The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 37, Issue No. 7 (JULY 2023)publication

ONNECTION

2023 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts ........................................................ page 57

2024 Clemson University Bull Test Update, by Brian Bolt, Ph.D. ........................... page 45

A Message from the CEO — Success Breeds Contempt...and Attacks, by Colin Woodall ........................................................................................................ page 48

Alltech News ................................................................................................................... page 61

Amazing Grazing — Immerse Yourself in the Pasture Ecology, by Matt Poore ............................................................................................................. page 12

American Angus Association News ........................................................................... page 22

American Brahman Breeders Association Executive Update, by Dr. Joe Paschal ........................................................................................................ page 27

American Hereford Association News ..................................................................... page 42

American Simmental Association News .................................................................. page 29

Ashley’s Beef Corner — Beef Month Adventures, by Ashley W. Herring .............. page 8

Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ................................................... page 26

Beef Checkoff News ...................................................................................................... page 57

BioZyme News .............................................................................................................. page 58

Carolina Cooking — Grilled Steak Flat Bread ............................................................ page 8

Cattle Farmers Address Sustainability Questions, by Lauren Reisig .................... page 44

Certified Angus Beef News ......................................................................................... page 20

Culinary Corner — Kick Off Summer Grilling Season with Beef , by Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner Culinary Team ........................................................ page 46

Director’s Report — Summer Activities Are Heating Up!, by Travis Mitchell ...... page 3

E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — From Generations Past, by E.B. Harris ............................................................................................................... page 11

Federation of State Beef Councils Update ............................................................... page 53

FFA Packs 35,000+ Meals to Help Fight Food Insecurity in South Carolina ....... page 41

Forage News — Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Storage Under Long Term Land Use, by Alan Franzluebbers ............................................ page 14

Have You Herd — Good Forage Equals Good Cattle, by Sam Cornwell ................ page 16

John Deere News ........................................................................................................... page 38

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ....................................................... page 52

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — Making Strong Statements in Washington This Spring, by Todd Wilkinson ............................ page 51

New NCCA Members for 2023 .................................................................................... page 36

North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ............................................... page 10

Pasture Managment Systems, Inc. Mile of Fence Program Update .................... page 35

Purina News ................................................................................................................... page 54

Riomax News ................................................................................................................. page 30

S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanna Webb ............................................................... page 30

South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ................................................ page 24

The Chaplain’s Corral — If We Confess - He is Faithful, by Dr. Dave Harvey ....... page 10

The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker ....................................................................... page 28

Topcon News .................................................................................................................. page 46

Trending in Food & Media ............................................................................................. page 31

You Decide, by Dr. Mike Walden ................................................................................... page 18

N.C. Cattlemen’s Association

President SCOTT WEST

489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850

Vice Presidents

RYAN CLARK

5250 NC 772 Hwy. • Madison, NC 27025

BRANDON BOWMAN

2346 Ann Street • Claremont, NC 28610

JIM LEDFORD

260 Mulberry Lane • Otto, NC 28763

Immediate Past President

BURON LANIER

2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425

NCBA Regional Vice President (Policy)

FRED SMITH, JR.

NCBA Policy Division Director - JOHN LANGDON

N.C. Beef Council Director

RALPH BLALOCK, JR.

Beef Board Director - BRIAN WARREN

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

Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE

S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Executive Director - TRAVIS MITCHELL

P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138

Phone: 803-609-2828

Email: twmitch@clemson.edu

Website: www.sccattlemen.wildapricot.org

Executive Committee

President - Timmy Benton

1st Vice President - Joe Oswald IV

2nd Vice President - Gene Crim

Secretary - Carol Hendrix

Treasurer - Eric Seymour

Past President - Roscoe Kyle

John Lews, Chester • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale

Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg

Lloyd Baxley, Georgetown • Joe Davis, Westminster

Michael Hall, Abbeville • Richard Sox, Lexington

Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Jamie Driggers, Hamer

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

Vol. 37, No. 7 JULY 2023

Sales & Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Phone: 919-552-9111

Fax: 919-552-9216

Email: mail@nccattle.com

Website: www.nccattle.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.

STAFF

Manager, N.C. BRYAN BLINSON

Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL

Editor & Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT

Assistant Editor & Proofreader KIM BURDGE

N.C. Circulation KIM BURDGE

S.C. Circulation TRAVIS MITCHELL

Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All submissions become property of The Carolina Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to return items such as photographs and artwork as requested.

The Carolina Cattle Connection, the official publication of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association is published monthly by the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

A complementary subscription is included with membership to each state’s association. Nonmember subscriptions are $30 per year.

All address changes for NCCA members to:

The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

All address changes for SCCA members to:

The Carolina Cattle Connection P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138

POTLIGHT ON GELBVIEH

Characteristics of the Breed … page 5

Gelbvieh and Balance Maternal Influence … page 6

Gelbvieh History and Development … page 4

Measure the Ways Crossbreeding Pays … page 7

The Value of Crossbreeding for Commercial Herds … page 6

Director’s report

By TRAVIS W. MITCHELL, Executive Director, SCCA

Summer Activities Are Heating Up!

I hope the summer season is off to a great start for all of you. Summertime is always a busy time for cattlemen and cattlewomen. During this busy season, I hope each of you can take some time to spend with your family and find a little time to rest and recharge.

The S.C. Cattlemen’s Association will once again host a set of regional meetings later this summer. These meetings are designed to be producer engagement and educational meetings. We will be holding these meetings at

three different locations around the state of South Carolina. On August 29, we will be in Chester County. On August 30, the meeting will be held in Saluda County. We will wrap the three day series up on August 31 in Anderson County. Specific times and exact locations will be sent out in the near future. A great lineup of speakers is on the agenda, as these meetings will focus on animal health. I encourage each of you to make plans to attend one of these regional meetings, and please encourage others to come as well.

Spotlight on gElBViEh e Special Section f

Gelbvieh History and Development

Origin of Breed - The Gelbvieh breed is one of the oldest German cattle breeds, first found mainly in three Franconian districts of Bavaria in southern Germany. Starting in 1850, systematic breeding work began in stud herds. Through purebreeding, the “red-yellow Franconian cattle” were developed from several local strains, including Celtic-German Landrace and Heil-Brown Landrace cattle. These local strains have been further improved with intensive breeding work since 1870. This solid colored breed of red-yellow cattle enjoyed great popularity as draft and slaughter cattle.

Since World War II, Germany used a stringent selection program to repopulate its cattle herds. Only three percent of the registered cows were used to produce potential bulls. These cows were selected on structural soundness and conformation.

Bulls from these select cows were performance tested, and the top half was progeny tested. The progeny evaluation included gestation length, birth weight, calving ease, growth rate, slaughter weight, carcass quality conformation, udder soundness, and fertility and milk production in daughters. Semen was released only from bulls that proved their superiority in progeny testing.

In the 1960s, Red Danish cattle were included in the herd book to improve milk production.

Development in America - Leness Hall, the director of International Marketing for Carnation Genetics, first saw Gelbvieh cattle in 1969. He worked towards importing Gelbvieh semen to the U.S., and finally was able to bring 43,000 units to America in 1971. In that same year, the American Gelbvieh Association was formed.

least 88 percentage Gelbvieh) and were bred up by mating fullbloods and purebred Gelbvieh bulls to foundation cows.

Breed Registry and Improvement Programs - Purebred Gelbvieh cattle as well as hybrid cattle can be registered with the AGA. Breeders can document Gelbvieh influenced bulls and females with registrations and EPDs through AGA’s three hybrid registry programs: Balancer®, Southern Balancer®, and Hybrid.

Today, there are approximately 45,000 active, registered Gelbvieh cows in the United States and 1,400 active members of the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA). AGA is the largest Gelbvieh association in the world and ranks fifth in number of registered animals among beef breed associations in the United States. Most registered U.S. Gelbvieh are classified as purebreds (at

Balancer cattle are registered hybrid seedstock and have documented pedigrees and EPDs. Balancer animals are 2575 percent Gelbvieh with the balance Angus or Red Angus. Southern Balancer is a Gelbvieh heat tolerant composite specifically targeted to producers who want the maternal heterosis, disposition, fertility, and carcass consistency of a Bos Indicus x Gelbvieh cross. Hybrid animals, of any breed or cross, may be recorded using the Hybrid Cattle Recording Service. The AGA documents the pedigree, breed composition, and calculates performance data and provides EPDs.

