The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 36, Issue No. 2 (FEBRUARY 2022)

CC C

arolina attle onnection FEBRUARY 2022 •

Vol. 36, Issue No. 2

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ONNECTION 2021 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts ............................... page 41 2022 Ag Outlook — Sale Prices Up, Costs Too for South Carolina Farmers ........................................................... page 28 A Message from the CEO — Knowledge is Power?,

by Colin Woodall .............................................................................. page 52 American Angus Association News .................................................. page 16 American Gelbvieh Association News ............................................ page 26 American Hereford Association News ............................................ page 12 Animal Agriculture Alliance News ................................................... page 24 Asian Longhorned Tick Spreads Into the United States ................ page 21 Background and Research Supporting Caffeine for High Risk Calves, by Zach Janssen, DVM ................................ page 61 Beef Checkoff News ............................................................................. page 41 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods .......................... page 64 Beef Improvement Federation News .............................................. page 62 BioZyme Incorporated News ............................................................ page 66 Carolina Cooking — Calypso Beef Soup .......................................... page 59 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary .......................... page 57 Cattle Price Discovery Functioning Effectively, Arkansas Analysis Finds, by Greg Henderson ............................. page 49 Clemson Working with IBM and AgStack to Globally Expand and Revolutionize Cooperative Extension Service ................. page 50 Director’s Report — “Normal”, by Bryan K. Blinson ......................... page 3 Dr. Larry W. Olson, Ph.D. Passes ................................................... page 24 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — What’s a Cow Have to Do With the Housing Market, by E.B. Harris .................................... page 13 Federation of State Beef Councils Update ...................................... page 34 From the Desk of the SCCA President, by Roscoe Kyle .............. page 49 Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef News ............................... page 22 Gone to Texas Update! ........................................................................ page 58 Infrastructure — A Necessary Investment for the U.S. Cattle Industry ........................................................... page 60 Monitoring for Naval Infection,by Bob Larson, DVM, Ph.D. ...... page 44 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report .......................................................... page 32 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ................................ page 57 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — Standing Together, Moving Forward, by Jerry Bohn ........... page 55 New NCCA Members for 2022 .......................................................... page 42 North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ...................... page 66 South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ....................... page 51 South Carolina Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ............... page 14 The Chaplain’s Corral — A Cowboy and the Good Shepard,

by Skeeter Spaulding .......................................................................... page 11 The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker ……........................................ page 30 Valley Vet News .................................................................................... page 32 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden ........................................................ page 10

N.C. Cattlemen’s Association President KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734

Vice Presidents BURON LANIER 2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425

The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 36, No. 2 FEBRUARY 2022 Sales & Publication Office

SCOTT WEST 489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850

2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

RYAN CLARK 5250 NC 772 Hwy. • Madison, NC 27025

Phone: 919-552-9111 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com

Immediate Past President JEREMY LEE 5153 Battle Run Drive • Catawba, NC 28609 NCBA Regional Vice President (Policy) FRED SMITH, JR.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

NCBA Policy Division Director - JOHN LANGDON

is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint

by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.

NCBA Federation Division Director RALPH BLALOCK, JR. Beef Board Director - ROBERT CRABB Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON Directors At Large MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE

Executive Director - BRYAN K. BLINSON 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information ASHLEY W. HERRING

Manager, N.C. Manager, S.C.

STAFF

BRYAN BLINSON

TRAVIS MITCHELL

Editor & Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT Assistant Editor & Proofreader KIM BURDGE

Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE N.C. Circulation

KIM BURDGE

S.C. Circulation

TRAVIS MITCHELL

S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Executive Director - TRAVIS MITCHELL P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138 Phone: 803-609-2828 Email: twmitch@clemson.edu

Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All Website: www.sccattlemen.wildapricot.org submissions become property of The Carolina Executive Committee Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to President - Roscoe Kyle return items such as photographs and artwork as 1st Vice President - Timmy Benton requested. nd 2 Vice President - Joe Oswald IV Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Thomas Legare

William Brigman, Latta • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg Eddie Evans, Easley • Cecil Eaddy, Manning Thomas Legare, Johns Island • Richard Sox, Lexington Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Clay Alexander, Starr Timmy Benton, Walterboro • Michael Bailey, Lancaster Bonnie Cann, Abbeville • Ashley Mills, Blair Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Eric Seymour, Columbia

S.C. Beef Council

P.O. Box 11280 • Columbia, SC 29211 Phone: 803-917-1119 Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov Website: www.sccattle.org

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

FORAGES A Grazier’s Confession — Feeding Hay Has Its Benefits, by Johnny R. Rogers … page 6 Hot Off the Press — Alfalfa Bermudagrass Management Guide … page 9 Capturing More Water on Every Acre,

by Johnny R. Rogers … page 8 North Carolina Visits Kansas — A Trip to Cowtown and the American Forage & Grasslands Council’s 2022 Annual Conference, by Dr. Deidre Harmon … page 4 The Carolina Cattle Connection

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70th Annual N.C. Cattlemen’s Conference February 25-26, 2022 Hickory Metro Convention Center • Hickory, N.C. Friday, February 25, 2022

7:30 a.m. — Board of Directors Breakfast 8:00 a.m. — Registration Opens 8:30 a.m. — Trade Show Opens

3:00 p.m. — Afternoon Break 3:00 p.m. — Committee Meetings ◆ Purebred Breeders Council 3:30 p.m. — Committee Meetings ◆ N.C. BCIP ◆ Joint Legislative/Membership

(Membership Award - Sponsored by Carolinas Animal Health)

5:00 p.m. — N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Joint Board of Directors & Annual Business Meeting

MORNING SESSION Theme: Taking Stock — Finding Opportunities to Improve Your Cattle Operation (FOIYCO) 8:45 a.m. — Welcome

Dr. Todd See, N.C. State University

6:00 p.m. — Social - Sponsored by Alltech ◆ Past Presidents’ Reception ◆ NCBA PAC Auction ◆ Young Producers Council 7:00 p.m. — Cattlemen’s BBQ

9:00 a.m. — Discussion Panel - Taking Stock (FOIYCO) Joe Hampton, Moderator

Hosted by Catawba Valley Cattlemen’s Association, Inc. Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales/Harward Brothers Livestock Market/Stanly County Livestock Market/Chesnee Livestock Market

10:20 a.m. — Morning Break

Saturday, February 26, 2022

10:30 a.m. — Concurrent Breakout Sessions ◆ Exploring Additional Opportunities for Your Cattle Operation

Theme: Building a Successful Industry for the Future 7:00 a.m. — Registration Opens

Lee Menius, N.C. Choices Dr. Andrew Weaver, N.C. State University

◆ Making the Most of Your Pastures

Dr. Matt Poore • Dr. Deidre Harmon • Johnny Rogers N.C. State University

12:00 noon — Awards Luncheon

Sponsored by First Bank & Trust Company

9:00 a.m. — Trade Show Opens 9:15 a.m. — Processor Roundtable 9:15 a.m. — Butchery Pop-Up

Sponsored by Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina (AgCarolina, Cape Fear, & Carolina Farm Credit)

Chef Steven Goff, Brinchaus Meats + Provisions, Asheville, N.C.

• Keynote Speaker Ray Starling, General Councsel of the N.C. Chamber & President of the N.C. Chamber Legal Institute

Sponsored by Performance Livestock & Feed Company

AFTERNOON SESSION

10:15 a.m. — Taking Animals Across the Finish Line: Identifying Slaughter Ready Cattle

1:30 p.m. — Trade Show Continues 2:00 p.m. — Committee Meetings ◆ CattleWomen

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7:30 a.m. — Youth Recognition Breakfast

9:30 a.m. — Morning Break

9:30 a.m. — N.C. Beef Ambassador (Meet in the Trade Show Area)

Dr. Matt Poore, N.C. State University Lee Menius, N.C. Choices

Guest Speaker - Michelle Grainger, N.C. Sweet Potato Council

11:15 a.m. — Building a Successful Freezer Beef Program

◆ Forage and Grasslands Council ◆ Stocker & Cattle Feeders

12:00 noon — Processing Giveaway

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

Matt LaRoux, Cornell University

Director’s Report

By BRYAN K. BLINSON Executive Director, NCCA

“Normal” I am pretty sure that two years ago, most of us could have described “normal” in our lives. Now, I am not sure if I could even recognize “normal.”

At the beginning of 2020, when I heard the word Zoom, my thoughts went to the speed at which a high headed heifer could spot and exit the gate left open when going through with a bale of hay.

Now, Zoom is a meeting that does not include roast beef and mashed potatoes or the all important fellowship before and after the meeting itself.

Our attempt at restoring some “normal” to 2022 is the 70th Annual N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Conference.

Barring some outside force beyond our control, we will all gather in Hickory at our “normal” location, the Hickory Metro Convention Center. We will meet on our “normal” last Friday and Saturday of February (February 25-26). We are planning a few new “normal” activities that we hope all of you will enjoy.

We are looking forward to an excellent educational program that has been developed by our beef Extension faculty. The theme of the program will be Taking Stock — Finding Opportunities to Improve Your Cattle Operation. Our specialists and other invited guests will help us explore multiple ways that can help reduce input costs in these inflationary times, as well as enhance marketing opportunities for all of our animals. The program has been designed to be much more interactive than in the past, to help us all have an opportunity to engage with one another and learn from each other about successes and challenges we have faced since we last were able to gather.

We are very excited about our luncheon program that will bring updates from the state and nation. North Carolina has produced many folks who have had a major impact on agriculture in our state and the country. Our speaker this year is someone who has certainly been extremely impactful in numerous ways.

One of the most impactful of our North

Carolinians in this arena is Ray Starling.

Ray will present a program that will be entertaining and thought provoking and will be an excellent lead in to our committee meetings, policy discussions, annual meeting, and our future. Ray will bring insights that will challenge us to navigate into the future to make sure that “normal” includes cattle farmers and all of us involved in agriculture.

Our committee meetings will follow lunch and provide an opportunity to discuss issues the committees deal with in the industry. Several of the committees will have speakers that will make presentations that will be educational and pertinent to the committee’s task. Among the speakers for the afternoon will be Danielle Beck from NCBA. Danielle has been instrumental in working on behalf of all cattle producers in the area of taxes as well as helped to navigate the relief packages resulting from the pandemic.

We are fortunate to have someone with her expertise and diligence working for us in D.C. Everyone will be interested in her perspectives and outlook on things happening in Washington.

Among the new “normal” activities, we plan to have our first Past President’s reception on Friday right after the Annual Meeting. Next door, we will have our second Young Producers Council Reception. We hope that there will be some flow back and forth so that great new ideas and great new leaders can merge with our experienced and long time supporters and leaders to propel the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association to new levels of effectiveness. We will have a few exciting items in the auction during the social in the trade show that will be offered to benefit some events that we are planning for the Young Producers Council.

The social will certainly not be the only activity that will be in the trade show. Our sponsors and supporters will display all of the latest equipment, products, services, and technology that we can use on our farms. There are always exciting drawings, giveaways,

and informational materials in the trade show, but maybe more importantly, good conversation with those who make the Conference possible thru their support.

On Saturday morning we will again honor and recognize our youth who have, as always, done a great job over the past year. They have not only worked hard in their personal development but are one of our greatest resources for promoting our industry. Make sure and bring your checkbook and your loose jeans so you can participate in the cake auction that helps to support so many of the great youth programs that we have throughout the state.

Following breakfast, we will have additional educational opportunities in the trade show. We are fortunate to be able to partner with N.C. Choices to provide workshops for those who are involved in local meat sales for some of the animals

The Carolina Cattle Connection

they produce or for those who are considering how they may get involved with this growing marketing opportunity.

There will be drawings and contests involved this day that you will not want to miss.

It is our hope that all of you will consider attending the 70th Annual N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Conference. For all of the members who attend, there will be a special surprise that you can wear proudly to promote your association and help you to bring others into our family so we can be stronger and more impactful than ever before.

Normal may sound boring, but for me, the opportunity to get back together to discuss issues, see old friends, make new acquaintances, break bread (or brisket in our case), “normal” sounds pretty exciting. I look forward to seeing you in Hickory.

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North Carolina Visits Kansas — A Trip to Cowtown and the American Forage and Grasslands Council’s 2022 Annual Conference

By DR. DEIDRE HARMON N.C. State University The American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC) is an international organization made up of 20 affiliate councils in the United States and Canada with a total individual membership of about 2,500. The primary objective of AFGC is to promote the profitable production and sustainable utilization of quality forage and grasslands. The 2022 American Forage and Grasslands Council’s Annual Meeting took place January 9-12 in Wichita, Kansas. Prior to the start of the conference, I had a unique opportunity to take three graduate students for an agricultural tour of Kansas.

We started our ag tour by flying into Wichita on Thursday night and driving the 2.5 hours to Dodge City, where we were going to stay for the next two nights.

We couldn’t see much during that drive because our plane didn’t land until after dark, but the biggest takeaway from that time on the road was, WE WERE NOT IN NORTH CAROLINA ANYMORE. There were no streetlights, no fast food joints, no gas stations, no nothing. The only thing on that straight two lane road that took us from Wichita to Dodge City was cattle hauler, after cattle hauler, after cattle hauler. We passed a cattle hauler coming from the direction of Dodge City every few minutes, and with the speed limit of 65 mph, we had to hold on to the

steering wheel to keep from being blown off the road. Once we arrived in Dodge City, we understood why we passed so many cattle haulers. Dodge City, also known as Cowtown USA, is famous for its rich history as a frontier cow town and was an endpoint for many cattle drives of the west. Today, Dodge City is still known for its cattle and is home to two large processing plants owned by two of the nation’s top four largest processors.

The National Beef processing facility can handle 6,000 head per day, and the Cargill processing facility can handle 5,200 head per day. We had to drive past both plants on our way to our hotel, where there were cattle haulers moving about in every direction, almost like a well orchestrated dance in a ballet. It will make you appreciate the shear complexity and importance of everyone’s role in the beef production system. From the cow/calf sector to the feedlot, to corn and forage breeders, to those that deliver fuel to keep cattle haulers moving, and anyone in between. It is such a complex system, and every part has to continually be moving in the right direction to supply this country and world with delicious beef.

On Friday, we had the opportunity to go with Maggie Justice, Ph.D. student in the Department of Animal Science at Auburn University, and Dr. Alex Tigue,

Calves eating out of a feed bunk at Hy-Plains feedyard in Montezuma, Kansas.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

North Carolina visits Gardiner Angus Ranch.

From left to right, Kendra Phipps, Mackenzie Hall, Charlotte Talbott, and Deidre Harmon.

Regional Extension Agent with Alabama Cooperative Extension, to Hy-Plains Feedyard in Montezuma, Kansas. HyPlains Feedyard is located about 30 miles west of Dodge City and is a 50,000 head capacity yard that pairs cattle feeding with dedicated research and educational opportunities. The yard works with producers to custom feed cattle, has a research center on-site with the ability to run custom research trials (with a 400 head GrowSafe feeding system), closely works with a veterinarian research service (whom we were able to meet with), and uses its research center to educate those both in and outside of agriculture. They also offer internships and externships for students and are committed to the success of global beef production. At Hy-Plains Feedyard, we started off the morning working Maggie’s research cattle at a warm 5ºF (even though it felt like the temperature was -12ºF). The cattle on Maggie’s research trial made the trip from Alabama, and she is researching how different weaning strategies paired with different backgrounding nutritional regimens are going to impact feed yard cattle performance and carcass merit. It only took us a few hours to weigh and

implant the 207 calves she has on her research trial, and it was a good thing because it was so cold we couldn’t feel our hands or feet. After a morning of working cattle, we then met with a few of the owners of Hy-Plains and spent some time riding around looking at cattle. It was interesting to see the feed trucks constantly moving about feeding cattle, the pen riders checking on every single animal in the yard, and other employees doing daily chores like weighing, vaccinating, or implanting cattle. We were also able to see a few pens of Pasture to Rail cattle.

The Alabama Pasture to Rail program is a retained ownership program allowing beef producers to collect post weaning performance data, health data, and carcass data on cattle from their breeding program.

This allows producers to determine whether changes need to be made to the breeding program for post weaning traits.

We ended the day at Hy-Plains by touring some of their numerous working facilities and meeting with the research vet service in their research center.

On the way back to Dodge City from Hy-Plains feedyard, we took a detour off the main road and decided to do some sightseeing of the Kansas landscape. We stopped at the Gray County Wind Farm visitor’s kiosk just east of Montezuma, Kansas. This wind farm was built in 2001 and has 170 turbines, the largest in Kansas. The turbine towers are 217 feet high with 77 foot long blades. From there, we drove gravel roads looking at wheat and triticale fields, cattle grazing crop residues, and even spotted some wildlife before calling it a day.

On the second day of our preconference tour around Kansas, we drove about an hour southeast of Dodge City to visit Gardiner Angus Ranch, one of the premier seedstock producers in the United States. Gardiner Angus Ranch is a multigenerational ranch that started as far back as 1885 with a wagon train of settlers to Kansas and a 160 acre homestead. Today, Gardiner Angus Ranch encompasses more than 48,000 acres and breeds more

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graduate, both competed in the closest ranking national Emerging Scientist oral competition the conference has probably ever held. Only five points (out of a total of 100 points) separated all of the candidates in the oral competition, where Charlotte Talbott took home third place.

The conference concluded with the awards banquet and the handing over of the gavel to the new incoming president of AFGC,

our very own Ronnie Holman from Rutherford County. Ronnie will serve as the AFGC president throughout 2022 and will conclude his service by hosting the 2023 AFGC Annual Conference, which will take place in Winston-Salem, N.C., on January 8-11, 2023. So, make sure you mark your calendars now for this wonderful educational opportunity close to home.

Cows grazing crop residue with windmills in the background near Montezuma, Kansas.

than 1,500 head of females on their home ranch and collects and transfers more than 2,000 embryos in cooperator herds. We met with Greg Gardiner that morning, who generously spent the next five hours with us teaching us about the history of the farm, their breeding programs, cattle marketing, and touring us around a small portion of the expansive ranch. Mr. Gardiner described to us their breeding philosophy and how they were the first to use database selection and the Angus Sire Evaluation as a benchmark for sire selection since the report began in 1980.

They use stacked pedigrees from progeny proven bulls to breed to daughters of proven bulls and have been doing so for years. Their goal is to contribute to the cattle industry by using progeny proven genetics. We were able to see these genetics as we drove by their bull pens, as many of these bulls were about to be offered in their first of four annual sales they have each year on January 24. We were also able to see their donor females that were recently flushed, bred, and pregnancy checked by field staff. We ended the tour by driving out to triticale pastures where stout fall born cow/calf pairs were grazing. It was truly an amazing stop, and we are forever grateful for the kindness and generosity Greg Gardiner showed our group. From there, we drove about three hours through the country back to Wichita for the AFGC Annual Conference.

North Carolina had nine participants at this year’s AFGC annual conference, including graduate students, faculty members, extension agents, producers, and industry personnel. This year’s theme focused on sustainability, with workshops

titled forage production in water limited environments, ecosystem services and new business opportunities for grassland managers, regenerative ranching and applied grazing management, grazing cover crops and crop residues, and soil health, just to name a few. Not only did North Carolina have a great turnout for the conference, but many members also participated in various events, workshops, and competitions. Ethan Henderson, Haywood County Livestock Extension Agent and recent graduate in the Department of Animal Science, competed in the national Emerging Scientist poster competition, where he took home second place. Charlotte Talbott, M.S. student in the Department of Animal Science, and Kendra Phipps, Stokes County Livestock Extension Agent and recent M.S.

North Carolina attends the AFGC annual conference in Wichita, Kansas. From left to right Ethan Henderson, Sam Groce, Mackenzie Hall, Deidre Harmon, Ronnie Holman, Marti Day, Melissa Huffman, Kendra Phipps, and Charlotte Talbott.

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Call about NEW PORTABLE SYSTEMS! Graduate students from North Carolina compete in the Poster and Oral Emerging Scientist Competitions. From left to right Kendra Phipps, Deidre Harmon, Charlotte Talbott, and Ethan Henderson.

For Information or Brochures, contact:

Peter Hostetler 540-810-4605

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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A Grazier’s Confession — Feeding Hay Has Its Benefits

By JOHNNY R. ROGERS Amazing Grazing While feeding hay can be expensive and should be minimized, it has its benefits when feeding a limited amount in grazing systems.

As a grazier and advocate for improved grazing management, much of my time is spent emphasizing the negative aspects of hay feeding. Many experts share my opinion that making/ feeding hay is the most expensive item in many cow/calf production budgets and serves as a burden for many cattle operations. It should be noted that there are two issues to consider: making hay and feeding hay. Each should be evaluated separately to determine the best approach for each operation.

Operations seeking to lower production costs have sold their hay equipment, improved grazing management, and purchased the hay needed for their herds. After spending so much time demonizing hay feeding, I must confess there are some positive attributes when feeding a limited amount of hay in grazing systems.

Stocking Rate - When considering factors that influence grazing system profitability, stocking rate is always near the top. Stocking rate is the pounds of livestock live weight grazed on a ranch annually. Land and its forage have a cost, and the more animals grazing the land provide more revenue to absorb these and other expenses. Every ranch has a carrying

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capacity, which is the maximum stocking rate that can be used without degrading the natural resources (forage, water, soil, etc.). Since the carrying capacity has both seasonal and annual fluctuations, the stocking rate must be flexible.

Many operations will use hay to fill seasonal forage shortages and have found planning for 30-90 days of hay feeding allows them to run a higher stocking rate and, ultimately, be more profitable. The alternative would be to run fewer cows and utilize less forage when supplies are abundant. Both methods can be effective, and evaluating variable stocking rates and cash flow systems will allow you to find the best option.

Price Cycles - A few savvy operations will vary their stocking rate with cattle price cycles. Since hay price is relatively constant, they will run more cows during favorable cattle price years.

Their production cost does increase with additional hay feeding, but the extra cows generate enough revenue to more than cover this cost. As cattle prices fall, they reduce cow numbers, feed less hay, and graze more days annually. This capitalizes on better returns during the good years and lowers production cost when prices are lower.

Fall Hay Feeding - Most operations graze available fall/winter pasture, followed by feeding hay until spring green up. A new method being adopted in humid environments is to feed hay in the fall and stockpile pastures. This works great in the fescue belt as it improves forage production by capturing cool season forage fall growth. More forage production means less hay will be fed, and stockpiling forage yields a rested plant with deeper roots, which improves soil health. Fall hay feeding is advantageous in fall calving herds. A calving pasture can be set stocked with no rotation, reducing the risk of calves being left during a rotation. Labor is better utilized as cows are checked and new calves processed during hay feeding.

Usually, fall weather is drier, reducing the equipment impact on the soil and everyone’s tractor starts better during warmer fall temperatures.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

Grazing stockpiled grass is a great way to minimize hay requirements.

Furthermore, days are longer, so less hay feeding after dark and twin/wrap are much easier to remove when they are not frozen. Folks in fescue country know when tall fescue is actively growing, it is producing toxins detrimental to cattle performance, but toxin levels decline in the late fall/early winter. Furthermore, the hay curing process reduces toxin levels, and fall hay feeding could provide a method to mitigate fescue toxicosis.

Of course, using other hay types would further reduce toxin intake, but this option is not always feasible. Stockpiled grasses are usually higher quality than hay, and better forage will be available during the breeding season for fall calving herds (December – February). Feeding hay while you have standing forage may seem strange, but this practice can be valuable.

Evaluate your forage production and see if changing the timing of hay feeding could work for you.

Added Nutrients - Feeding hay brings nutrients into a grazing system and can translocate nutrients if hay is made/ fed on the ranch. It’s a common practice to choose a hay feeding site and continue to use this location. A good site is high in the landscape with vegetative buffers to protect surface water and other sensitive areas. Equipment access is important; thus, a feeding area near gates and hay storage is attractive. However, even with

a well selected location, nutrients (N, P, K, etc.) will accumulate at this site. Cattle will urinate and defecate where they eat, and most hay nutrients are deposited near the feeding area. Conversely, cattle grazing stockpiled forages with frequent moves (every 1-3 days) will distribute these nutrients onto grasslands.

