinkley Angus Ranch of Milan, Mo., and Heritage Farm of Shelbyville, Ken., sponsored the beverage carts. Other sponsors included Certified Angus Beef of Wooster, Ohio, which sponsored the Certified Angus Beef steak lunch; Slate Group of Lubbock, Tex., which sponsored print materials; and ABS of Deforest, Wis., and Genex of Shawano, Wis., which sponsored the prizes.
Hole sponsors from North Carolina:
• Eugene & Carol Shuffler - Union Grove, N.C.
Flag sponsors from North Carolina:
• Eberlee Farms - Sparta, N.C.
• Wood Angus Farm - Willow Spring, N.C.
Juniors awarded Angus Foundation scholarships, awards. Over $228,000 in scholarships awarded at 2024 National
Junior Angus Show. A group of ambitious young cattlemen and women from across the United States were awarded scholarships from the Angus Foundation at the 2024 National Junior Angus Show.
Since 1998, The Angus Foundation has awarded more than $4.2 million in undergraduate and graduate scholarships.
“The Angus Foundation is thankful for our donors that graciously give to support our upcoming leaders and their future endeavors.” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “We’re proud to be able to make an impact on so many of our outstanding Angus leaders.”
A five member committee consisting of industry experts, Foundation board members, Angus breeders, and National Junior Angus Association board members evaluates the applications. The committee considers involvement, participation, leadership, service, career goals, and other criteria set forth in the scholarships’ fund agreements.
“They are building up the future leaders of our industry and of the world. I think it is a great thing that we have them.” said Kidwell. “A huge thank you to the Foundation. I hope that in the future I can have the means to donate to the Foundation and also help support kids like me who are wanting to make a difference and impact in the agriculture industry.”
Scholarship winners from North Carolina include:
Angus Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships – $2,000
Mary Wood – Willow Spring, N.C. DeEtta Wood Memorial Scholarship –$1,500
Ava Wood – Willow Spring, N.C.
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 $4.2 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
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
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
Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 • rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com Cortney
Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-460-7451 • windyhillfarmsllc@gmail.com
WINSLOW GENETICS
Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 • bensbulls@gmail.com
WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC
RED ANGUS NEWS
Inaugural Red Angus Youth Expo Exceeds Expectations. The inaugural Red Angus Youth Expo, held on June 9-14 at the Grady County Fairgrounds in Chickasha, Okla., was an unrivaled success, marking the beginning of what promises to be a cherished tradition for the Red Angus community. Attendance surpassed expectations for a first time event, with more than 300 head of cattle shown by over 150 junior exhibitors representing 19 states and two countries. The event provided a platform for both learning and competition, fostering a sense of community among the future leaders of the Red Angus industry.
A focal point of the expo was its educational programming. Participants attended workshops on commercial marketing, animal nutrition, carcass data evaluation, animal health, reproductive technology, and fly control. The skill-athon was a highlight, providing practical experience in palpation, vaccinations,
tattooing, and understanding the beef reproductive system. This hands-on approach ensured participants acquired real world skills crucial for their future in the beef industry. Beyond the skill-a-thon, the expo featured a variety of contests designed to test and enhance participants’ abilities.
The pinnacle of the week was undoubtedly the cattle show. Jared Bain and Bailey Wesner of Stillwater, Okla., assessed showmanship. Jirl Buck from Madill, Okla., evaluated steers, bred and owned cattle, and the phenotype/genotype show. Jack Ward from Plattsburgh, Mo., analyzed the owned and percentage female shows.
The week culminated in an awards ceremony, honoring the accomplishments of Junior Red Angus members and expressing gratitude to those who contributed to the event’s success.
For more information about the Red Angus Association of America or marketing programs for Red Angus
influenced cattle, visit RedAngus.org
About the Red Angus Association of America. The 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
Cole Maness, President - scmaness3@gmail.com
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 864-981-2080 bullhill2@prtcnet.com • www.bullhillredangus.com
COUNTRY BOY FARMS
David Miller 316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709
NEWS
By RYAN BAPST, Ridley Block Operations
Convenience, Time, and “Pop-Ups”
Time. It is a precious thing that has no guarantee, and frankly, not many of us have enough of it to accomplish what we would like to do. In most cases, we run hard from morning to night, trying to fit in all the day’s scheduled tasks while sneaking in important events like T-ball games, 4-H meetings, local ag events, school board meetings, and family dinners, just to mention a few. Let’s not forget the surprise “pop-ups,” like equipment breakdowns, doctoring sick cattle, and nasty weather, when we’re simply not able to get it all done. Then there are the high priority seasonal events of our occupation that trump everything else: planting season, harvest season, hay season, and calving season.
At the end of the day, an added layer of convenience can play the significant role of being a valuable employee on our operation, allowing us that extra time to cheer on our kids or be a supporting member of our community to strengthen its future.
This time of year, we expect cows to be out on pasture doing their own thing — munching grass, raising a calf, and not causing any problems — but that isn’t always the case. There are fences to keep up, health to monitor, and water to maintain. These are plenty enough most of the time, let alone those time consuming, pesky “pop-ups” I mentioned before.
Many times, in the summer, our herds are in the least convenient locations for us to address their health issues. Cattle on rented pasture or remote grazing leases tend to have limited handling facility access at best. When issues like pinkeye or foot rot arise, those are events we really don’t want to tackle because we know the time, the trouble, and quite possibly the health risks we may endure to get that animal effectively treated. This may result in the animal not getting the attention it needs in a timely manner, leaving the problem to progress to the point where it has a significant economic impact on that animal’s performance or value. Lame cows don’t want to graze and don’t milk very well, calves with untreated pinkeye are discounted heavily at the sale barn, and cattle with lingering untreated respiratory issues are
everyone’s problem.
Often, we invest in a loose mineral program, hoping it will be a magic bullet to mitigate these potential issues, but it is only as good as it is managed. Feeders go empty, they can be cumbersome to move, and consumption levels can be suspect. So, the best laid plan can be at the mercy of time, convenience, and all the other “pop-ups” that happen day-to-day. The notorious saying, “I’ll get it tomorrow,” and, well,…then it’s next week.
A self fed mineral supplement like Crystalyx, that doesn’t require a feeder, can be the first step to flexibility in pasture placement and delivery. Simply drop it where you want it to be, and that’s it, with maybe a different location each time to help manage forage supply. As an added bonus, Crystalyx is available in a biodegradable container that doesn’t require cleanup or maintenance.
Providing any supplement in a form that the majority of the herd will consume is crucial. Delivering minerals and, especially, fly control to cows and calves daily is absolutely a necessity for the best implementation of your investment. Or making sure all the manure contains the correct level of active fly control ingredient, which is key to population control. If all animals are not consuming consistently, the result is less than optimal. Along with that, ensuring consistent mineral intake can help optimize reproduction efficiency and boost immune function to minimize those pesky “popup” ailments that need to be treated.
Another curveball in our life that can impact time and convenience is our ever changing weather patterns. Hot, dry spells during the grazing season can affect forage availability and quality.
A self fed supplement that provides supplemental protein along with mineral and feed through fly control can improve forage utilization in challenging times. Getting the most out of your forages during the summer grazing season, even when those forages are compromised, can help maintain good milk production and keep your cows in acceptable condition moving into fall. Remember, you’re not just providing supplemental protein to your cows; the calves you will wean
in the coming months are reaping the benefits of added protein to their diet.
Crystalyx can cover all your bases, no matter the particulars of your operation. This time proven, gold standard of self fed supplements has formulas that consistently deliver critical nutrients to keep your herd healthy, fertile, and profitable. The next level fortification of Crystalyx Blueprint products is widely becoming the choice of discriminating cattle producers who desire
top end performance that maximizes their investment in progressive genetics. The patented BioBarrel container provides the added convenience of no empty container disposal or return. Regardless of your herd’s needs throughout the summer, Crystalyx has a product to conveniently deliver performance.
Your time and your herd are valuable. Crystalyx can be the partner that helps you reach your herd’s full potential.
Farm Credit News
North Carolina FFA Cottage Dedication at White Lake Presented by Farm Credit Associations of N.C.
The Farm Credit Associations of N.C. are excited to announce the completion and dedication of the Farm Credit Cottage at the historic North Carolina FFA Center at White Lake. This milestone marks a significant achievement in our ongoing commitment to supporting agricultural education and youth development initiatives across the state.
In collaboration with AgSouth Farm Credit, the Farm Credit associations successfully raised over $750,000 through various fundraising endeavors, including the annual Pull for Youth events. These efforts enable AgSouth Farm Credit and AgCarolina Farm Credit to partner and contribute to organizations such as North Carolina FFA and North Carolina 4-H, empowering students with essential skills and opportunities for leadership, personal growth, and successful careers in agriculture.
The Farm Credit Cottage serves as a testament to Farm Credit’s dedication to the next generation of agricultural leaders. Since 1928, the North Carolina FFA Center at White Lake has provided over 150,000 students with unforgettable experiences. Now, with the addition of the Farm Credit Cottage, FFA students and staff from across the state will have
a modern and comfortable space for programs such as the State Leadership Conference, officer retreats, Wildlife Camp, and more.
Farm Credit is thrilled to see the completion of the Farm Credit Cottage at the North Carolina FFA Center at White Lake. This project underscores their commitment to investing in the future of agriculture by providing students with the resources they need to succeed. AgCarolina Farm Credit and AgSouth Farm Credit look forward to seeing the positive impact this facility will have on the lives of young people in North Carolina.
The Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina express their gratitude to everyone who contributed to the realization of this project. Together, we will ensure a stronger and more vibrant future for agriculture in our state.
About AgCarolina Farm Credit. AgCarolina Farm Credit is a memberowned financial cooperative with headquarters in Greenville, North Carolina. They are the leading provider of credit to full and part time farmers in central and eastern North Carolina. AgCarolina Farm Credit has nearly 6,000 members across their 46 county territory from 20 local branch locations. Federally chartered and a part of the national Farm Credit System, AgCarolina Farm Credit is locally owned by its members.
Is There a Correlation Between Summer Stock Shows and the Live Cattle Market?
By JACLYN De CANDIO
The cattle industry is no stranger to changes and fluctuations, both historically and economically. In today’s landscape, one of these is undoubtedly the show cattle sector.