For Gelbvieh members and commercial users of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics, the AGA offers several services to assist in maximizing return on investment in Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls and replacement females.

Cow/calf producers who use Gelbvieh genetics are eligible to add value to females by marketing them through the Maternal Edge commercial female sales. Visit www.maternaledge.com for more information about a sale in various areas.

For cattlemen looking to market bulls, replacement females or feeder cattle, check out the AGA’s free Exchange service, including: Bull Listings, Female Listings, and Feeder Calf Listings. Visit www.gelbvieh.org/exchange to view current listings or to post a new listing.

Brand your Gelbvieh influenced feeder calves with SmartCross® ear tags. This ear tag tells the buyer he is getting quality and predictability. Contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 for more information on the three tag styles to fit any management program, as well as electronic ID tags.

For more information about Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics, visit www. gelbvieh.org

Characteristics of the Breed

Coloration - Traditional Gelbviehs are reddish gold to russet or black in color. Traditional German Gelbviehs tend to be darker on their necks than the rest of the body; this is more prominent in bulls than in cows. Red Gelbviehs can be confused with traditional colored Limousins because of the same light pigmentation around the eyes and nose. Gelbviehs also have strong skin pigmentation, which makes them ideal for temperate to arid conditions.

Body type and characteristicsGelbvieh are beefy, moderately muscular cattle, with frame sizes ranging from medium to large. They are long and smooth-haired, with bulls averaging around 2,300 lbs and cows averaging around 1,300 lbs in weight.

Head characteristics - Though the traditional Gelbvieh breed was originally

horned, this has been bred out in most of the modern day Gelbvieh cattle. Cows have a moderately long face, not dissimilar to Simmentals, Charolais, or Limousins, and bulls have similar head characteristics to the aforementioned breeds.

Other characteristics - The Gelbvieh breed is great for its high fertility, freedom from genital defects, superior calving ease, mothering ability, exceptional milking ability, and high growth rates. Carcass characteristics have a lot of potential, since the breed is mostly lean, but can be crossed with breeds like Angus to get an exceptional carcass quality. Gelbviehs are also very quiet and docile, which is easily passed on to their offspring, crossbred or not.

They are also highly adapted to hot arid climates, with not only the skin pigmentation that makes them resistant to

sunburn and able to stand out in the hot sun without any problems, but also their ability to restrict blood flow to the areas where they have been bitten by ticks, isolating the ticks

and starving them. This is a characteristic that has been noticed and proven by South African Gelbvieh Association, and is currently undergoing more research.

e Special Section f

The Value of Crossbreeding for Commercial Herds

The crossbred beef cow can make you more money! One of the main keys to successful crossbreeding is finding two breeds that excel in different traits but together result in high breed complementarity. The crossbred animal that effectively captures the value of breed complementarity is the Balancer®. The

Balancer captures the maternal strengths of Gelbvieh cattle and the marbling strength of Angus or Red Angus cattle. A Balancer is a registered hybrid seedstock breed that are 25-75 percent Gelbvieh with either Angus or Red Angus contributing the remaining breed percentage.

“Crossbreeding can have positive

Gelbvieh and Balancer Maternal Influence

Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle offer maternal superiority through increased longevity, added fertility, and more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. In addition, Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a small mature cow size, more maternal milk, and reach puberty at an earlier age.

U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data shows Gelbvieh females have the smallest mature cow size of the four major continental breeds. The Gelbvieh breed was the only breed in the study to reduce mature cow size. At an average of 1,382 pounds, Gelbvieh sired females had the lowest five-year-old cow weight.

This reduced mature cow size allows for puberty to be reached at an earlier age, which leads to calving earlier in the season and producing a calf at a younger age. These females are able to wean heavier calves while still maintaining low birth weights and a tight calving interval year after year.

Gelbvieh and Balancer females also excel in stayability, which is the probability a bull’s daughters will remain in the cow herd until at least six years of age. This trait is economically beneficial to cow/calf producers and directly impacts profitability. With the high costs associated with the development or purchase of replacement females, sustained reproduction is essential in a herd.

U.S. MARC data, along with American Gelbvieh Association genetic trends, prove that today’s Gelbvieh and Balancer cows are highly productive, offering increased longevity, more maternal milk, less mature weights, early puberty, quiet disposition, and will calve easily, producing calves with low birth weights and tremendous growth.

With stayability and cow productivity being important factors in cow/ calf profitability, adding Gelbvieh and Balancer maternal influence through a crossbreeding program is a great option for commercial producers.

effects on a ranch’s bottom line by not only increasing the quality and gross pay weight of calves produced but also by increasing the durability and productivity of the cow factory,” said Bob Weaber, Ph.D., cow/ calf extension specialist at Kansas State University.

The Balancer hybrid will do just as Dr. Weaber states. Balancer calves will load the scales with more pounds on sale day and their mothers will keep producing similar calves year after year.

In addition to increasing the amount of pounds sold, ranch profitability improves from crossbreeding by reducing the maintenance requirements of your cow herd.

“Positive changes in cow longevity, reproductive rate, and calf performance from heterosis effectively reduces maintenance energy requirements per pound of beef produced. Dilution of maintenance costs of the cow herd improves sustainability in both the environment, through more efficient land use, and profitability areas,” Weaber said.

Matt Spangler, Ph.D., with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, believes that a well thoughtout crossbreeding program should be utilized in a comer operation.

“The most successful commercial operations use crossbreeding as the standard rather than the exception as they exploit maternal heterosis to increase production, but mostly in order to reduce cost…They focus on the cost per pound of

production, relative to the possible revenue per pound,” Spangler said.

Balancer cattle excel at meeting the demands of the cow/calf producers and the feedlots. Balancer cattle make it easy to implement crossbreeding into any commercial herd and give the rancher the benefits of profit making hybrid vigor.

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

Measure the Ways Crossbreeding Pays

Now more than ever, producers are trying to maximize outputs and herd performance all while reducing costs. Taking advantage of tools that allow for reduced costs and increased productivity and profitability is an essential worth to producers in today’s industry. One tool that has been utilized in the beef industry for several years, and one that has evident value in beef production is crossbreeding. Crossbreeding provides increased performance with minimal, if any, additional costs to the producer.

Through the practice of crossbreeding, heterosis (or hybrid vigor) and breed complementarity are achieved within the herd. Heterosis can be defined as the superiority in performance of the crossbred animal compared to the average of its straightbred parents. When valuing heterosis, you essentially gain a dual advantage: individual heterosis and maternal heterosis.

above, maternal heterosis is the advantage of a crossbred mother over the average of other purebred mothers. It refers to the combined improvement in traits from the dam that causes an increase in the performance of her and her progeny. Improved fertility, increased calf survivability, greater cow longevity, and more pounds of calf produced are examples of maternal heterosis.

As seen in Table 5, a crossbred cow has been shown to have a 16.2 percent increase in longevity and has proven to stay in the herd longer than a straightbred cow. This table also reflects the increase in the number of calves through a cow’s lifetime as well as additional pounds of cumulative weaning weight and more profit for the producer. The effects of heterosis are greatest for lifetime production with a 30 percent improvement, longevity, or herd life with a 15 percent increase, and annual income improvement

assessment of strengths and weaknesses of each breed type and applying those that complement each other. Breed complementarity is one of the best ways to describe the benefits of Balancer ® cattle. Balancer animals are 25 to 75 percent Gelbvieh with the balance of Angus or Red Angus. They combine the Gelbvieh growth, muscle, leanness, fertility, longevity, and low yield grading ability with the carcass qualities of Angus to make an animal that meets today’s modern industry demands.

Balancer hybrids offer a simple and powerful way to maintain hybrid vigor and the

1Adapted from Cundiff and Gregory 1999.