Many producers have changed their management to more efficiently use these imported hay nutrients. Extending the grazing season with stockpiled and/ or annual forages leads to less time in hay feeding areas. Unrolling hay works for some operations that can feed hay daily. For those with limited labor, they unroll when possible and rotate feeding areas to locations that need renovation. The disturbance and improved fertility, along with reseeding, can increase forage production. Consider using hay fertilizer value to enhance long-term pasture productivity.

Please do not misunderstand my message. Most cattle operations make and therefore feed too much hay. They need to take steps to reduce this costly input, and stockpiling forage for winter grazing is a great place to start. A well designed grazing plan may call for limited hay feeding, and this amount can be purchased.

Use this hay to its full advantage, and feeding some hay is not a bad thing.

Reprinted from the September 2018 issue of Progressive Cattleman

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Capturing More Water on Every Acre

By JOHNNY R. ROGERS Amazing Grazing I have become very familiar with dealing with low precipitation years in between a couple of major droughts while grazing livestock in a border county between North Carolina and Virginia.

The longtime farmers in this region will proclaim that this is one of the driest areas east of the Mississippi River. Of course, you learn this after you have moved to the area and set up a grazing operation.

Managing grasslands during dry weather is a skill that you would rather not develop.

Frequent rainfall and good livestock prices will make excellent managers out of us all.

However, you develop skills by making mistakes and become better equipped to meet future challenges. As graziers, there are many factors that influence the success of our operations we cannot control (weather, markets, government policy, etc.). I often remember my grandmother saying, “Well, you can’t control the weather,” as she reflected on current weather events. She is correct in that we cannot control the amount of water falling from the sky. However, with good grazing management, we can ensure that more of this moisture enters our soil and is retained for plant growth.

Effective rainfall is the percentage of actual rainfall which becomes available for our pastures. Losses from runoff, evaporation, and percolation are expected but can be managed. Numerous methods can be employed to improve grassland productivity. Fertilization, herbicides, planting new varieties, and other inputs can be added to pasture systems. But plant growth will often be limited by plant available water regardless of the

pasture amendments. Therefore, before we open our checkbooks, let us explore our opportunities to capture more of the water that falls on our pastures.

Soil type has a major influence on both infiltration and water holding capacity. In general, sandy textured soils will have higher infiltration rates and lower water holding capacity. The larger sand particles create soils with less surface area for water adhesion. Clay type soils have much more surface area to attract soil water. However, a portion of this water is bound so tightly to clay colloids that it becomes unavailable to plants. Thus, all soils types have both positive and negative characteristics. So regardless of where your farm is located or the soil texture, you can improve soil available water through management.

A review of the Web Soil Survey at websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/ will give you a better understanding of the advantages and limitations of your soils.

A healthy soil intended as a medium for plant growth will contain approximately 45 percent minerals (sandy, silt, and clay), 5 percent organic matter, and 50 percent pore space. Ideally, half of this pore space would be filled with water and half with air. Pores are critical for proper soil functions such as soil gas exchange (oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.), microbial activity, plant root growth, and water infiltration. The pores are made with good soil structure and aggregation. The soil microbial community assists this process by producing glomalin (a.k.a. biological glue), which joins particles of sand, silt,

Overgrazed pasture lead to poor water infiltration.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

Use grazing management to prevent overgrazing.

and clay into soil aggregates. Of course, those soil particles vary in size/shape, and thus they do not fit together perfectly.

Small space exists within the aggregates (micropores). Furthermore, small aggregates join together to form larger soil structures, and voids occur between the aggregate clusters. Those spaces are called macro pores, and they offer rainfall a point of entry into our soil.

We can create better soil structure with grazing management. The grass height when we remove cattle from a pasture is very important (post grazing residual). Leaving the soil covered with growing plants (not bare soil) will prevent the destructive impact of raindrops. Yes, raindrops can destroy soil structure by dislodging soil particles. Once the soil particles are unbound, they will move across the soil surface and will either fill macropores and/or leave the site (erosion). Both options are unfavorable for pastures. The clogged pores prevent water infiltration and gas movement.

Erosion can damage our pastures and carry soil, nutrients, herbicide residues, etc., into surface waters.

Soil structure can be disturbed by our management. Equipment traffic and grazing (especially during wet conditions) can compact the soil. When a soil becomes compacted, the mineral matter is not changed. However, soil pores are compressed under the weight of our

equipment and/or livestock. Limited pore space leads to poor water infiltration, root penetration, and air movement. Plant growth will be reduced in compacted soils. Graziers can prevent compaction by reducing equipment traffic and pulling cattle off pastures during extended wet periods.

A well drained, sacrifice paddock with hay feeding could be an option. Removing cattle is not always feasible, and pasture can become pugged during wet conditions.

Those pastures should receive extra rest periods during future grazing cycles, and this will often repair the soil structure. In some cases, producers have added plants species that can relieve soil compaction (i.e., brassica, radishes, turnips, etc.).

How can graziers improve soil structure? The best method to build pasture soil structure is through intensive forage management. As previously mentioned, a thriving, diverse pasture will protect the soil from rainfall events and encourage water movement into the soil. In addition, vegetative ground cover will insulate soil from the sun. It has been well documented that bare soil can reach temperatures that will inhibit microbial activity (i.e., fewer glues produced, lower nutrient cycling, etc.) and increase soil moisture loss through evaporation. As the soil surface dries, water will move up through the soil profile through capillary action. This will result in rapid soil drying and wilted plants. Managing our grazing heights is

e Special important year round but can become more significant during dry, hot summers.

In addition, soils with southern/western exposures and steep slopes can dry more quickly. A different approach could be needed when grazing those pastures.

Monitoring pasture rests periods will build soil structure because rested plants have larger root systems. A thriving root system will feed more soil microbes, and they will produce more glomalin (a.k.a. the glues) needed to maintain our soil architecture. Carefully observe your forages and determine if they are fully recovered from past grazing events. A grazing stick (available from the N.C. Forage and Grasslands Council) can help producers evaluate current conditions and see if their pastures have reached the target height for grazing. It is difficult to describe the value of pasture rest. But when properly executed, a stronger, more drought tolerant forage system will result.

The importance of soil organic matter (SOM) has been well discussed in scientific literature and the popular press. There are numerous benefits to SOM but for this article, let’s focus on its impact on soil water. Although there is some variation with soil type, soil water storage can improve by 2-4 times as SOM increases (Hudson 1994). It is not always clear what producers can do on their farms to increase SOM. Since SOM consists of primarily carbon compounds, methods to increase soil carbon will go hand-in-hand in increasing SOM. As we explore those tactics again, we turn to plants as our primary tool. We know plant roots secrete carbon containing substances that feed soil microbes and this fuels soil carbon storage.

Spotlight on

FORAGES

Furthermore, as leaf material is removed (i.e., grazed), plants will slough a portion of their root system. Those roots are digested by the soil microbiology, and carbon is added to the soil profile. Above ground, we can use grazing density with our livestock to incorporate plant residue onto and into the soil surface. It is important that this material is on the soil surface and not left standing so our friends, the soil bacteria, protozoa, fungi, earthworms, and others, can break down this valuable resource.

So as rain falls on our farms, think about what you would like for the drops to hit. The first choice would be a growing plant. Plants protect the soil, feeds soil microbes, and our livestock. If rain does not hit a growing plant, then plant residue trampled on the soil surface by a previous grazing event would be a good alternative. Again, the soil is protected, and the soil microbial herd will digest the residue and create organic matter and plant available nutrients. Lastly, we want to minimize the amount of bare ground in our pastures. Yet we know it will happen, and we need to manage this acreage with longer rest periods for a full recovery. In severe areas, renovation with new seeding and compaction reducing forages (i.e., radishes) may be employed.

In summary, we cannot manipulate the amount of water that falls from the sky. However, what happens to this resource once it arrives on our pasture is within our control. Management intensive grazing has numerous benefits to pasture based livestock systems. Remember the following grazing management keys to build soil health and increase water infiltration:

Section f

• Determine your farm’s carrying capacity • Maintain a flexible stocking rate at or below your carrying capacity • Use stock density to build healthy soil • Rotate cattle to maintain proper residual in pastures • Rest forages to promote root development • Monitor the health of the entire

pasture ecosystem The long term impact of managed grazing will include healthier soils that capture and hold more rainfall for our forages. The stabilization of carbon in our grasslands may have a much broader influence as we explore climate change. If you need more motivation to improve your grazing system, now you have it. It will allow you to have at least some control over the weather. Good luck and good grazing!

Hot Off the Press — Alfalfa Bermudagrass Management Guide Alfalfa production in the South is not a new idea. In fact, many years ago, alfalfa was once the dominant perennial legume species used in the region.

However, harsh environmental conditions and cheap nitrogen fertilizer soon eliminated many productive alfalfa stands. In recent years, there has been an increase in educational efforts, plantings, and adoption of alfalfa in the South, a trend that is expected to continue as researchers investigate the variety of applications of alfalfa in the region. University research, as well as farmer experience, has determined interseeding alfalfa into warm season perennial grass sods provides great potential for extending the growing season, improved forage quality, and easily fits into current livestock-forage systems with minimal management adjustments.

While regional materials have been developed in various formats, a centralized reference guide that focused specifically on alfalfa-bermudagrass mixtures was needed. To address this need, the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance (NAFA), in cooperation with lead author Jennifer Tucker of the University of Georgia, has recently released the Alfalfa Bermudagrass Management Guide and Alfalfa Bermudagrass Mixture Management Calendar as quick and handy dashboard resources for livestock and forage farmers in the South interested in this unique mixture.

The 25 page guide, with a supplemental 11”x17” management calendar, provides important information regarding establishment, management and use, integrated pest management (weeds, insects, and plant diseases), and economics of alfalfa-bermudagrass systems across the “Bermudagrass Belt,” a region that spans from coast to coast encompassing the entire southern portion of the United States and much of the transition zone.

“Alfalfa is a high quality, highly valuable forage crop with variable applications across the nation and world,” said Beth Nelson, NAFA President.

“This publication emphasizes the important contributions alfalfa makes to the pasture system and reinforces the idea that alfalfa can, in fact, be grown and utilized in mixtures successfully in the South.”

The publication, designed to be an easily handled, convenient “dashboard pub,” is intended for livestock and forage farmers, Extension, industry personnel, and anyone interested in alfalfa bermudagrass systems and expanding alfalfa utilization in the South.

Watch for copies of these publications at upcoming national conferences, Extension trainings, meetings, field days, and events throughout 2022. Copies can also be downloaded free of charge or ordered for $2/copy on the Publications page of NAFA’s website at alfalfa.org/publications.php.

Adaptive grazing management improves manure distribution and builds soil health.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 9

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus N.C. State University You Decide: Will 2022 Be A Boom, Bust, or In Between? Although all the final numbers aren’t in, it appears North Carolina experienced a very good economy in 2021. The rebound from the COVID-19 recession continued and put up strong numbers for the state economy.

The big question is, will the good news continue in 2022?

Let’s first look at 2021. Aggregate production of goods and services increased at an annual rate of 4.5 percent (through the third quarter, the

latest available). This was better than the national rate of 3.8 percent and was greater than the 2.6 percent rate in the state during the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Sectors adding the most production were leisure/hospitality, health care, finance, and technology. The North Carolina economy is now three percent larger than its pre-pandemic level.

There were also impressive gains in the North Carolina labor market in 2021.

Through November, the state added a record 119,000 net new jobs. The leading

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job gains were in leisure/hospitality, professional services, manufacturing, and construction. The average hourly wage rate also increased by 6.8 percent.

However, after subtracting inflation, the gain was only ½ percent.

Despite this progress in the labor market, there are lingering issues. Total statewide jobs are still 72,000 less than their pre-pandemic level. Although the unemployment rate slipped under four percent in November and is not far from its level before COVID, a smaller percentage of individuals who are of working age either have jobs or are looking for jobs compared to two years ago. If labor force participation was the same as two years ago, 85,000 more people would be in the labor force.

North Carolina ended the year on an upbeat note with the announcement of the multi-billion dollar Toyota plant in the Triad that will produce electric batteries for vehicles. This prize capped a year with $10 billion of new business investments announced for the state.

North Carolina has the momentum to have another good economic year in 2022. In 2021 the state was fourth fastest in total population growth and was also a leader for in-migration of households from other states. North Carolina continues to have advantages in the total cost of living, the cost of doing business, the cost of higher education, natural amenities, and climate.

Hence, economic improvement in 2022 should be good, although somewhat less robust than in 2021. Aggregate production should increase 3.5 percent, 100,000 net new jobs will be created, and unemployment will end the year at near 3.6 percent. The fastest growing sectors for jobs will be hospitality and leisure services, professional and business services, and technology.

Economic gains should also spread to more geographical regions in the state. As the economy grows and prime sites in large metropolitan areas become relatively more expensive, there’s a natural incentive for investors to look for less costly locations. Counties in large metro areas but farther from the core city will benefit from this trend, such as Chatham, Franklin, and Lee in the Triangle, Cabarrus, Gaston, and Stanly near Charlotte, and Alamance, Davidson, and Randolph in the Triad.

Yet if the geographic availability of high speed internet significantly expands in 2022, less populated regions could also share in faster growth. This is already happening in Greenville and Hickory. With internet availability – now considered a necessity in the modern economy – even smaller communities

could share in business and population expansion.

While this economic outlook for North Carolina is positive, it is important to realize the state’s future is still subject to forces beyond its control. One obvious force that fits this category is the COVID-19 virus and its variants, which have dominated the world during the past two years.

Medical experts say variants may continue to emerge, as the Omicron variant did at the end of 2021. While such variants may cause some curtailments of public events and increased efforts for more vaccinations, I don’t expect them to result in the business shutdowns and stay at home orders of Spring 2020. Instead, I foresee us developing greater means and methods for coping with COVID-19 while at the same time allowing most of life to continue. But, of course, this optimistic outlook will be proven wrong if a deadlier and more unpredictable variant emerges.

Possibly a greater source of uncertainty is the future policy actions of the central bank of the country, the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”). The inflation rate in the prices of products and services surged to 40 year highs in 2021. While there is debate over the causes, one contributing factor is likely the “easy money” policy of the Fed during the pandemic. In order to help the country cope with and then recover from the virus, the Fed kept its interest rates at historic lows and created money to support the federal government’s stimulus programs. Both of these actions can be inflationary, and many economists think they were.

Now the Fed is signaling it will reverse course in 2022 and raise interest rates and moderate money creation. The question is, how hard will the Fed push on the brakes. Optimally, the Fed would move cautiously and slowly to reduce the inflation rate without disrupting economic growth. But as we saw 40 years ago when the Fed took the same action, this is a “difficult needle to thread.” My viewpoint is the Fed will have to move boldly in order to make any progress against fast rising prices. If large interest rate increases are paired with slow – or no – growth in the money supply, then economic growth in the second half of the year – even in booming North Carolina – could be on the chopping block.

In my 40 plus years of trying, I’ve learned to be very, very modest about my ability to predict the economic future. At the end of 2022, you can decide how I did this year!

You Decide: How Deep Is Our Economic Divide? The term “economic

divide” is commonly used today. It can refer to several aspects of our economy, such as the economic differences between urban and rural areas, the widening income and wealth differences between high and low income households, and different views on public policy regarding the economy.

In today’s column, I will focus on the last type of economic difference. For decades – including most of the four plus decades I’ve been a professional economist – economists have largely agreed about key questions involving the economy. Economists believed that private decisions over buying and work decisions, combined with businesses competing for buyers’ dollars and labor, led to several good things, like consumers getting what they wanted at the lowest price and workers being paid for their skills and capabilities. Also, those willing to take the risk for big rewards would constantly be motivated to improve products and develop better ways of providing what people wanted.

Indeed, since the birth of this “free market” economic system in the 17th century, the standard of living and the health and well being of the average person has soared. Even households in the lowest income categories have experienced better living standards.

Supporters of the free market, including the majority of economists, used these results to – with a few exceptions – argue for limited government involvement in the economy.

Why, then, do more economists now support greater government intervention in the economy? Why have many in my profession apparently changed their opinion about the benefits of the free market?

The answer was actually given

by a famous economist from almost a century ago, Joseph Schumpeter.

Schumpeter clearly saw the benefits of the free market, delivering tremendous economic gains for the average person.

But he also recognized that every person wouldn’t prosper to the same degree.

Some wouldn’t prosper at all. Poverty would exist, and there could be large differences in economic outcomes within the population.

As the economy initially is expanding and improving, Schumpeter argued people would accept these economic differences. But once an economy reached levels of sizable income and wealth, large differences in economic outcomes would become unacceptable to more people – including economists.

Also, even though Schumpeter didn’t include them, those living in wealthy economies are more likely to want to address big issues, like climate change.

If the situation I’ve described is the one we face today, then an important follow up question is posed. Should the economic system that developed our prosperity be discarded and replaced with an alternative? Or, should the free market system be kept but altered in order to address issues like income inequality and environmental pollution?

Before addressing this important question, let me assert that a free market approach to the economy does not imply no role for government. There are many important functions that only a public body like the government can address. National defense, regulating monopolies (where only one producer exists), providing public safety and a court system and maintaining competition between companies, and preventing collusion are some examples. Also, since the 1930s, there’s been some level of a

Regular copy deadline is FEBRUARY 5 for the MARCH issue Spotlight material is due

FEBRUARY 1 for the MARCH issue

social safety net provided for households.

Many who today want an alternative economic system favor socialism. A socialist economic system moves many – if not most – economic decisions away from individuals and companies to the government. The allocation of resources, the setting of wages and prices, and decisions about what innovations to pursue and fund are handled by the government, especially the national government.

Supporters of socialism argue the system will more equally allocate resources and income, thereby dramatically reducing income inequality.

With guaranteed incomes, families will not worry about the needs of themselves and their children. Economic advantages to those with large incomes and wealth won’t exist. The system will be “fair,” say backers.

Yet doubters of socialism see big problems. Why should elected officials or government bureaucrats know better how to allocate resources than the millions of decision makers in a free market? Will politics interfere in these

decisions? And what about the rewards to private initiatives that motivate hard work and innovation? Will those be lost in socialism?

Fans of the free market want to keep it but make changes to the foundation.

Renewed efforts and additional resources to make sure everyaone has the opportunity to develop their talents are at the top of the list. So too is support for wealth development through broader homeownership programs and other wealth building methods. A reexamination of the social safety net to fix gaps and strengthen support is recommended. Yet, all the while, making sure the help still leaves incentives for self improvement and financial independence.

So yes, we do have wide differences in ideas about how the economy should operate and what fixes are needed. These differences are apparent in the public discourse and increasingly are reflected among economists. The differences lead to one key question – what kind of economic system do we want? You decide.

The

Chaplain’s Corral

By SKEETER SPAULDING Chaplain, Cowboys for Christ

A Cowboy and the Good Shepard The cowboy is the caretaker of the range herd through canyons, arroyos, and drop offs.

The Good Shepard is the caretaker of His flock through valleys, mountain tops, and all the hills in between.

The cowboy is endlessly searching and rescuing stray cattle out of precarious places they get themselves into.

The Good Shepard is endlessly searching and retrieving His sheep out of the foolish places they find themselves in.

The cowboy will ride through all kinds of weather looking for missing cattle from the herd day or night.

The Good Shepard will tirelessly search for even one lost sheep to bring back to His flock.

The cowboy kicks up prairie, his mustang galloping across the western horizon.

The Good Shepard will split the heavens, galloping through the eastern horizon on His white stallion.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 11

Beef Quality Bar Rising.

Consumers are willing to pay more for what they want. Domestic beef demand is the strongest it has been in three decades.

Beef gained about 8 percent market share over the last two decades. U.S. beef exports through November 2021 were on a record pace in terms of volume and value.

Kevin Good, CattleFax analyst and vice president of industry relations, said this is all a result of listening to the consumer.

Good was speaking to members of the American Hereford Association (AHA), guests, and allied industry partners during an educational forum at the organization’s Annual Membership Meeting and Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on October 22, 2021.

“Think about grade, think about consistency. They are the driving points,” Good explained. “Today, we have a much better product than we had in the past and our customers are rewarding us with more dollars.”

For perspective, 72.7 percent of all beef cattle graded Choice in 2020 and 10.2 percent graded Prime, according to USDA’s Estimated National Grading Summary. Just ten years earlier, 60.1 percent were Choice, and 3.4 percent were Prime. Through October this year, 72.6 percent were Choice, and 10.1

News

percent were Prime.

Whether regarded as the proverbial chicken or egg, Good pointed out carcass quality increased as the industry applied premiums and discounts in order to get what consumers wanted.

“About 70 percent of the [fed] cattle we sell in the U.S. today are sold on a grid or formula, so cattle are rewarded once the hide is taken off,” Good explained.

“Plainer, poorer cattle that used to be par are now at a discount. The premium has gone away for middle of the road cattle.

You still have very distinct premiums for the top end.”

Certified Hereford Beef ® is an example of a quality based program offering a value based grid to producers and a dependably satisfying eating experience to consumers.

Good expects the quality grade trend to continue.

“There will be a time when we produce 20-30 percent prime in the national herd, and it’s not that far away,” Good predicted. “As we think about what our customer is demanding, let’s remember that last year, with COVID-19, we couldn’t sell Prime through restaurants; it went through retail. Every major retail chain in the U.S. now has a premium product offering. Consumers want it, so we’re going to have to provide it.”

Good also shared price expectations for 2022, as cow numbers and fed cattle supplies decline, and more leverage returns to producers. CattleFax projects calves to average $205/cwt., compared to $170 this year; yearlings to average $168, compared to $140 this year; fed steers to average $140, compared to $121 this year.

Record Numbers Enroll in Hereford Feedout Program. Seedstock and commercial cattle producers enrolled a record 756 head of Hereford and Hereford influenced steers in the American Hereford Association’s (AHA) 2022 feedout programs. The significant increase in cattle numbers underscores the value producers are gleaning from the opportunity.

Participants in the Hereford Feedout Program, which began in 2020, enroll a minimum of five head of steers that comply with a specified 45 day weaning and preconditioning protocol. They receive feedlot performance data for their cattle throughout the feeding period, as well as carcass data at the end.

Similarly, the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) Fed

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The next time she came by the farm, she brought me a check! ~ E.B. Harris

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

Steer Shootout (FSS) program, begun in 2017, enables NJHA members to enroll a minimum of one steer, meeting the same weaning and preconditioning requirements of the HFP. Juniors also receive feedlot and carcass data for their entries. This year’s FSS includes 200 steers from 74 NJHA members in 17 states.

Hereford Night in OKC National Hereford Sale Grosses $801, 750. A standing room only crowd filled the Super Barn Sale Arena for the Hereford Night in OKC National Hereford Sale held in Oklahoma City during the second annual Cattlemen’s Congress on January 7.

After the final strike of auctioneer Cody Lowderman’s gavel, the sale grossed $801,750. The excitement from breeders and buyers was a true testament to where the Hereford breed is progressively headed moving forward.

Topping the sale was the high selling bull Lot 17, C GKB Guardian 1015 ET, consigned by Colyer Herefords in Bruneau, Ida.; GKB Cattle in Waxahachie, Tex.; and Iron Lake Ranch in Athens, Texas. This popular lot commanded $100,000 for ¼ revenue share and $190,000 in semen packages with a gross lot total of $290,000. Ward Ranch in Edmond, Okla., and Schrammel Cattle Co. in Orlando, Okla., purchased the revenue share opportunity on this bull. The Guardian Group were the semen package buyers.

With the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) in mind, T/R Cattle Company in Glencoe, Okla., consigned Lot 27 T/R Miss Shelby J43 ET, a daughter of UPS Sensation 2296 ET and high selling heifer of the Hereford Night in OKC. GKB Cattle purchased this sought after lot for $60,000, with half of the proceeds being donated to HYFA. Dry Creek Farm in Pell City, Ala., consigned Lot 16 the high selling pick.