Stock shows have become major events across the nation. They have moved far beyond a simple display of a farmer’s best stock and casual competition. They are events in their own right, spawning an entire industry dedicated to breeding and developing animals specifically for the arena lights.
Naturally, they may raise some questions about how much crossover there may be into the commercial industry, especially in the peak summer season, and what impact it has on industry economics.
“Since we have been raising both commercial and show cattle, it has become just that; two separate herds that we manage differently,” says Lance Sennett of Sennett Cattle in Waynetown, Indiana. “What we find ideal in the show ring doesn’t necessarily have any correlation to what we find ideal in our commercial calves.”
But there is one thing that he says stays consistent — the desire for quality cattle that generate success no matter the sector.
Considering the Market - There are multiple factors that impact the beef cycle and its markets, not only across but also within each year. Not only does consumer demand sway into the price points, but disruptions and import/export demand also feed into it.
For example, steer prices posted high in early April 2022 when war broke out in the Ukraine. With forage shortages and expensive grains, calf prices are impacted more deeply than usual. Plus, historically, cattle prices as a whole trend down in the summer when there is a lot of availability – including excess show calves – in the sale barns. Typically, that rebounds in the fall, as observed by livestock marketing specialist Derrell Peel in a BEEF article, Cattle Markets Transition to Summer.
Cattle markets have typical trends and waves of events. Identifying trends is important to improve and stay on top financially during downward trends.
“The increase in cattle on feed means there are more cattle that are moving into the supply chain and thus removed from future inventory, as the cattle cycle continues its contraction phase.The cattle cycle refers to expansion and contraction in cattle inventory in response to farmer
perceived profitability,” writes Farm Bureau economist Bernt Nelson in his October 2023 article, Cattle Market Volatility: Increasing Risk for Farmers May Lead to Record Beef Prices.
“Each cycle typically lasts about ten years. The current cattle cycle has been in a longer phase of contraction, driven by high input costs, drought, and difficult profitability since 2018 – none of which is going away anytime soon.”
Show Season - Now, how much, if at all, does show stock impact commercial sale channels? Not much at all, according to Sennet.
“There are several events at these summer shows that are showcasing parts of the commercial industry; however, we believe they have no direct impact on the markets,” he shared.
It isn’t uncommon for some sectors of the diehard commercial background to critique show cattle for not being designed to perform “in the real world.” But there are many breeders that are making their calves perform in both worlds – and making money on both ends.
“Bottomline, we are all a part of the same industry. We also all have a common goal in producing cattle – just for different purposes,” says Sennett. “Showmen should be aware of what is going on in the commercial industry, and lucky for those kids, there are several opportunities both with commercial and show cattle producers and organizations.”
Sennet notes that their herd is made up of multiple breeds. Some do better in the show ring, and others on the finishing floor.
“We feel each cow has their place in the industry, so we make calculated decisions come breeding season. We do find the value in hybrid vigor, so when we are making those planned matings, it comes back to how we appraise each cow in our herd. Simply, breeding decisions are extremely important in how we maintain quality in our herds.”
On the local level, it may not be uncommon to see periodic spikes according to show seasons depending on the region. Regions heavy in 4-H, FFA, or club and jackpot shows may arrange their breeding for certain windows of the year, and after local fairs wrap up, it isn’t uncommon to see these animals moving through the sale barns, pushing prices up or down for a limited time.
The commercial and show cattle industries, while distinct, share a
fundamental goal — producing high quality cattle. While the stock show sector is likely to always have different priorities than its commercial counterparts, breeders are increasingly finding ways for their animals to excel in both arenas. Understanding market trends and
economic cycles is crucial for both sectors to navigate the ever changing landscape of the beef industry. By recognizing their interdependence and embracing innovation, show cattle producers can contribute to the overall success of the beef industry.
Carolina Cooking
Aji Braised Beef Short Ribs with Golden Herbed Quinoa
Total Time - 2 hours, 45 minutes
3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 4x2x2 inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
1 large unripe papaya
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1¾ cups water
1 tablespoon annatto oil (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Place beef short ribs on a rack in a broiler pan so the surface of the beef is 4-5 inches from heat. Broil for 18-20 minutes or until browned, turning once. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Cook’s Tip: For easier cleanup, line the bottom of the broiler pan (not the rack) with aluminum foil.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a
stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add onion; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Stir in aji paste and garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add ribs and wine; bring to a boil. Cover tightly and braise in 325°F oven for 1½-2½ hours or until beef is fork tender.
Cook’s Tip: Short ribs may be cooked on the stovetop. Cooking times for beef and papaya remain the same.
About 30 minutes before the beef is done, peel the papaya and cut it into 1 inch pieces, reserving 1 heaping tablespoon of the seeds. Add the papaya, reserved seeds, and 1 tablespoon of parsley to the stockpot; continue braising, covered, for 18-20 minutes or until the papaya is tender.
Meanwhile, prepare quinoa. Place quinoa in lightly oiled 2½ quart saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 2
minutes or until toasted and just starting to change color. Add water, annatto oil, if desired, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in parsley.
Skim fat from cooking liquid. Serve short ribs and papaya with sauce over quinoa. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
NEWS
The 2024 College Aggies Online scholarship program starts September 9. Sign-ups now open; $20,000 in scholarships awarded last year. College students, clubs, and classes are invited to sign up to participate in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. The nine week program kicks off on September 9 and brings together college students from across the country to equip them with the skills needed to become confident communicators for agriculture.
Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to network and receive guidance from social media savvy farmers and industry professionals while enhancing their communication and consumer engagement skills. Previous mentors include Tara Vander Dussen, also known as New Mexico Milkmaid; Michelle Miller, known online as The Farm Babe; Brandi Buzzard of Buzzard’s Beat; and Emily Shaw, owner of Dairy Girl Fitness.
In the individual division, students earn points by completing weekly challenges, including writing blog posts, designing infographics, publishing social media content, and creating TikTok style videos.
In the student organization division, collegiate clubs and classes will have the opportunity to host events on their campus to engage with peers about agriculture. Club events include hosting a campus event, food drive, farm tour, and much more.
“The College Aggies Online program equips college students with the tools needed to confidently and effectively share animal agriculture’s story with their peers and general public,” said Emily Ellis, manager of communications and content, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Participants will walk away with the
resume building skills and real world experience needed to have impactful conversations about food and farming, thanks to real world experience and guidance from mentors.”
Last year, 344 individuals and 14 collegiate clubs/classes participated, representing 42 states and 63 universities. Students shared more than 1,380 posts about agriculture online and reached more than 10,000 people in-person via campus events. The Alliance awarded $20,000 in scholarships. To see more insights from the 2023 program, view the 2023 College Aggies Online Impact Report here.
Students interested in becoming confident and effective communicators for agriculture are invited to sign up today. Registered participants can refer a friend to sign up for the program for the chance to win a $100 gift card.
CAO would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, including the John K. Vanier Foundation, Institute for Feed Education and Research, Domino’s Pizza LLC, Ohio Poultry Association, and National Chicken Council. To become a sponsor of this year’s program, see the sponsorship opportunities and contact Logan Hall, director of membership and marketing, at lhall@animalagalliance.org
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.
Aji Braised Beef Short Ribs with Golden Herbed Quinoa
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
HEREFORD HILLS
Greensboro, NC
Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative
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 336-399-884 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 gwwardjr@comcast.net
Check out the North Carolina Hereford Advantage at www.nchereford.com
WHITEHEAD CATTLE COMPANY
Lewiston Woodville, NC Austin & Jodie Whitehead Austin - 252-370-5647 Jodie - 252-642-3435 austinlwhitehead@yahoo.com
WILL-VIA POLLED HEREFORDS Mooresville NC Lavette Teeter 704-662-5262
NEWS
By JOE GILLESPIE, Boehringer Ingelheim, DVM
Reduce Antibiotic Use and Boost Your Bottom Line with Targeted Metaphylaxis
The cattle industry is adopting targeted metaphylaxis, a strategy that administers antibiotics to individual high risk calves, to improve animal health, reduce costs, and promote antibiotic stewardship.
As the cattle industry continues to advance and improve antibiotic stewardship practices, producers and veterinarians are reevaluating their approach to metaphylaxis, the administration of antibiotics on arrival to calves at high risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
The concept of targeted metaphylaxis, or using metrics to narrow the use of antibiotics from entire groups of cattle to individual high risk calves, is gaining
popularity. Targeted, evidence based treatment decisions have the potential to reduce costs, improve animal health, and promote antimicrobial stewardship.
But how can producers ensure their targeted metaphylaxis program is a success? You need a consistent plan for how to select animals, a method to evaluate your results, and the involvement of your veterinarian throughout the process.
A plan to identify individual high risk calves - Traditionally, metaphylaxis has been the go-to approach to reduce sickness and death in calves that are at a high risk of contracting BRD due to factors such as unknown health histories, commingling, transportation, and other stress producing events.
With a group of high risk calves, it’s common to take a conservative approach to ensure that all animals are protected from sickness whenever possible. Still, it’s important to understand that some calves treated metaphylactically may not have succumbed to BRD. That’s why producers and veterinarians need to work together to gain a better understanding of which calves need metaphylaxis and ensure that treatments are utilized most effectively and prudently.
Preconditioning or buying preconditioned calves will reduce the pool of high risk cattle. Data shows that previously vaccinated cattle are at lower risk for developing BRD, which reduces the need for antibiotic therapy.
The first step in any targeted metaphylaxis program is to work with a veterinarian to develop a plan that objectively evaluates incoming cattle. The plan should outline the exact criteria needed to select cattle for treatment. Typical selection criteria for metaphylaxis may include age and weight of cattle, length of transportation, weather conditions, environmental and nutritional factors, as well as cattle origin.
Some operations may evaluate cattle using the DART assessment to identify
sick cattle early. DART looks at four areas:
• Depression - A sick calf will have droopy ears and hold its head lower than normal. The calf’s movement will be stiff, and you may notice its tail tucked slightly.
• Appetite - At feeding time, watch carefully for animals that are slow to come to eat or have a reduced appetite.
• Respiration - Look for abnormal patterns, such as exaggerated, deep breathing; flared nostrils; and a soft, persistent cough.