Individual heterosis results in an increase of calf survival to weaning, along with increased growth. Table 4 shows the increase in performance that can be achieved through individual heterosis. Through crossbreeding, calves have been seen to have a 3.9 percent increase in weaning weight and a 2.6 percent increase in average daily gain, all which translates to increased profits.

Similar to the definition of heterosis

from heterosis at 23 percent.

The crossbred female is really where crossbreeding pays off. Traits that are most influenced by heterosis are those traits with low heritability, such as fertility traits. Traits that are most affected by heterosis can be seen in the table to the right.

Utilizing crossbreeding systems also allows for the opportunity to capitalize on breed complementarity. This is the

1Adapted

proper combination of British and Continental genetics in your cowherd in a straightforward and easy crossbreeding system.

Gelbvieh are also an ideal fit for a crossbreeding program because of their superior maternal characteristics such as longevity and fertility. Gelbvieh females are known for reaching puberty at an earlier age and remaining in the herd longer. With these attributes, combined with performance gained through maternal heterosis, Gelbvieh influenced cattle make the ideal female for any herd. So, why not reap the benefits of the heterosis advantage?

Source: American Gelbvieh Association

Table 5. Maternal heterosis: Advantage of the crossbred cow1

Table 4. Individual heterosis: Advantage of the crossbred calf1

“DESIGNED FOR CATTLEMEN BY CATTLEMEN”

Ashley’s Beef Corner T

Beef Month Adventures

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

A lot of activities went into making Beef Month great back in May, and we’re glad to share a handful here. Now roll on summer grilling!

The Craven County School Nutrition Culinary Arts Competition was an impressive day. Three high school teams created original dishes that could be served as school lunch options. The culinary students did a fantastic job with their recipes and presentations to the judges.

Elementary school students were taste testers and gave their feedback as well.

School agriculture days are a great addition to beef month. Recently, students in Craven and Pamlico Counties enjoyed learning about beef cattle and working with the beef puzzle.

Our N.C. Beef Ambassadors are hard at work promoting our industry! Check out this example from Mazie Bunn at a recent event hosted at Rolesville Elementary School.

Here is a brief summary of the event:

“This was an informal event at my brother’s school for his third grade class. We took my state fair steer Carl to show him to the kids and talk to them about

raising beef cattle. We were able to set him up in panels so the children could be close to him, as many of these kids have never experienced seeing cattle up close.

I was able to talk to them about what it is like to be a young producer and what it takes to raise cattle. We also talked to them about all the other products that come from cattle, not just meat.

So many of the children were so focused on the fact that we get milk from cattle they completely forgot about meat! They were very surprised at all the other products that come from cattle as well.

The kids had some great questions and seemed to really enjoy spending time with myself and Carl. It was a fun opportunity

that I would do again.”

The beef ambassadors are sharing good stories about beef far and wide! We are so pleased to share their activities with you and see their impact. Here’s a great activity report from Aubrey Mekus:

“Today, I presented a speech to my English class on the topic of advocating for the beef industry. The prompt of the speech was to share something you enjoy doing. I enjoy advocating and educating people on the beef industry and agriculture. I shared why I like advocating, the importance of beef, and why the industry is significant. I shared how I got interested in the beef and agriculture industries. I shared the health and nutritional benefits of beef, as well as the byproducts that come along with it. I also shared how important the industry is as it feeds millions, if not billions, of people. It does indeed feed billions!”

Carolina

Cooking

Grilled Steak Flat Bread

Total Time - 40 minutes

1 beef strip steak, boneless (about 1 pound)

1 8 oz. refrigerated pizza dough

1 white onion, sliced

1½ tablespoon olive oil

½ cup roasted red peppers, sliced

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

½ cup arugula leaves

1 tablespoon balsamic syrup

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat; add ½ tablespoon olive oil and onions to the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until onions are caramelized; remove from skillet and set aside.

On a greased sheet pan, take the pizza dough and form it to the size of the sheet pan. Brush both sides of the dough with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Place pizza dough on grid over medium heat. Grill the dough for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, being careful not to burn it. Remove the dough and place it back on the sheet pan. Top the flat bread with roasted red peppers and ¼ cup of blue cheese. Bake in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes; once the cheese is melted slightly, remove from the oven and set aside.

Season both sides of the steak with salt & pepper. Place steak on the grid over medium, ash covered coals or over medium heat on a preheated gas

grill. Grill according to the chart for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Remove steak and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into ½ inch strips and set aside.

Take the flat bread and top with the caramelized onions, arugula, sliced steak, remaining blue cheese, and drizzle the balsamic syrup on top. Cut into 6 even sized squares and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Grilled Steak Flat Bread

the chaplain’s corral

By DR. DAVE HARVEY Chaplain, Cowboys for Christ

If We Confess — He is Faithful

1 John 1:8-10 - “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his word has no place in our lives.”

Sometimes in our lives, it is so hard to admit that we are wrong, that we have done something wrong or sinful or bad. There are times that we are enticed or drawn into a situation that turns out to be very sinful, and for the most part, at least at first, we were completely innocent. And there are other times when we are very aware of what is happening and still proceed, knowing that we are where we shouldn’t be and doing what we shouldn’t be doing. But actually, it doesn’t matter because we are still in sin and still being sinful, and at the same time, lying to ourselves that it will be okay or that no one will ever know.

Well, I don’t mean to bust your bubble, but the Lord knows before it ever happened and before you started the day being drawn, enticed, or defiant. He can hear our thoughts, and He knows when our faltering steps are wandering the wrong way. He is very aware of the events that have happened or have just come up that have influenced our walk with Him, which has caused us to be weakened or tempted. He is also ready to strengthen us, to direct us, and to be with us all of the way through every trial, temptation, or tribulation. But we need to seek His guidance and not take off on our own, thinking that we can handle this all by ourselves.

The Apostle Paul was a mighty warrior for Jesus Christ, and he knew the law, God’s holy word, the teachings, and the truth. When he stated in Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” He pretty much knew what he was talking about. The Apostle Paul sure didn’t mince words or “beat around the bush,” as my mom used to say. He was to the point and honest with his writing, being led by the Holy Spirit and

focused on revealing God’s truth.

As we look at the formula that the Apostle John has laid out for us to follow in 1 John 1:8-10, it is very plain and clear, in black and white as many used to refer to written facts. And, even when we add gold edged paper to what is written in God’s holy word, it is still black and white, and it is fact. And just as the Apostle Paul was telling the truth, the Apostle John is sure telling, writing, and reporting the truth in the verses in 1 John 1:8-10.

So, it is very clear that we are all sinners; no excuses, no “It wasn’t my fault,” and no “I made a mistake,” or “I just made the wrong choice,” because it is all sin. But sometimes this old thing called pride (which is sin) pops up. We have to either deal with it in a hurry or we will surely suffer the consequences of pride. I know that it is hard to say, “I am sorry,” when we have messed up or hurt someone’s feelings or ignored the warning of the Holy Spirit and rode headlong into being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It is hard to go to someone to ask for forgiveness, especially when that old pride jumps up in our face and says, well, they shouldn’t have been there, or I really didn’t mean to be that bad; so, I don’t need to go and apologize and ask for forgiveness. So, we have sinned right off of the bat because we sinned first and then sinned with our pride. This surely confirms what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, that we have “all sinned.”

Cowboys and cowgirls, we need to realize that Father God not only saw us when we sinned, but He knows the thoughts of our heart, when we sinned, and when we wanted to let pride lead us into not repenting of those sins and seeking His forgiveness. He already knows the whole picture from start to finish, and He is wanting to forgive, but you need to confess and ask for His forgiveness. You have to throw a loop around that pride, dally hard and fast, tie it down, and leave it tied. You can’t go halfway or part of the way or sneak

around the corner and think it will slip on by without the Lord knowing about it. He sees, He knows, He hears your thoughts, and He is completely aware of the entire situation from start to finish. And this is serious because the Apostle John tells us that if we do something like this, it is really calling God a liar and thinking that we don’t need His forgiveness or that His holy word is not the “guiding light” in our lives. And, folks, I can assure you that is not where we want to be.