The pick of flush sisters was out of Innisfail WHR X651/723 4013 ET sired

by Spearhead B143 Hadley G16. Barnes Herefords in Cedartown, Ga., purchased this lot for $25,000.

The 51 semen packages grossed $247,500 with an average of $48,853 per package; 4.5 bulls grossed $131,500 with an average of $29,222. The 11.5 females sold grossed $156,750 with an average of $13,360. The picks from prominent herds across the country always create a buzz with buyers. The 5.5 picks grossed $115,500 with an average of $21,000.

“We would like to extend a big thank you to the consignors who brought elite genetics to the national Hereford Night sale in OKC,” says Joe Rickabaugh, AHA director of field management and seedstock marketing. “The sale gross

and averages prove the consignors bring sought after offerings year after year proving the strong demand for the Hereford breed. We greatly appreciate the buyers and sale attendees who continue to support this event.”

About the American Hereford Association. AHA, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-

for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), and the American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth, and research. For more information, visit www.Hereford.org.

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E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture

By E.B. HARRIS

What’s a Cow Have to Do With the Housing Market We live two counties away, or basically an hour drive, north of Raleigh and Wake County. A few years ago, I read somewhere that the Raleigh area was growing by eight people each day. I don’t envy the people on the planning and school boards having to keep ahead of the building of their structures for the new residents coming in. The county between here and Wake County is Franklin County. It is getting some of what we call bedroom effects, growing pains, or overflow from Wake County.

With all this being said, it is putting pressure on the housing market and has really changed the value of homes and living places all over Wake and Franklin counties and adjoining counties to the south, east, and west of there. Good roads make it assessable back to the metropolis of Raleigh.

I just thought I would let you know what I heard about a house and lot that was

up for sale in Franklin County recently. I have known this property my entire life.

It was put on the market for sale. In just a matter of a few days, the offers had come in on the house. The seller was ready to sell. There had been three offers made on the house, and all offers had been given to the seller. It was left up to the seller to select the one to sell the property to.

The seller had a little bit of info from all the potential buyers. When it came down to selecting the buyer, it was based on the knowledge that the potential buyer’s family was in the cattle business several counties away. The seller’s family was in the cattle business also, and the house went to the buyer just because they knew cattle.

So, you never can tell how long the cow’s tail is to affect different things. I will be willing to say it’s been a long time since a cow had the final say on a house in this part of the country.

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AWC CATTLE COMPANY Winston-Salem, NC Andie & Wes Carpenter 336-970-1655 • jcarpenter@alphagraphics.com www.windmillacresfarms.com

P and J FARMS Monroe, NC Andy Smith 704-400-3436 pandjfarmshereford@gmail.com

BLINSON POLLED HEREFORDS Lenoir, NC Keith & Peggy Blinson - 828-310-4526 Bryan & Beth Blinson - 919-422-9108

TAYLOR’S MILL FARM Zebulon, NC J. Brent Creech 919-801-7561 tmfherefords@icloud.com

DOUBLE J FARM Traphill, NC • Earlysville, VA John Wheeler 910-489-0024 • doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com www.doublejfarmllc.com

TERRACE FARM Lexington, NC Jim, Linda & Chad Davis 336-247-1554 jgdavis101@yahoo.com

FIVE J’S BEEF & CATTLE COMPANY TRIPLETT POLLED HEREFORDS Statesville, NC Clayton, NC James Triplett Jody & Angela Standley 704-902-2250 Kim Prestwood (Manager) • 828-320-7317 - Kim triplettmarble@bellsouth.net jodystandley@gmail.com GRASSY CREEK FARM Bullock, NC Scott, Pam, Hailee, Lillee & Elizabeth Bissett 919-482-1176 Bissettsp1@gmail.com HEREFORD HILLS Greensboro, NC Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative LOOKABILL FAMILY LIVESTOCK Lexington, NC Reggie, Patty, Tyler & Noah Lookabill 336-240-2142 rlookabill6015@gmail.com McCOY CATTLE FARM Cove City, NC Myron & Charlie McCoy 252-229-4602 mccoycattlefarms@gmail.com The Carolina Cattle Connection

W&A HEREFORDS Providence, NC George, Tammy, William, & Andy Ward 434-251-3637 waherefordfarm@comcast.net

Myron McCoy

NCHA Secretary/Treasurer 252-637-4995 nchereford@yahoo.com www.nchereford.com

th nnual 54 A lassic Sale dC erefor oon N.C. H 12:00 n C • 2 2 26, 20 Statesville, N March ms •

Stamey

Far

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 13

S.C. Charolais News

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

Sorry about no article last month; I was diagnosed with pneumonia on December 1. No COVID-19 and no flu, but pneumonia. I spent almost the entire month of December in the bed, sick as a dog and weak as a kitten. I am better now, but my son and husband are worn out trying to wash and dry clothes, cooking supper, and cleaning up the kitchen after supper. The big joke around here was mama doesn’t do anything but sit and eat bonbons all day and watch soap operas.

One night after cleaning up from supper, they both sat on the couch and said, “Boy, I’m tired. I am too.” I looked at them and said, “Boy, it makes you tired to sit and eat bonbons and watch soap operas.” The look on their faces was priceless. Gotcha!

I’ll never hear that remark again.

I am stirred up right now about the neglect that cattlemen are receiving from

PAGE 14

the S.C. Department of Agriculture.

The Market Bulletin came out with all this bragging about agriculture in South Carolina with no mention of cattle.

A meeting was set up by a friend of mine trying to set up some help with the slaughter of beef. There are very few slaughterhouses for cattlemen to use to fill up their own freezers. Snow Creek called me the other day, and they are canceling orders because the meat cutter left. At the meeting my friend called up, without anyone from Clemson University showing up though they were invited, she was told that the state could/would not help. There is a bunch of money sitting somewhere from COVID-19 relief for agriculture, but nobody knows or will tell where that money is. They will not help with a slaughterhouse for cattle to use because they can’t find meat cutters. Well,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

whose fault is that? Clemson used to offer a course but did away with it, and with all the technical schools in the state, why not use some money to offer that course.

Sure, you might not get many to take the course, but if you get 5-10 people, that is 5-10 more than we have today.

Another problem in the state is the lack of large animal vets. I have folks call me all the time needing a vet, and I have to tell them sorry, don’t know. Some of that money could be used to pay off college loans for new large animal vets to get them to South Carolina. The sale barns are having a problem getting vets for their weekly sales and forget about

purebred cattle sales. We are required to have a vet on duty, but there are none. We have been having our sales in Tennessee since we can get a vet in up there.

I am tired of the powers that be neglecting the problems for cattlemen and just plain ignoring us. Personally, I think the S.C. Department of Agriculture needs a big house cleaning and to be refurbished with people who care about all aspects of agriculture — crop farmers, cattle farmers, etc. I know I will probably get some hateful calls about this article, but I don’t care. I’m ready. They have called and fussed me out before during the drought, so I’m used to it.

BE A WINNER!

Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state or regional breed association.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

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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.

455 GORE FAMILY ANGUS Mark & Lori Gore Tabor City 702-401-8005 455goreangus@gmail.com www.455farms.com 4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 rdk.cefa@gmail.com 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 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) H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 jennham@bellsouth.net HARWARD SISTERS Brooke, Marcie, & Mattie Harward Richfield 704-322-9770 (Brooke) 704-322-5201 (Marcie); 704-322-0831 (Mattie) harwardsisters@gmail.com www.harwardsisters.com 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

bundylane@hughes.net laneangusbeef@gmail.com www.laneangusbeef.com 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 Alex Askew Louisburg 919-880-9062 (Phil) 910-260-2899 (Alex) philgoodson2@gmail.com www.springfieldangus.com TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 greg.little@ATImetals.com VANDEMARK ANGUS Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 keaton@vandemarkfarms.com WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-549-0070 (Mike); 336-460-7451 (Will) michaelmoss@rtmc.net WINSLOW GENETICS Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 bensbulls@gmail.com WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

Sharon Rogers

NCAA Executive Secretary 336-583-9630 Email: ncaa.sec@gmail.com Website: www.ncangus.org

LANE ANGUS Roger & Bundy Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7705 (Bundy); 252-398-7719 (Miranda) 252-357-1279 (Office)

PAGE 16

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

ANGUS NEWS Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Virginia to host show and provide educational activities. Join Angus enthusiasts to celebrate the Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show’s (ERJAS) golden anniversary with engaging social events, competitive shows, and exciting trade show vendors. The ERJAS will mark being “50 and Fabulous” at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, Va., June 16-19.

Events to take place include an educational learning opportunity, showmanship, phenotype, and genotype show, bred and owned show, owned show, and social media contests. These events allow exhibitors to further their interest in Angus cattle and give them a unique social experience, said Will Fiske, past NJAA director, past ERJAS exhibitor, and current NEOGEN research and development geneticist.

“I am just one of the many people who benefited from Virginia’s tradition of hosting the Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show,” said Fiske. “As a youth, the ERJAS and events put on by NJAA opened my eyes to agriculture outside of Virginia, cultivating my interest in the cattle business and exposing me to a large network of opportunities I previously had only seen in a magazine. Those were the kind of opportunities that eventually led to not only my current career, but friends that I now regard as family.”

Not only will the show foster exhibitor interactions, but it will expand their knowledge of the agriculture industry and develop key leadership skills, said Matt Lohr, former Virginia commissioner of agriculture.

“Opportunities such as the Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show for youth with an interest in agriculture and, more specifically, beef cattle, develops the next generation of agriculturalists and leaders,” said Lohr. “An event such as this combines competition, education, networking, and leadership opportunities for those of all ages, youth and adults. In today’s world, the ability to have all of these components in one location is few and far between.”

The show provides attendees with the chance to create lasting connections, which will continue well after completing their show career, said Fiske.

“The ERJAS is much more than a livestock show,” said Fiske. “It opens doors for youth as well as their families to make mutual connections across all segments of agriculture and all over the country. I’d encourage everyone to make plans to attend. Give yourself the chance to see what the buzz is all about –­ experience the strong sense of community, take pride in tomorrow’s leaders, and appreciate the high caliber Angus cattle.”

2022 Angus Women Connected Event. The American Angus Auxiliary will select 20 women, age 21 and over, to attend the 2022 Angus Women Connected Conference March 23-25 at the Elms Hotel and Spa in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

The biennial event aims to engage, empower, and educate Angus women from diverse backgrounds. Attendees will engage in workshops, participate in networking activities, tour the American Angus Association office and hear from keynote speaker Courtenay DeHoff.

Angus Women Connected is coordinated by the American Angus Auxiliary and funded by the Angus Foundation. More information about Angus Women Connected can be found at www.angusauxiliary.com/about/womenconnected.html.

Beef up your bull buying strategy.

Angus University educational event at Cattlemen’s Congress. Breeding season is an imperative time for cattlemen and women, and the investment in a herd bull can be daunting. Angus University hosted an educational session about bull buying strategies at Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla., on January 5. This session provided attendees with answers to their biggest bull buying questions and the ability to select bulls with confidence.

“Buying a bull is an important decision,” said Mark McCully, Association chief executive officer.

“We’re fortunate to provide education from some of the industry’s experts to commercial cattlemen ahead of the spring bull buying season.”

The one hour event consisted of three, 20 minute sessions focused on bull

Continued on page 16

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Angus News continued from page 14 buying strategies. Attendees heard from Angus staff, extension specialists, and industry representatives as well as had the opportunity to ask questions during a social session following the presentations at the Angus booth.

Association Regional Manager Jeff Mafi addressed “Sorting Through the Sale Book.” Understanding EPDs and logos will help commercial cattlemen feel more confident reading through sale offerings.

Mafi also helped attendees navigate terms and conditions and private treaty sales.

“We get a lot of questions in the field on what the numbers in the sale book mean and how cattlemen can apply them to their herd,” Mafi said. “These sessions should answer those questions and help people feel prepared to make a more confident investment.”

During the “Finding Balance” session, producers learned how to apply EPDs to their herd goals, while maintaining phenotype. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University livestock extension specialist, helped attendees

understand Angus Sire Search and explain the basis for buying a good bull for specific needs. Johnson also explained the importance of bull stocking rate to getting cows bred.

The event concluded with a presentation on bull nutrition and maintenance. Dr. Jill Peine, ruminant nutritionist with Ridley Block Operations, explained proper body condition scores, nutrition protocols, and supplementation strategies during the “Focus on Fertility” session. Proper nutrition can play a large role in the success of breeding soundness exams for producers.

Confidence is key when making bull buying decisions this spring. Angus University is the source for industry leading education. For more information on bull buying strategies, visit www. angusuniversity.com.

Oklahoma Stars event raises over $62,000 for Angus Foundation.

Angus enthusiasts gather to support Angus Foundation’s mission. The Angus breed has set itself apart not only in its

commitment to produce high quality cattle but also to ensure a bright future for the breed. Support for the Angus Foundation allows it to effectively carry out its mission of youth, education, and research. On January 5, Angus enthusiasts gathered at the Will Rogers Theatre in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the second annual Oklahoma Stars event. Held during the 2022 Cattlemen’s Congress, the event raised over $62,000 for the Angus Foundation.

“We are so grateful for those who spent the evening with us at the Oklahoma Stars event,” said Thomas Marten, Angus Foundation executive director. “It is through the loyal and generous support of our growing number of donors that many opportunities are available to our Angus youth and breed.”

Attendees spent the evening at the historic Will Rogers Theatre enjoying live music from local band Grassland Caravan and Certified Angus Beef hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets were sold for the chance to win several raffle items, including a Certified

Angus Beef brand cooler, Certified Angus Beef brand knife set, cigars and whiskey package, and a Vytelle embryo package.

The highlight of the evening was the live auction, featuring a variety of exciting lots donated by generous supporters. The high-selling lot was the New Mexico Elk Hunt, donated by Reverse Rocking R Ranch, which brought $20,000.

“It was a great evening for the Angus family to gather in support of the Angus Foundation,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO. “It’s our tremendous donors that allow us to offer such incredible opportunities to our members.”

Funds raised from the event will benefit the Angus Fund, which provides unrestricted support allowing the Angus Foundation to support a diverse set of efforts focused on ensuring a bright future

Continued on page 18)

BILTMORELIVESTOCK.COM

Discover Exceptional Quality with Our Angus Cattle Outstanding Yearling Bulls available. Call today to schedule a visit!

Bred to perform, Biltmore Angus represents a livestock legacy more than a century in the making.

Contact Kyle Mayberry 828-768-1956 • livestock@biltmore.com PAGE 18

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

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q FEBRUARY 2022

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Angus News continued from page 16

For more information or to request a sale catalog, contact:

Sale Manager Zach Moffitt • 336-736-6340 Sale Chairman Lee Clinton • 704-913-6127 PAGE 20

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

for the breed. Academic scholarships, leadership conferences, cutting edge research, and funding for the National Junior Angus Board are among the many programs sustained by the Angus Fund. For more information on the Angus Foundation, contact Thomas Marten at tmarten@angus.org or visit AngusFoundation.org.

Angus Foundation Heifer Package sells for $50,000. Brumfield Angus Farms of Sawyer, Mich., purchases pick of Tehama Angus Ranch fall heifers.

Since 1980, the Angus Foundation Heifer Package has been sold to generate unrestricted funds to support its mission of youth, education, and research. This year, Brumfield Angus Farms of Sawyer, Mich., purchased the Foundation Heifer Package, donated by Tehama Angus Ranch of Gerber, California. The package sold on January 7, at the start of the National Angus Bull Sale during Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla., and raised $50,000 to support educational programs and scholarships.

The Borror family generously offered the pick of their fall heifers for the 2022 Angus Foundation Heifer Package. The package also includes free transportation to the buyer’s ranch provided by Lathrop Livestock Transportation, Dundee, Ill., and an advanced reproductive technology package from Trans Ova Genetics, Sioux Center, Iowa.

The 2022 Foundation Heifer Package donated by the Borror family serves as a true testament to their longstanding Angus roots and commitment to producing high quality cattle. A maternal focus has been important since Tehama Angus Ranch was started with the purchase of Bill Borror’s first 4-H project. From one heifer to 50 cows and now 500, the family has a deep heritage within the breed, notably in California, where they were the first family to have an Angus bull sale. This focus on desirable maternal traits, coupled with powerful Tehama sires including Tehama Patriarch F028, Tehama Tahoe

B767, and Tehama Bonanza E410, results in an elite opportunity for the pick of their fall heifer crop.

“The most generous and thoughtful donors, like Tehama Angus Ranch and Brumfield Angus Farms, are found right here in the Angus breed,” said Thomas Marten, Angus Foundation executive director. “With an outstanding offering from the Borror family and the charitable impact made by Brumfield Angus, this tradition continues forward and provides financial backing for many of the educational opportunities funded through Angus Foundation grants.”

The Angus Foundation Heifer Package has raised more than $2.7 million since the inception of the program. For more information about the Angus Foundation or the annual Angus Foundation Heifer Package Sale, visit AngusFoundation.org.

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 $3.9 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 more than 25,000 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.

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!

Asian Longhorned Tick Spreads into the United States The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) has officially spread to 17 states, according to October 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Unlike other ticks the cattle industry has experienced, the ALT may easily evade detection and has the potential to rapidly spread to new areas of the country.

“Stopping the spread of the ALT requires a strong control program,” said Dr. Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Unfortunately, the federal government currently lacks the budget or a plan to enact an eradication program, so state animal health authorities and individual cattle producers must remain vigilant to control the spread of this invasive, exotic tick.”

The ALT poses a particular challenge for management and control due to the tick’s small size, ability to reproduce without a mate, and resiliency to live in the environment without a host for up to a year.

At about the size of a sesame seed, the tick is difficult to see and may avoid the drag nets used by veterinarians and health officials to inspect pastures for insects. One female tick can single handedly create a new tick population by quickly reproducing. If a single tick attaches to an animal, it may produce 1,000-2,000 offspring at a time and create a large infestation that covers the animal and leads to fatal blood loss.

Have you forgotten something?

Make sure your cattlemen friends are members of your state association!

Health authorities are also concerned that the tick is a carrier of theileria, specifically theileria orientalis, a disease that results in bovine infectious anemia or an insufficient number of red blood cells.

Without enough red blood cells, cattle may experience weakness, reluctance to walk, fever, and abortion. Currently, there is no approved treatment in the United States for theileria orientalis, and recovered cattle usually remain persistently infected.

USDA is aware of the spread of the ALT and has begun holding monthly surveillance calls between officials at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and state and industry stakeholders. While procedures are in place to report tick sightings to APHIS, there is no federal program for tick control or eradication currently in place.

While surveillance is a step in the right direction, Dr. Simmons pointed out that controlling and managing the tick is important because of its mobility.

“The tick is found on over 25 host species, including cats, dogs, and birds,” she said. “The tick can easily hitch a ride on a wide variety of wild, agricultural and domestic animals to spread quickly into new areas.”

Although officials remain concerned about the tick, producers can protect their herd by frequently inspecting their cattle and reporting any sightings of ticks to their veterinarian or local animal health officials.

“USDA and state animal health officials have a procedure for veterinarians to identify and report ticks,” Dr. Simmons said. “If a veterinarian sees a tick that looks different from the common domestic tick, they can contact APHIS or their state animal health officials to identify it.”

First recorded in the U.S. in 2017, the ALT is native to eastern China, Japan, eastern Russia, and Korea. The tick previously spread to Australia and New Zealand, where the spread of theileria caused economic disruptions to those countries’ agricultural production. It is currently unknown how the tick first entered the U.S., and it is rare for a new tick species to be established so quickly.

The tick has never previously established a population in the U.S. and is considered an exotic species.

NCBA has recognized that the ALT represents a challenge to the cattle industry. Through the grassroots policy process, the NCBA Cattle Health and Well Being Committee adopted policy on the ALT at the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Having policy on the books allows NCBA’s Government Affairs team to begin working with policymakers to find ways to control and eradicate the tick.

As chief veterinarian, Dr. Simmons will play a leading role in NCBA’s engagement on the tick.

“Typically, NCBA works with members of Congress or government officials who are unfamiliar with our industry, and we are educating them on the realities our producers face out in the country,” Dr. Simmons said. “On cattle health and well being issues, we engage in highly technical, scientific discussions with veterinary organizations, researchers, and animal health professionals with the goal of keeping U.S. cattle safe and healthy.”

To maintain the health of your herd, Dr. Simmons recommends knowing some information about tick behavior and the diseases that ticks may carry for cattle and humans. While the tick can be found anywhere in the environment, according to USDA, the tick prefers tall grasses and wooded areas. Asian Longhorned Ticks

are light brown, and when they feed, they can increase to the size of a pea.

To prevent the spread of the tick, cattle producers should frequently monitor their livestock and report any ticks to their veterinarian or animal health authorities.

The tick prefers warm places on both humans and animals, so producers should pay extra attention to cattle’s ears, groin, and underbelly. On humans, ticks may hide under the armpits, behind the knee, in hair, or around the groin. The tick may also spread through contact with wildlife, especially deer. Maintaining distance between livestock and wildlife is important for avoiding both the spread of diseases and insect pests. If ticks are a problem in your area of the country, then consider discussing with your herd veterinarian the use of tick control products for cattle and the environment.

For more information on the Asian Longhorned Tick, please visit the USDA APHIS website at aphis.usda.gov or contact the NCBA Washington, D.C., office at 202 347-0228.

G&E Virginia

Premium Assured Heifer Sale Saturday • March 26, 2022 • 12:30 pm SUPERIOR GENETICS, GROWTH, & PERFORMANCE

SELLING 75 - 100

Angus based, mostly black Bred Commercial Heifers, Commercial Spring Pairs, & Bred Cows

** All females are A.I. serviced prior to clean up ** All females are from leading Southside breeders

For more information, contact: Buddy Shelton - 434-251-7149 • Graham Winn - 434-251-1766 George Winn - 434-489-4458 • Mike McDowell - 434-575-4850

To register for the conference call, contact Karen Shelton • 434-203-0288

Online bidding through Cowbuyer.com, contact: Aaron Ray Tompkins • 336-363-4639

Auctioneer - Gary Vance • 540-622-4889 The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 21

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef announces 2022 Executive Committee. The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) recently announced its 2022 Executive Committee. Comprised of some of the beef supply chain’s largest stakeholders, with a range of diverse and industry leading expertise, the committee will focus on progressing the organization’s work towards achieving net zero through its global sustainability goals.

The six member 2022 Executive Committee includes industry leaders from the likes of McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, Zoetis, and Rabobank.

• President - Ian McConnel, Tyson Foods • Vice President - Bob Lowe, Tri-L Ranch • Secretary-Treasurer - Justin Sherrard, Rabobank • Member at large - Jeannette Ferran Astorga, Zoetis

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News

• Member at large - Lucas McKelvie, McDonald’s Corporation • Immediate Past President - Bob McCan, McFaddin Enterprises Since 2012, GRSB has been working to advance sustainable beef through leadership, science, and multi-stakeholder engagement. Leaders are elected from a membership that represents the full value chain, including beef producers and producer organizations, allied services and industries, processors, retail, civil societies, and others who aim to continuously improve beef sustainability around the world.

GRSB announced its global sustainability goals in June 2021. These include reducing the net global warming impact of beef by 30 percent by 2030, ensuring the beef value chain is a net positive contributor to nature by 2030, and increasing the adoption of animal health and welfare best practices so that cattle are provided with an environment

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

in which they can thrive.

More than 500 companies and producer organizations are engaged in the work of GRSB and its members, including regionally focused beef sustainability roundtables and initiatives in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Southern Africa, the United States, and other countries around the world.

The new committee came into effect on January 1. For more information about GRSB, visit https://grsbeef.org.