• Temperature - The normal temperature for a calf is between 101.5102.5ºF. If it has a temperature above 104ºF, the calf has a fever and should be treated accordingly.
The growing importance of chuteside diagnostics - While clinical signs are commonly used to single out higher risk calves, producers and veterinarians are searching for other chuteside diagnostics. For calves, there’s already a lot of stress associated with processing. That’s why any additional chuteside diagnostics need to be quick. Handling that animal for an extra few minutes could add stress.
Researchers are exploring technologies that might catch subtle signs
of illness before workers can, including ear tag accelerometers, pedometers that monitor animal movement, or feeding systems that follow feed intake. Other chuteside diagnostics currently being considered include electronic stethoscopes, blood tests, and even a “smell test” that can identify compounds in nasal secretions.
Long term, I see more and more movement to chuteside diagnostics to help make targeted metaphylactic decisions.
Choose the right antibioticVeterinarians can recommend an antibiotic for metaphylaxis that works best for a producer’s class of cattle. Typically, several factors should be evaluated, such as efficacy studies, spectrum of activity, speed of action, and post-metaphylactic interval (PMI), or the length of time the antibiotic is at effective levels in the bloodstream before another dose is required.
Because a number of different bacteria can be involved with BRD, it’s important to choose a broad spectrum antibiotic that reaches the lungs quickly. In some instances, producers may use antibiotics with unknown sensitivity (or those not proven effective against certain bacteria) for metaphylaxis and save the more effective drug for treatment because it’s typically more expensive. But using a less effective class of antibiotics in the beginning can result in issues throughout the feeding period. That could cost a lot more in the long run than the money that was initially saved.
Measure success and determine return on investment - Finally, every targeted metaphylaxis plan should also include a way to evaluate the success of the program. Larger producers will often analyze morbidity data (or the number of retreatments needed), total death losses,
and the case fatality rate. The case fatality rate is the total dead among treated animals divided by the total number of head treated, multiplied by 100. Operations that feed cattle to finish may also examine average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency data.
This data can help determine the return on investment for targeted metaphylaxis, but it has other uses, too. It’s important for producers and veterinarians to take what they learn from this data and apply it to the next group of incoming cattle. Incremental improvements over time can help boost the success of targeted metaphylaxis.
Metaphylaxis ultimately sees its best results when coupled with proper management practices, including animal husbandry, parasite control, adequate nutrition, and low stress handling.
About Boehringer Ingelheim. Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company, therefore, concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal well being through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of $4.4 billion and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information, visit www.boehringeringelheim.com/animal-health/overview.
S.C. CharolaiS NewS
By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association
I hope you are surviving the hot weather, but you know, this is the South. I told someone that if a Civil War ever breaks out again, we should wait until summer to attack. Those Yankees would melt if they can’t handle 88ºF and have to go to cooling stations in New York. It finally rained here in South Carolina after four weeks of no rain and feeding winter hay in July.
Everybody start getting ready for the Southern Connection Sale in October. Dennis will be screening in August. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, he will bring the new field representative for this area with him. His name is Isaac Hughes, and he is a young fellow from Mississippi. He is anxious to meet all of us, so wear your clean britches and be nice.
I recently talked to Brett Spader, the new Executive Vice President, and we had a nice conversation. Call and talk to him if you have any concerns. I have
broken him in to Southern, so you should have no problem
I saw where Governor DeSantis in Florida passed a law doing away with releasing balloons because of what they do to livestock and wild animals. You know that’s going to get me started here. I will be contacting the folks I know in the big house in Columbia fighting to get this law passed here. I am sorry for folks when people die, but those balloons are not going to heaven. They are coming down in pastures like mine. I find them all the time. Sometimes, the calves find them first, which spells disaster. Blow bubbles instead of releasing balloons. It’s time for me to speak up and raise a ruckus.
I just got word that Rex Ricketts of Missouri has passed away. He was an awfully nice man and helped the Charolais Association a lot when I was a director years ago. Please keep his family in your prayers.
* 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.
A MessAge froM the Ceo
By COLIN WOODALL National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Where Was NCBA?
NCBA’s ability to manage crisis situations is known far and wide. We spend an incredible amount of time identifying potential threats, researching those threats, and putting a plan together on how we will respond if faced with that particular event. We then run internal staff drills to get everybody prepared for their role in the response. We have spent years preparing for the eventual return of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). That preparation includes ongoing internal drills, sharing our information with other livestock groups, and participating in drills conducted by state and federal agencies to ensure our partners are equally as prepared. We are ready to spring into action and protect our industry.
We are prepared for FMD because we know the disease and understand what will happen when an outbreak occurs. However, what happens when we are faced with an unknown disease? Back in mid-March, I received a phone call from our Checkoff funded Issues Management
Team informing me of an emerging animal health issue where an unknown disease was making dairy cows sick in Texas. Our issues response training and preparation kicked in, and we began by working with our partners in Texas, other livestock groups, and state agencies to learn as much as we could, as fast as we could. Once we had the basics of the situation, we conducted a call with our officers, executive committee, and the executive staff officers from state beef councils, policy affiliated organizations, and breed affiliates. We knew we needed to inform the beef team before the story started to garner press attention. The first rule of an issue response is to ask, “Who else needs to know?”
After informing our partners, we immediately began to monitor for media pickup. For those of you who have been to our headquarters office in Denver, you have seen the Checkoff funded Digital Command Center, where we have tools to see what is being said in mainstream
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!
media and social media to determine how widely a story spreads. It was clear when the story began to gain traction that the focus was on milk. Now, we had to decide how to proceed. Since beef was not the focus, we decided it was best to provide support to our friends in the dairy industry rather than leading the response and drawing attention to ourselves. Internally, we call this the “not breaking into jail” approach, which simply means we do not want to do anything that may make us the star of a story by drawing the media’s attention. We were going to help our partners respond without drawing undue attention to us since beef cattle had not been identified with the same health conditions.
It was several weeks before we discovered that H5N1, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, was the cause of the sickness we were seeing. We had not seen that before, so while it was good to finally know the cause, our ability to respond remained a challenge. Once
it was decided by the White House and USDA to test ground beef for H5N1, we knew we had to ramp up our engagement and communication since beef was now the focus. Fortunately, the tests revealed H5N1 was not a threat to the beef supply, but those tests were done in the early part of Beef Month in May. We had to adjust our beef promotion plan to make sure the consumer knew we were taking this seriously. As soon as the negative tests came in, we were back to promoting Beef Month and the kick off to summer grilling season. Here we are, four months into this response, and we are still engaging and monitoring the situation.
Now, I have had a lot of questions about why we were not more vocal during the response. Hopefully, what I shared with you above gives you more insight into our strategy. There are issues where we will be the lead and will dominate the messaging. Responding to FMD will be an example of that. There will still be times when we are most effective at providing behind-the-scenes support on issues where we are not targeted. Regardless, we are always engaged and looking out for the best interests of our industry.
Let me leave you with this. About five weeks into this crisis, I received a phone call letting me know the White House was considering a stop movement order for all cattle as a way to control this outbreak. Thanks to our relationships in D.C., we were able to provide all the data to illustrate what a bad idea that would be. Our engagement and information got the White House to back off. Can you imagine the economic damage caused by stopping the movement of all cattle in this country? It probably would have been even worse than we could have imagined, but it was NCBA who stopped it. This illustrates that even a behind-the-scenes approach can lead to big wins. We are always ready to respond to a crisis, and our response to the H5N1 crisis proved it. That is NCBA looking out for you and our industry.
President’s rePort
By MARK EISELE National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Lab Grown Protein Stumbles But Our Vigilance Remains
Last summer, NCBA passed a policy on lab grown protein for the first time. Unlike the plant based Impossible and Beyond fake meat that we are familiar with, lab grown protein is a new technology that takes animal cells and grows them in a bioreactor. If that sounds a bit unappetizing, you’re not alone. It turns out consumers would rather have beef raised by farmers and ranchers than burgers grown in test tubes. These lab grown protein companies, backed by millions of dollars from celebrities and hedge funds, were once predicting the end of traditional agriculture and a new era of “manufactured” meat. Today, they are
singing a different tune.
Recently, a company called SCiFi Foods shut down operations after running out of money to commercialize lab grown protein. In 2023, SCiFi Foods built a manufacturing facility in San Leandro, Calif., and had big plans to sell a burger made from a mix of lab grown protein and plant based imitations. In a note from the co-founders, they blamed consumer choice and politics as the reasons their idea never got off the ground. They stated:
“Unfortunately, in our case, great technical execution just wasn’t enough. In the last few years, the zeitgeist around meat alternatives went from boom to bust,
calling into question the viability of blended products. At the same time, the regulatory progress on cultivated meat in the U.S. has seemingly stalled despite last year’s historic approvals, and cultivated meat got dragged into the U.S. political culture wars with Florida and Alabama proactively banning the sale of products yet to be on the market. With all this risk, combined with today’s capital markets, it became effectively impossible for us to raise the tens of millions SCiFi needed for a small commercial launch, much less the hundreds of millions needed for full commercialization.”
It’s no surprise that as consumers learned more about lab grown protein, they wanted nothing to do with it. At the same time, numerous states have introduced or passed legislation on lab grown meat — instituting labeling requirements or banning it outright. In Washington, NCBA has worked with members of Congress to introduce the bipartisan FAIR Labels Act, which would require clear labeling of lab grown products so consumers know exactly what is in their shopping cart. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to finalize a rule later this year about what to call lab grown protein, NCBA will continue working to make sure an accurate name like “lab grown” or “lab cultured” is used rather than a name that would slander traditional cattle production.
Despite beef’s popularity and wins in the marketplace, we can’t rest on our victories. Just this past month, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released a plan to pour $500 million of taxpayer money into lab grown protein research by a company called BioMADE. I firmly believe our nation’s military heroes should not be fed untested food like lab rats; they should be enjoying the highest quality, real protein like beef. Immediately, NCBA called out this funding, and we even got Congressman Don Bacon, a retired Air Force Brigadier General, to introduce an amendment blocking the DOD from funding lab grown protein. NCBA is keeping the pressure up to ensure only real food goes into our service members’ rations.