Confess; that is what we are to do, and this is how. “Dear Lord, I am sorry that I have sinned. It was my fault, I did wrong, I am guilty, I deserve punishment, because I have sinned.” You have to mean it deep within your guilty soul and let the Lord know that you are truly sorry and

that you are confessing your sin or sins. And cowboys and cowgirls, it is certainly not a bad thing to do that confessing on your knees, bowing before the throne of grace, and crying out for mercy. Because folks, that is all we can do. That is the formula that the Apostle John has given us, which came to him directly from the Holy Spirit. Don’t let pride, guilt, or anything stand in the way. Drop to your knees and seek forgiveness and then accept that forgiveness and stand on the promise that you are forgiven.

He is faithful, He will forgive, and He will cleanse us from all our sins when we confess and ask for His forgiveness, and then we need to turn and never go back. God bless you and keep you, in Jesus’s name.

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of MAY 2023

Cattle Receipts: 19,384 • Previous Month: 18,768 Feeder supply - 21% steers • 43% heifers • 35% bulls

E.B.'s ViEw from thE Cow PasturE

By E.B. HARRIS

From Generations Past

Our Warren County Cattlemen’s Association has a fundraiser (annual beef roast) once a year, and 100 percent of those proceeds go to giving scholarships to young people who want to further their education after high school. There is a scholarship committee that reviews the applications. They have a set of guidelines for giving points - part of it being good grades, other activities that they are involved in, and if they are continuing in the field of agriculture. There can be other fields of education the applications want to go into but still meet the criteria.

After the process of reviewing all applications, the committee decided on five of the applications to receive scholarships this year. One of those applications who ranked at the very top of the list was Hannah Skinner.

Hannah has done excellent in her studies, is a very gifted athlete, and is going to continue her education in agriculture at N.C. State University. Hannah was awarded the scholarship my brother and I established in memory of our parents and also one from the Warren County Cattlemen’s Association.

I was honored that Hannah was selected, not only for her academic skills, but because the Skinner family and my family go back many generations

in agriculture here in Warren County. Her grandmother, Sue, came here from Kentucky as a home demonstration agent. Sue and my mother, who was president of the national home demonstration organization, had a lot of interaction in this field.

Her granddaddy, Bill Skinner, was a dairyman, a beef cattleman, a tree farmer, and knowledgeable of a lot of the Angus pedigrees. I have seen him look at registration papers on cattle in the ‘70s and tell you lines that went back to the ‘50s and beyond. If they were good ones, he would tell you. If he did not agree, he would just hand the papers back and make no comment. Whenever he saw me, if my back was to him, he would slap my back (I think his hand was as big as a tennis racket, and I can feel it stinging from 20 years ago) and say with a big grin, “How you doing, Bro?” It was his jovial way.

I use a lot of his principles in my cattle raising today. One of his favorite terms was, “There is no steak between the belly and the ground.” That means a cow has got to have a lot of capacity to eat a whole lot of nothing to produce something top end, and that’s grass and forages to turn it into milk, to turn into beef for her calf to produce futures. I

see that has changed a lot in the last 20 years of my cattle production. He never was a fan of big, tall, long legged cattle. Another one of his sayings was, “They eat so much that their lip grows to the ground.” He was right. Your cattle have got to have capacity to continue on in the production cycle.

With all that being said, all the

scholarships have a meaning, but this one awarded to Hannah has a special meaning to me being able to help further the education of a young lady who has many generations before her. I am sure she will carry the torch on for future generations. Oh, I forgot to mention that she wants to come back to the family farm in Warren County and continue on farming.

Warren County Cattlemen’s Association President John Williams, John Skinner, Hannah Skinner, and E.B. Harris

By DR. MATT POORE N.C. State University

Immerse Yourself in the Pasture Ecology

Pastureland is a complex ecological system that provides many “Ecosystem Services” to mankind. The most obvious service is the production of food by livestock species and the recreational benefits provided by horses and other companion or exotic herbivores. In addition, well managed pastures sequester carbon, filter water, feed healthy soil, provide wildlife habitat, and make for a more diverse landscape providing “greenspace.”

While many farmers and their advisors understand this, the vast majority don’t fully appreciate the importance of these ecosystem services and how the farmer’s management input is critical to optimizing those services.

An ecological system is comprised of both “abiotic” (non-living) and “biotic” (living) components. These components work together to create the ecosystem. The abiotic components include soil texture, minerals, water, and temperature.

The biotic components include all the living organisms that live their days out either under or over the soil surface and eventually die and are recycled.

In a pasture, the biotic components include the livestock, the plants, wildlife (including birds, other large herbivores like deer, small mammals, and predators), insects (both above and below ground), and microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa). Each of these groups can be broken into individuals of each species, populations of each species, and communities of species. When all the pieces are working together in harmony, then amazing things happen. A healthy pasture ecosystem is truly “Amazing Grazing!”

Natural systems work this way, and without the activity of humans then, the ecosystem evolves based on the interactions of all these pieces. In a natural system, Mother Nature is the manager. A pasture, on the other hand, is not a natural system but rather a “managed ecosystem.” To break that down, the fundamental concept is that a human manager puts their influence to work in an attempt to steer the system in the direction they desire.

I have seen many diagrams of the pasture ecosystem, and most of them don’t include the human manager as a central component of the system. I don’t really understand why this is; perhaps it is that, as humans, we think of ourselves as being on the outside looking in. In practice, many pastures are managed from the cab of a tractor, a spreader truck, or a pickup truck, often with a “driveby” prescribed management style. This sometimes can work in the short term, but often if there are disruptions in the system, then the ecosystem can quickly get out of balance.

In recent years, I have come to realize that to really manage a pasture ecosystem, you have to be part of it. Over the years, I have become more and more embedded in the system, and I now

understand why our progress has been so slow. Now that I see myself as a critical component that needs to be present in the pasture (rather than just looking from the outside in or down from the tractor), we are making progress. Being present to apply the principles of adaptive management is a critical component.

Adaptive management is an approach that has been developed for systems that have many variables that can’t be controlled. In our case, you can’t control temperature or rainfall, so a traditional plan usually does not work. You have to react to the changes you see in the system to keep it on track to reaching your goals of a high level of production while maintaining good soil health, water quality, and an aesthetically pleasing system.

There has recently been a lot of discussion in the scientific community about the appearance that many advisors (including me) preach the evils of continuous grazing and present rotational grazing as the only way to have a truly productive and sustainable system. I find myself on both sides of the argument. On the one hand, the scientist in me agrees with the academic thinkers that interpret much of the research evidence that exists to say that you can have a very productive continuous grazing system. On the other hand, I relate completely with the “artesian grazers” that reject the science and believe strongly in a rotational system with frequent movement of livestock.

A good review of the scientific literature has shown some key differences between a managed “continuous grazing” system and a “rotational grazing” system when “grazing intensity” is controlled. One thing that happens is that forage diversity is higher in rotational systems because some palatable species will be grazed out in the continuous system.

Also, rotational systems provide more total productivity as measured in total gain per acre because, in the continuous system, more forage is fouled and wasted. However, it is also clear that in a well managed continuous grazing system, soil health is not necessarily degraded, and the other important ecosystem services like water infiltration and filtration are maintained. In addition, individual animal performance is often higher in the continuous system because animals have more opportunity to select nutritious plants and plant parts, and forage allowance is nearly consistent day-to-day.

The key word in this discussion is “well managed.” In controlled research, it is possible to manage the grazing intensity by adding animals or taking animals out of the system. In commercial practice, most farmers using a continuous grazing system are really not applying any kind of management. In most cases, animals get checked infrequently, and the manager is not present to make observations about the status of the forages and the grazing intensity. I would argue that it is a lot easier to manage for good pasture condition in a rotational system because you take control of the amount of forage on offer and the residual.