President - Ian McConnel (Tyson Foods) serves as Director of Sustainability for Tyson Foods International Business Unit. Before his current position, Ian served as the Global Beef Lead for World Wildlife Fund (WWF). He led the global WWF networks approach to creating and communicating a more sustainable global beef industry. Facilitating global dialogue, collaborating across WWF offices, external stakeholders, and industry partners, Ian is successfully developing a cohesive and effective global effort to create a beef industry that is socially, economically, and environmentally responsible and is able to communicate this message to consumers. Ian has previously served as the GRSB Vice President for this past year and as GRSB Secretary-Treasurer in 2019 and 2020.

Vice President - Bob Lowe (Tri-L Ranch, Ltd.) is part of a long line of ranchers that came to Alberta, Canada, in the late 1800s and continues that legacy with feedlot operations based in Nanton, Alberta, and a cow/calf operation in Eriksdale, Manitoba. He is an outspoken advocate for sharing information about raising cattle, feedlots, and best management practices and promotes the understanding of the stewardship and conservation that is inherent in sustainable beef production.

He currently serves as President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). He was also Chair of Alberta Beef Producers (2015-2017) and a decade as a delegate, director, and a member of the executive committee. First elected as a director to the CCA in 2009, Lowe has served as chair of the CCA Environment Committee and Foreign Trade Committee. He is also a Council director of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

Secretary-Treasurer - Justin Sherrard (Rabobank, Netherlands) is the Global Strategist for Animal Protein in Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness Research (FAR) group. He leads the bank’s global research, client engagement, and profiling in the animal protein sector. His work is directed at challenging current thinking and advising

companies on risks and opportunities from strategic issues on today’s and tomorrow’s CEO agendas. Justin is currently completing his first term as SecretaryTreasurer on GRSB’s Executive Committee and was a Member-at-Large on the GRSB Executive Committee in 2020.

Member-at-Large - Lucas McKelvie (McDonald’s Corporation, USA) is a member of McDonald’s Global Sustainable Sourcing & Resiliency team, working cross functionally with internal and external stakeholders in multiple countries to help advance McDonald’s food sourcing sustainability goals.

Luke has been active within the GRSB for several years, including on the GRSB Communications Council and Executive Committee. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Luke specialized in communications on agriculture and rural issues. He received his degree in Agricultural Communications from the University of Illinois. Luke grew up raising sheep and now lives with his wife and kids on their small farm in southern Illinois.

Member-at-Large - Jeannette Ferran Astorga (Zoetis) is Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, and Chief Sustainability Officer. She also serves as President of the Zoetis Foundation. In these roles, Ms. Ferran Astorga is responsible for the company’s integrated and comprehensive approach to public policy, social responsibility, corporate reputation, and colleague and leadership communications. She leads the sustainability and ESG disclosure strategy.

Since joining Zoetis, Jeannette established Zoetis’ sustainability goals and led Zoetis’ progress in the areas of sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. Among her many accomplishments at Zoetis thus far are the establishment of the Zoetis Foundation, the formation of our Driven to Care long term sustainability strategy, and the publication of Zoetis’ first sustainability report. Jeannette is currently beginning her first term as a Member-at-Large on the GRSB Executive Committee.

Immediate Past President - Bob McCan (McFaddin Enterprises) is finishing his second term as President of GRSB. He oversees the cattle operations and recreational hunting and wildlife operations for his family’s company, McFaddin Enterprises, Ltd. in Victoria, Refugio, and Bee counties in Texas.

Using rotational grazing on native rangeland, the family strikes a balance that meets the needs of both livestock and wildlife, benefiting both. The ranches are stocked with Victoria cattle, a commercial crossbred of ¾ Hereford, and ¼ Brahman

with a uniform Hereford coloring.

World leading bovine genetics company joins Global Roundtable championing sustainability in the beef industry. ABS Global, a world leading bovine genetics company, has joined forces with organizations such as WWF, Zoetis, and Cargill as part of a worldwide network of people and organizations powering progress in sustainable beef – the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB).

With over 75 years experience in animal genetics, ABS Global partners with progressive and genetic driven producers and supply chain stakeholders to breed better cattle for the efficient production of quality meat and milk. ABS aims to create affordable and sustainable beef and milk supporting the bovine ecosystem.

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef brings together all supply chain partners, from farm to plate, to support and invest in the continuous improvement of cattle health and well being.

ABS Global joins a growing number of organizations committed to bettering the global beef supply chain as part of GRSB. In the last 12 months, 87 new members have joined GRSB, including Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), a world leading derivatives marketplace operating in agriculture and ESG, and Archers-Daniels-Midland (ADM), who develop natural ingredients to support livestock nutrition.

Ruaraidh Petre, Executive Director of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, said, “2020 was a key year for GRSB – not only did we welcome a number of key new members to our organization, but we also launched our global goals outlining our commitment to reduce net global warming impact of beef 30 percent by 2030.

“Today, we are thrilled to welcome

ABS Global as we continue to drive the conversation around beef sustainability and the need for beef to be more environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable.”

The team at ABS Global has, over many decades, recognized the potential of using improved genetics as part of the approach to create a more sustainable beef and dairy supply chain. ABS Global, along with its parent Genus plc, is committed to working with its customers and other stakeholders in the supply chain to improve the sustainability of our business.

Jerry Thompson, COO Genus ABS Beef at ABS Global, said: “Joining GRSB builds on our current participation in the regional beef sustainability roundtables, and we welcome the opportunity to align this work and our sustainability commitments at the global level. We believe that improved genetics are part of the solution, and that we have a unique perspective to add to the Global Roundtable discussions.”

About the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. GRSB is a worldwide network of the people and organizations powering progress in sustainable beef.

Across its global roundtable and 12 regional roundtables, GRSB has over 500 members working in 24 different countries. Collectively, its members are responsible for more than ⅔ of cross border beef trade.

GRSB powers progress in sustainable beef by setting ambitious goals around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving land use, and animal welfare.

To help achieve these goals, GRSB champions best practices facilitates the exchange of knowledge and fosters a collaborative approach.

Visit www.grsbeef.org for more information.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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PAGE 23

Dr. Larry W. Olson, Ph.D. Passes April 19, 1949 - December 29, 2021

Larry Wayne Olson went to his eternal home on December 29, 2021. He was born in Winfield, Kan., to Clifford and Opal Olson.

Larry received his undergraduate at Oklahoma State University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska.

Larry had a passion for detail.

At an early age, he developed a love for cattle and fishing while working on his parents’ farm and ranch in Osage County outside of Grainola, Oklahoma.

Larry graduated from Shidler High School with many honors, especially in 4-H on a local and state level. He never wavered about his dream of building a bull and cattle research facility once he received his doctorate. At Clemson University, he was a professor and the founder of the Edisto Forage Bull Test Program.

Throughout life, he loved to fish. He could tell you how many fish he caught each day of every year, the weather on that day, location, and lure he caught them on. His focus for detail was unmatched in his career and fishing.

He loved his nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.

He purposed to do anything they wished, including having tea parties.

Ultimately, he taught everyone to fish, THE RIGHT WAY. It was especially heartwarming at Christmas to see the fun gifts he gave his great nieces and great nephews. The most recent gift was Pink Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.

Even those who were too young to fish received the prized Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.

Larry was a humble person. He loved Oklahoma, Osage County, and country life, but he loved South Carolina, as well. He lived in Barnwell, S.C., for 41 years and built a life there with many committed and kind friends. In retirement, he fished literally every day, weather permitting. His last recorded fishing date was late October, and he documented 1,350 bass in the boat for 2021. I am certain he is fishing in heaven and talking to all the cowboys who went before him.

He is survived by his mother Opal Olson (93) of Hennessey, Okla., sister Debbie and husband Butch Schaefer of Perry, brother Gary and wife Shouna Olson of Edmond, niece Wynter and husband William Casallas and their children Brecklyn and Brookston of Oklahoma City, nephew Chase and wife Kathryn and their three children, Grace, Kelli, and Cara of Edmond, nephew Cliff and wife Suzanne Crow of Kingfisher and their three children, Jayden and husband Jace Flewellen, Zac, and Ryan, and nephew Richard and wife Nancy Crow of Perry and their three children, Alex and wife Kyleigh and daughter Ellie Opal, Megan, and Clifton.

We would love to hear from you, especially your memories and stories of Larry. Please email gary@mylifelegacy.com or send them to: Gary Olson 12501 Dutch Forest Pl. Edmond, OK 73013 In lieu of flowers, make a donation to: S.C. Cattlemen’s Association P.O. Box 207 Saluda, SC 29138 Please make checks payable to the S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up Larry Olson Scholarship Fund.

PAGE 24

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

NEWS

Let’s come together for animal ag: 2022 Stakeholders Summit registration now open. U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan to return as Summit moderator.

The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced recently that registration is now open for the 2022 Stakeholders Summit, themed “Come Together for Animal Ag: Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here!” The Alliance’s annual event brings together thought leaders from all links along the food supply chain to discuss hot button issues and out-of-the-box ideas to connect the farm and food communities, engage influencers, and protect the future of animal agriculture.

The 2022 event will return to an inperson format and is slated for May 1112 in Kansas City, Missouri. A virtual attendance option will also be available, with five pre-conference webinars scheduled for the weeks leading up to the main event. An outline of the Summit agenda has been posted on the event website, and the full speaker lineup will be announced soon. To register, visit https://bit.ly/AAA22Summit. Early registration discounts are available through March 9.

“The Alliance is delighted to welcome Summit attendees back to Kansas City for our first in-person event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “We know that the most effective way to safeguard the future of animal agriculture is to come together in person. The 2022 Stakeholders Summit is the perfect place to do just that as we bring together farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, animal feed companies, animal health companies, processors, allied associations, and others involved in getting food from farm to fork.”

Tyne Morgan, host of U.S. Farm

Report, will return as moderator for the event. Morgan plunged into broadcast at 16 through FFA public speaking and contest teams. While in high school, she worked at KMZU radio, providing the daily farm market updates, as well as local, state, and national agriculture news. Tyne attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she majored in agriculture journalism, with an emphasis in broadcast. After spending countless hours on the road as AgDay and U.S. Farm Report national reporter, Tyne was named the first female host of U.S. Farm Report in 2014. Today, she travels the country, capturing the latest agricultural news, interviewing both farmers and industry leaders, as well as searching for compelling stories in rural America.

Jack Bobo, food futurist, author and CEO of Futurity, is slated to speak at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2022 Stakeholders Summit. In his keynote presentation, Bobo will explore the forces that will shape the future of food.

From growing populations and shifting demographics to consumer demands for healthy and sustainable food products, Bobo will examine the trends and attitudes that drive behavior and what organizations and producers can do to get ahead of them.

“The topic of sustainable food systems has been huge over the last few years and especially in 2021 with the culmination of the inaugural United Nations Food Systems Summit,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance vice president, strategic engagement.

“We’re thrilled to have Jack Bobo provide an informative and energizing session that discusses emerging trends in the food space and how to create the future we want – for ourselves, our businesses, and our planet.”

Jack Bobo is CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company that advises companies, foundations, and governments on emerging food trends, consumer attitudes, and behaviors related to the future of food. He is also the author of “Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices.” Recognized by Scientific American in 2015 as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology, Bobo is a global thought leader who has delivered more than 500 speeches in 50 countries. He previously served as the chief communications officer and senior vice president for global policy and government affairs at Intrexon Corporation. Prior to joining Intrexon, Bobo worked at the U.S. Department of State for thirteen years as a senior advisor for global food policy. An attorney with a scientific background, Bobo received from Indiana University a J.D., M.S. in environmental science, B.S. in biology, and B.A. in psychology and chemistry.

Farmers and ranchers interested in attending the 2022 Summit are invited to enter the Alliance’s Instagram photo and video contest for the chance to win free registration, a two night hotel stay, and a $300 travel stipend. Share a photo or video of you, your farm or ranch, and a caption explaining why it’s important for you to “Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here” in person in Kansas City. Entries are due by February 7. Full contest details are available at animalagalliance.org/ resource/2022-stakeholders-summitphoto-contest/.

Refer a friend, and you could both win $100! If you refer a friend to attend the 2022 Summit who has never attended a previous Summit and they list your name as the person who recommended them when they register for the event, you’ll both be entered in a drawing to win a $100 gift card! Each referral will count as one entry, and there is no limit on the number of entries for referrers.

All registrations for the in-person event with a referral listed made until online registration closes on May 6 will be entered. Both the referrer and the person referred must be registered to claim the gift card.

Be sure to check the Summit website for the most up-to-date information. You can also follow the hashtag #AAA22 for periodic updates about the event. For general questions about Summit, please contact summit@animalagalliance.org or call 703-562-5160.

Get involved - Show your support for the Alliance’s premier event by becoming an official Summit sponsor today! For 2022 sponsorship opportunities, please visit animalagalliance.org/initiatives/ stakeholders-summit/. For more

information, contact Casey Kinler at ckinler@animalagalliance.org.

Thank you to our 2022 Summit sponsors: Watt Global Media, Farm Journal, Meatingplace, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, American Feed Industry Association, United Egg Producers, Dairy MAX, Adisseo, Progressive Dairy, Kemin, American Farm Bureau Federation, Empirical, American Veal Association, National Chicken Council, Agri Beef, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, N.C. Farm Bureau, and Eggland’s Best.

The Alliance also thanks the following members for their continued support of Summit and other Alliance programs: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Zoetis, Merck Animal Health, C.O.nxt, Diamond V, Genus PLC – PIC/ABS, Aviagen Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Hendrix Genetics, Hy-Line North America, LLC, Iowa Soybean Association, Kanas Soybean Commission, Midwest Dairy, National Turkey Federation, Nutrien, Provimi North America, Inc., Seaboard Foods, and Tyson Foods Inc.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

About the Animal Agriculture Alliance. The Animal Agriculture 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.

q FEBRUARY 2022

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GELBVIEH NEWS Mathis Presents Keynote Address at American Gelbvieh Association National Convention. Communicating the Virtuous Cycle of Beef Production.

The virtuous cycle of beef production was the focus of the American Gelbvieh Association National Convention keynote speaker, Clay Mathis, Ph.D., director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. Mathis opened the annual convention with a presentation that offered attendees a new perspective on the incorporation of consumer demand on long term ranch management strategy and the hard trends producers can use to build a resilient operation.

“You can think of these hard trends as ideas or things that we know exist,” Mathis said. “We may not know the magnitude, but we know that the trend exists.”

PAGE 26

Mathis noted a host of “knowns” in the beef industry today, citing the increasing complexity of doing business and heightened regulations. At the top of his list, however, was sustainability and the ability of consumer perception to influence other “knowns” within the production system.

“The three pillars of sustainability are social, environmental, and economic.

We’ll start with the economic pillar, because that is where we are most comfortable discussing sustainability.

If we are more profitable, we have an incentive to produce beef, and if we have a motivation to produce more beef, then we are more likely to improve the management of cattle and natural resources,” he said, noting that cattle and natural resource management don’t have to be neglected to make a positive change

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

in management.

Mathis posed the question: If we improve cattle management and natural resources management, aren’t we then also improving the efficiency of production? And if we improve the efficiency of production, we increase beef production and, in-turn, revenue, because if we are increasing the efficiency of beef production, we are decreasing the unit cost of production.

“If everything else is constant, we should increase profitability — this is that continuous improvement that you may have heard about,” he said. “It’s a virtuous cycle. We do things better, we make more money, we help the environment, and we increase consumer demand.”

Mathis urged attendees to consider the carbon footprint of this beef production model.

“Think about the greenhouse gas emissions. Think about the social acceptability of beef production increasing, and the biggest driver of social acceptability, animal welfare,” he said. “When we improve management, we improve all of those things, and they

all, especially social acceptability, afford us a license to operate. It means we have the trust of the consumers.”

This message desperately needs to be communicated through producers, industry outreach, and organizations like the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Mathis said. It is everyone’s mission to communicate sustainability across the beef value chain. Communicating the sustainability benefits of beef production is a win-win for every component of the value chain, including the consumer.

“Social perception of what we do has to be front and center,” Mathis said.

“The annual checkoff budget is about $80 million; Beyond Meat has an annual marketing budget of $200 million. If we are going to change perceptions about our industry, we all have to have a voice, because we can’t out spend the people who want to put us out of business.”

About the American Gelbvieh Association. The American Gelbvieh Association is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,100 members and approximately 40,000 cows assessed annually in a performance oriented total herd reporting system.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 27

2022 Ag Outlook — Sale Prices Up, Costs Too, for South Carolina Farmers There was good news and bad news at the 6 th Annual South Carolina Ag Outlook Conference. The good news: sale prices for commodities are trending up; unfortunately, so are the costs associated with producing them.

Walt Morgan, crop insurance agent for Mishoe Insurance Agency in the Pee Dee area, said the conference was a way to gather outlooks on different commodity prices and cost increases for the upcoming year to help farmers mitigate risks.

“The prices being up will definitely help, so I’d say that’s the main positive,” he said, but also noted that the cost of things such as fuel and fertilizer was the primary negative.

Morgan said that because South Carolina is such a diverse state, it was essential to focus on the state’s growers, but with an eye on gaining an overview of U.S. growers to find a “happy medium.”

“This is going to be a year that each farmer is going to be completely different,” he said, “so by having this information and being able to talk to them and make sure they are staying (on top of)

their own budgets is going to be key for the upcoming year.”

The conference was held in November at Clemson University’s Sandhill Research and Education Center in Columbia — the home base of the Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team, whose members gave 2022 outlooks for major commodities to help identify opportunities and threats for the financial success of South Carolina producers.

“We need to make sure our farmers are equipped with the best information possible to make sure they stay on the farm,” Clemson Extension Director Tom Dobbins said. “We can talk about sustainability all we want, but sustainability to me is profitability. If they’re not making a profit, they’re not going to be on the farm very long.”

The conference’s kickoff speaker was Kansas State University Professor Brian Briggeman, who shared his macroeconomic, interest rate, and inflation outlook. He pointed to the economic shutdown that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a historic drop of

31.2 percent in the county’s real gross domestic product (GDP).

Briggeman said recovery from that drop was initially strong but has now become “uneven.” Labor force participation is low, but strong job growth points to a solid rebound in the 2022 labor market.

And while the country’s total public

debt levels have soared, interest payments have remained manageable.

Still, according to Briggeman, numerous questions remain for 2022, including how long inflation might persist.

“We had trillions of dollars of fiscal stimulus come into the economy in 2020 and even 2021, and that supported strong

The 6th Annual South Carolina Ag Outlook Conference was held in November at Clemson University’s Sandhill Research and Education Center in Columbia.

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consumer spending,” he said. “But what lasting impact is that going to have on the economy? We cannot continue to have the government propping that up. We need to have jobs in place and people working — that is far more sustainable.”

Among various commodities, Clemson Agribusiness Program Team Director Nathan Smith said South Carolina planted acreage for peanuts dropped to 69,000 acres in 2021 with an average yield forecast at 4,100 pounds/ acre, matching a record set in 2007.

And while 2021 U.S. planted acreage decreased 5 percent to 1.58 million acres, the yield is projected at 4,105 pounds/acre, the second largest ever if realized, Smith said.

Thus, the overall outlook shows the pace of demand increase continues, led by peanut butter. Carryover stocks are stable at roughly one million tons, shelled prices are likely to remain stable, and increased production in 2022 is likely because they can be grown without adding fertilizer, according to Smith. The announcement of a new peanut shelling plant to be built in South Carolina will also help encourage more acres of peanuts to be grown.

Clemson Agribusiness Program Team Director Nathan Smith speaks during the conference at the Sandhill REC Lake House.

As for the cotton industry, in 2021, South Carolina planted acreage was up 16 percent to 210,000 acres, and cotton average yield is projected at 925 pounds/ acre, up 15 percent from 2020.

“I think that global recovery as shown by the increase in GDP is going to continue to be slow, but we’re seeing it,” Smith said. “That includes an increase in the agricultural section, and global consumption of cotton is increasing and rebounding from the pandemic.”

Clemson Farm Business Consultant Scott Mickey then addressed the corn, soybean, and wheat markets, saying 2021 should be a record soybean yield and, if the state meets its projected soybean usage, that should be favorable for soybean prices.

2021 had some of the highest prices in soybeans the state had seen since 2012-13 at $14.60, but current projections showed that price dropping for 2022 to $12.63.

For wheat, meanwhile, ending stocks in the U.S. have declined five years in a row, but due to expected increases in

planted acreage, production, and total supply and demand, 2022 should see a slight increase in ending stocks.

“The thing about wheat you have to remember is it’s grown in most of the world. What would you expect global stocks to do given these high wheat prices? My concern with wheat is if you’ve got it in the ground or plan to put it in the ground, you need to start thinking about marketing some of that. … It may offer a good opportunity depending on the cost of production,” Mickey advised.

But again, the cost of doing business is something for the state’s farmers to monitor, especially fertilizer prices.

“That’s part of the things that we’re concerned about as we move forward,” Mickey said. “(The prices) in South Carolina are all significantly higher — fertilizer and fuel are more than double — what they were last year.”

The same is true of diesel fuel prices, which rose from $1.47 to $2.86 per gallon from last year to this year, and propane fuel — which jumped from $1.04 to $1.92.

Expenses such as crop protection and insurance are among the other rising costs in production to go along with those drastically increased fertilizer and fuel prices, according to Mickey.

“These (numbers) do not paint a pretty picture, but that’s kind of what we’re faced with,” he said.

Agribusiness Master Extension Associate Steve Richards discussed the direct marketing outlook and said the trend line for 2022 shows sales sliding back toward pre-pandemic levels, but still on an increasing trendline versus 2019. “(Labor shortage) is actually affecting restaurants much more acutely than any other service industry,” he said.

Nonetheless, Charleston is now a culinary tourism city, and Richards said he expects Greenville is as well.

The fastest selling foods are local seafood, meats, beverages, convenience foods, wellness or claims based foods, heritage and ethnic foods, comfort foods, fermented, and other naturally preserved foods.

“If we want to grow local foods in the state, we need to concentrate on restaurant sales and grocery stores,” he said, noting that was especially true for seafood producers — if they have sufficient inventory.

“Oyster growers can’t keep up,” he said.

Area Agribusiness Agent Matthew Fischer covered cow/calf cost returns for the upcoming year and said that, while the national cattle inventory had a seven year expansion rate of 6.7 percent, South Carolina had exceeded it with a rate of 8 percent expansion. However, post 2019 inventory has been trending downward.

“Over the past three years, our

realized pricing and sale margin in South Carolina has shown a premium from the previous years, post June,” he said. “Once we get past June, this year will be better than last year, and next year will be better than the previous year.”

Extension Associate Professor of Agribusiness Adam Kantrovich then offered attendees a tax and trade update, touching on the Build Back Better Act — a reconciliation package that had still not passed at the time of the conference but has since passed the House. As of December 16, President Biden had acknowledged it may not be able to pass the Senate before the end of the year, but negotiations were continuing.

Kantrovich said the most recent draft would not have as great of a negative effect for farmers through estate and gift tax changes as was earlier feared due to earlier drafts. There are some changes to taxes for the treatment of income from some trusts, as well as changes to some retirement accounts with large balances and additional tax for very high income earners.

Some fines and penalties would be increased significantly for violations that fall under the purview of the following agencies or Acts: OSHA, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA).

In general, Kantrovich said that if the bill passes the Senate and is signed by the President as is presently written, some taxpayers may see their taxes increase. Still, due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed by the Trump Administration, there

Clemson Extension Associate Professor of Agribusiness Adam Kantrovich gives an update on tax and trade at the conference.

would be a sharp increase beginning in 2026 if there is no legislation to prevent the sunset clauses in parts of TCJA. On trade, not much has really changed since the Biden Administration has taken office. Still, there has been some movement on the European trade front with some agreements to resolve some trade disputes between the European Union and the U.S., according to Kantrovich.

In summary, Kantrovich urged farmers not to get too stressed about the tax uncertainty right now.