Your daily hard work on the farm or ranch contributes to the highest quality beef in the world. Beef is the king of summer barbeques and celebratory dinners; we continue to see strong demand, and we are driving lab grown imitators out of business. Still, we must always remain vigilant and continue sharing the environmental, economic, and social benefits raising cattle has on our communities and the world.
Thank you for trusting us to be your partner in fighting for real beef and for your membership in the NCBA.
NCBA News
NCBA Statement on Latest USDA Packers & Stockyards Rule. Recently, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane released a statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest proposed Packers and Stockyards rule Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets:
“USDA’s newly proposed rule is a direct attack on cattle producer profitability. By creating criteria that effectively deems any innovation or differentiation in the marketplace improper, USDA is sending a clear message that cattle producers should not derive any benefit from the free market but instead be paid one low price
regardless of quality, all in the name of so-called fairness.”
Cattle Producers Celebrate Supreme Court Decision to Rein in Administrative Overreach. NCBA recently welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision in the case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo — a decision that reins in the legal concept of Chevron deference and reduces overreaching regulations from federal agencies that lack congressional authority.
“Our elected officials in Congress should be making our laws, not unelected bureaucrats at federal agencies,” said NCBA President Mark Eisele, a Wyoming cattle rancher. “Cattle producers have experienced numerous instances of
federal agencies enacting overreaching regulations on our farms and ranches, exceeding their authority granted by Congress. I am glad the Supreme Court is reining in these federal agencies and putting power back in the hands of those elected to represent us in Washington.”
While the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo does not directly involve cattle production, the case challenged a legal concept known as Chevron deference, which gives federal agencies the authority to interpret statutes they consider vague. Chevron deference takes its name from the Supreme Court case Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council , where the court decided that as long as Congress has not directly spoken on an issue and legal statutes are open to interpretation, courts should defer to federal agencies. Federal agencies have frequently used Chevron deference to implement a number of regulations without specific legislation being passed by Congress.
“In the last four decades, Congress has ceded authority to unelected federal bureaucrats who make the regulations that impact farmers and ranchers every day,” said NCBA Chief Counsel MaryThomas Hart. “Long term, this decision will impact almost every regulation that NCBA has worked on. The decision puts Congress back in the driver’s seat for crafting policy, reins in the administrative state, and strengthens accountability by ensuring that the people we elect are the ones crafting our nation’s laws.”
NCBA previously joined other national agricultural and business organizations in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing for the overruling of Chevron deference.
NCBA Concludes Successful Summer Business Meeting. Grassroots members of NCBA concluded a successful Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Calif., on July 10. Cattle producers discussed top issues facing the cattle industry, including risk management, taxes, and business regulation.
“Our grassroots members are the backbone of NCBA, and I am extremely proud of how they made their voices heard through our centuries old grassroots policy process,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele. “The policies passed at the Summer Business Meeting will direct our association’s advocacy efforts in Washington to strengthen our industry’s profitability, reduce crippling government regulation, and safeguard our way of life for the future. Thank you to everyone who attended this meeting and spoke up on the issues facing our industry.”
The new policies passed by NCBA members direct the association to improve disaster relief and risk management programs, advocate for reduced capital gains tax, and oppose burdensome business registration and reporting requirements like the Corporate Transparency Act. Several existing policies were also renewed or amended.
NCBA members also discussed the implementation of USDA’s new animal disease traceability rule that will take effect in November.
“The USDA rule moves the cattle business forward, allowing more efficient and accurate means of tracing animal movement in the event of a disease outbreak, which is crucial as diseases like Foot-and-Mouth Disease continue to spread around the globe,” said Eisele. “USDA has made the decision to switch from visually readable to both visually and electronically readable tags for certain classes of cattle moving interstate. NCBA has already secured funding to help defray the cost of making this change, and we will continue pushing for additional funding and privacy for producer data. NCBA policy also supports the work of U.S. CattleTrace, which is an extremely important partner in the efforts to increase the adoption of EID tags and overall herd traceability. CattleTrace is an excellent resource for producers seeking to implement a traceability program for their herd.”
USDA’s traceability rule updates a previous 2013 rule that requires intact cattle 18 months of age or older, rodeo and exhibition cattle, and dairy cattle moving interstate to have a visually readable ear tag. The new traceability rule simply switches the type of tag from visually readable to both electronically and visually readable. This new rule will take effect on November 5.
The Summer Business Meeting is one of two annual meetings to set policy for NCBA. Learn more about the NCBA grassroots policy process at ncba.org
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
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: ____________________________
Address:
City: ________________ State: ____ Zip:
Seller’s Signature: _________________________
Buyer’s Name: ____________________________
Address:
City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______
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.
Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $ Date of Sale: __________________ Person remitting
* State of Origin of Cattle: * If the cattle purch ased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
an
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.
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL NEWS
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING —
Public Lands Coalition Files Lawsuit
Against BLM Rule. Leaders of national organizations representing those who utilize our nation’s public lands have joined together to file a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new public lands rule. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), the BLM is responsible for
balancing the multiple use of public lands for productive purposes like grazing, mining, energy development, and timber. Unfortunately, the BLM’s “Conservation and Landscape Health Rule” upends the shared multiple use of public lands and endangers food and energy security.
Since the passage of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934, livestock grazing has been a federally recognized use of
public lands. Grazing provides a way to both manage the federal government’s vast land holdings in the West and ensure a productive use for land that is too steep, arid, or rocky for other uses like row crop agriculture. As a federally recognized use, NCBA and PLC continue to encourage the BLM to protect grazing and view ranchers as partners in conservation efforts.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Mark Eisele“NCBA is suing the BLM to stand up for America’s western ranchers and push back on this harmful rule that only serves as a stepping stone to removing livestock grazing from our nation’s public lands. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the BLM is supposed to balance the multiple uses of public lands, including livestock grazing, energy,
mining, timber, and recreation. The BLM’s rule upends this multiple use system by creating a brand new use for federal lands without Congressional approval and in conflict with existing federal law. NCBA will continue working to hold the BLM accountable in federal court.”
Public Lands Council President and Colorado Grazing Permittee Mark Roeber - “This rule upends the relationship between federal grazing permittees and the BLM while also opening the door to ending grazing on federal lands. PLC will always defend the important role of grazing on federal lands and oppose efforts that would remove grazing and compromise rural communities for the sake of a bureaucratic exercise. Public lands grazing generates over $3 billion annually in valuable ecosystem services, equating to more than $20 per public acre of land grazed by sheep and cattle. Grazing supports the environmental health of the land, reduces wildfire risk, and strengthens rural economies — all valuable reasons to protect public lands grazing in the West.”
American Exploration and Mining Association Executive Director Mark Compton - “The BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health rule is illegal, unnecessary, and contrary to numerous policy goals of the Biden administration and Congress. Our risky reliance on imported minerals is a direct result of five decades of ignoring Congress’ clear directives that minerals should be mined from public lands to help satisfy the Nation’s need for minerals. The Biden administration’s own goals of fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions require more domestic mining – not less. The rule significantly changes the way BLM manages the 245 million acres of public land it oversees, to the detriment of America’s mineral and energy independence goals and resource dependent rural communities that produce the fiber, food, minerals, and energy America requires from its public lands. Make no mistake, our members are strong supporters of conservation, not only for public lands but all of the country’s resources, and are ready to work with the BLM to further advance these goals. However, this will not be accomplished by the flawed and illegal provisions in this rule. We expressed these and many other concerns to the BLM, but our concerns were ignored. We’re left with no choice but litigation at this point.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall - “Further restricting grazing on public lands takes us backward, not forward, because ranchers are delivering a return on the trust placed in them to care for public
lands. They are clearing brush that could fuel wildfires, controlling invasive species, and bringing overall health benefits to the land.”
American Forest Research Council President Travis Joseph - “The American Forest Resource Council is pleased to join a broad coalition challenging Bureau of Land Management’s mislabeled ‘Conservation and Landscape Health’ rule. Everyone supports the conservation and stewardship of public lands, but the BLM’s rule only serves to add red tape and additional costs to our broken system of federal land management. The current system already makes it difficult for land managers to thin overstocked forests and reduce the risks of wildfires, insects, and diseases, resulting in high tree mortality, carbon emissions, and lost public access and recreational opportunities. It’s also wrong for the agency to rewrite the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and to codify a single use — that is, the non-use of public lands — without the approval of Congress. For these reasons, the rule should be struck down.”
American Petroleum Institute Vice President of Upstream Policy Holly Hopkins - “Energy development on federal lands is critical to strengthening America’s energy security, powering our economy, and supporting state and local conservation efforts. By upending the existing approach to federal land management, the Bureau of Land Management’s final rule will limit future development opportunities and diminish America’s energy advantage. Together with a broad coalition of public lands users, we are asking a federal court to overturn this burdensome regulation and ensure the Biden administration is promoting fair and consistent access to federal resources.”
American Sheep Industry Association
Executive Director Peter Orwick - “The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) immediately funded the opportunity to share in this critical legal challenge. One-third of the nation’s sheep graze
federal lands at some point during the year, so impacts on permits affect the entire sheep industry from lamb meat companies to wool textile mills.”
National Mining Association President and CEO Rich Nolan - “This plainly unlawful rule is a prime example of the administration’s self defeating mining policy and must be struck down. Through rules that are designed to open the door to de facto land withdrawals, this administration continues to erect new barriers to responsible domestic mining projects, threatening to deepen our already grave foreign mineral reliance and blocking access to valuable coal resources at the exact moment minerals and energy demands are exploding. Our laws have always recognized the government’s responsibility to manage public lands for multiple uses. We are absolutely in support of conservation efforts, but they cannot be prioritized over all other lawful uses.”
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Senior Vice President for Government Relations Louis Finkel“Under the existing regulatory framework, BLM is already incapable of making timely and effective approvals for cooperative wildfire mitigation activities, regular operation and maintenance activities, and more. This jeopardizes safety and the reliability of the electric grid. This unlawful conservation rule creates further regulatory and operational hurdles for cooperatives. It compounds the complex, slow, inconsistent, multilayered, and challenging BLM bureaucratic processes that co-ops must navigate. And the rule may even jeopardize cooperatives’ ability to serve certain areas.”