In a rotational system, when there is no pasture that is ready to graze because of slow forage growth, then supplemental hay can be provided in a sacrifice area until growth starts back up. In the continuous system, when growing conditions are compromised, animals are almost always left on the land to find something to eat. As a result, the entire farm becomes overgrazed. At that point, hard thunderstorms will result in runoff, and pasture recovery will be slow. Also, because the cattle are not used to close human contact, they can be wild and difficult to gather and handle.

Finishing steers grazing a diverse mix of warm and cool season forages.

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My experience as a grazier and advisor has convinced me that a frequent rotation system is almost always the best. Over the 50 years we have owned the farms, things have really changed. We used to be pretty much continuous grazing but started doing a better job of rotation about 20 years ago. As we have become more and more intensive in our rotation, things have really improved dramatically. Manure distribution is critical to building strong nutrient cycles, and this has allowed us to dramatically reduce fertilizer use, with many pastures that have not been fertilized in about a decade. Also, the cows are so tame that you can easily move them, gather them for working, etc. Finally, riparian areas have flourished along with wildlife populations.

There are a few situations where well managed continuous grazing is the recommended system, and I will give you an example. An old friend from the mountains has managed stocker cattle on the high elevations of the Smokey Mountains all her life. One specific location I have visited is a ski area during

winter. The ski slopes are grazed by cattle during the summer to keep them from going back to brush and tree species. Obviously, permanent fences on that land are not an option. Also, with the terrain and the interwoven forest, temporary fence is not really an option either. This is not specific to the ski area, with many high mountain pastures being in the same category.

To make this work, she provides a high level of management. Cattle are backgrounded in the early spring, so they are healthy, and then they are turned out on these mountain pastures when forage is ready. Without further management, this system might work, or it might crash depending on how good the decision about the stocking rate is and how much it rains. My friend makes it work by checking on those cattle frequently and using a little feed to keep them coming and tame. If there are areas of good grass that they are not utilizing, she will call them along and move them in the direction she wants and move mineral feeders around. If the grass starts to get short, which often happens about mid-summer when the

spring flush is over, then some of the cattle will be removed and marketed. Typically, the better gaining cattle will be nearing a desirable marketing weight at that time. The reduction in stocking rate will help stabilize the available forage mass, will maintain animal performance, and will keep the pasture from becoming overgrazed.

Why does this system work for my friend in the high mountains and not for many of the farmers that have cows across the lower elevations? Essentially, my friend sees herself as an indispensable part of that ecosystem, whereas the typical cow/calf farmer lets the cows pretty much take care of themselves. Another fundamental problem with the cow/calf enterprise is that the stocking rate is not flexible, and actually, the stocking rate increases through the grazing system as the calves grow. Because a cow/calf farmer is not likely to sell cows when grass gets short, then the rotational system is beneficial because it provides them with more total forage and makes it more apparent when supplemental feed needs to be started to

maintain pasture health.

This is not the end of this discussion, but I hope this will stimulate you to think about this. If it is a foreign idea to you that you are a critical part of your pasture ecosystem, spend some time walking pastures and contemplate it. Do you know the species of plants present? Do you know the most desired grazing height? Is the manure distributed evenly? Are there overgrazed and ungrazed patches? Do the cattle come to you rather than running away? All these things and many more should be on the mind of the person with responsibility for taking care of cows. Taking an interest and learning more about it is the key!

Finally, think about where you fit in the ecosystem. Are you outside looking in, or are you in the middle of it? There is great long term reward for becoming a part of the ecosystem and applying adaptive management concepts to steer it in the direction you wish. This summer, there will be many opportunities to attend Amazing Grazing workshops in North Carolina. Join us and get on the path to Amazing Grazing!

FORAGE NEWS

By ALAN FRANZLUEBBERS, N.C. State University

Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Storage Under Long Term Land Use

Why is soil organic carbon important? Soil organic matter is a key indicator of soil health and soil functioning, affecting the natural supply of nutrients, buffering against pH changes, softening soil to resist compaction, holding more water for plant uptake, creating water stable aggregates to resist erosion, and providing organic resources to feed soil biological communities. Another big reason for attention on soil organic matter these days is the possibility of sequestering some of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere in soil as organic matter. Soil organic matter is mostly composed of carbon – 58 percent by weight on average. A reasonably fertile agricultural field will contain about 3 percent organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil. With bulk density of 1.3 g/cc, this furrow slice of soil would contain 50 metric tons of CO2 equivalence per acre. To a depth of 12 inches, this fertile soil might reasonably hold 80 metric tons of CO2 per acre since soil organic C concentration naturally declines with soil depth.

What affects soil organic carbon?

On a global scale, temperature and moisture have the largest influence on the amount of soil organic C. Lower mean annual temperature leads to less decomposition, resulting in the accumulation of soil organic C over time. Greater mean annual precipitation allows for greater plant production, resulting in greater C input to soil. However, it is the balance of photosynthetic production and microbial decomposition that determines the net change in soil organic C. Other

smaller contributing factors affecting the balance of soil organic C are soil texture, depth of rooting, type of soil minerals, soil pH, soil microbial composition, plant species composition, and soil disturbance. Many of these factors influence either plant production potential or soil microbial activity, which are the two opposing forces that transform plant and animal residues into soil organic matter. These are generalizable factors, but local conditions may alter the net influence of any one of these factors.

Is soil organic matter affected by land use in North Carolina? This question was answered recently with an investigation of four types of land use at multiple agricultural research stations across North Carolina. Land uses were conventional till cropland, no-till cropland, grassland, and woodland. A total of 310 fields were sampled on 25 research stations. The number of fields varied due to availability; 88 conventional till fields were sampled at 22 research stations, 40 no-till fields were sampled at ten research stations, 98 grassland fields were sampled at 25 research stations, and 84 woodlands were sampled at 22 research stations.

Soil was sampled at 0-4 inches with a push probe and at 4-12 and 12-24 inches with a drill auger. Sampling was from December 2020 to February 2021. Soil was dried, ground, and a subsample was analyzed for total C and N with a dry combustion instrument. Concentrations of C and N with soil depth were fitted to a natural logarithmic function to calculate (1) an assumed baseline condition at 12 inch depth and (2) root zone enrichment

of soil organic C and total soil N within the surface 12 inches. Root-zone enrichment is a relatively new procedure that attempts to separate the impact of recent management from that of historical soil formation (a.k.a. pedogenesis).

The full scientific paper is accessible at www.jswconline.org/content/78/2/124 (Franzluebbers, 2023; J. Soil Water Conserv., 78, 124-140)

What were the largest effects? Soil depth had the largest influence on soil organic matter, followed by land use and physiographic region. Depth stratification

was strongest in woodland and grassland management systems but also occurred in no-till croplands to a lesser extent.

Average concentrations in the diagrams above were from multiple fields and research stations in each region. In the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions, soil organic matter concentration with depth converged to a common value in all land uses. More variation in soil organic matter concentration at the lowest sampling depth occurred in Blue Ridge and Flatwoods regions, likely as different soil types were sampled.

What was the average soil organic matter concentration by land use? In the surface 6 inches, soil organic matter was often lowest under conventional till cropland.

pedogenesis, while root zone enrichment of soil C and N can be attributed to the past half century of land use/management.

Conservation land use led to greater

Can the influence of management be separated from that of pedogenesis?

Yes, with some reasonable assumptions, a new approach to separating inherent versus management induced variation in soil organic C and N can be determined. Baseline soil C and N can be attributed to

soil organic C and N accumulation. Coarse textured soils tended to have lower C and N stocks than fine textured soils, but this was pedogenic influenced only. The influence of conservation management to enhance soil organic matter was independent of soil texture.

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By SAM CORNWELL N.C. State University -- ANS 402 Beef Management

Good Forage Equals Good Cattle

Forage is a significant part of cattle diets. Without maximizing forage, an operation will not be able to maximize your production. This quote from A Guide to Livestock Feed and Forage, “In a perfect world, with ideal climate and rainfall, the ideal growing season, and the ideal stocking density, we might never have to feed harvested grain or hay to our livestock. They could graze and forage as nature intended, and we could worry about other things,” summarizes just how

important this food source can be (Rapp) Before cattle became domesticated, and for a long time after domestication, all they ate was different types of forages. Today’s beef industry has become reliant on grains and supplements to maximize cattle production but sometimes forgets that with good forage, they may not need these additives, at least not as much.