“Farms and farmers are resilient and will appropriately respond to anything that is thrown our way,” Kantrovich said. “Once we know more about the details once the bill is passed and guidance is received by the IRS, it is important that farmers work with a team of tax and legal professionals to determine if changes need to be made to business structures, tax management strategies or any succession, transition, and estate plans.”

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THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association Waynesville Bull Test Sale. The 42nd N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test Sale was held on an unusually nice day at the WNC Regional Livestock Center in Canton on December 4, 2021. This was Johnny Rogers’ first sale after he took over following Gary Gregory’s retirement. There were three SimAngus bulls in the sale. The top indexing SimAngus was consigned by Dr. Eugene Shuffler of Hamptonville. This bull was sired by KCF Bennett Assertive out of a Big Casino dam. He sold for $3,500. The next top selling bull was consigned by Chuck Broadway of Monroe. This bull is a son of Byergo Pistol Pete 6903 out of a Power Intense dam. He sold for $2,800.

The three bulls averaged $2,683.

Union County Performance

Tested Bull Sale. The Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale was held on December 4, 2021. Bidders and buyers enjoyed a warm, beautiful Saturday with a delicious luncheon prepared by Triple L Angus Farm. The five purebred Simmental bulls were sold with an average of $4,140. The top two selling purebred Simmental bulls, JBB Proven Bounty H27 and JBB Done Right H22, consigned by Dr. Jeffery Broadaway, sold for $6,000 each. The eight SimAngus bulls were sold with an average of $2,462.50. The top selling SimAngus bull, JBB All Around H20, consigned by Dr. Jeffery Broadaway, sold for $2,900. The top two selling SimAngus registered open heifers, consigned by Gene Price, K&G Farms, sold for $1,850

N.C. Simmental Association 1341 US Hwy 21 • Hamptonville, NC 27020 336-468-1679 • www.ncsimmental.com • NCSA@yadtel.net Like us on Facebook!

PAGE 30

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

each. The four SimAngus heifers sold for an average of $1,450. Many thanks to everyone who made the 46th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale a great success!

Butner Bull Test Sale. The 38 th N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test Sale was held on December 17 at the Granville County Livestock Arena in Oxford, North Carolina. There were two SimAngus bulls in the sale. Doug Keziah of Monroe consigned the top indexing SimAngus

bull, a son of Deer Valley Growth Fund. This bull sold for $5,500. Chuck Broadway of Monroe also had a top selling SimAngus bull at $5,500. This bull was sired by Byergo/Double GG Blackstone. Congratulations to both of these consignors.

Simmental producers can look for information on consigning bulls to next year’s performance tests by going online to N.C. State Extension Bull Test page at https://beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beef-bull-test/.

Eugene Shuffler presents plaque to Doug Keziah and family for top indexing SimAngus bull at Butner.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 31

Valley Vet Supply Welcomes Tony Hawkins, DVM, to Longstanding Technical Service Veterinarian Team.

Passionate about helping animals and those who care for them, Dr. Hawkins looks forward to serving customers.

Continuing on the legacy of customer centric technical service, Valley Vet Supply is pleased to welcome Tony Hawkins, DVM, to its longstanding Technical Service veterinarian team.

Recently transitioning into his Technical Service role following years in practice, Dr. Hawkins said, “I am looking forward to providing more of a broad instruction to help those caring for animals, whether large or small and continuing to use my knowledge garnered over the years to help others best provide for their horses, livestock, and pets.”

A lifelong Kansas resident hailing from Silver Lake, Kansas, Dr. Hawkins attended Kansas State University’s

NEWS

College of Veterinary Medicine. There, he placed focus on mixed animal practice. Before joining Valley Vet Supply, Dr. Hawkins practiced veterinary medicine in Marysville, Kan., where he was greatly involved in cattle health, including processing, obstetrical work, and servicing the local sale barn. He also is treasured by the community for his care of horses and pets through wellness appointments and surgery.

“I enjoy helping the animals and taking care of their health issues,” said Dr. Hawkins. “I also enjoy helping people just as much. I just have a deep caring for animals, and I view them as part of the family. I also understand firsthand their importance from a production and herd health aspect.”

Dr. Hawkins met his wife, Carolyn, at Kansas State University while both were in pre-veterinary medicine. They have four children – Avery (7), Gavin (5),

Rylee (3), and Brody (6 months). Both animal lovers, their family has two dogs, Reese (Australian Shepherd) and Fynn (Bichon Shih Tzu), a cat, and over the summer months, they run stocker yearling calves.

Dr. Hawkins is an exciting addition to the longstanding Technical Service veterinarian team, the future of Valley Vet Supply, and the overall mission to best serve customers and their animals.

In 1985, veterinarians Arnold Nagely, DVM, and Ray Shultz, DVM, founded Valley Vet Supply to ensure animal owners everywhere had access to medications and other supplies to best care for their animals. Visit www.

ValleyVet.com for more information and supplies to support horses, livestock, and pets.

About Valley Vet Supply. Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians to provide customers with the very best animal health solutions.

Building on over half a century of experience in veterinary medicine, Valley Vet Supply serves equine, pet, and livestock owners with thousands of products and medications hand selected by Valley Vet Supply founding veterinarians and their professional staff. With an in-

house pharmacy that is licensed in all 50 states, and verified through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), Valley Vet Supply is the dedicated source for all things horse, livestock, and pet. For more information, please visit www.ValleyVet.com.

N.C. Weekly Auctions Report

(Week ending JANUARY 6, 2022) Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $127.00 - 185.00

400-500 $130.00 - 173.00 500-600 $129.00 - 164.00 600-700 $125.00 - 149.00 700-800 $102.00 - 135.00

800-900 $-------- - 120.00 Heifers

300-400 400-500 500-600 600-700 700-800 800-900

$120.00 - 151.00 $117.00 - 155.00 $111.00 - 146.00 $101.00 - 128.00 $110.00 - 134.00 $78.00 - 88.00

Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $59.00 - 69.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $51.00 - 68.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $60.00 - 84.00

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156

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

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE Ronnie & Donna Holman 4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659 ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com JK RED ANGUS Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-315-3821 jkredangus@gmail.com LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010 johnlangdon5@gmail.com ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY Johnny & Sharon Rogers 945 Woodsdale Road • Roxboro, NC 336-504-7268 rccbeef@gmail.com PRESNELL RED ANGUS Jonathan & Jacob Presnell 368 Whitaker Road • Shelby, NC 704-473-2627 (Jonathan) • 704-616-8775 (Jacob) BULL HILL RANCH Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828 bullhill2@mindspring.com

Terry Boyles, President - twinbfarm1@gmail.com

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

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Federation of State Beef Councils Update McDonald’s Promotion Yields Big Results for Beef. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, partnered with McDonald’s on an exciting new promotion with DoorDash. During the first week of November, McDonald’s promoted two beef offers on the DoorDash delivery platform and utilized the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. logo.

The logo paired well with the famous golden arches in this national campaign.

DoorDash users were offered a free Quarter Pounder with Cheese with any $15 order using the offer code BEEF and DashPassers; monthly subscribers received a free Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal with any $15 order using the code BEEFforDINNER. The Quarter Pounder with Cheese was specifically targeted for the promotion because the majority of their fresh beef is supplied by

U.S. beef producers.

McDonald’s provided all of the product given away during the promotion, while Checkoff funds were used to support ad placement on DoorDash. Ads featuring the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. logo appeared on mobile app and website versions of the DoorDash homepage and McDonald’s store page. McDonald’s also promoted the offer heavily through social media channels such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Over the five day promotion, total beef sandwich units on DoorDash increased by 22 percent (compared to the same time the previous year), which was a very high sales lift for this type of campaign, with results typically at ten percent or less. Initial results show that nearly 250,000 offers were redeemed for the two promotions, totaling more than $5 million in sales. According to

a

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

McDonald’s, this was one of their highest participation programs ever in terms of number of redemptions. In addition, during the time of the promotion, McDonald’s chicken sales decreased approximately five percent.

“This was the first time the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand was included in this type of offer with McDonald’s and DoorDash,” said Jason Jerome, senior executive director of supply chain at NCBA. “We are beyond excited how well the campaign performed and are looking forward to working with both partners again in the future.”

Beef Never Goes Out of Style. This is the time of year when everyone makes predictions for the new year’s hot trends and compiles top ten lists for everything from fashion and paint colors to cars and cuisine.

One trend that remains in fashion from year to year is that beef is always in style.

Sherwin-Williams named Evergreen Fog as its 2022 color of the year, a “simple but sophisticated green-gray” that the company believes is a “subtle yet stunning statement shade.” Pantone, on the other hand, is predicting “diverse and distinctive colors blending comfort and familiarity with unexpected delight” for spring and summer fashions. You may be looking for “Skydiver” and “Daffodil” instead of the standard blue and yellow when shopping for your next favorite shirt.

While most people may not follow the latest fashion fads or know what colors are trending, they do know what tastes good, regardless of what appears on the latest list. According to the Beef Checkoff funded Consumer Beef Tracker, which tracks consumer perceptions related to the protein landscape, taste still dominates the shopper’s decision making process, with 87 percent of consumers selecting protein based on great taste1.

Nation’s Restaurant News, a trade publication covering the foodservice industry, hosted a 2022 Trends Forecast webinar showcasing restaurant trends expected in the coming year. One of the guest speakers, Mark DiDomenico, director of customer solutions with Datassential, set the stage with an overview of consumer behavior following COVID closures.

According to DiDomenico, during the pandemic, Americans missed foods they couldn’t make at home easily, and steak was the most missed item2. This pent up demand may lead to stronger sales at restaurants where steak is featured on menus.

One of the big restaurant trends for 2022 is the “world of breakfast.” While eggs will continue to dominate breakfast menus, there is a place at the table for beef. For example, although Flank Steak currently has a 1.3 percent breakfast menu penetration, its four year growth rate is 205

percent, and it was called out as one of the fastest growing breakfast menu ingredients2.

The door is open for restaurants to get creative with beef for breakfast.

In other culinary trend news, the National Restaurant Association partnered with the American Culinary Federation and invited professional chefs to review and rank a list of 109 food items and culinary concepts to create a list of top trends in the restaurant industry.

In the dinner category, less expensive beef cuts made the top three trends, and the top three global inspirations included flavors from Southeast Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. When chefs were asked, “what do you think the hottest culinary trend will be in 2022,” sustainability was the top response.3 What does this all mean for beef?

Overall, these trends help create a narrative for beef that resonates with the consumer. When consumers experience unique flavors at restaurants, they often want to experiment with those tastes at home as well. Beef recipes featuring global flavors may inspire home cooks to incorporate more beef into family meals.

Sustainability being top of mind with chefs provides another avenue to share beef’s sustainability message. Beef has a great story to tell, and foodservice is one more way to showcase how beef is part of the climate change solution and not the problem.

With 69 percent of consumers claiming to eat beef on a weekly basis4, consumer demand for beef remains strong, and it is expected to remain that way going into the new year. Regardless of a desire to be fashion forward or drive the number one midsize sedan of the year, one thing remains constant, and that is beef never goes out of style.

References 1 Consumer Beef Tracker JanuaryDecember 2020 2 Nation’s Restaurant News 2022 Trends Forecast Webinar, November 9, 2021 3 National Restaurant Association What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast 4 Consumer Beef Tracker JanuarySeptember 2021

Don’t get caught napping!

Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!

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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: ____________________________

Buyer’s Name: ____________________________

Address: _________________________________

Address: _________________________________

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

Seller’s Signature: _________________________

Buyer’s Signature: _________________________

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

Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $ _______________________ Date of Sale: __________________

Person remitting assessment form:

Seller

o

Buyer

o

* State of Origin of Cattle: ______________________ * If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.

Send Report and Remittance to:

SOUTH CAROLINA BEEF COUNCIL P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211 According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.8 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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

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

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Beef Checkoff News Masters of Beef Advocacy Program Reaches 20,000 Graduates.

Beef industry reaches new milestone in grassroots advocacy and education efforts. The Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hit 20,000 graduates recently. Created in 2009, the MBA program is a free, self guided online course that provides members of the beef community – from farmers and ranchers to students, supply chain members, and consumers – with the tools and resources needed to become a strong advocate for the beef community.

“Consumers are becoming increasingly removed from agriculture and understanding where their food comes from,” said Paul Dybedahl, Associate Director of Communications for the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program. “This is an exciting milestone because it shows that consumers and cattle producers alike want to learn more and share their stories, and the MBA program is here to help.”

The MBA program had a big year in 2021, and Dybedahl credits the launch of MBA NextGen for much of the success and continued growth of the program.

NextGen, which was launched in January, updated training modules, splitting the course into five online lessons: • The Beef Community – Context of raising beef from pasture to plate with a focus on the community of people involved throughout the beef lifecycle.

• Raising Cattle on Grass – An introduction to the first step in the beef lifecycle and the many benefits of raising cattle on our country’s vast grass pasture resources.

• Life in the Feedyard – A discussion on the role of feedyards, including animal care, nutrition, and environmental stewardship, at this important step in the beef lifecycle.

• From Cattle to Beef – An in-depth look at the slaughter process and the humane handling and safety measures in place at today’s beef processing facilities.

• Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. – A primer on choosing and cooking the right cuts of beef and the important role of beef in a healthful diet.

The updated training modules make it easy for a new generation of farmers and ranchers to learn about the beef industry and answer tough questions about beef and raising cattle.

After completing the course, MBA graduates can remain involved in the growing community with monthly newsletters and access to a variety of resources and additional lessons of beef’s nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare. Graduates can also join the program’s Facebook community, where updates are given on the latest consumer trends.

Anyone interested in learning about beef’s journey from pasture to plate is invited to enroll at https://mba. beeflearningcenter.org/.

For more about the latest

December 3, 2022 • 12:00 noon Union County Livestock Market • Monroe, N.C.

704-219-1294 B e e f C h e c k o ff e ff o r t s , v i s i t BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff 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.

About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2021 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Chester

728

308

1,104

919

726

1,454

651

2,076

2,044

1,084

1,120

553

Darlington

1,090

581

2,432

1,283

866

1,433

915

1,584

2,346

1,300

1,233

883

Laurens

1,194

1,325

1,964

1,593

1,373

1,892

1,461

1,731

2,048

1,702

1,587

545

830

786

1,123

1,187

959

1,066

651

1,583

940

1,330

1,021

539

Saluda

2,056

1,355

3,094

2,482

2,324

3,099

1,761

3,256

3,096

2,389

3,399

1,363

Williamston

2,812

1,313

2,792

2,255

1,949

1,884

2,033

2,880

2,349

2,073

2,616

1,450

Orangeburg

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New NCCA Members for 2022 In 2007, members of the Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection at the NCCA Annual Conference in Hickory. A new member is defined as someone who has never been a member or someone who has rejoined after a brief break in membership. The new members are identified in this new members section by name and county of residence.

Below is a list of NCCA’s new members for the last month:

Catawba County Jeffery Sullivan – C&C Farm Clay County Carson Gilleland Cleveland County Roy D. Dedmon Matthew Greene – Greene Farm Craven County Dustin Perrell – Halfmoon Creek Ranch Cumberland County Steven C. Lawrence

Out-of-State Daryl Spaulding – Georgia Kyle Wilson – Ragan and Massey – Louisiana Stephen Wilson – Windy Hill Cattle – Tennessee

Franklin County Seth Champion – Champion Family Farm Brian Davis – 4D Farm Ingrid Volk

Alleghany County Nash Williams – Nash Williams Farm

Gaston County Josie Thompson – CF Farms

Burke County Todd Sizemore – Sizemore Stables T.W. Wall, Jr. – Highlands Farm

Graham County Luke Aldridge – Aldridge Cattle Co.

Greene County Sandra & Jeff Garner – Rainbow Meadow Farms LLC Guilford County Sophie Marshall Tyla Marshall Halifax County Sanders Cox – Cox Hereford Farm Iredell County Dr. James P. Cartner John Cullen William Moody Dr. James M. Rhyne Kenneth Wilson

Person County John R. Byrd, Sr. – Hawks Ridge Farm Randolph County Stephen Davidson – Circle D Larry Moore – Piedmont Custom Meats, Inc. Joseph Russell – Spring Valley Farm Darrell Wright – Wright Farms Richmond County Tyler Nalley – J.F. Carroll Farm Stanly County Virgil Hinson Stokes County Dan T. Westmoreland

Johnston County Chris L. Batten Jeffrey Upchurch – Jeffrey Upchurch Farms

Surry County Isaiah Johnson – Dry Springs Farm LLC Morris Moore – Mooreland Farms

Lenior County Lindsay King Utley

Wake County Garrett Pair – Pair Farm Clint M. Reese, Jr. Mark Robertson – Quality Equipment LLC

Macon County Jason Brown – Longview Farm Warren Cabe – Olive Hill Machinery Jackie Downs – J&L Cattle Farms LLC Andy Gibson – Gibson Farm Jesse Seagle – Seagle Livestock LLC McDowell County Hanna Robinson Mitchell County Larry Fortner Orange County Spencer Walker

Watauga County Jason Hall Mary Glenn Parker Wayne County Julius Rouse – Triple R Farms Wilkes County Albert Brown – Brown Mountain Farm Russell Eller, III Lowell & Joan Ferguson – Lowell Ferguson Farm Wilson County Andrew Pate – AMP Angus

Be a winner!

Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state cattlemen’s association!

PAGE 42

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Monitoring for Navel Infection

By BOB LARSON, DVM, Ph.D. As we prepare for spring calving, an important health concern in young calves is navel ill which can lead to joint ill.

Navel ill occurs shortly after birth when bacteria from the environment or skin are able to enter the calf through the navel and cause an infection or abscess in the umbilical (navel) area. If the infection gets into the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, joints in the legs are likely to become infected, and the problem becomes “join ill.”

The bacteria that cause navel ill or joint ill are very common but are only likely to cause problems if the calf is born in a dirty environment or does not get enough colostrum. So, prevention of this problem focuses on avoiding calving in dry lots (or mud lots) so that exposure is minimized and by minimizing the risk of calving difficulty (particularly in heifers).

In order for a calf to consume adequate amounts of colostrum, it must be able to stand, walk, find the dam's teats, suckle within six hours of birth, and then suckle several times in the next 12

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hours. In addition, the dam must stand, have a good maternal bond with the calf, and have teats that can be grasped by the calf. Calves born unassisted (i.e., without need of human intervention) stand more quickly, are more likely to bond with their dam, and have greater consumption of colostrum compared to calves that required assistance during birth. Furthermore, calves requiring minimal assistance are at a substantial advantage compared to calves requiring more assistance during delivery. Proper heifer development and nutrition, use of calving ease EPD bulls on heifers, and appropriate cow nutrition are good strategies to decrease the risk of calving difficulty.

Despite the importance of adequate antibody passage, colostral intake is not the only factor that determines whether calves develop navel or joint ill. The other important factor that determines the number of sick calves and the severity of disease is the amount of exposure to disease causing germs. The ideal location for calving is on well drained pastures. If heifers or cows

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

need to be moved to a drylot location for calving, extra attention should be given to improve sanitation and to treat the navel of newborn calves with iodine.

To ensure that calves are born in a sanitary environment, pregnant cows and heifers should be moved from wintering pastures to a clean calving pasture just before the start of the calving season. The calving area should be free of mud and should be protected from the wind. A large pasture with good drainage and a natural windbreak is probably all that is necessary for many mature herds. An additional factor that adds to the risk of infectious disease in young calves during severe weather is that cattle will often gather into a small area because of excessive snow or surface water or because of the practice of repeatedly placing feed and bedding in the same location. Producers may also intentionally move cattle into a small area in an attempt to provide them shelter from severe weather.

These small areas rapidly become crowded and muddy, which leads to an increased possibility of navel or joint ill in the calves.

Dipping the navel of newborn calves in iodine can be helpful if the calf is born in a dry lot or other unsanitary area or if the calving was assisted. If calves are born on well drained pastures and are experiencing very little calving difficulty, dipping navels is less important.

Signs of navel or joint ill can occur as early as two days of age. If only the navel is involved, it will usually appear enlarged and wet. If the infection has moved into the bloodstream, the calf

may appear depressed, have lameness or swollen joints, have cloudy eyes, have a poor appetite or diarrhea, or have a fever.

Early in the disease, the navel may not be enlarged. Other diseases and problems can have the same signs as navel ill, so often, a veterinarian must examine the calf or calves involved to make a diagnosis.

Treatment of calves with joint ill that also have signs of nervous system (brain or spinal cord) disease is not likely to be successful, and euthanasia of the calf should be considered. Calves with more than one chronically infected joint as well as an infected navel also have a slight chance for recovery.

If the infection is limited to the navel area and has not invaded any joints, treatment with antibiotics for several days and possibly surgical removal of the infected navel area have a good chance of being successful. If joints are involved, and treatment is attempted, it must be aggressive by using approved broad spectrum antibiotics for several days. Oral or IV fluids are given to treat and prevent dehydration. Other care may include heat lamps, adequate nutrition, clean, dry bedding areas, and possibly your veterinarian may flush the affected joints.

When treatment is aggressive, the cost can be quite high. However, if the calf is severely affected, less aggressive treatment is not likely to be successful.

Obviously, prevention by decreasing calving difficulty and improving sanitation is preferable to death, production loss, or high treatment cost for affected calves.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

Cattle Price Discovery Functioning Effectively, Arkansas Analysis Finds

By GREG HENDERSON Price discovery in today’s fed cattle market “appears to be functioning effectively in even the thinnest regional fed cattle markets,” according to an analysis published by University of Arkansas agricultural economists.

Asked by the U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee to provide an objective analysis of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021 prior to deliberations on the bill, the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Department and the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence at the University of Arkansas released its report this week.

“There is no statistically significant relationship between negotiated cash trade volume and either fed cattle prices or beef marketing margins,” the economists said. “In short, our results suggest AMAs (alternative marketing arrangements) do not allow beef packers to increase beef margins and lower cattle prices.”

The authors, John D. Anderson, James L. Mitchell, and Andrew M. McKenzie, said their findings are consistent with previous research and noted that “if transactions are

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

reasonably representative of the overall market, even a relatively small handful of transactions can effectively discover prices.”

The analysis notes that AMAs have become the dominant method of trading fed cattle but also notes AMAs “reduce transaction costs and provide risk management advantages on both sides of the market.” Yet, the proliferation of AMAs has contributed to the thinning of cash negotiated trade and has raised significant concerns among market participants. Specifically, the concerns relate to the potential exercise of market power by packers to reduce fed cattle prices and/or inflate marketing margins.

However, the authors said fed cattle market data from the last decade give no indication of a positive causal relationship between negotiated trade volumes and fed cattle prices.

“From 2002 to 2015, negotiated sales decreased steadily, and this decline coincided with a substantial increase in prices,” the analysis said. “In fact, record cattle prices in 2014-2015 correspond to the period of lowest negotiated sales.

More recently, from 2020 to 2021, fed cattle prices increased 11.7 percent, while negotiated sales decreased 16.1 percent.

Statistical analysis into the relationship between negotiated fed cattle trade and both price levels and marketing margins supports the conclusions of the informal visual appraisal of the data (and with previous literature): there is no statistically significant relationship between negotiated cash trade volume and either fed cattle prices or beef marketing margins. In short, our results suggest AMAs do not allow beef packers to increase beef margins and lower cattle prices.”

Because AMAs result in substantial cost savings in the fed cattle market, the authors suggest that if the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act reduces the use of AMAs, it will also raise costs in the sector.

“Plant level impacts of the CPDTA may be quite large and will probably actually be greatest in regions where negotiated cash trade is currently highest because plants in these regions could have to adjust the most to comply with the terms of the bill,” the authors said.

Any benefits from reducing the use of AMAs are “generally speculative,” and the authors said any “evidence that higher negotiated trade will positively impact prices, reduce marketing margins, or improve price discovery is lacking.”

If the industry desires greater cash market trades, the authors suggest a “market maker program” to incentivize negotiated cash sales through means of an assessment on AMA cattle would be

preferable over a mandate. Such incentive strategies would leave marketing decisions to cattle owners and increase negotiated sales while being “far less costly and less disruptive to the market than a mandate.”