Western Energy Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma - “Western Energy Alliance is thrilled to be joining such a broad base of multiple use producers, from agriculture, transmission, forestry, and mining to energy. The Biden conservation rule upends the balance BLM has attained on working landscapes across the West for decades
across many administrations, both Democratic and Republican. Not satisfied with the hundreds of millions of acres already preserved as national parks, wilderness, and wildlife refuges, the Biden Administration seeks to lock away productive lands that are appropriate for grazing, energy, and other productive uses. By doing so, BLM puts at risk billions of dollars of conservation funding provided by the oil and natural gas industry under the Great American Outdoors Act, the largest source of conservation funding for public lands. The short sightedness and threat to true conservation is why we’re willing to go to court against this misguided rule.”
Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Ken Hamilton
- “Wyoming ranchers rely on publicly owned land to grow the food America’s families rely on. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Land Management failed to seek input from the people who work year round to responsibly steward the resources they’ve been entrusted. The BLM rule fails to recognize the benefits of allowing the decades old tradition of grazing on public lands and threatens the future of ranching.”
About the Public Lands Council. PLC represents 22,000 cattle and sheep producers who operate with federal grazing permits in the West. The PLC advocates for these western ranchers who preserve our nation’s natural resources while providing vital food and fiber to the nation and the world. Learn more at www.publiclandscouncil.org
UPDATES!
Singers Encouraged to Enter Annual NCBA National Anthem Contest. Winner to sing at CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is looking for the next singing sensation to open CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Tex., on February 4-6. The 12th Annual NCBA National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook, is accepting entries through October 15 at convention.ncba.org
The contest winner will perform the “Star Spangled Banner” at the convention’s Opening General Session and will receive round trip airfare to San Antonio, Tex., a hotel room for three nights, complimentary convention registration, plus a pair of boots, jeans,
2024 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts
and a shirt from Roper or Stetson. Any member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American National CattleWomen, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, or family member is eligible to participate in the contest. Previous NCBA National Anthem Contest winners are not eligible. The top four finalists will be chosen by October 21, and videos will be posted to the convention website. Voting will be open to the public from November 1-15 (one vote per person per day), and the winner will be announced on November 18. CattleCon 2025 registration opens on August 19, and a variety of ticket options will be available. For more information and to enter the National Anthem Contest, visit convention.ncba.org
Federation oF State BeeF CounCilS update
Faces of the Federation. For more than 60 years, grassroots producer engagement has driven the demand for beef through the Federation of State Beef Councils. States voluntarily invest in the Federation to build beef demand by inspiring, unifying, and supporting an effective and coordinated state and national Checkoff partnership. Ultimately, cattle producers from coast to coast direct the Federation’s work, and we celebrate their dedication. These are the “Faces of the Federation.”
Dan Hanrahan
Dan Hanrahan is a fifth generation cattle producer with a cow/calf herd in the rolling hills of southern Iowa. When a local producer asked him to join his county’s cattlemen’s association early in his career, Hanrahan jumped at the opportunity to get involved. He has made the most of his volunteer service through leadership roles with the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Federation of State Beef Councils, and he now serves as a Federation representative on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. Hanrahan believes the Federation provides a chance for producers to step up, lead, and decide the best use of their investment.
How does the Federation of State Beef Councils impact the beef industry? To me, the value of the Federation is putting producers in the position where they get to tell their own story. You’re not a character in the story someone else is telling. You are out front leading it yourself. The Federation is also vital to the industry because of the effectiveness of the programming and the opportunity it allows for state beef councils to become involved in the messaging and the proposals that come to the national level.
What are some of the benefits of investing in the Federation? I think what the Federation brings to each individual state beef council is a continuity of message. We’re all saying the same thing. We’re all trying to row the boat in the same direction. The Federation is a vehicle that effectively communicates the issues that are important to consumers, and we’re talking to them in a way they understand.
The Federation also ensures the investment producers are making reaches consumers where they are. I come from a cattle heavy state. If we were to draw
a swath right through the center of the country, I think about ⅔ of Checkoff revenues are generated in that area, but it only represents about 15 percent of the U.S. population. The value of the Federation is helping us get that investment from where the cattle are to where the consumers are.
One of the things the Federation provides that Iowa really takes advantage of is the consumer attitude dashboard survey. Survey results provide information about beef consumption patterns in Iowa. The information we learn from these surveys helps ensure we, as a state, are messaging in a way that resonates with our consumers.
Why do you think the Federation continues to be vital? Any time you talk about an organization, the tendency is to look at it as though it’s a thing. However, when I think about my experience with the Federation, what I really think about is the people. Fellow producers have varied backgrounds and different interests they’re enthusiastic about. Combine that with the passionate staff the Federation provides to help us meet our goals and objectives. It reminds me of the same passion we, as producers, take in our work back home on the farm or the ranch. When the Federation brings passionate producers and talented staff together, we are a force for beef.
What is the most important message you’d like to share about the Federation? I know the Federation of State Beef Councils is making a tremendous impact on beef producers through programming. It’s doing it through research to make sure those programs are effective and are having the impact on consumers they intend to. It does so by making sure that we, as state beef councils, are making the most of our opportunity and that we’re all working together effectively.
Watch the Faces of the Federation segments on Cattlemen to Cattlemen at www.youtube.com/user/ Cattlementocattlemen
Batter Up With Beef. When summer rolls around, there is something special about hearing the crack of a bat against a baseball and the sizzle of beef on the grill. It makes sense for two popular summer pastimes to join forces. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is
partnering with Little League Baseball and Softball, the world’s largest organized youth sports program, to name beef as the “Official Sponsor of the Perfect Home Plate.”
The goal of this unique partnership is to introduce beef and the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand to a younger audience and their parents, who make grocery purchasing decisions. Beef’s positive message about fueling active, healthy families also bridges the gap between urban and rural communities, creating a grassroots national effort.
“This partnership provides a unique opportunity to reach a younger audience and their families with facts about beef and recipes they will love,” said Dan Gattis, NCBA Federation Division Chair. “With approximately two million players annually, Little League teams account for 70 percent of youth baseball in the U.S. and makes them an ideal partner for the Beef Checkoff.”
Throughout the spring, summer, and back-to-school seasons, digital and social advertising will direct Little League families to a special page on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com , which includes recipes, tips, and resources showcasing beef’s nutrition, eating experience, convenience, and versatility. Beef’s great taste is always a crowd pleaser, but nutrition is key when fueling young athletes and busy families.
The tween and teen years are stages of transformative development, but unfortunately, many school age children and adolescents fall short of consuming essential nutrients to support learning, activity, development, and performance. In fact, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans highlights how many children and adolescents aren’t getting enough high quality protein, iron, zinc, choline, and vitamins B6 and B12. These nutrient inadequacies are especially alarming given the significant growth and development that happens during this life stage.1
This partnership will help educate
consumers about beef’s unmatched nutrition package of high quality protein and ten essential nutrients, helping them keep their families nourished throughout the day and introducing the next generation to the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand.
Founded in 1939, Little League is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with approximately two million players (ages 4-16) playing baseball and softball in communities across every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers display at seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports.
In addition to advertising and signage at games, the Beef Checkoff will also extend the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand by hosting a unique player meal in August for the more than 240 participants of the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This event is a chance to bring together competitors from around the world to share a beef meal while fueling players with the high quality protein and nutrients they need before the competition gets underway at the world’s largest youth sports event.
The Little League organization has a very active and loyal audience base with values that align with the beef industry. Little League stands for hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship and is a complementary brand to Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Beef and baseball bring people together and help families create lasting memories, making this partnership a home run.
REFERENCE
1 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 2020.
You shouldn’t have to have a gun held to your head to take advantage of the expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies featured in the Classifieds in this issue!
Beef CheCkoff News
New Independent Study Finds Each National Beef Checkoff Dollar Returns $13.41 to Producers and Importers. A recent economic analysis of the national Beef Checkoff program found that each dollar invested in its demand driving activities for the most recent five year period (2019–2023) positively impacted domestic beef demand and U.S. beef exports, creating a total financial benefit of $13.41 for the producers and importers who pay into the program.
This spring, the Beef Checkoff commissioned an independent economic analysis to thoroughly assess the effectiveness and additional financial benefits produced by the program’s demand driving activities. Conducted by Dr. Harry M. Kaiser of Cornell University, this study’s objectives were to measure:
• Whether national Beef Checkoff demand driving activities increased demand for beef products (domestically and abroad)
• The combined benefits of those activities in terms of their incremental financial impact to beef producers and importers
• The indirect benefits of national Beef Checkoff demand driving activities to the broader macroeconomy
“We’re extremely pleased with the results of this latest study,” said Cheryl DeVuyst of Morrison, Oklahoma, chair of the Beef Checkoff Evaluation Committee and current secretary-treasurer of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). “The Beef Checkoff’s primary goal is to increase beef demand here in the U.S. and worldwide. The statistics uncovered by this study tell us that we’re achieving that goal and providing producers and importers with an excellent return on their national Checkoff investments.”
Beef Checkoff’s Return-onInvestment (ROI) - In addition to calculating an ROI of $13.41, the ROI analysis enabled the study to simulate market conditions for beef demand in the absence of national Beef Checkoff investments. For the most recent five year period, 2019-2023, had there not been any investments in national Beef Checkoff demand-driving activities:
• Total domestic beef demand would
have been 2.4 billion pounds (8.5 percent) lower per year than actual results.
• The steer price would have been 7.8 percent lower per year than actual results.
• U.S. export beef demand would have been 372 million pounds (11.5 percent) lower than actual results in the seven major importing countries included in the study.
Beef Checkoff’s Broader Economic Impact - The study also evaluated the national Beef Checkoff’s direct effect on the beef industry (i.e., producers and importers that pay into the program) and its indirect effects on the broader U.S. economy. To quantify the total revenue impact of the national Beef Checkoff on the beef industry sector, the study utilized the beef demand (8.5 percent) and U.S. beef export (11.5 percent) percentages derived from the ROI market simulation analysis. Applying these percentages indicated that the national Beef Checkoff added an incremental $3.3 billion to the beef industry in 2023.