Choosing a Forage - Choosing a forage to feed your cattle is a very important aspect of producing the best

quality beef animal. First, this article will cover cool vs. warm season grasses. Cool season grasses grow best during the months just before and after the warmest part of the year while temperatures range from 65-75ºF. While warm season grasses enjoy a warmer temperature of 85-100ºF in mid-summer. Figure 1 shows the seasonal growth for cool and warm season grasses and legumes. Depending on the environment, grazing plans, and/or harvesting plans, an operation will need to look at this factor the most. What grasses will grow the best for you? There are many different types of cool season grasses that are relatively nutritious and withstand grazing and hay harvesting: some include crchard grass, ryegrass, timothy, and tall fescue. These mentioned are very good sources of forage to grow for grazing and hay. However, with ones like tall fescues K-31 variety, you will need to be careful with them, as they can become almost toxic to cattle at peak maturity, as discussed in N.C. State University’s article “Wonder Grass or Toxic Curse.” No need to worry, though. There are other varieties of tall fescue that will function just as well in a grazing forage operation.

Legumes are another forage resource and are the most valuable source of forage for cattle production. Legumes species include alfalfa, white clover, and crimson clover. These legumes are ideal for growth and development in cattle when mixed with different grasses for grazing pastures. These legumes will produce multiple stands of grazable forage or cuttings of hay per year and will have the most nutritious value (Field, 2017, pg. 439). Lack of proper grazing techniques can cause bloats if consumed in too large amounts or at the wrong times during their growth cycle.

Another forage option for beef cattle can include silages. Silage can come in many different forms, including corn,

alfalfa, and smaller grains. Small grain silage is made from grasses like wheat and ryegrass or even clover and alfalfa legume silage. These silages go through a process that allows no oxygen exposure and ferments the product. Thus, making it hold its nutritional value while stored for future feeding of cattle, as discussed in an article on silage and haylage production from N.C. State University.

Maximizing Forage - Forages are challenging. In order to maximize forages for cattle production, there are certain times you need to plant these forages, certain times to harvest or dilute these forages, and certain times to start over with your forage. According to Nebraska Extension Educator Dennis Bauer, it is best to plant your cool season grasses in late summer or early fall. The reasoning behind this is that it allows for seed establishment. This, in turn, will increase your yield by up to 90 percent the year after they are planted. Under ideal seed establishment practices and with the addition of irrigation and fertilizer, an operation can expect 4-6 animal unit months, which is the amount of dry forage a 1,000 lb. animal will consume in a month of grazing or 4-5 tons of hay per acre throughout all cuttings. Bauer also mentions that as new varieties of grasses and legumes become available, it is beneficial to use them to increase your production and maximize your forage yields.

In order to maximize grazing forages, it is important to have an established grazing plan, as shown in Figure 2. Armstrong and Heins from the University of Minnesota Extension mention that once you have a rotational grazing plan in action, it is easily seen where the plan’s strengths and weaknesses occur. A grazing plan is beneficial because it can turn some of the worst crop and grassland into usable land for cattle production. To maximize your forage, you need to maximize your land. Therefore, if you have a strong grazing plan,

Figure 1. This diagram shows the growing times for warm and cool season grasses. Seeing that peak growth for cool season is the months just before the climax of heat. They also begin to grow again for a short time after these warmest months. Warm season grasses tend to grow best during the hottest months of the year (Volesky, 2003).

as seen in Figure 2, you will be practicing forage maximization for cattle production. An intensive rotational grazing plan has the largest use per acre, 30-50 percent more grazing use per acre than any other grazing plan, according to Armstrong and Heins.

Amy Peters states, “Pasture can be one of the least expensive feed for livestock”

(2022) . That being said, a great way to begin maximizing your forage in cattle production and cutting down your cost of production is to study your environment. Take soil samples, plan irrigation, and choose the correct forage or forages for your beef production enterprise.

Conclusion - Looking back,

maximizing forage production is a necessity. When an operation maximizes its forage production, it can cut down the cost of your cattle production greatly. Once you come up with a plan for what you will grow and how you will grow it, determine a descriptive and instructive rotational grazing plan, whether it be simple or intense and start using this plan to efficiently produce your product.

References

Field, T.G. (2018) Beef Production and Management Decisions (6th ed.). Pearson.

Armstrong, J., & Heins, B. (2021). Grazing and pasture management for cattle|UMN Extension. University of Minnesota Extension. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from www.extension.umn.edu

Bauer, D. (2015, March). Tips to Maximize Forage Yields When Establishing Perennial Forages. UNL Beef. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from www.beef.unl.edu

Jennings, K. (2022, March). Pasture Management for Maximizing Forage. Makin’ Hay. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from www.makinhay.com

Poore, M., & Shaefer, A. (2018, January 9). Tall Fescue. Wonder Grass or Toxic Curse? N.C. State Extension News. Retrieved April 6, 2023, From www.beef.

ces.ncsu.edu

Rapp, C. (2014, June 10). A Guide to Livestock Feed and Forage - Grit. Grit Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from www.grit.com

Romero, J.J., Castillo, M., Burns, J.C. (2015, November 11). Forage Conservation Techniques: Silage and Haylage Production. N.C. State Extension Publications. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from www.content.ces.ncsu.edu

USDA Northwest Climate Hub. (n.d.) Rotational Grazing for Climate Resilience. Rotational Grazing for Climate Resilience-USDA Climate Hubs. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from www. climatehubs.usda.gov

Volesky, J.D., Anderson, B.E., & Nichols, J.T. (2003). Perennial Forages for Irrigated Pasture. University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from www.extensionpublications.unl.edu

Have You Herd Article written as a portion of ANS 402 Beef Management course requirement at N.C. State University Department of Animal Science under the instruction of Dr. Carrie Pickworth. The opinions of Sam Cornwell are not necessarily those of N.C. State University or Dr. Carrie Pickworth.

Figure 2. USDA Northwest Climate Hub represents the idea of a grazing plan and how it will benefit the cattle as well as your landscape. This figure was taken from a USDA study that represented the effects of rotational grazing on climate resiliency but still represents the subject matter.

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

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

You Decide: What Determines the Dollar’s Worth? I often receive comments from readers about my columns. Some agree with my comments, while others disagree. I value both, but some readers suggest a topic for a future column. Today’s column is based on one of those suggestions.

When we talk about the dollar’s worth or value, we’re really talking about how much the dollar will buy. There are two aspects to this question – one domestic and the other international, although, as you will see, they are related.

Domestically, the dollar’s worth –or purchasing power – is directly related to inflation. When prices rise, the dollar buys less. This is actually OK as long as

consumers’ incomes rise at a comparable rate.

For most of the 21 st century, the annual average of price increases was in the low single digits. Fortunately for most people – but certainly not for alltheir earnings were rising at a comparable or even better rate. So even though the purchasing power of the dollar was dropping, people were earning enough extra dollars to keep up with the higher prices. For retirees on Social Security –like me - payments are actually indexed to inflation, meaning the amount of the payments automatically rises with the inflation rate.

When price increases accelerate, as they have done in recent years, fewer

workers are able to keep pace with their wage gains. The declining purchasing power of the dollar, therefore, results in a lower standard of living.

The way to keep inflation modest, meaning the purchasing power of the dollar drops very slowly, is to have the supply – or quantity – of products and services growing at a pace that keeps up with an expanding population and more buying power. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen during the pandemic.

Interruptions to the supply chains of many producers resulted in bare shelves and delayed orders. Furthermore, once the economy reopened, buyers had money to spend from the large amount of federal aid that had been provided during the pandemic to prevent massive destitution. The result was the classic “too much money chasing too few goods and services,” meaning inflation soared.

The good news is supply chains have been improved, with some totally fixed. Also, consumer purchases have been slowing. The result has been a moderating inflation rate, meaning the dollar’s purchasing power is not dropping as fast as it was. Indeed, in March and April this year, average wage rates rose faster than inflation.