From the Desk of the SCCA President

By ROSCOE KYLE The first month of 2022 sure has gone by in a hurry, and Mother Nature is still up to her old tricks. If there is one thing we can always count on, never underestimate MOTHER NATURE. As sure as you think she has set into a routine, she up and throws you a curveball. I am sure all of us have said a prayer or two for our fellow cattle producers in the midwest who have been affected by the unsteady weather.

A long time supporter of the cattle industry passed away at the end of 2021.

I am speaking of Dr. Larry Olson, who was with Clemson University until his retirement several years ago. He sponsored a scholarship for the Junior Beef Round-Up that was funded out of his pocket. In honor of his long time support, the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association will be contributing to that scholarship. If any individual wishes to support it, they can do so by sending a check to the association in any amount you can spare, earmarked for the Dr. Larry Olson scholarship.

The Tokeena Angus Bull and Heifer Sale was held on January 19, and also the Bull Hill Ranch Bull and Heifer Sale was held on January 15. Unfortunately, I do not have the results to share with you, but I am sure the consumers were pleased with the selection. This month the 46th Annual Clemson Bull and Heifer Sale will be held in conjunction with the SCCA Annual Meeting at the T. Ed Garrison Cattle Complex. On February 12, Black Crest Farms’ 24th Annual Production Sale will be held at the farm in Sumter, S.C., and on February 19, the Yon Family Farms Spring Sale will be held at the farm in Ridge Springs. To end the month, the Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale will be held at the Central Milk Producers Show & Sale Arena in Saluda, South Carolina. If you are in need of a good bull or sound heifer, please patronize our state producers.

As we all are aware, COVID-19 is like our taxes...not going away anytime soon. Please stay safe and use common sense when around a large group. With the days still short on daylight, remember if we are towing trailers or equipment, the lights need to be working, not only for our safety but other drivers on the road.

As we approach the next growing season, soil samples are of utmost importance, as are our spreaders and sprayers due to the high increase in fertilizer and herbicides. For those of you who are on a fall calving program, the next few months are critical on selecting the cows to keep and those to replace for whatever reason. With the cost of raising cattle going up, we have to be very careful on how we spend our money. The SCCA Annual Meeting, the first part of February, will address this in the educational sections of the meeting. For those of our state down in the Low Country who are unable to attend our convention, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association will be holding their Annual Meeting in the middle of February in Savannah.

By the time this issue reaches you, the NCBA Annual Trade show will have been held, with updates coming in the March issue. The SCCA is working handin-hand with NCBA on trying to settle the WOTUS issue in the capital and also with S.C. Farm Bureau to address the tax issues in the state.

Let us all pray that this year will be better and healthier than last. Remember the words of President Harry S. Truman, “Actions are the seed of fate, deeds grow into destiny.”

As always, if I can be of assistance, please contact me if you feel I can be of help; I remain respectfully yours.

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Clemson Working with IBM and AgStack to Globally Expand and Revolutionize Cooperative Extension Service Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.

There are several variations of this proverb, but the general idea behind it — teach people how to reach longterm solutions to help them face more productive futures — endures. Based on this belief, the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, IBM, and the AgStack Foundation, a Linux Foundation project, are working together to provide farmers around the world with educational information on how to grow crops sustainably.

From this collaboration, Clemson’s Ecosystem for Agricultural Technology Sharing, or EATS, community is being established. The EATS concept was initiated by George Askew, Clemson vice president for Public Service and Agriculture. One focus of the EATS community is the creation of the Digital Ag Recommendations Server, or AgRec, a massive database that will house Extension Service recommendations related to issues farmers routinely face.

“Food is an essential requirement for life, for everyone across the globe,” Askew said. “U.S. land grant Institutions have information available through their Cooperative Extension Services that can help people get the food and nutrition they need. This program will help get this information to people who need it most in South Carolina, the United States, and beyond.”

The Extension Service was founded in 1914 and acts as a repository of science based agricultural recommendations shared through county agents. Through Ag-Rec, farmers around the world will be able to access information related to their crops. Geotagging will allow the use of local market and climate data so that information is region specific.

Information contained in Ag-Rec will be freely accessible to app developers for incorporation into related apps.

Establishment of the program is coordinated by Clemson precision agriculture engineer Kendall Kirk, with project management led by Mallory Douglass. Kirk is part of a robust team

of scientists dedicated to developing precision agriculture technologies such as software, sensors, UAVs, and robots, all designed to increase farming productivity and sustainability. The team is housed at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, South Carolina. Douglass is a recent Clemson Master of Business Administration graduate who has been involved with EATS since its inception.

“The Cooperative Extension Service has information to help farmers sustainably grow productive crops,” Kirk said. “Through the Ag-Rec server, we are establishing a digital presence for Extension recommendations, which we anticipate will be the start of revolutionizing delivery of Extension programs worldwide. We intend to build a framework that Extension programs everywhere can contribute to.”

Kirk said the traditional methods of Extension communications, “boots on the ground,” will continue to be imperative.

Thomas Dobbins, director of Clemson Extension, said this new method of information sharing will help Extension

become better engaged with farmers in South Carolina, as well as those across the globe.

“This Ag-Rec database will give us the ability to better serve South Carolina farmers and extend our recommendations to populations in underserved communities as well as in developing countries where Extension recommendations are nonexistent,” Dobbins said. “Establishing this global, digital framework will help revolutionize the Cooperative Extension Service.”

Collaboration with IBM and the Call for Code ecosystem - Call for Code is the largest and most ambitious effort to bring together the world’s software developers to take on pressing societal issues, using the latest advanced technologies to problem solve and create cutting edge solutions. Through this collaboration, the parties are working to modernize and digitize vast amounts of agricultural data.

By digitizing this data, farmers and agriculture enthusiasts can use more real time data to help increase their crop

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

yields.

Developing a digital framework for agricultural recommendations creates opportunities within EATS for collaboration with IBM and other companies, including those that focus on sensor and technology development, implementation and testing, mobile accessibility, rural connectivity, edge computing, computational analytics (big data), positioning, sustainability, artificial intelligence, supply chain optimization, app development and more. Brandy Byrd, IBM software development, manager, said this collaboration is important because many rural farmers in the United States do not have access to the latest crop and pest management data.

“Farmers rely on information they receive from their Cooperative Extension

Service researchers and county agents,” Byrd said. “Our collaborative work will help get this information to farmers to improve yields and advise on dayto-day farming practices. Digitizing and modernizing this data helps bring agriculture recommendations to farmers when and where they need it without having to be in a particular location. Open sourcing the Agricultural Recommendations (AgRec) Prototype API is a great first step to get the AgStack open source community involved.”

As one of Clemson University’s strategic corporate partners, IBM has multiple touchpoints across the University, including research, programmatic support, and advisory board participation.

Collaboration with the AgStack

S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of DECEMBER 2021 Cattle Receipts: 5,695

•

Previous Month: 11,861

Feeder supply - 32% steers • 41% heifers • 27% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,514 $60.67

Boner 1,221 $61.16

Lean 931 $56.70

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,665

$88.50

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 425 $156.97 $667.12 450-500 470 $153.49 $721.40 500-550 516 $149.31 $770.44 550-600 573 $144.09 $825.64 600-650 615 $139.59 $858.48 650-700 676 $132.94 $898.67

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 422 $154.76 $653.09 450-500 472 $152.10 $717.91 500-550 518 $145.22 $752.24 550-600 572 $138.91 $794.57 600-650 622 $131.02 $814.94 650-700 669 $128.06 $856.72

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 426 $133.52 $568.80 450-500 469 $131.09 $614.81 500-550 523 $127.80 $668.39 550-600 571 $126.72 $723.57 600-650 615 $123.86 $761.74 650-700 674 $120.31 $810.89

Source: S.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Columbia, S.C. - 803-737-4491

Foundation, a Linux Foundation project - The data infrastructure behind and powering this Digital Extension Framework will be managed and hosted

by AgStack — the food and agriculture focused open source organization at The Linux Foundation. AgStack is focused on improving global agriculture efficiency through the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of free, centralized, sovereign, open, and specialized digital infrastructure for data and applications.

AgStack plans to host the code in one of its Github repositories and, separately, the agronomic recommendation engine and data through its open, free, secure, and neutral cloud. This will allow for free creation (developers to contribute code and offer technical design input) and use.

The project named Ag-Rec is expected to be released by late 2022.

Sumer Johal, executive director of the AgStack Foundation, is very supportive of this collaboration and what it could mean for the global agriculture community.

“We believe the world of agriculture is going through a digital transformation and this transformation needs to benefit from a common community contained neutral and trusted infrastructure,” Johal said. “What we’re doing is taking existing bodies of work relevant to agriculture and sewing them together to create a common, free, and open digital infrastructure to benefit farmers and other agricultural stakeholders all over the world.”

United Nations World Food Programme - The Ag-Rec server and EATS community are also in alignment with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This program, led by former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley, provides food assistance to people recovering from conflict, disasters, and impacts of climate change.

In November 2021, Beasley was in a children’s ward at a hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where children were dying because they didn’t have proper food to eat.

“It’s not that complicated,” said Beasley in a video tweet. “If you don’t get the food you need, you get malnourished, and you get sick. Here I am in the children’s wing of a hospital where the number of patients is doubling because people don’t have the proper food to eat. Mothers bring their children here, and the children recover only to go back home to no food, and the horrible cycle is repeated.

“We’ve got to do something about this. We have to get these people the food they need so that these children can survive.”

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PAGE 51

A Message from the CEO

By COLIN WOODALL

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Knowledge is Power

After living and working in our nation’s capital for 20 years, I saw it all.

What I loved to watch, though, were those senators and representatives who knew the ins and outs of U.S. Senate and House of Representatives procedure. Knowledge of the rules and of what is really going on behind the scenes in the Senate and House means that you can use your knowledge to confuse your opposition and win the day. Not every senator or representative takes the time to become an expert on the rules, so those who do quickly realize that knowledge is power.

The same applies to the cattle business. Those with knowledge of the facts and figures have the advantage, and my hope is that each edition of National Cattlemen imparts more of that knowledge.

PAGE 52

For almost six years, NCBA has been engaged in the R-CALF lawsuit against USDA, challenging the Beef Checkoff and targeting the Montana Beef Council. The decision issued this past July by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vindicated the Checkoff and dealt another legal defeat to Bill Bullard’s R-CALF, but do you know who was really behind Bill Bullard’s effort?

The group doing Bill Bullard’s bidding is called Public Justice, which was founded in 1982 as Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and the company they keep is not looking out for the best interests of America’s cattle producers. In October, Bill Bullard’s R-CALF filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking for an extension on the time they have to decide whether they want to appeal the 9th Circuit’s decision to

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

the highest court in the land. Upon reading the filing, their main reason for needing the extension was that their Public Justice attorneys were just too busy representing other clients to be able to get their R-CALF work done. Those other clients were PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.

Bill Bullard’s attorneys are the same ones representing groups that want to put us out of business. PETA’s mission statement says they oppose a human supremacist worldview called speciesism. They focus their attention on areas, including food animals, in which they believe the largest number of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time. They routinely use shock tactics and celebrities to draw the media’s attention to their efforts in eliminating animal agriculture, hunting, and animal research. They have been behind hidden camera efforts on farms, dairies, and ranches, in which they get animal extremists to gain employment under false pretense in order to secretly film what they believe is cruelty to animals. They have also defended the terrorist acts of groups like the Animal Liberation Front. In addition, they support a “sin tax” on meat and have actively promoted the production and consumption of fake meat products.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), much like PETA, supports plant based diets and has lobbied for moratoriums on CAFOs and large scale dairies. They

criticize us for greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. ALDF spends its resources trying to defeat “ag-gag” laws because they interfere with their targeting of animal ag operations via undercover videos.

How desperate do you have to be to think that a group with ties like this really wants you to succeed, especially since they make it known that they really do not have time for you until they help their animal activist friends? Is Bill Bullard’s hatred of NCBA and the Checkoff so great that he is willing to sell his membership to the very people who want to put them out of business? In watching activist groups work in D.C., I know that part of their strategy is to divide industries in order to get them to fight each other. While these intra-industry fights are going on, attention is diverted from the activist efforts to weaken the targeted industry. Is that what Public Justice is doing?

In case that was not enough, Bill Bullard utilized the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) to get his Public Justice attorney’s fees reimbursed because they won an earlier step in their Checkoff lawsuit. EAJA allows people who sue the Federal government and win to get their fees covered. Bill Bullard’s R-CALF received $150,000 from USDA, but the money came from the Checkoff. Instead of your valuable Checkoff money going to promotion and research, it is now flowing to a group that attacks it every chance they get.

Knowledge is power, so be sure to share this with your friends.

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NCBA

President’s Report

By JERRY BOHN

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Standing Together, Moving Forward A year ago, much of our nation’s public life was still shadowed by uncertainty. Many states that had been shut down due to COVID-19 were working through a patchwork of reopenings. In Washington, the transition to a new administration was marred by chaos and destruction. Across the country, cattle producers were still in the thick of the upheaval brought about by a global pandemic, black swan events, and extreme weather conditions.

NCBA’s top priority for 2021 was to help improve the business climate for our producers. We also recognized the urgency of building relationships in the new political environment that would allow us to effectively fight for our members’ interests and defend the wins secured under the previous administration.

Today, we still have work to do, but I am proud of the progress we have made.

Working with partners in Congress and USDA, NCBA helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for independent and regional beef processing plants. These funds are specifically marked out to expand capacity among small facilities, and our vice president Todd Wilkinson testified on Capitol Hill to tell lawmakers that not one cent of this money should go to the major packers who don’t need it. This is a critical step in relieving the bottleneck between beef demand and live cattle supply.

Negotiated trade volumes are up considerably compared to years past, and multiple market analysts and economists credit this uptick to the work of NCBA’s Regional Triggers Subgroup and our state affiliates. Our work on the voluntary framework made a tangible impact on the level of robust price discovery across the industry.

NCBA also successfully advocated for greater transparency in the cattle markets. We secured the House introduction of the Cattle Contract Library Act and led the charge on Capitol

Hill for reauthorization of LMR, which is the most fundamental tool producers have for exerting leverage in negotiations with packers. Thanks to our persistent work, the House passed both measures last month with overwhelming bipartisan support.

As lawmakers debated passing tax hikes that would be fatal for thousands of family owned farms and ranches, NCBA mounted our largest ever grassroots campaign to oppose them. Thanks in large part to our efforts and the firsthand testimonies of more than 1,800 producers, the version of the reconciliation package that passed the U.S. House of Representatives left crucial tax provisions like stepped up basis and like kind exchanges intact.

From the moment President Biden announced his “30x30” conservation agenda, NCBA was at the White House, USDA, EPA, and Department of Interior making the case for the voluntary conservation work that our members do every day. We advocated fiercely to defend your private property rights and delivered the message repeatedly to every policymaker in town – “grazing is good.”

Our work to raise awareness and educate on the good work of cattle producers has been crucial in slowly but surely changing the national narrative around cattle and climate change.

While sharing our industry’s sustainability story, NCBA also helped author its next chapter. At our convention in August, we set industry led sustainability goals that reaffirm our commitment to science based stewardship. Farmers and ranchers have been leading the way in voluntary conservation in this country for centuries.

We are proud to continue that legacy.

NCBA strategically engaged in litigation and rulemaking processes in 2021 to fight back against burdensome and harmful environmental regulations.

We continued to move the ball forward in court to defend the nationwide delisting of the gray wolf. After the EPA

announced their repeal of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), NCBA launched a grassroots campaign to oppose the return of the extreme federal overreach we saw under the 2015 WOTUS rule.

Moving livestock and goods in an efficient, cost effective manner is foundational to the success of our members’ businesses. NCBA succeeded in getting the backend 150 air mile exemption for livestock producers passed into law. We were also instrumental in securing an extension of the hours of service exemption under the Department o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n ’s e m e rg e n c y declaration. Our cumulative efforts have helped ensure that grocery store shelves stay fully stocked. While other sectors continued to grapple with shortages of products on shelves, we continued to keep those same shelves stocked with U.S. beef.

Our convention in Nashville attracted more than 6,000 attendees and ensured that the essential business of this association continued without interruption. Through our work as a Beef

The Carolina Cattle Connection

Checkoff contractor, NCBA was proud to see domestic demand for beef remain remarkably strong throughout 2021, and we saw soaring demand for our product in export markets around the globe. U.S. beef is what’s for dinner – and lunch and breakfast – for millions of families at home and around the world, and NCBA will continue working to keep it that way.

The past year has not been easy, and I am not dismissive of the challenges that lie ahead.

Safeguarding the future of our industry for generations to come is the work of a marathon, not a sprint, but we covered a lot of ground over the course of 2021.

I am optimistic about our industry’s ability to navigate the road ahead. As we prepare for the policy discussions in Houston, I encourage us all to work together. We have more things in common than we think, and we all want to pass on a profitable, resilient operation to our children and grandchildren. Making that happen will take all of us standing together.

q FEBRUARY 2022

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NCBA News

NCBA Backs WOTUS Recommendations from EPA Advisory Committee. Recently, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for a report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC).

“The FRRCC represents a diverse group of stakeholders including academia, industry, non-governmental organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments,” said Scott Yager, NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel. “NCBA strongly supports the committee’s recommendation to develop a clear and limited WOTUS definition and protect key exemptions for common agricultural features. With the EPA’s convoluted approach to soliciting public comments and stakeholder perspectives on WOTUS, NCBA encourages the EPA to listen to its own advisory committee’s recommendation, and the recommendation is clear: farmers and ranchers need clear rules and regulatory certainty to be successful.”

The FRRCC’s recommendations include: • Ensuring EPA compliance with the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court precedent limiting federal jurisdiction over bodies of water.

• Developing a clear definition of WOTUS that is easily interpreted by farmers and ranchers.

• Protecting WOTUS exemptions for common agricultural features, including farm ditches, stock ponds, prairie potholes, prior converted cropland, and other small, isolated water features.

• Reconsidering the EPA roundtable process to ensure that all stakeholders have an opportunity to voice concerns on WOTUS rulemaking.

Background - The FRRCC is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered by the EPA to

provide policy advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on environmental issues impacting agriculture and rural communities. The committee consists of 32 members from across the United States representing academia, agricultural producers, affiliated industries, nongovernmental organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. On January 12, the FRRCC released a final report containing policy recommendations to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. In addition to the recommendations on WOTUS, NCBA is supportive of the FRRCC’s position on an Ecosystem Management System, pesticide management, and food loss and food waste.

These recommendations focus on the need for clear, consistent policy positions from the EPA that account for the needs of farmers and ranchers on their individual operations.

In November 2021, the Biden administration released a proposal to repeal the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and propose new regulations on common agricultural features, such as stock ponds, ditches, and ephemeral water features that only flow during rain. The rule is currently open for public comment, and NCBA is engaging with the EPA to voice concerns on the rule. NCBA encourages the EPA to adopt the FRRCC recommendations, which align with the views of cattle producers and address shortcomings in the proposed rule.

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.

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!

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Weeks ending DECEMBER 7 & DECEMBER 14, 2021)

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales ending Tuesday, DECEMBER 7, 2021, and WNC Livestock Exchange Cattle Sales ending Tuesday, DECEMBER 14, 2021. All cattle in this report are located in North Carolina and South Carolina. Prices FOB the farm or local scale and many weighed with a 0-2 percent shrink and sold with a 5-10¢ per pound slide on the heavy side only.

Cattle Receipts: 2,781

Last Month: 2,156

Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 61 percent steers and 39 percent heifers. Nearly 90 percent of the run weighed over 600 pounds. Head totals are based on load lot estimate of 49,500 pounds.

Head 64 121 59 61 58 55 50 50

Wt. Range 760-760 800-800 825-825 800-800 840-840 900-900 950-950 975-975

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 760 $161.25 $161.25 800 $159.75 $159.75 825 $159.25 $159.25 800 $156.00 $156.00 840 $157.25 $157.25 900 $147.00 $147.00 950 $150.00 $150.00 975 $140.75 $140.75

Head 78 51 33 67 74 67 63 190 63 63 59 59 95

Wt. Range 570-580 600-600 675-675 725-725 700-745 725-725 770-770 760-775 775-775 775-775 800-800 825-825 975-975

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 577 $159.25 - $160.00 $159.47 600 $160.00 $160.00 675 $150.00 $150.00 725 $159.00 $159.00 721 $147.00 - $148.00 $147.47 725 $158.75 $158.75 770 $158.00 $158.00 770 $160.00 - $162.75 $161.16 775 $149.50 $149.50 775 $150.00 $150.00 800 $162.00 $162.00 825 $161.00 $161.00 975 $150.00 $150.00

Head 92 135

Wt. Range 525-525 700-700

FEEDER STEERS (Small and Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 525 $173.25 $173.25 700 $161.25 $161.25

Delivery Value Added Value Added

Head 66 125 63

Wt. Range 740-740 775-775 775-775

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 740 $154.00 $154.00 775 $152.00 $152.00 775 $150.00 $150.00

Delivery Value Added Value Added Value Added

Head 30 114 72 35 69 66 35 69 63 57 61 57

Wt. Range 580-580 600-640 675-675 675-675 700-700 740-740 700-700 700-700 775-775 795-795 800-800 850-850

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 580 $147.25 $147.25 631 $142.00 - $146.00 $143.02 675 $147.00 $147.00 675 $139.00 $139.00 700 $147.25 $147.25 740 $143.50 $143.50 700 $140.00 $140.00 700 $150.00 $150.00 775 $143.75 $143.75 795 $154.75 $154.75 800 $143.50 $143.50 850 $143.25 $143.25

Head 92

Wt. Range 525-525

FEEDER HEIFERS (Small and Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 525 $159.50 $159.50

Delivery Value Added Value Added Value Added

Delivery Split Loads Split Loads Split Loads Natural Split Loads Natural Value Added Value Added Value Added Natural

Delivery Split Loads Split Loads Split Loads Natural Split Loads Value Added Value Added Natural Delivery Value Added

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

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PAGE 57

!

S E T A UPD Houston to Host Largest NCBA Trade Show Ever. Nearly Ten Acres of Exhibitors, Displays, and Educational Experiences. The NCBA Trade Show held during the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention will be the largest ever, encompassing nearly ten acres of exhibitors, displays, and educational experiences all under one roof.

The NCBA Trade Show offers attendees opportunities to network, learn, shop, dine and connect with friends, both old and new. It is a solutions center featuring more than 350 exhibitors that can help producers with animal

health products, equipment, irrigation technology, software, trailers, and so much more. In addition to finding the right product or service to solve any problem, there are a variety of educational opportunities within the show.

New this year is RanchHOW, a hands on workshop offering a unique way to learn and network with attendees and exhibitors. Learning Lounge sessions offer valuable educational tips where busy attendees can enjoy informal face to face talks right on the trade show floor. The popular Stockmanship & Stewardship Demonstration Arena returns

2022 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 2022. 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.

2022 Reserved Spotlight Issues JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

CHAROLAIS FORAGES ANGUS -------------------------BRAHMAN HEREFORD GELBVIEH SIMMENTAL SANTA GERTRUDIS --------------------------------------------------RED ANGUS

For more information about your breed’s Spotlight Issue, contact:

The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 919-552-9111 • mail@nccattle.com PAGE 58

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

with stockmanship experts Dr. Ron Gill, Dean Fish, and Curt Pate providing low stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance educational sessions, industry updates, and facility design sessions.

Back by popular demand is the Chutes and Scales Showdown, where producers can watch cattle run through chutes, side by side, then get hands on experience with the equipment. This is an opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the top manufacturers in the industry, learn about new technology on both manual and hydraulic chutes, and find the right piece of equipment to fit your ranch needs.