The direct effect of the national Beef Checkoff adding an incremental $3.3 billion to the beef industry sector had positive indirect effects on the broader U.S. economy, including increases in:
• U.S. employment by almost 47,000 people
• U.S. employment income by $2 billion
• Total value added to the U.S. economy of $4.1 billion
• U.S. GDP by nearly $9.5 billion
Furthermore, the national Beef Checkoff contributed to increased tax revenue at the federal, state, and local levels, amounting to a grand total of $743 million in 2023, distributed as follows:
• $34 million in county tax revenue
• $205 million in state tax revenue
• $504 million in federal tax revenue
“While we’re pleased Beef Checkoff programs are having a positive impact, we know there’s always room for improvement,” DeVuyst said. “The CBB is dedicated to making the best possible decisions on behalf of beef producers and importers. As we head into the remainder of FY24, we’ll take what we’ve learned from this study and continue moving the needle forward.”
All commodity boards conduct an independent evaluation of the
effectiveness of their programs every five years, as outlined by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) guidelines for commodity research and promotion programs. To view the complete study and executive summary or to get more information about the Beef Checkoff and its programs – promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information, and producer communications, visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com
*This study only pertains to the funds collected for the national Beef Checkoff program. It does not assess the impacts of
Beef Checkoff program dollars invested by Qualified State Beef Councils for state level efforts.
About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50¢ on the dollar and forward the other 50¢ per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of JUNE 2024
How to Optimize Calf Weight Gain Per Day. Several factors can influence calf weight gain per day on your herd post-weaning. Breed makeup, genetics, management, and nutrition all play a role in the growth and performance that your cattle experience. All of those things you, as the producer or feeder, have control over.
For beef cattle, a general target for average daily gain (ADG) post-weaning should range between 1.5-2.5 pounds per day. Once calves transition from backgrounding to the finishing phase, they are more likely to experience an ADG of 2.5-3.5 pounds.
Gain Smart Can Help - Gain Smart is a renowned brand of mineral supplements designed to enhance cattle health, optimize growth, and improve feed efficiency. Our products support commercial producers looking to
maximize their operations. Best of all, Gain Smart products ensure balanced nutrition for livestock.
Optimize Calf Weight Gain Per Day - There are several factors that can help you optimize your calf weight gain per day:
• Health - You will want to ensure that your cattle are healthy. Animal health and nutrition work synergistically. Be sure to provide the proper vaccinations at weaning or receiving, and deworm your calves.
At Gain Smart, we recommend establishing a veterinarian client relationship. Once this relationship is established, it is an effective way to determine the best protocols to follow.
• Nutrition - The quality of your forage plays a significant role in weight gain and performance. High quality pasture or hay can positively influence
weight gain.
Additionally, a quality vitamin and mineral supplement can keep your calves healthy and performing. That’s why we suggest the Gain Smart mineral. Gain Smart is an ideal cattle weight gain supplement.
What is Gain Smart? Gain Smart is a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for stocker cattle that promotes healthy, economical pounds. Gain Smart offers four different free choice vitamin and mineral supplement formulas to fit any feeding scenario.
All formulas offer the following key benefits:
• Powered AO-Biotics Amaferm, a prebiotic research proven to enhance digestibility.
• Include organic copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability and hoof health.
• Provide nutritional support for a healthy immune system.
The four Gain Smart formulas for stocker cattle include:
• Gain Smart Stocker, designed to maximize efficient gain.
• Gain Smart Stocker Wheat, designed to maximize efficient gain on wheat or small grain pasture.
• Gain Smart Stocker HEAT, designed to maximize efficient gain when temperatures are above 70ºF. Contains HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge.
• Gain Smart Stocker Balancer RU1600, designed to maximize efficient gain and balance high grain diets when mixing TMR rations. Includes rumensin for improved feed efficiency.
Results Backed by ResearchAmaferm, the key ingredient in most of our BioZyme products, is research proven to increase digestibility. As a prebiotic, it stimulates the growth of beneficial gut microbes. Research shows that it increases average daily gains by .25 pounds per day.
Wouldn’t you like to keep your cattle healthy and increase your calf weight gain per day by .25 pounds just by providing a mineral with Amaferm?
Increase your Calf Weight Gain
per Day the Smart Way! Have we convinced you that Gain Smart, powered by Amaferm, is the best cattle feed for weight gain? We hope so! Now that you know about Gain Smart, you can get your calves gaining today.
How to Develop a Cattle Diet Plan for Your Herd. Raising cattle isn’t as simple as it once was. Generations ago, our great grandparents likely bought some cows from the neighbor, purchased a bull from another neighbor, and hoped for the best. Their cattle diet plan probably didn’t exist, as they fed the feedstuffs they raised on their farm – corn and hay.
Today, you invest in quality genetics. In order to optimize those genetics, you need to provide a quality nutrition plan. It needs to include more than turning the herd out to grass and giving them a salt block or two.
Developing a cattle diet plan involves several key steps to ensure that the nutritional needs of the cattle are met for optimal growth, health, and productivity.
Six Steps to Develop an Effective Cattle Diet Plan - The expert team at VitaFerm wants you to succeed in cattle production. That is why we’ve developed this simplified approach to develop an effective cattle diet plan. Throughout the process, if you have specific questions, we encourage you to seek out your local BioZyme dealer or Area Sales Manager or speak with a ruminant nutritionist with your specific questions.
1. Understand the Nutritional Requirements - Knowing and understanding what to feed cows is a vitally important step to your nutritional success. Here is an abbreviated rundown of the essential nutrients your herd needs to thrive.
• Energy - Cattle need energy for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and lactation. Energy is usually provided by carbohydrates and fats.
• Protein - Essential for growth, reproduction, and lactation. Protein requirements vary with age, weight, and production stage.
• Vitamins and Minerals - Critical for various bodily functions, including immune response and bone development. Important minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and trace minerals like copper, zinc, and selenium.
• Water - Ensure constant access to clean, fresh water. Water intake is crucial for digestion and overall health.
2. Assess the Cattle’s Needs - Your herd’s nutritional needs will be largely dependent on the reproductive phase they are entering. Take this into consideration as you create your cattle diet plan.
• Stage of Production - Nutritional needs for your beef cattle are often the
highest during the final weeks of gestation and lactation. Determine if the cattle are in the growing, finishing, lactating, or maintenance stages.
• Body Condition - Evaluate the body condition score (BCS) of the cattle to determine their current nutritional status. Ideally, your herd will be in the “just right” range of 5-6.
• Breed & Age - Nutritional needs can vary based on breed and age. Breeds that are known as heavier milkers will require more nutrients. Likewise, younger heifers are still developing, and those older cows will also need feedstuffs with a higher nutritional value.
3. Analyze Available Feed Resources
• Forage Quality - Test the quality of available forage (hay, silage, pasture) for nutrient content. You cannot tell forage quality only by outward appearance. BioZyme offers complimentary forage testing for its customers. Once your forage analysis is received and the results are ready, our staff nutritionists work with you to make recommendations for your cattle diet plan.
• Grains & Supplements - Evaluate the quality and nutritional content of grains and supplements available. Once you know the quality of the forages you are feeding, you gain a better understanding of the kind of grains and supplements you need to supplement with. Supplement any nutrients that your forage is lacking, and if unsure, always consult with a nutritionist.
4. Formulate the Diet
• Base Diet on Forage - Forage should be the foundation of the diet. High quality forage can meet most of the nutritional needs. However, we cannot
emphasize the importance of forage testing enough. A complete analysis will assist you in knowing what other nutrients you need to accompany it with.
• Supplement as Needed - Add grains, protein supplements, and mineral/ vitamin premixes to fill any nutritional
gaps. This is where the VitaFerm supplements can make a difference. VitaFerm is a line of nutritional
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BioZyme
supplements for beef cattle that maximize energy and forage utilization for successful production.
VitaFerm is fueled by AO-Biotics Amaferm, a research proven prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility. There is a VitaFerm mineral for every stage of production.
• Balance the Ration - Use ration balancing software or consult with a livestock nutritionist to ensure the diet is balanced. This includes balancing energy, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
5. Consider Feed Additives
• Prebiotics & Probiotics - These can improve gut health and nutrient
absorption. Since knowing that 70 percent of the immune response is found in the digestive tract, keeping the gut healthy is vital to keeping the entire animal healthy.
6. Monitor and Adjust the DietMonitor your herd’s diet regularly. Keep track of weight gain, body condition, and overall health of the cattle. Make necessary adjustments to the diet based on performance and changes in forage quality or availability. Regular pasture checks to monitor water tanks, mineral feeders and forages are a good idea, especially in big country areas, where pastures are spread out.
BioZyme Products are Research
Proven - Now that you are more familiar with formulating your cattle diet plan, don’t forget to include the Amaferm! Amaferm is the key additive in all VitaFerm products. It has more than 111 published and/or presented research studies proving its increase in digestibility and, ultimately, its impact on the animal.
Providing a high quality trace mineral and vitamin supplementation like VitaFerm Concept•Aid is research proven to improve reproductive efficiency. For example, our reproductive success report shows that VitaFerm Concept•Aid has proven itself as an industry leader in fertility support. Its
ability to improve pregnancy rates, calving percentages, and weaning weights is unmatched by other brand products.
Cattle Nutrition Experts - VitaFerm is an established brand of vitamin and mineral supplements designed to maximize energy and forage utilization for successful beef production. Our products support cattle producers looking to maximize their operations. And best of all, VitaFerm products ensure balanced nutrition for livestock.
Provide Quality Nutrition During Cattle Maintenance. We expect a lot from that mother cow. She harvests grass and converts it to energy. When the time
is right, she gets bred; 283 days later, she births a calf. Then she turns into a milking machine and uses everything she has to grow that calf during lactation, only to prepare for breed back and get ready to do it all over again.
That is a LOT to ask from a mother cow. However, there is a window of time when she can take life a little easier. Yes, she’s still in gestation, and she is still growing a calf. However, her nutritional demands are not quite as great, and we are not counting on her quite so much.
From weaning until calving, that cow is coasting in what we like to refer to as cattle maintenance. It’s the one time during which her reproductive demands are not quite so high. She’s just weaned off one calf. Growing a calf in utero seems pretty simple. But just because that calf in her womb is out of sight and out of mind, don’t think you can skimp on her nutrition.
VitaFerm Has You Covered - At BioZyme, we make quality minerals for every stage of production, including cattle maintenance. To learn about VitaFerm ONE, one solution for all seasons, or VitaFerm Conserve, keep reading.