The second dollar value is its international worth. This value is measured by the number of units of a foreign currency that trades for one dollar. The more units of a foreign currency that equal one dollar, the “stronger” the dollar. The fewer units of a foreign currency that equal one dollar, the “weaker” the dollar.

However, tradeoffs exist in these currency relationships. If the dollar becomes “stronger” against a particular foreign country’s currency, then U.S. consumers can purchase more of that country’s products and services because they receive larger amounts of the country’s currency when exchanging dollars. This helps contain the U.S. inflation rate. In contrast, a stronger dollar makes selling U.S.-made products and services more expensive to foreign buyers, which can hurt U.S. companies.

U.S. monetary policy importantly influences both the domestic and international values of the dollar. Too much money availability can lower both values, while reductions in money availability can increase the values.

A century ago, most key countries were on a gold standard. The gold standard limited central banks – like our Federal Reserve – in printing money. The historical record shows that during the period of the gold standard, inflation was very modest.

However, the popularity of the gold standard changed with the worldwide

Depression of the 1930s. The gold standard limited how much money a country could print and inject into the economy to assist households and businesses during the lean times. As a result, President Franklin Roosevelt effectively removed the country from the gold standard for the domestic economy. In the 1970s, President Nixon completed the discarding of the gold standard by eliminating it for international transactions.

There is an ongoing debate about whether we should return to the gold standard. Advocates see a gold standard as bringing back a time when inflation would never be a problem.

Yet there are others who see some big problems with the gold standard. As the economy expands and generates more transactions, more gold would be needed to provide additional uses of money. Where would the supplies come from?

A gold standard would also limit the ability of the federal government to assist the economy during bad times, such as a recession. We saw the importance of this help during the COVID-19 pandemic. When a large part of the economy was shut down, federal relief programs provided resources for many businesses and households to stay afloat. A big part of these programs was effectively financed by the Federal Reserve through the printing of money.

I’ll end with two key questions. Can we contain inflation, have broad based prosperity, and maintain the ability of the federal government to respond to economic emergencies? Also, can these goals be achieved without returning to a gold standard? You decide.

You Decide: Where is the Economy Today? A year ago, a large percentage of economists were predicting that by now, the economy would either be in a recession or clearly headed for a recession. I was among them.

But if the path to a recession was clear, we would now be seeing a downward trending stock market, large job layoffs and rising unemployment, households tightening their spending –especially on nonessentials – and falling housing prices.

But instead, we’ve seen a different picture develop of the economy. The most followed measure of the stock market, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, is 1,000 points higher than it was last June. While there have been some layoffs in sectors like technology, economists continue to be surprised by robust increases in jobs almost every month. A higher percentage of people are planning vacations this year compared to 2022. And housing prices actually rose in April, the latest month

available.

As a result, a recent poll of economists showed fewer than 50 percent think there will be a recession in the next year. This is exactly the opposite of the same poll in January, when more than 50 percent predicted a recession in the next twelve months. Should you consider economists as being fickle? When asked that question decades ago, a famous economist replied, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”

What has changed to make economists and others more optimistic about the economy? First is the fight against inflation. Although inflation is certainly still an issue, with the current rate well above the pre-pandemic rate of 1.8 percent, it has been steadily moderating from its peak of over 9 percent last year. A lower inflation rate makes it possible for more workers to receive pay raises that keep up with rising prices. When this happens, the worker’s standard of living rises.

A lower inflation rate allows the Federal Reserve (also known as the “Fed”) to ease up on its interest rate policy. Since early 2022, the Fed has been raising its key interest rate. This rate has gone from near 0 percent to 5 percent. When the Fed raises its interest rate, other interest rates typically follow. Just over the past couple of years, the 30 year fixed mortgage interest rate has gone from under 3 percent to 7 percent. Credit card rates have spiked from 15 percent to 20 percent.

Higher interest rates make it harder for households to buy homes, vehicles, and anything that can be put on a credit card. Actually, this is the goal of the Fed. The Fed wants to slow consumer spending to take pressure off prices and thereby curtail inflation.

Yet, when the Fed raises interest rates, there is a good possibility spending will slow so much as to put the economy in a recession. This was the thinking earlier this year. Yet now – with the inflation rate almost cut in half – there is more expectation the Fed will stop raising interest rates, which means the chance for a future recession is lessened.

Together with the better news on inflation, the news continues to be positive in the labor market. For most people, the labor market is where they see the damage caused by a recession. Layoffs and unemployment force households to tighten budgets and reduce spending. The reduced spending translates into lower sales for businesses and likely more layoffs.

But rather than slowing, the pace of job gains has strengthened. The number

of jobs added in May was much above expectations and twice as high as in April. One of the best predictors of an upcoming recession is a downward trend in job growth, and we’re not seeing that yet.

In my opinion, there are two explanations for the strong labor market. One is the return to the pre-pandemic economy. People are going out, eating at restaurants, taking trips, and returning to gyms and other personal services. These are all businesses that were hard hit during the pandemic and even afterward, as many people were worried about a revival of COVID. For most, those worries are now in the past. As a result, the aforementioned sectors are seeing revivals in activity and are hiring more workers. Fortunately, more workers are now available for jobs. The labor force participation rate, which measures the percentage of potential workers who have jobs or are looking for jobs, is 99 percent of the pre-pandemic rate.

The second explanation is businesses continue to have memories of the days of severe labor shortages, and they don’t want to return to them. Hence, many businesses may be reluctant to lay off workers even if economic conditions warrant it. Some have called this a “hoarding” of workers, and if it is occurring, it certainly is helping workers.

So, the short answer as to why worries about a recession have cooled is simply that many numbers suggest the economy has improved. But don’t take this statement too far. There are still worries about the economy. Commodity prices have been slumping, which has often been a predictor of a recession. The Fed could still decide to further increase interest rates. With the Saudis announcing more oil supply cuts, gas prices could increase. Then, there’s the always unpredictable stock market. Investors could decide to turn pessimistic, resulting in lost wealth and lost spending, both of which are not good for the economic outlook.

There’s a third option in addition to the “no recession” or “yes recession” possibilities. I’ve named the third option the “full employment recession,” or FER. In the FER, the job market remains strong, mainly as a result of the aftermath of the pandemic. But selected other sectors — commercial real estate, manufacturing, commodities, and possibly big ticket consumer purchases — retreat as they would in a typical recession.

I come back to a refrain I’ve used before: COVID has changed everything, at least for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if it changed the look and feel of a recession. You decide.

Certified Angus Beef news

Students expand skills through summer internships with Certified Angus Beef. Four students apply classroom knowledge to the real world. A strong skillset, positive attitude, and leap of faith led four students to a summer of learning with Certified Angus Beef (CAB) as communications interns. Working on an array of projects, the four build their skills while preparing for careers in the beef and related industries.

Kylee Sellnow, CAB communications manager, says these opportunities should nurture their skills with real world practice across the beef business from pasture gate to consumer plate.

“We are thrilled to welcome four young professionals to the brand’s communications team this summer, and excited for the energy each brings to their roles,” Sellnow says. The past 2019 CAB intern adds, “From public relations, copywriting and design, to photography, videography and social media, each will have the chance to develop the diverse abilities that prepare them for a career.”

Returning as studio production intern, Claudia Adcock, senior in digital media at Ashland University from Orrville, Ohio, competes on the women’s tennis team but also enjoys wedding photography and videography.

“I truly am excited to be back with the team and getting to experience and try new projects,” she says. “I love the community here and the drive everyone has. This is like no other workplace and it has been one of my favorite places to work.”

Her summer projects include editing videos for social media and events, as well as assisting with video and photo shoots both on- and off-site.

Savannah Peterson joined as public relations intern. The Gothenburg, Neb., senior in agricultural communications and journalism at Kansas State University (K-State) grew up on her family’s fifth generation farm and ranch with row crops, a commercial cow herd, and feedlot. Eager to move to a different part of the country, Peterson says she most looks forward to working with brand ambassador chefs.

“I was so excited to be selected for this internship because the brand has so much respect within the beef industry, which I am most familiar with,” she says.