The trade show experience continues each afternoon with daily receptions. Networking activities such as the Whiskey Tasting reception on Wednesday and Pups & Suds Yappy Hour on Thursday extend the trade show into the evenings. If you are looking for a refreshing beverage and a little puppy love, this is the place to be.

“Whether you are interested in shopping, learning or networking, the NCBA Trade Show offers something for everyone,” said Kristin Torres, NCBA executive director for meetings and events. “Be sure to spend some time at the trade show to experience something you’ll never forget.”

Award Winning Speakers Headline 2022 Cattle Industry Convention.

Athletes, Entrepreneurs, and Government Dignitaries Will Educate and Inspire.

“Everything is bigger in Texas,” and that includes the speaker lineup for the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show. General session speakers will hit audiences hard with powerful messages that educate, motivate, and

inspire.

The convention will kick off on February 1, with Buzz Brainard, host of Music Row Happy Hour, who will be back by popular demand as emcee during the general sessions. Brainard’s voice is well known on SiriusXM radio, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel.

The Opening General Session on Tuesday will pack a punch with legendary boxer and famous griller George Foreman. Foreman grew up in Houston and went on to become an Olympic gold champion, heavyweight division boxing world champion, entrepreneur, and well known pitchman for the grill that bears his name.

We d n e s d a y ’s two general sessions will focus on today’s issues and tomorrow’s outlook. NCBA’s Washington, D.C., policy team will give a state of the industry overview and provide updates on taxes, cattle markets, conservation, animal health, trade, infrastructure, and much more.

CattleFax’s outlook seminar will highlight demand and supplies for beef, cattle, and competing proteins. They will present a price and profitability outlook for 2022 and beyond for all classes of cattle and beef, explore export and import markets, and provide a grain outlook.

Meteorologist Matt Makens will also give a 2022 weather forecast highlighting weather pattern changes for the United States and around the world.

Plan to attend a new high profile session on Thursday morning entitled “Beef: Here and There, Domestic and Abroad. A Discussion of Policy and Diplomacy.” featuring British Ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, to hear an update on the beef business climate in the United States and around the globe.

The Closing General Session will celebrate the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program and BQA award winners and will feature two time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Theismann. Theismann was on top of his game before an injury shattered both his career and his boyhood dream. Listen to Theismann’s story to learn how to tackle change by keeping a positive mental outlook and committing to a vision that guides you to the top.

The convention wraps up Thursday evening with the Cowboy Comedy Club featuring headliner Jim Gaffigan.

Gaffigan is a Grammy nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, best selling author, Emmy winning performer, and multi-platinum selling recording

artist. He is known around the world for his unique brand of humor, which largely revolves around his observations on life.

General session admission is included in many registration options, including the popular family pack, which offers a $100 discount on the purchase of one Cattle Industry Member registration, one Guest Cattle Industry Member registration, and two Student registrations. For more information and to register, visit convention.ncba.org.

Government Affairs Team to Hold D.C. Issues Update at Convention.

At the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, the NCBA Government Affairs team will host the State of the Industry, and D.C.

Carolina Cooking

Issues Update to provide you with the latest policy information straight from Washington, D.C. “The D.C. Issues Update will be the one time at the convention that the entire Government Affairs team is in one room,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “Our team has worked around the clock on wide ranging issues, including fake meat, taxes, Waters of the United States (WOTUS), cattle markets, and infrastructure, to name a few. This event is your opportunity to hear what is going on in D.C. and ask questions about the specific policies you care about.”

Working from the NCBA D.C. office on Pennsylvania Avenue, just steps away from the White House and Capitol Building, the Government Affairs staff is organized into three teams: Cattle Health/ Agriculture and Food Policy, Business, and Natural Resources and Climate team. Each team is led by a senior staff member with years of policymaking or government experience, and other members of each team are policy specialists in different fields.

The Cattle Health/Agriculture and

Food Policy team handles animal welfare, transportation, labor, immigration, rural broadband, food safety, nutrition, and the Farm Bill, among other issues.

NCBA’s chief veterinarian is part of this team and is a definitive voice for cattle health practices on several national and international animal health boards.

The Business team handles the issues that impact a farm or ranch’s bottom line, including taxes, cattle markets, international trade, fake meat, and supply chain resiliency.

The Natural Resources and Climate team handles natural resources policy, grazing permits, WOTUS, sustainability, and wildlife management. Two attorneys are members of this team, and they direct NCBA’s natural resources litigation to fight against harmful rules in court.

“Our team has notched some key policy wins this year, and we also kept bad policy, like tax increases and government mandates, from becoming law,” Lane said. “We look forward to sharing this information with you and having a discussion about the policy issues that matter to you.”

Calypso Beef Soup Total Cooking Time - 50 minutes 1½ pounds ground beef (93% or leaner) 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 teaspoon curry powder 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups water or beef broth 1 can (15½ ounces) black eyed peas, rinsed, drained 1 can (13½ ounces) light unsweetened coconut milk 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme Salt and ground black pepper Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef; cook 8-10 minutes, breaking into ¾ inch crumbles and stirring occasionally.

Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon.

Pour off drippings in the pan; add sweet potato, onion, bell pepper, and curry powder. Cook 4-5 minutes or until onion and pepper are crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef.

Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

Return beef to skillet. Stir in water, black eyed peas, and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer

5-8 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Stir in spinach and thyme. Cook for 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired.

Makes 6 servings.

IRM Red Books Are Here Due to increased printing costs, the price of the books have increased to $7.00/each this year.

We would like to thank Performance Livestock & Feed Company and Carolina Stockyards for again sponsoring this book.

The 2022 version is now available to help cattle producers effectively & efficiently record daily production efforts, which can help enhance profitablity and reduce stress levels. In addition to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) best practices and proper injection technique information, it has more than 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture use, cattle inventory, body condition, cattle treatment, A.I. breeding records, and more. It also contains a calendar and notes section.

Simply return the order form below, along with $7.00 for each book to: N.C. Cattlemen’s Association 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 You can now order them through our website at www.nccattle.com/resources/merchandise/red-book-order-form.

You can also call our office at 919-552-9111 or email us at kim@nccattle.com.

Calypso Beef Soup

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 59

Infrastructure — A Necessary Investment for the U.S. Cattle Industry After months of gridlock in Congress, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 was signed into law by President Biden. In the midst of partisan politics, NCBA stayed committed to being the trusted leader and definitive voice of the U.S. cattle and beef industry. In this case, that meant sifting through rhetoric and fighting for policy that served the best interests of U.S. cattle and beef producers.

How did we get here? Like most things in Washington, the process that led us to passage of this legislation was extremely convoluted and lengthy.

Democratic leadership in Congress created a two track process where they debated on a “human infrastructure” bill, often referred to as the Build Back Better Act, and a “hard infrastructure” bill that included more traditional infrastructure investments, such as broadband funding and investments in roads and bridges.

While NCBA continues to oppose the Build Back Better Act as certain provisions could harm the business climate for producers, throughout the broader conversation, we worked with Congress to ensure the bipartisan infrastructure bill focused on “hard infrastructure” investments and included provisions beneficial to the cattle industry.

How does this legislation benefit U.S. cattle and beef producers?

Infrastructure investments are an important step toward ensuring that American cattle producers and their communities have access to necessary resources to be successful in the 21 st century.

“A lot of these provisions [in the bipartisan infrastructure bill] are things that we have been pursuing for well over a decade, and in some cases over two decades,” said NCBA Policy Division Chair and Wyoming cattleman Mark Eisele. “I know there’s concern about there being a lot of ‘hogs at the trough’ for this deal, but that’s not the case.”

In accordance with our grassroots policy, NCBA worked hard to ensure that the following provisions were included in the final legislation: • An additional 150 air mile exemption on the destination of livestock hauls; • $127 billion for roads, bridges, ports, and waterways that are crucial to farmers and agriculture exporters; • $40 billion to states to build out broadband internet infrastructure — $2 billion for the Agriculture Department to expand broadband in rural areas through the ReConnect program;

PAGE 60

• $3.3 billion to the Forest Service and Interior Department to fight wildfires through controlled burns, mechanical thinning, and firefighting resources; and • congressional commitment to the improvement of the federal permitting process for critical water related investments through the codification of One Federal Decision.

Livestock Transportation - NCBA has long fought for the ability for livestock haulers to transport livestock safely and efficiently. The ability for haulers to do this depends on the existence of modernized, reliable roads and bridges as well as regulatory flexibility.

“Livestock are a perishable commodity. For humane animal management and the proper handling of that commodity, it needs to be timely,” Eisele said. “You can’t be diverted around a river and have an extra hour added to your haul — which happens frequently.

And you can’t pull into a truck stop and wait eight to ten hours to get back on the road.”

Since cattle are often hauled from remote areas of the country to areas where feedlots and processing plants are located, without flexibility in hours of service requirements, some cattle and beef producers could very easily lose their ability to be competitive in the marketplace. While the cattle industry is currently operating under an emergency declaration that allows for exemptions to hours of service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the inclusion of the backend 150 air mile exemption in the bill provides an added flexibility that is permanent.

While flexibility during livestock hauls is critical, it means nothing unless the roads and bridges haulers are utilizing are accessible and can accommodate heavy cattle and trailers.

“We’re watching some of our infrastructure crumble and erode under our feet — literally,” explained Eisele.

“As you drive the backroads, you realize haulers can’t always access them with trucks because the bridges aren’t able to handle the larger weight loads.”

Hauling livestock is different than hauling other commodities. Flexibility in regulations and reliable infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is key to the health and safety of cattle in transport.

In fact, the investments made in transportation infrastructure through this bill will have a direct effect on the ability for grocery store shelves to remain fully stocked with beef.

Rural Connectivity - For cattle

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

and beef producers to be competitive in a global marketplace, they must have access to reliable, high speed internet.

“In this day and age, you’ve got to be connected — high tech is where it’s at,” Eisele said. “People want timely information at the speed of commerce to run their businesses.”

The funding for rural broadband included in the bill will be critical for the cattle industry as we continue to innovate and improve operations. When producers have access to high speed rural broadband, it opens doors to increased efficiency, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

“If you’re in the business, you understand. You need access to your markets; you need to stay aware of commodity prices, and you need to have precision technology for spraying or location of crops — you can’t wait for this stuff,” Eisele said.

Eisele went on to describe how farmers and ranchers don’t have time to run to the top of a hill to get service when they need to quickly check something on the internet or make a timely purchase.

While this may just seem like an anecdote to some, cattle producers know the reality of this and the challenges lack of connectivity impose on business owners when they are working on their operations.

Fire Mitigation and Water Related Infrastructure - On the heels of one of the most severe droughts in recent

history, coupled with a devastating wildfire season — the investments for fire mitigation and water related infrastructure included in the bill will be critical, especially for ranchers in the west.

“Lots of our producers had enormous burnouts. They lost livestock. They lost property — some of which will never be rebuilt in a lifetime. Those losses were unacceptable,” Eisele said.

Eisele explained that to mitigate these catastrophic losses, the Forest Service needs to work with farmers and ranchers on the ground, invest in ground management tools and address urgent issues.

In addition, for generations, ranchers have been subject to burdensome government red tape to complete critical water related infrastructure projects. The codification of One Federal Decision will increase efficiency in the permitting process, thus allowing producers to continually invest in water and natural resource management.

“Everyone is critical of public lands ranchers because they don’t think we’re paying our fair share and that sort of thing, but we’re the ones putting water developments in, we’re the ones that are helping wildlife,” Eisele said. “We want clean water. We want clean air. We want all those things. And when we have fires of enormous magnitude, the environment loses, the watershed loses — everyone takes an enormous hit. So, in my opinion, this is money well spent.”

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Background and Research Supporting Caffeine for High Risk Calves

By ZACH JANSSEN, DVM By now you have probably heard about the idea of using caffeine to stimulate at-risk calves that are the result of dystocia (difficult birth), hypothermia from being born in the cold, or being run down from a stressful event such as disease or transport. While this seems to make sense because many of us rely on the benefits of caffeine (coffee, tea, soda) to get going every day, you may be asking, “Where did this idea come from, and what is the science behind it?”

More than 40 years ago, it was discovered that caffeine could be used to minimize the negative effects and risk of death due to apnea of prematurity (AOP) in human infants. Apnea is defined by cessation of breathing for more than 20 seconds, bradycardia (reduced heart rate), and cyanosis (turning blue). The positive benefits of caffeine in infants with AOP include reducing frequency of apnea, the need for positive pressure or mechanical ventilation, and earlier, more successful extubation (removal of a breathing tube).

All of this ultimately results in reduced rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which is the failure of alveoli of the lungs, the tiny air sacs that are responsible for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, to develop.

Healthy lungs are obviously critical in the neonate as it switches from maternal oxygenated blood supply to breathing on its own, and certainly, can be important in calves that experience high rates of pneumonia. Current research on caffeine administration in infants experiencing AOP has demonstrated immediate treatment is more beneficial than later as defined by >48 hours after birth. Another long term study showed that infants receiving caffeine had fewer cases of cerebral palsy and cognitive delay at 18-21 months of age and improvement of gross motor skills at

ages 5 and 11 years compared to controls that received no caffeine treatment. This suggests that caffeine may have an overall neuroprotective effect.

One question I often get is: “How much should I give to my calf?” In neonatal therapy, it is standard to administer a loading dose. This is a higher initial or first dose that is often used in medicines that are cleared from the body slowly because they have a long half life. Then a maintenance dose is given, which can be 25-50 percent of the original dose for weeks to months.

Research has been done on increasing both doses in premature infants. While no harmful effects were seen, no additional benefits were observed either.

Extrapolating the common loading dose of caffeine used in the NICU to a 70 pound calf would be near the recommended maximum daily consumption for an adult human. Keep in mind that the lethal dose of caffeine in humans is about 20 times the recommended daily dose. Although additional studies may be necessary to determine the optimal dose, considering other possible treatment options, caffeine administration is actually quite safe in the neonate. Commercial formulations specific to calves have taken this into account and provide the appropriate levels compared to a “gas station supplement.”

Caffeine citrate administration in human infants has proven safe and effective. Therefore, it is one of the top five treatments given to newborns. Here are the established benefits that we see in human infants that would also be expected to be seen in high risk calves given caffeine.

Brain • Increased respiratory neural output by blocking the effects of adenosine – a neurotransmitter that causes generalized depression • Neuroprotective anti-inflammatory

effects • Healthy formation of nerve fibers • Reduces cell death Lungs • Improves diaphragmatic contractility • Reduces pulmonary inflammation • Induces surfactant production to protect airways • Diuretic effect can remove excess fluid and facilitate breathing Heart • Increased pumping ability by contraction and volume • Increased blood pressure The above changes are quickly seen, as another benefit to caffeine administration is that it takes effect rapidly (typically less than 30 minutes). While caffeine citrate has proven so effective in humans, we are not able to feed this synthetically produced compound to animals due to AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations. I often heard of veterinarians telling a farmer to brew up a pot of coffee to warm and stimulate a calf after a hard pull in cold winter conditions.

This would work; however, it may take that whole pot of coffee to be effective and consider the room it would occupy in the calf’s stomach that also needs four quarts of colostrum ASAP! Concentrated green tea extract meets the requirements of being all natural effective and is a Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) feed ingredient by AAFCO. Calves that are born early as the result of being twins, have low birth weights, experience dystocia, or are born in the cold will be at high risk. These calves are often depressed, hypoxic (low oxygen), and facing inflammation. Successful use of caffeine in infants experiencing apnea of prematurity has demonstrated benefits to lung development neural development and has saved lives. It is logical to extrapolate these same benefits when caffeine therapy is used early in high risk calves. Considering the value that calves represent to the future of the farm, it would be advised to have a convenient, properly formulated source of caffeine readily available to support these high risk calves.

Regular copy deadline is

FEBRUARY 5 for the

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Waynesville, NC

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

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Beef Improvement Federation

NEWS

Situational Indexes Positively Impact Beef Production Selection Decisions. “We need to talk to commercial bull buyers as if they’re making an investment, not an expense,” said Dr. Bruce Golden, Partner at Theta Solutions, LLC. Golden gave his presentation titled “Examining the Impact of Situational Indexes on Selection Decisions” during the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium on June 24 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Through his presentation, Golden described the iGENDEC software and defined a situational selection index, the situation variables available through iGENDEC, and future feature enhancements.

Situational selection indexes - A situational selection index is created for a specific commercial cattle enterprise where the variables that impact the phenotypes, costs, and revenues are set

to values that are experienced by that commercial cattle operation. The index reflects the enterprise’s investment goals and considers both profit and risk aversion decisions. Producers are encouraged to think of situational selection indexes as a “precision farming” tool.

“I believe that more decisions in cow/calf operations are based on risk aversion than on profit maximization,” Golden explained. “We’re identifying the characteristics of the enterprise to try and better match the investment decision to the goals of a specific enterprise.”

Situation variables in iGENDEC - iGENDEC offers numerous situation variables that include, but are not limited to: sale endpoint for calves, marketing plan, investment planning horizon, breeding season length, conception rate, calving loss rate, cow age distribution, cow, calf, backgrounding and feedlot

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Seth Church

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

feed costs, and current phenotypes. The situation variables of sale endpoint for calves, marketing plan, and investment planning horizon are not about profit maximization. Choosing a sale endpoint is often based on risk aversion and not on profit maximization.

This choice is influenced by the producer’s need for cash and capital.

Every investment should be viewed with a planning horizon. Situational variables do vary between commercial operations substantially enough that no two operations will necessarily achieve their investment goals with the same set of bulls. Bulls can be valued differently in different situations.

“Current breed association provided indexes do not allow for the flexibility of situational variables,” Golden said. “These variables allow more precision in the decision process for evaluating planning horizons.” iGENDEC future enhancements - iGENDEC plans to offer future feature enhancements of accounting for a producer’s willingness to increase capital investment, easier accounting for participating in slaughter cattle value when selling at weaning and beef on dairy. Accounting for willingness to increase capital investment will allow the commercial bull buyer to determine if they are completely constrained by capital or if they are willing to put more capital into the system. Easier accounting for participating in slaughter cattle value will allow producers who are selling at weaning and use bulls with better carcass

characteristics to get a premium.

To watch the full presentation, visit https://youtu.be/gpehp-b7oXg. For more information about the 2021 symposium, including additional presentations and award winners, visit BIFSymposium.com.

About the Beef Improvement Federation. Founded in 1968, the BIF is an organization dedicated to advancing and coordinating all segments of the beef industry. From the start, the BIF sought to connect science and industry to improve beef cattle genetics.

One of the first projects of the BIF was to develop a way of standardizing all performance records across beef cattle breeds both nationally and internationally.

The result of the project is the modern day Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) system, a tool the beef industry relies heavily on today.

Continuing the tradition of using science to benefit producers, the BIF is now the capstone for developing programs for improving the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of beef production.

The BIF three leaf clover logo symbolizes the link between industry, extension, and research.

The Beef Improvement Federation holds an annual convention, bringing together industry professionals, producers, and researchers to discuss current issues facing the beef industry. Many of the issues covered lead to new research and research projects to benefit the beef industry as a whole, and members look forward to the following BIF Symposium to see the progress of these research projects.

Our breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to reach producers and cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the Southeast.

Advertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

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CHUCK

SHANK

CHUCK

BRISKET

RIB

LOIN

SIRLOIN

ROUND SHANK

FLANK

PLATE

RIB

LOIN

SIRLOIN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

ROUND

INGEDIENT CUTS

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

BRISKET LEAN

LEAN

PLATE & FLANK LEAN

LEAN

KEY TO RECOMMENDED COOKING METHODS GRILL or BROIL PAN BROIL/ SKILLET

BRAISE/ POT ROAST

LEAN

These cuts meet the government guidelines for lean, based on cooked servings, visible fat trimmed

STIR-FRY

ROAST

SKILLET TO OVEN

* MARINATE BEFORE COOKING FOR BEST RESULTS

A cut of cooked fresh meat is considered ‘lean’ when it contains less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, andless tahn 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams(3½ oz) and per RACC (Reference Amount Customarily Consumed), which is 85 grams (3 oz.)

PAGE 64

INDIRECT GRILLING

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 65

NEWS Feeding for Success: Sure Champ Offers Practical Supplements for Show Livestock. A new year means setting new goals. However, with all livestock projects, the goal remains the same – to keep your animals eating and drinking so they gain and perform to their highest potential to capture as many wins as possible.

The Sure Champ line of supplements was designed to proactively help livestock #PreptoWin during the challenges created by the show environment. BioZyme Inc., makers of Sure Champ, use the highest quality components and proprietary ingredients proven to generate high yielding results.

Blaine Rodgers, Show/Small Ruminant Business Development,

explained how each of the Sure Champ products works and how they help animals perform their best, so they increase their potential to make their way to the backdrop.

Sure Champ Joint Juice is the newest product to the lineup and most unique, as it is the only joint supplement Sure Champ offers. This joint product is powered

by MHB3 Hyaluronan, the most highly researched and proven hyaluronic acid available. It is carefully crafted to naturally support, promote and enhance joint and soft tissue health. And it is affordable enough to add it to your animals’ feed every day. This liquid is top dressed on feed and can be fed across all species.

“Joint Juice is most effective as a preventative measure against arthritis.

Don’t wait until your livestock are 30 days from being finished weight; start them on Joint Juice when they are young to keep their joints and their soft tissue working their best,” Rodgers encouraged.

Joint Juice naturally lubricates joints and restores synovial fluid to alleviate joint discomfort while aiding in soft tissue health. MHB3 Hyaluronan, our proprietary ingredient, has been scientifically proven to be bioavailable, well absorbed, efficacious, and safe.

It confers greater and more consistent results than any other product in both short and long term care. MHB3 has been awarded eight U.S. Patents and is highly researched to be efficacious, allowing for best results.

Sure Champ Extreme is perhaps the next most versatile product that can

also be fed to cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. It includes ingredients designed to help support animals during extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.

Amaferm is a precision based prebiotic that positively impacts intake, feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption for optimum digestive health and performance. It is research proven to lower body temperature and maintain performance during heat stress.

“Sure Champ Extreme is a great product for all species because it helps regulate body temperatures in extreme heat or extreme cold, while helping keep their digestive system on track,” Rodgers said.

In addition, Sure Champ Extreme contains MOS to trap and expel pathogens, limiting their ability to do

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of DECEMBER 2021 Cattle Receipts: 11,317

•

Previous Month: 18,518

Feeder supply - 30% steers • 44% heifers • 26% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,401 $59.49

Boner 1,223 $59.84

Lean 1,036 $50.08

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,608

$87.99

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 424 $148.66 $630.32 450-500 473 $149.48 $707.04 500-550 528 $145.94 $770.56 550-600 575 $139.17 $800.23 600-650 617 $135.96 $838.87 650-700 665 $134.99 $897.68

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 424 $152.18 $645.24 450-500 473 $146.17 $691.38 500-550 523 $136.98 $716.41 550-600 572 $133.18 $761.79 600-650 621 $125.75 $780.91 650-700 671 $118.29 $793.73

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 424 $132.34 $561.12 450-500 473 $130.38 $616.70 500-550 523 $126.79 $663.11 550-600 571 $123.96 $707.81 600-650 621 $119.19 $740.17 650-700 672 $116.49 $782.81

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

PAGE 66

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

harm, biotin, and zinc to support healthy skin, hair, and hooves. It includes garlic, considered a natural insect deterrent.

The final product in the line for all species is Sure Champ Spark, designed to provide a safe, easy way for show livestock to receive Amaferm when a more aggressive appetite is needed. It also includes MOS to trap bad bacteria, limiting their ability to do harm to digestive health and intake, as well as biotin and zinc to promote healthy skin, hair, and hooves.

“Spark is a must have product if you have a barn that feeds multiple species. It helps increase appetite at a low inclusion rate and works on all your show livestock,” Rodgers said.

Sure Champ Cattle is the only supplement in the line designed for a single species.

In addition to Amaferm to increase appetite, Sure Champ Cattle contains organic zinc, copper, and manganese and the maximum allowable level of selenium. It includes vitamins A, D, and E, along with niacin and B-12 for added growth, bloom, and health.