Providing a Quality Cattle Maintenance Diet - A good maintenance
diet is one that meets the nutritional requirements of cattle. It needs to support their overall health, well being, and productivity without promoting excessive weight gain or loss.
Let’s examine the key components of a quality diet for cattle maintenance.
Adequate Forage - Forage should form the foundation of the diet for cows in maintenance. High quality pasture, hay, or silage provides essential fiber, energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Cattle should have continuous access to forage to support their digestive health and meet their nutritional needs.
Because you can’t tell the quality of your forage just by simply looking at it, we always recommend having your hay tested. BioZyme offers complimentary hay testing services to its customers. You will need to work with your dealer to learn more about these services.
Balanced Nutrition - The diet should be balanced to provide the right proportions of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals to meet the specific requirements of the cattle. This may involve supplementing with mineral mixes or protein sources if the forage is deficient in certain nutrients.
Once you do receive your forage test
results back, we recommend consulting with a cattle nutritionist. The nutritionist can formulate rations to ensure that your cattle diets are balanced according to the ingredients you have on hand.
Clean Water - Cattle require access to clean, fresh water at all times. Water is essential for digestion, nutrient absorption, temperature regulation, and overall health. Ensure that water sources are clean, easily accessible, and free from contaminants.
Protein Supplement - Depending on the quality of the forage, cows may require supplemental protein to meet their protein requirements. This is particularly important during periods of low quality forage or when nutrient requirements are higher, such as during late gestation or lactation.
Mineral SupplementationProviding a balanced mineral supplement is essential to prevent mineral deficiencies or imbalances that can affect cattle health and productivity. Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and trace minerals should be included in the diet.
Energy Sources - While forage is the primary source of energy for cattle, supplemental energy sources may be
needed to meet energy requirements, especially during periods of high energy demand, such as during cold weather or when cows are nursing calves.
Management of Pasture & Forage - Proper pasture and forage management practices can help optimize forage quality and availability, ensuring that cattle have access to nutritious feed year round. Engage protocols like rotational grazing, pasture fertilization, and weed control to help optimize your forage quality and quantity.
By providing a diet that meets these criteria, cattle can maintain their body condition, health, and productivity, contributing to overall herd profitability and sustainability.
VitaFerm Offers Options - When it comes to providing cattle maintenance minerals that keep your herd healthy and performing, VitaFerm has options. With two options for cattle maintenance supplements, VitaFerm offers options for all cattle producers looking for ways to keep their cattle healthy and performing.
VitaFerm ONE - VitaFerm ONE
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BioZyme News
is a free choice vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle designed to promote cattle performance year round. VitaFerm ONE contains AO-Biotics Amaferm.
• VitaFerm ONE comes in multiple formulas to meet multiple operation scenarios. Formulas include the following:
• VitaFerm ONE Mineral Block – 35 pound pressed block
• VitaFerm ONE HEAT - Contains HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge.
• VitaFerm ONE CTC 3G Formulated with research proven organic copper and zinc for enhanced bioavailability, as well as CTC to control anaplasmosis.
• VitaFerm ONE HEAT CTC 3G with ClariFly - Contains CTC for control of anaplasmosis and ClariFly to stop horn, face, stable, and house flies in their larval stage, as well as the HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge.
VitaFerm Conserve - We understand
that input costs are climbing. That is why we created VitaFerm Conserve, specially formulated to support the health and performance of the whole herd while conserving supplementation cost.
VitaFerm Conserve is a cost conservative mineral that also contains Amaferm to enhance digestibility. It features a complete but economical vitamin and mineral package. In addition to the original formula, Conserve comes in seven other formulas, making one for nearly every operational scenario. All formulas include Amaferm and a complete but economical vitamin and mineral package.
• VitaFerm Conserve MOS helps normalize gut microflora and support the immune system.
• VitaFerm Conserve Protein Meal includes 20 percent natural protein.
• VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G contains CTC for control of anaplasmosis.
• VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G with ClariFly contains CTC for control of anaplasmosis, and ClariFly to stop horn, face, stable, and house flies in their larval stage.
• VitaFerm Conserve Garlic contains garlic to deter insects.
• VitaFerm Conserve Mag helps prevent grass tetany.
• VitaFerm Conserve Protein Tub includes 20 percent natural protein in a 200 pound tub.
Cattle Maintenance Doesn’t Have to Be Hard - We know that you appreciate the advantages Amaferm offers when using the Concept•Aid mineral for easy, effective breeding. You can still get Amaferm with a complete mineral package when your cattle are in maintenance. Choose from VitaFerm ONE or VitaFerm Conserve.
Our mission: undeniable positive impact on the health and wellness of your animals and your business.
About BioZyme Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include AO-Biotics, VitaFerm, Gain Smart, Sure Champ, Vitalize, DuraFerm, and Backyard Boost. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Mo., the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com
National Grazing Management Survey
The U.S. beef industry protects natural resources and biodiversity, all while feeding the world. But as you know, the world does not realize all the great work producers are doing on the landscape, with activists and others creating a negative impression on our consumers. To assist in correcting that impression, we need your help. You are invited to complete a short, anonymous survey designed to gain new information on the current use of grazing management plans in the United States beef industry.
Participation in the survey is both entirely voluntary and highly encouraged. All responses will be kept in strict confidence, with the data analysis being released in summary form only and no identifying information included. Information collected during this survey will not be used or distributed for future research studies. The survey should take approximately ten minutes to complete and includes questions related to your cattle operation and grazing management practices. The study is being conducted by Kansas State University faculty and graduate student researchers.
Thank you for your valuable assistance with this important project. With your help, the industry will be better positioned to communicate its efforts of producing beef in a sustainable, efficient manner. If you have any questions or comments, you may contact Merri Day at Kansas State University at meday@ ksu.edu. If you have ethical concerns about this research, please contact Dr. Lisa Rubin at rubin@ksu.edu
Please visit kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezbQpStC1YbtIxM or the QR code below to access the National Grazing Management Survey.
Synovex Primer Implants Now Available for Dry Lot Cattle. Additional trenbolone acetate implant available for use with dry lot cattle. Zoetis recently announced that Synovex Primer is now available for cattle producers who need to increase weight gain in growing beef steers or heifers in the dry lot production phase. The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) approved Synovex Primer earlier this year, along with an updated label indication for Synovex Choice in the dry lot.
Synovex Primer is a low dose combination product with 50 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA) and 7 mg of estradiol benzoate. Research demonstrated that Synovex Primer significantly increased average daily gain at 2.47 lbs/head/day (p = 0.0016) when compared with the sham implanted group at 2.21 lbs/head/day over the course of the 90 day study.1
“The addition of Synovex Primer
NEWS
to our implant portfolio gives producers options in the dry lot space,” said Bryan Bernhard, Ph.D., nutritionist with Zoetis beef strategic technical services. “From dry lot to pasture to confined feeding operations, the portfolio of Synovex implants allows beef producers to dialin the dose of TBA over the animal’s lifetime and choose a Synovex implant that matches the available nutrition and performance goals.”
For more information on how the expanded label could fit your operation, please visit with your Zoetis sales representative. You also can visit www. Synovex.com to learn more.
Refer to individual labels for complete directions for use, precautions, and warnings. Reimplant only if and as directed in labeling.
Reference
1Synovex Choice and Synovex Primer Freedom of Information (FOI) Summary NADA 141-043.
Large Animal Grants Program Accepting Applications
Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funds to help support their large animal practice. This $125,000 fund was created by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023 and will be administered by the N.C. Ag Finance Authority. The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend 30 percent or more of their patient care involved in large animal veterinary care.
“North Carolina, like many other states, has a deficit of large animal veterinarians. In many areas of the state, a single veterinarian may be the only option within 100 square miles,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient’s veterinary degree, to purchase equipment or technology for use in the practice, or any additional uses the advisory committee determines is appropriate to promote and develop large animal veterinarians to practice in the designated counties.”
The application period runs through August 16. Applications are available online at https://fs4.formsite.com/QopHZM/4llcxkovj4/signup . More information on the grant program can be found in frequently asked questions.
The Large Animal Health Enhancement Advisory Committee will make the determination on grant dispersal based on eligible applications. This committee includes the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture; the State Veterinarian of North Carolina; the Executive Director of the N.C. Agricultural Finance Authority; one designee from the Food Animal Scholars Program, N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine; two practicing large animal veterinarians; two representatives of the livestock industry; one designee by the Commissioner of Agriculture of North Carolina; and one designee by the State Veterinarian of North Carolina.
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
Y’all have stumbled on the best place to advertise expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies. Check the Classifieds in this issue!
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
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
JANUARY CHAROLAIS
FEBRUARY FORAGES
MARCH ANGUS
APRIL PIEDMONTESE
MAY BRAHMAN
JUNE HEREFORD
JULY GELBVIEH
AUGUST SIMMENTAL
SEPTEMBER SANTA GERTRUDIS
OCTOBER WAGYU
NOVEMBER BRANGUS
DECEMBER RED ANGUS
MERCK
Animal Health News
Merck Animal Health Joins Winston County Self Help Cooperative in Beef Cattle Herd Health Initiative. Initiative provides on-farm cattle working workshops and demonstrations to educate and train underserved ranchers. Merck Animal Health has unveiled an initiative in collaboration with the Winston County Self Help Cooperative (WCSHC) in East Central Mississippi to improve the economic and environmental viability of minority owned cattle herds.
The Beef Cattle Herd Health Initiative is a two year program designed to provide livestock herd health information, education, and training to cattle ranchers operating small farms
through classroom educational events, producer farm tours, on-farm workshops, and demonstrations. Efforts are focused on improving veterinarian care, grazing plans, animal welfare and performance, economic viability, as well as enhanced conservation and sustainability outcomes on the farms.
“We’re excited about the opportunity that the Beef Cattle Herd Health Initiative presents as it encapsulates Merck Animal Health’s commitment to providing support, information, and education to those who improve the lives of animals,” said John Hutcheson, Ph.D., director of beef technical services, Merck Animal Health. “We continue to engage with
ranchers to improve care for their animals, improve economic outcomes for minority ranchers in the industry and create more environmentally sustainable management practices on their farms.”