Rodgers suggests feeding Sure Champ Cattle all show season, but said there is definitely a need for this

supplement when grain intake is limited and the cattle are on a high fiber diet because the Sure Champ will help the cattle meet their vitamin and mineral requirements.

“Sure Champ Cattle is a great resource to help keep those cattle fresh while meeting their daily nutrient requirements when they are on less total feed,” he said.

No matter what regimen you choose to feed your show livestock, keep their appetite stimulated and get the most nutrients from your feed with the Amaferm advantage, research proven to increase intake, digestion, and absorption.

Let Sure Champ help you #PreptoWin and keep you on track to the backdrop. That’s a goal that doesn’t need to be changed.

Tips for Winter Skin and Hair Care. Keeping your show cattle looking good in the winter should be a snap, right? Turn them out in the cold, and let their hair grow. However, the bitter cold combined with the harsh winds sucks the moisture from the animals’ hide, leading to unhealthy skin and dried out hair if not properly cared for.

Especially if you are exhibiting at winter jackpots and beef expos, you will want your steer and heifers’ hair to look

their best, so taking care of it is vital.

Skin and hair care is different in the winter compared to the summer due to the amount of oil you need to put in and leave it to condition the skin.

“The cold weather just sucks the natural oils out of their skin. To keep oil in them and keep their hide and hair healthy, you need to blow oil into their hair, so it saturates their skin,” said Blaine Rodgers, BioZyme Inc. Show Livestock Manager. “The oil will heat them up, so be cognizant of that if it is an unseasonably warm winter day.”

It is important to make sure to brush and blow the oils into the skin and hair, so it gets worked in and doesn’t just sit there.

The more it is worked in, the better it will condition, giving the animal a healthier appearance.

In addition to adding oil to the animal, Rodgers said you will likely want to alter your washing and rinsing schedule in the winter. He suggests rinsing periodically throughout the week. He said he only washes with soap once a week because the soap also dries out the skin.

He continues to wash with cold water like he does year round, but he does heat his wash rack and barn to keep the animal comfortable while it is being washed.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

“Consistency is the key. We want to keep the cattle comfortable, and we want to keep their hair healthy and growing without shedding out,” Rodgers said With the natural hair cycle of growth during colder temperatures and shedding in the warmth, it is important to keep that in mind with the unreliable weather patterns that happen. If the weather is cold, Rodgers suggests keeping the cattle turned out. When it is sunny and warmer, he will bring them inside and put them under fans to keep them cooler to promote hair growth.

Additionally, he reminds us that this is the time of year that lice and mange like to take over, and it is easier to be proactive than reactive. Treat your show cattle now with a pour-on or injectable to prevent these external parasites before they get on your calves.

“It is hard to catch up once the lice get on your calves and they start rubbing off hair,” he said.

The final part of the equation to giving your calf a healthy appearance on the outside is keeping them healthy on the

Continued on the next page

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 67

BioZyme News continued from the previous page inside. With more than 70 percent of their immunity found in the digestive system, a supplement from Sure Champ with the precision prebiotic Amaferm will help them feel their best and look their best.

Sure Champ Cattle is a pelleted, daily vitamin and mineral supplement for show cattle that can be top dressed or mixed in a ration to improve digestive health, stimulate appetite, and optimize health. Sure Champ Spark is available for all species to help drive appetite and maintain digestive health. Sure Champ Extreme also works to drive appetite and support digestive health across all species during extreme temperatures. Both Spark and Extreme contain Amaferm as well as biotin and zinc to promote healthy skin, hair, and hooves.

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and when it comes to showing cattle, their hair makes up a lot of that first impression. Keep your show steer and heifers’ hair healthy this winter with a few simple steps as you #PreptoWin and make that first impression count.

To learn more about how you can #PreptoWin with the Sure Champ products or to find a dealer near you, visit www.surechamp.com.

Peel: Cattle Business Looks Brighter Moving into 2022. For cattle producers looking for a little good news in the future, look no further than the first part of 2022. Although challenges will exist – drought, cost of gain, labor shortages – enough changes are happening to help, especially those in the

stocker sector.

Derrell Peel, Endowed Professor of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, recently offered his perspective on the big picture of the beef industry as a whole before addressing more specific topics on the stocker and feedlot side. Cow herd size is shrinking after a cyclical expansion that peaked in 2019, with the height of the calf crop coming in 2018. The combination of timelines in the beef cattle industry with all that has happened the last 18 months with COVID and the pandemic feedlot numbers didn’t really peak until early in 2021. However, now due to lower supplies and heightened demands, all segments of the beef cattle industry should experience higher prices moving into 2022.

“The supply side is supporting the market and will continue to support the market in 2022. Part of the optimism is coming from the supply fundamentals,” Peel said. “Beef demand has been very good across wholesale, grocery stores, retail, even with disruptions. Exports will set new records in 2021. Even with two months left to report this year, we are well on the way to beat the old record that was set in 2018.”

The Stocker Segment - What does all of this mean for those who run stockers and background calves? According to Peel, they are going to have ample opportunities to feed calves and realize added profit potential. With grain, especially corn, prices higher at least through harvest in 2022, the feedlots are experiencing higher costs of gain and

looking to buy calves at heavier weights than normal, meaning fewer days on feed.

“That affects price relationships across feeder cattle. If feedlots want bigger cattle, someone has to put that weight on them before they go to the feedlot, and that is the stocker sector. So, with high feed prices and high feedlot cost of gain, that increases incentives for stocker production in general, and we have certainly seen that,” Peel said.

“The value of gain on 500-600 pound to 800 pound calves is elevated. Generally, stocker producers are looking at some good opportunities, and the futures market has optimism built into it.”

Although Peel said many feed yards might want to buy stocker calves at heavier weights to keep their cost of gains to a minimum, he iterated that feed yards also run feed mills, so they also need to keep a steady supply of calves on hand.

Therefore, he projects there will be a divide in the number of feeders who do buy at heavier weights and those who buy at more traditional weights.

However, for those who do buy at heavier weights, the stocker segment offers great versatility in how they put gain on those calves. With a delayed wheat planting and then continued drought in the southern plains, Peel said that calves that are traditionally grazed on wheat pasture through the early part of the year will likely need to find alternative feed sources. Producers may opt to sell them to others who have pastures or dry lots, keep them and feed them their own grain or forages or sell them to a feedlot

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

that isn’t bothered by buying some lighter weight calves to finish.

Healthy, Efficient Pounds - Due to the drought through much of the country, hay prices are also higher than normal, and much of the usual pasture is not as readily available for grazing. With the high value of gain for those in the stocker segment, they should want to get the most nutritional value from their available feedstuffs regardless of if that is wheat, pasture, or grain.

Progressive stocker operators feed the Gain Smart line of vitamin and mineral supplements for beef cattle with the Amaferm advantage that promotes economically produced pounds by maximizing the natural energy and protein available.

“This is our third grazing season using the Gain Smart Wheat mineral. It seems to me our gains are probably up between a quarter to a third pound a day compared to the past since switching to the Gain Smart. We’ve run the same style of high risk cattle for the past ten years.

Our health seems to be substantially better. It seems like our sickness and death loss has been significantly less the last three years. The Gain Smart increases digestibility. If they are eating, they stay healthier,” said Gregg Pickens, Oklahoma stocker operator.

Four Gain Smart formulas exist geared toward individual management scenarios. Gain Smart Stocker is for calves on grass, Gain Smart Wheat is for those calves grazing wheat pasture or other small grain pastures, Gain Smart Balancer RU-1600 contains rumensin and is designed to balance those calves on high grain diets, and Gain Smart Stocker HEAT is for cattle grazing fescue or any time temperatures get hotter than 70ºF. With an optimistic outlook for 2022, that should make the industry breathe a sigh of relief. No, it isn’t perfect.

Drought has forced cow herd sizes to be reduced, packers are short on labor, and the weather will still be unpredictable.

However, the stocker sector can look forward to putting some added value to their calves, getting more efficient gains, and turning a profit.

To learn more about the Gain Smart mineral or to discover where you can purchase it, visit www.gainsmart.com.

Maisie McClure Joins BioZyme Marketing Team. Maisie McClure, Saint Francisville, Ill., is the Marketing Brand Coordinator – Beef/Show for BioZyme Inc. In her role, she will represent the company at various beef industry events and livestock shows promoting the

VitaFerm, Vita Charge, and Sure Champ brands while helping maintain brand awareness across various marketing channels.

“I am most excited to be able to work with people in the livestock industry that I am so passionate about while promoting the BioZyme brands. I really enjoy working with and meeting new people and especially working with youth,” said McClure.

McClure, a Wisconsin native, grew up showing hogs competitively with her siblings. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Western Illinois University in 2017. She most recently worked for the University of Illinois Extension, where she helped plan and execute 4-H events and started a county 4-H judging team. She and her husband, Eric, live on his family’s diverse family farm, where they raise purebred cattle and commercial hogs. She still enjoys helping her siblings with their family’s show pig operation and helping her husband in the barn when time allows.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Maisie to BioZyme. We are thrilled to have Maisie’s livestock experience and enthusiasm on our Marketing Team,” said Kristi Stevens, Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at BioZyme Inc. “Her fresh perspective coupled with her background and passion for animal agriculture make her an excellent addition to the company.”

McClure will help create marketing strategies across the cattle and show

brands, using her background and knowledge. She will be integral in creating brand awareness, working with the Progressive Cattlemen campaign, organizing and attending educational events where the brands are represented, and overseeing the Sure Champ Leadership Team. In addition, she will collaborate with the Marketing Team to ensure the company goals are met.

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 Amaferm®, VitaFerm®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize ®, DuraFerm ®, and Backyard Boost™. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www. biozymeinc.com.

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!

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q FEBRUARY 2022

PAGE 69

...

LASSIFIED PUREBRED C ATTLE BREEDERS BACK CREEK ANGUS

Joe and Robin Hampton 345 Withrows Creek Lane Mt. Ulla, NC 28125

704-880-2488

Angus

Black Crest Farm

W.R. “Billy” McLeod

1320 Old Manning Rd., Sumter, SC 29150

803-481-2011

williammcleod@ftc-i.net • www.blackcrestfarm.com

AUCTIONEERING

REGISTERED POLLED HEREFORDS • EST. 1998

Ernest B. Harris President

INSURANCE

Phone: 252-257-2140 Mobile: 252-430-9595 ®

“Quality Cattle For Quality People”

803-789-7000

Cattle Available Private Treaty John Wheeler • 910-489-0024 doublejfarm@yahoo.com • www.doublejfarmllc.com Headquarters - 775 Clacton Circle • Earlysville, VA 22936 Cattle located in Traphill, N.C.

CATTLE FOR SALE PRIVATE TREATY AT ALL TIMES!

328 Fowken Farm Rd. • Jonesville, SC More than 70 years of breeding grass type cattle!

Carcass Data • Fescue Suited • Southern Bred EPDs Breeding Soundness Exam on Two-Year-Old Bulls

Norris Fowler - 864-219-0182 Greg - 864-426-7337 • Rogers - 864-426-3281 www.fowkenfarm.com

BLACK GROVE

AUTO • HOME • LIFE BUSINESS • FARM & RANCH

The Josey Agency, Inc. Douglas Josey

Inc. / Auctioneers

3200 NC Hwy. 58 • Warrenton, NC 27589 NCAL #1468 • NC#C#4264 • VAL #146 • SCAL #3895 Email: ebharris@ebharris.com www.ebharris.com

Multi-Line Agent

Cell: 803-385-8161 Email: djosey@truvista.net

Nationwide

CATTLE FOR SALE ***HEREFORD BULL FOR SALE*** Registered AHA bull - calved 8-20-19, sired by Boyd Ft. Knox in pasture to DOD P43862774, consigned by NJB Limited in Mays Lick, Kentucky *Price - $3,500*

On Your Side®

James S. Wills • The Wills Agency LLC Primary Agent/Owner Master Farm Certified

555 West Church Street Batesburg, SC 29006

Contact - 336-961-6235

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

FORAGES FOR SALE

Autryville, NC 28318 www.howardbrosfarms.com

Darryl Howard Cell: 910-990-2791

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS 104 Springfield Lane Louisburg, NC 27549

October 15, 2022

Phil Goodson: 919-880-9062

• Performance Tested • Ultrasound and 50K Evaluated • Registered Angus Bulls

KEEP POSTED FOR UPDATES ON THE

ALL Regular Copy

2022 Tarheel Angus/4K Farm Production Sale RICHARD KIRKMAN, DVM 20416 US 64 West Siler City, NC 27344-0350

919-742-5500 • rdkirkman@centurylink.net

Jonathan Massey

for the

Johnny Massey

MARCH ISSUE

by FEBRUARY 5!

336-260-2565 • jonathan.massey2@gmail.com 336-214-4144 • johnnymassey.1@gmail.com

FOR SALE

BBU Registered Beefmaster Bulls and Females

WHITEHALL BEEFMASTERS Joe and Ann Logan 214 Cowhead Creek Road Greenwood, SC 29646

Telephone: 864-538-3004

ANIMAL HEALTH

C. A. H. Brent Glenn, DVM Lancaster, S.C.

Jim Traynham Wingate, N.C. 704-233-5366 Cell - 704-292-4217

Carolinas Animal Health, LLC

519 Morgan Mill Rd., Monroe, NC 28112 704-289-5083 • 704-289-1696 • 800-222-8638

PAGE 70

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

®

Agribusiness

WHITE OAK FARM • East Bend, N.C.

Breeding Registered Angus since 1962

2610 Kee Moore Drive Chester, SC 29706

ALL Spotlight Material for the

MARCH ISSUE

by FEBRUARY 1!

Telephone: 803-532-3390 Cell: 864-554-4658 Fax: 803-532-0615 james@twainsurance.com

NDEX OF 13th Annual EBS Farms Select Bull & Female Sale — THANK YOU ... 22 2021 N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Annual Report ...................... 35-38 2022 IRM Red Books .......................................................................... 59 4K Farms/Tarheel Angus .................................................................. 70 4th Annual Harward Sisters Cattle Company Bull & Female Sale — THANK YOU .............................................................................. 44 th 47 Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale ................ 41 49th Annual Carolina Angus Futurity ................................................ 20 70th Annual N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Conference ....................... 2 American Angus Association ............................................................. 17 American National Insurance — The Josey Agency ............................ 70 Apple Brandy Prime Cuts ................................................................... 10 Back Creek Angus .............................................................................. 70 Benton’s Hay Farm ............................................................................. 68 Biltmore Livestock — Angus .............................................................. 18 BioZyme - VitaCharge ........................................................................ 67 Black Crest Farm ................................................................................ 70 Black Grove Angus ............................................................................. 70 Brubaker Family Angus ...................................................................... 70 Bush Hog ........................................................................................... 47 C-Cross Cattle Company Spring Bull & Female Sale............................ 27 Cargill — Right Now® Mineral ............................................................ 63 Carolinas Animal Health ................................................................... 70 Chambers Gelbvieh Cattle Company “The Select Cut” Online Sale .... 26 Childers Concrete Company, Inc. ....................................................... 14 Conquest Insurance Agency, Inc. ....................................................... 70 Cow Camp 101: Back to Basics Learning Series .................................. 69 Double J Farms .................................................................................. 70 Dura•Cast .......................................................................................... 55 E.B. Harris Auctioneers, Inc. .............................................................. 70 First Choice Insurance — Donna Byrum ............................................. 12 Fowken Farms .................................................................................... 70 FPL Foods ........................................................................................... 23 Fred Smith Company Ranch ............................................................... 70 G&E Virginia Premium Assured Heifer Sale........................................ 21

For Your Advertising Needs, Contact: The Carolina Cattle Connection 919-552-9111 The Livestock Advertising Network 859-278-0899

DVERTISERS Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Company Spring Turn Out Bull & Female Sale ............................................. 28 Howard Brothers Farms .................................................................... 70 Hunt’s H+ Brangus Bull & Female Sale .............................................. 51 Hutton & Sons Herefords .................................................................. 70 John Deere ........................................................................................ 56 Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull & Female Sale ...................................... 15 Legend Lespedeza ............................................................................. 70 Locust Hill Cattle Company Inaugural Bull Sale................................. 25 March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas ...................................... 52 N.C. Angus Association Directory …................................................... 16 N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Membership Application .................... 42 N.C. Forage & Grassland Council Winter Conference Series ................ 7 N.C. Hereford Association Directory ................................................. 13 N.C. Meat Suite .................................................................................. 66 N.C. Simmental Association .............................................................. 30 National Beef Checkoff/ North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment ................................ 39 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Policy Priorities & Membership Application ............................... 54 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Membership Benefits ........... 53 Nationwide® AgriBusiness Insurance — The Wills Agency ................ 70 Pearson Livestock Equipment ............................................................. 5 Piedmont Custom Meats ................................................................... 46 Piedmont Regional Beef Conference ................................................. 69 Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Directory ............................ 32 Rusty Thomson & Family Cattle Fencing and Equipment ................... 33 Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale .......................................... 31 SimAngus Solution ........................................................................... 70 South Carolina Private Treaty Sale Checkoff Investment Form ......... 40 Southeast Livestock Exchange — Upcoming Sale Schedule ............... 61 Southern States ................................................................................ 45 Springfield Angus ............................................................................. 70 The Barn Loft — Gallagher Scales & MiraFount Waterers .................. 48 The Carolina Cattle Connection 2022 Spotlight Schedule .................. 58 The Carolina Cattle Connection Advertising Rates & Sizes ................ 43 Virginia Herd Health Management Services — Pat Comyn, DVM ....... 34 Watauga Butchery ............................................................................... 3 West End Precast — Feed Bunks ......................................................... 29 West End Precast — Feed Bunks & Troughs ........................................ 50 White Oak Farm — BULL FOR SALE .................................................... 70 Whitehall Beefmasters ...................................................................... 70 Wilkes Livestock Exchange ............................................................... 62 Yon Family Farms Spring Sale ............................................................ 19 The Carolina Cattle Connection

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VENTS ANGUS Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C. Feb. 9 — The University of Georgia 29th Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, Ga. Feb. 12 — Black Crest Farm 24th Annual Production Sale, Sumter, S.C. Feb. 19 — Locust Hill Cattle Company Inaugural Bull Sale, Pelham, N.C. Feb. 19 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Feb. 26 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Mar. 5 — C-Cross Cattle Company Spring Bull & Female Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Mar. 12 — D&W Angus Sale, Hartwell, Ga. Mar. 16 — Chambers Gelbvieh Cattle “The Select Cut” Online Sale Mar. 19 — 49th Annual Carolina Futurity Sale, Clemson, N.C. Mar. 26 — G&E Virginia Premium Assured Heifer Sale, Gretna, Va. Mar. 26 — March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas, Chester, S.C. Apr. 9 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Company Spring Turn Out Bull & Female Sale, Oxford, N.C. Apr. 9 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va. Apr. 23 — N.C. Angus Association Spring Fever Sale, Union Grove, N.C. May 7 — Springfield Angus Spring Production Sale, Louisburg, N.C. Oct. 15 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 29 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Oct. 30 — High Ridge Farms Genetic Opportunity Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Nov. 5 — Craven Angus Farm Open House Bull & Female Sale, Seagrove, N.C. Nov. 19 — McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale, Mocksville, N.C. Nov. 19 — 11th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C. Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 3 — The Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2023 Jan. 7 — EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C. BRangus Feb 26 — Hunt’s H+ Brangus Bull & Female Sale, Calhoun, Ga.

PAGE 72

GELBVIEH Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C. Feb. 19 — Locust Hill Cattle Company Inaugural Bull Sale, Pelham, N.C. Feb. 19 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Feb. 26 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Mar. 5 — C-Cross Cattle Company Spring Bull & Female Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Mar. 16 — Chambers Gelbvieh Cattle “The Select Cut” Online Sale Apr. 9 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Company Spring Turn Out Bull & Female Sale, Oxford, N.C. Apr. 9 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. HEREFORD Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C. Feb. 9 — The University of Georgia 29th Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, Ga. Feb. 18 — White Hawk Ranch Herd Sire Prospect Sale, Buchanon, Ga. Feb. 26 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Mar. 12 — March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas, Chester, S.C. Mar. 26 — 54th Annual N.C. Hereford Classic Sale, Statesville, N.C. Apr. 9 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Company Spring Turn Out Bull & Female Sale, Oxford, N.C. Apr. 9 — Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull & Female Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 2 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. red ANGUS Feb. 15 — Bull Hill Ranch 11th Annual “More Bull for Your Buck” Production Sale, Gray Court, S.C. Feb. 19 — Locust Hill Cattle Company Inaugural Bull Sale, Pelham, N.C. Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C. Mar. 12 — March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas, Chester, S.C. SANTA GERTRUDIS May 7 — Santa Gertudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale, Chester, S.C.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q FEBRUARYº 2022

SIMMENTAL Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C. Feb. 9 — The University of Georgia 29th Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, Ga. Feb. 26 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Mar. 12 — March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas, Chester, S.C. Sep. 2 — N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting, Union Grove, N.C. Sep. 3 — N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Oct. 15 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 29 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Oct. 30 — High Ridge Farms Genetic Opportunity Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Dec. 3 — The Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. OTHER EVENTS Feb. 4 — 2022 S.C. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting, Clemson, S.C. Feb. 5 — 46th Annual Clemson University Bull Sale, Pendleton, S.C.

Feb. 9 — The University of Georgia 29th Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, Ga. Feb. 15 — N.C. Forage & Grassland Council Winter Conference Series Feb. 18 — Cow Camp 101: Back to Basics - Weaning Management Feb. 26 — Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association 30th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, Saluda, S.C. Feb. 25-16 — NCCA 70th Annual Cattlemen’s Conference, Hickory, N.C. Mar. 3 — Piedmont Regional Beef Conference, Pittsboro, N.C. Mar. 12 — March Madness Cattle Sale of the Carolinas, Chester, S.C. Mar. 15 — N.C. Forage & Grassland Council Winter Conference Series Mar. 26 — G&E Virginia Premium Assured Heifer Sale, Gretna, Va. Apr. 9 — Green Hills Gelbvieh & Hope Cattle Company Spring Turn Out Bull & Female Sale, Oxford, N.C. Apr. 19 — Cow Camp 101: Back to Basics - Reproduction Jun. 21 — 5-County Beef Tour Jun. 27-30 — 7th Annual Symposium on Animal Mortality Management, Raleigh, N.C. Dec. 3 — 47th Annual Union County Performance Test Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

IGHTER Little Johnny’s next door neighbor had a baby. Unfortunately, the baby was born with no ears. When they arrived home from the hospital, the parents invited Little Johnny’s family to come over and see their new baby.

At the neighbor’s home, Little Johnny leaned over the crib and touched the baby’s hand.

He looked at its mother and said, “Oh, what a beautiful little baby!”

The mother said, “Thank you very much.”

He then said, “This baby has perfect little hands and perfect little feet. Just look at his pretty little eyes. Did his doctor say he can see good?”

The Mother said, “Why, yes... his doctor said he has 20/20 vision.”

Little Johnny said, “Well, that’s a good thing, cause he sure as heck can’t wear glasses!”

*

*

*

A motorist is speeding down the road when he is pulled over. The officer asks, “Sir, do you realize how fast you were going?”

The motorist replies, “Yeah I know, but I have to go.”

IDE

The cop interrupts him, “Not so fast.

You’re going to have to wait for the chief to get back in a few hours.”

The cop takes the man to jail. After a few hours the cop tells the man, “You’re lucky the chief is on his way back from his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood.”

The man replies, “I doubt it.”

The cop snaps back, “Why do you say that?”

The man replies, “I’m the groom!”

*

*

*

A young executive was leaving the office late one evening when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

“Listen,” said the CEO, “this is a very sensitive and important document here.

My secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work?”

“Certainly,” said the young executive.

He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

“Excellent, excellent!” said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine.

“I just need one copy.”