Ten pilot ranchers were selected to participate in the initiative and are being provided with the following support: a livestock veterinarian to lead education efforts and prescribe necessary medications; a grazing technician for hands-on assistance in the management of forages for improved cattle weight gain and farm sustainability; and experienced local ranch hands to assist in livestock handling.
Merck Animal Health’s support for the initiative, totaling approximately $145,000, includes veterinary and animal handling expertise, assistance in training sessions with the ranchers, and animal health products, including ear tags for identification, vaccines, implants, both internal and external parasite treatments and insecticide ear tags. Additional provided supplies include fecal sample kits and vaccine coolers.
The initiative has momentum.
“The initial feedback from ranchers has been very positive,” said Dr. Hutcheson. “We’ve held our first on-farm demonstrations and are looking forward to the second round of visits with the ranchers and the Winston County Self
Help Cooperative personnel to monitor progress. One of the greatest benefits of this initiative is to see these producers work together to strengthen each other and their care for animals and their operations. It’s wonderful to be part of this community working together to improve animal health, economic outcomes, and environmental impact.”
About Merck Animal Health. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., is Merck’s global animal health business. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animalhealth.com
1 MILE OF PASTURE MANAGEMENT FENCING SUPPLIES AWARDED TO THE NCCA COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
RECRUITING THE MOST NEW MEMBERS IN 2024
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MACON COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
2023 MILE OF FENCE WINNER
MILE OF FENCE PROGRAM
New Members
County in 2024
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:
Alamance County
Tyler Atwater – Mineral Springs Farms
Burke County
Roger Sigmon – Windy Hill Farm
Cleveland County
Deborah Harwell
– Desperado Cattle Ranch
Davie County
Mark Hancock – MRM Cattle
Greene County
Daniel Gray – Contentnea Farms
Henderson County
Dotty Parker – Kaydan Insurance
Iredell County
Luke Holland – Holland Farms of Olin
Pender County
Joseph P. Kelly – Kelly’s NC Ranch
Robeson County
Daryl Stewart – Darell Farm
NEWS
Versatility and Durability – John Deere 6M Tractor Delivers for Farmers and Ranchers. New 6M options provide midsize tractor solutions for any farm. John Deere recently announced the launch of the new 6M tractor, providing farmers and ranchers numerous options in one of the industry’s most versatile and dependable tractors. With 18 different models, engine options with 95 to 250 horsepower, and five frame size options, the 6M tractor can be customized to fit the needs of farms and ranches. The 6M tractor allows farmers to focus on their work because it is fuel efficient, configurable for numerous jobs, and easy to operate.
“This tractor is the workhorse for many farms and ranches,” said Dennis Ogle, marketing manager for the John Deere midsize tractor line. “The new 6M tractor is bigger, smarter, faster and more efficient and customizable, making it the go-to tractor for many farms, including dairy and beef operations.”
Standards Remain - The 6M tractor provides numerous ways to configure, giving you just the right tractor for your operation, but still has the standard features that make it the workhorse of any farm or ranch. The 6M tractor is just the right size to perform many tasks on the farm with traditional mechanical transmission options or easy-to-use, infinitely variable transmission options. The shortest wheelbase with a sloped hood remains, providing excellent visibility and maneuverability. All 6M cabs also offer an exceptional view around the tractor, making loader work, mowing, and baling easier to complete. In addition, the 6M tractor still has the high front or rear hitch lift capacity that is important for various jobs. Overall, a definite advantage is the service and support of the extensive John Deere dealer network.
“We know farmers and ranchers love simple and reliable tractors to get the important jobs done,” Ogle said. “The 6M tractor delivers with a proven history along with more valuable options to cater to each owner’s needs.”
Options Abound - The Model Year 2025 6M tractor can be customized to provide farmers the opportunity to have large tractor features on a midsized machine. Customers may select the features that meet the requirements of
their operation. With five frame sizes and 18 models, farmers can work with their John Deere dealer to build the tractor right for their farm. Configurations and options include:
• Horsepower and chassis - 18 models with five chassis options and horsepower ranging from 95-250 hp.
• Intelligent Power Management
- Up to 20hp above a model’s rated horsepower in transport and nonstationary PTO applications. This allows the operator to conquer hills when transporting, thick windrows when baling, and more.
• Dual tire configurations - Rear bar axles and dual tire configurations are now available for ease of wheel spacing or when needing more flotation and traction.
• Infinitely variable transmissionTransmission option available across all models that allows for stepless driving.
• Higher speed with 50K transmission
- Available across the full portfolio of 6M tractors, this feature helps transport speeds, leading to increased efficiency.
• Cab package options - New options available to increase operator comfort to improve productivity.
• Scalable precision ag technologyMore precision ag available on demand with updated cornerpost display and integrated connectivity.
“If farmers are looking for a tractor to help with multiple tasks around their farm, this is their tractor,” Ogle said. “Whether you are putting up hay, moving bales, feeding, mowing roadsides, removing snow or any number of other tasks, the 6M tractor is the workhorse that can help complete the job.”
To learn more about the John Deere 6M tractor, visit JohnDeere.com or contact your local John Deere dealer.
About Deere & Company. Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology enabled products, including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray, and E-Power Backhoe, are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit www.JohnDeere.com
www.blackcrestfarm.com
Walter D. Shealy III and Family 20977 US Hwy 76 • Newberry, SC 29108 Walter Shealy • 803-924-1000 Dixon Shealy • 803-629-1174 walter@blackgrove.com • dixon@blackgrove.com www.blackgrove.com
DVERTISERS
ANGUS
Aug. 3 — Edisto Pines Female Production Sale, Leesville, S.C.
Sep. 28 — Biltmore Livestock Fall Production Sale, Asheville, N.C.
Oct. 19 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.
Oct. 19 — Wolf Creek Farms Second
Annual Angus Bull Sale, Hawkinsville, Ga.
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 — Châtel Farms Fall Bull Sale, Reidsville, Ga.
Nov. 2 — 16th Annual SimAngus Solution Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Burlington, N.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.
Dec. 14 — Brushy Mountain Genetics Sale, Taylorsville, N.C.
2025
Jan. 4 — EBS Farms Select Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Feb. 13 — 32nd Edition of the UGA Focus on Genomics Enhanced EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, Ga.
Feb. 15 — Yon Family Farms Spring Bull & Female Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.
VENTS
SIMMENTAL
Aug 23-27 — American Simmental Association Fall Focus 2024, Amarillo, Tex.
Sep. 6 — N.C. Simmental Association Field Day, Union Grove, N.C.
Brahman
Sep. 14 — “The Gathering” - Circle F Farms Field Day, Baxley, Ga.
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.
2025
Feb. 15 — Yon Family Farms Spring Bull & Female Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.
GELBVIEH
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
Sep. 14 — N.C. Hereford Association Field Day at Mitchem’s Farm 3C, Vale, N.C.
Dec. 14 — Brushy Mountain Genetics Sale, Taylorsville, N.C.
2025
Mar. 22 — 57th Annual N.C. Hereford Classic Sale, Union Grove, N.C.
santa Gertrudis
Sep. 7 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Field Day at Creech Farms, Zebulon, N.C.
IGHTER IDE
In Sunday School, they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny, a child in the Kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill and asked, “Johnny, what is the matter?” Little Johnny groaned and responded, “I have a pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife.”
A lady was driving and observes a truck driver pull to the side of the road. He pulls out a tire club and walks around the trailer
beating the sides then jumps back in the cab and drives on.
A few miles down the road she sees him repeating the same behavior, which really gets her attention. She decides to follow him for a while.
After repeating this half a dozen times, the driver pulls into a truck stop. Overcome with curiosity she decides to pull in as well to inquire as to what he is doing.
She pulls up along side the truck and asks the driver why he’s pulling over and beating the sides of the truck.
He replies, “Well miss, it’s like this. I have a 30,000 pound weight capacity and I’m hauling 60,000 pounds of canaries, I gotta keep half of em flying all the time.”
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.
Nov. 2 — 16th Annual SimAngus Solution Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Burlington, N.C.
Dec. 7 — 49th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.
2025
Feb. 15 — Yon Family Farms Spring Bull & Female Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.
WAGYU
Aug. 4 — Wilders Wagyu StayWILDNow Online Genetics Sale via StayWILDNow.com
Sep. 6-7 — Vermont Wagyu & Friends Weekend, Springfield, Ver.
Nov. 1 — Wilders Wagyu StayWILD ‘25 Production Sale, Turkey, N.C.
Nov. 2 — Châtel Farms Fall Bull Sale, Reidsville, Ga.
OTHER EVENTS
Aug. 2-4 — S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up, Clemson, S.C.
Aug. 8 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Aug. 9-11 — N.C. Junior Beef Round-Up, Fletcher, N.C.
Aug. 15 — Piedmont Emergency Animal Response Team Training Course, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Aug. 22 — Forage & Grassland Management Webinar Series
Aug. 27 — S.C Cattlemen’s Association Regional Membership Engagement Meeting, Florence, S.C.
Aug. 28 — S.C Cattlemen’s Association Regional Membership Engagement Meeting, Spartanburg, S.C.
Aug. 28 — S.C Cattlemen’s Association Regional Membership Engagement Meeting, Orangeburg, S.C.
Sep. 4-5 — Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Symposium - Beef Reproduction Task Force, Athens, Ga.
Sep. 17 — Piedmont Emergency Animal Response Team Training Course, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sep. 19 — Forage & Grassland Management Webinar Series
Sep. 21 — September Select Bred Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 26 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Oct. 3 — Forage & Grassland Management Webinar Series
Oct. 9-20 — S.C. State Fair, Columbia, S.C.
Oct. 17-26 — N.C. State Fair, Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 30 — North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum
Nov. 14 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Livestock market sales
Aug. 5 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Aug. 5 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Aug. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Aug. 7 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Aug. 12 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Aug. 12 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Aug. 14 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Aug. 19 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Aug. 19 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Aug. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Aug. 21 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Aug. 26 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Aug. 26 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Aug. 28 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 3 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Sep. 4 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 9 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Sep. 9 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Sep. 11 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 16 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Sep. 16 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Sep. 17 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Sep. 18 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 23 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Sep. 23 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Sep. 25 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Sep. 30 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.
Sep. 30 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