“The public relations role gives me a chance to work more with the end users of beef, such as chefs and consumers.”

Peterson will focus on monitoring brand mentions and generating media pitches and pitching strategies.

Communication intern Will Todd builds on his degree in culinary arts by pursuing an advertising and graphic design bachelor’s at Ohio’s Columbus College of Art and Design. The Columbus native’s longtime interest in food led to his development of a food blog featuring recipes, food photography, and engaging stories with each post.

“Food is something that can bridge gaps and create bonds, and I’m glad I get to be a part of that,” Todd says. “Creating content for a company so highly esteemed within the beef industry is an honor.”

He looks forward to using social media to engage with consumers with storytelling and design to promote the brand. Additionally, he will write copy for marketing materials, create graphic design content, and take photos for the brand’s consumer facing social media, website, and campaign efforts.

Serving as producer communications intern, Maddy Rohr is a senior in agricultural communications and journalism at K-State from Elbert, Colorado. She grew up on a registered Angus and Charolais seedstock ranch, developing a passion for the cattle industry, and is now eager to learn and explain how CAB serves Angus producers.

“The internship opportunity combines my interests in cattle and communications is so exciting,” Rohr says. “I enjoy telling producers’ stories and advocating for beef, so I’m excited to grow with one of the most recognized brands in the industry.”

Rohr will engage with Angus producers through written stories and content creation for the brand’s rancher facing social media, website, and email copy.

Eager to get started, all four interns are busy checking items off their to-do list while adding to their list of experiences for the future.

Lighter Carcass Weights and Shrinking Supply. The first CAB Insider Quarterly shares an update on the cattle and beef industry trends observed in

2023. Now, we’re well into the second quarter of 2023, but backing up to the first of the year, there have been two overriding trends in the fed cattle supply. The first of which has been those fewer headcounts that we’ve seen harvested on a weekly basis, down about 2.7 percent year to date as well.

Carcass weights have shown the effects of winter weather as seen across the northern tier of the cattle feeding region. That has brought carcass weights to about 15-20 lbs under a year ago for the same time period. These two factors combined have reduced fed cattle supplies so far in 2023 by about 5 percent. Now, those dramatically lower carcass weights have had some impact on quality grade, but we’ve been impressed at how well quality grades have held up under the pressure of these lighter weights.

Later into the spring, we’ve seen more, lesser finished cattle being harvested. At the same time, the Prime quality grade has shown some effects and has been lower since last fall than we’d like to see, as demand for Prime beef has been exceptional the last few years. Even so, the USDA Prime percentage has faltered by one to even two percentage points compared to a year ago. In total, that’s affected total Prime volume by about 10 percent of tonnage.

The Choice quality grade has fared much better, capturing a greater proportion of carcasses – some of those just narrowly missed Prime. And as a result, the USDA Choice grade has captured a record large proportion of those fed steer and heifer carcasses this season.

Premium Choice quality is essential to the Certified Angus Beef brand tradition label, which has benefited from richly graded carcasses that were just below Prime. In total, we’ve captured more than 40 percent of those Angus eligible cattle into the Certified Angus Beef brand several weeks since the first of the year. Consequently, we have touched those record high acceptance rates during that same period. As we moved into spring, we’ve seen the shorter cattle supplies and higher beef demand push fed cattle and cutout values to record levels.

As we move forward, we expect the lower quality grades in May and lighter carcass weights combined with shorter fed cattle supplies to continue to drive premiums into the high quality cattle and beef markets for the next number of weeks.

Register Now for Feeding Quality Forum. Consumer demand signals spur progress in the cattle business, but producers must be proactive when making changes in their marketing

strategy.

Join cattle feeders, cow/calf producers, and industry professionals for the latest trends, hot topics, and key solutions at the 18 th Annual Feeding Quality Forum (FQF), hosted by Certified Angus Beef (CAB). The event will be at the Graduate Lincoln Hotel in Lincoln, Neb., on August 22-23.

“Feeding Quality Forum presents experts on relevant topics for progressive cattlemen from the ranch to the feedyard,” says Bruce Cobb, CAB executive vice president of production. “If your goal is to raise the best fed cattle in the market, then this event brings together solution oriented producers and industry professionals to do so.”

Speakers will bring forward practical solutions and beef demand insights for all attendees to apply when they get home to their operation.

Register at www.FeedingQualityForum. com

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

Have you forgotten something?

Make

sure your cattlemen friends are members of your state association!

ANGUS NEWS

American Angus Association welcomes 2023 interns. Furthering skills through industry experience for six interns. Investing in tomorrow’s professionals is an important part of the culture at the American Angus Association. This summer, the team at the Association welcomes six interns to contribute to multiple departments and entities, including Angus Media SM and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI). Throughout the program, interns will work alongside industry experts to advance skills, expand their professional network, and be immersed in the cattle industry. Interns come from across the globe and bring various backgrounds to the Association.

Brooklyn Botterman joins the Association as one of two events and junior activities interns. Hailing from Genoa, Ill., Botterman is a junior studying

agricultural communications, with specific interests in event management and marketing, at Iowa State University. She is also pursuing a minor in animal science. Botterman grew up showing beef cattle and swine, which she exhibited at the local, state, and national levels. She was also actively involved in 4-H and FFA, where she advanced her passion for agriculture.

“The hands-on experience in event management will be invaluable,” said Botterman.

Botterman said she looks forward to exploring the different roles and responsibilities within the Association while traveling and working with youth exhibitors. “I hope to create memories, relationships, and skills that I can carry into my future at Iowa State and in my professional career.”

Maddie Templeton, from Van Buren, Ark., will also serve as an events and junior activities intern. She is a senior at the University of Arkansas majoring in agricultural leadership with minors in agricultural communications and event management. Templeton didn’t grow up showing cattle but exhibited other species of livestock and has a passion for the cattle industry. Her love for cattle, combined with her interest in event management, led her to this internship. She wants to learn more about the Angus breed and gain experience in planning and organizing events.

“Being an events coordinator for a company within the agricultural industry is my dream,” Templeton said. “When I discovered this internship, I knew I had to apply; I am so blessed to be working for such a prestigious breed association in the area I love.”

Pedro Ramos joins the Association as the AGI intern and will help the team with research focused on using phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic information to improve livestock production. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ramos has been working on beef cattle breeding projects for several years. He is currently

a Ph.D. student at the University of Viçosa-Brazil and has recently joined the animal breeding and genetics group at the University of Georgia as a research scholar. Previously, Ramos received his master’s degree from the University of Viçosa-Brazil in animal breeding and genetics and veterinary medicine. He looks forward to gaining experience and expanding his knowledge in Angus genetics and breeding while conducting industry critical research.

“I believe this internship will provide an unparalleled experience in my life,” Ramos said. “I am eager to develop a comprehensive understanding of the process involved in providing genetic evaluation and other services to breeders and hope to foster positive relationships and contribute to the company’s success.”

Taylor Edwards will join Angus Media as the Angus Beef Bulletin editorial intern. Originally from Brierfield, Ala., Edwards is a senior studying agricultural communications with a minor in animal science at Auburn University. Edwards grew up on a small commercial cow/ calf operation which fueled her passion for the beef industry and provided her insight into the needs of commercial

cattlemen. She was encouraged to apply for this internship after interning with a former Angus employee at an NCBA Stockmanship and Stewardship event. Through this internship, Edwards hopes to expand her digital knowledge and learn more about the process of creating and hosting a podcast. She also strives to encourage others to promote the industry through their personal experiences.

“I am looking forward to using my skills and background to share information with commercial cattlemen through the Angus Beef Bulletin ,” said Edwards. “I’ve been blessed with the best team and look forward to absorbing as much as I can from everyone at Angus.”

Elizabeth Rosson, of Louisa, Va., will also join Angus Media as the editorial intern for the Angus Journal . Rosson will be a senior at Oklahoma State University, where she is dual majoring in agricultural communications and animal science. Her passion for the beef industry began on her family’s sixth generation operation, Quaker Hill Farm, where they run approximately 850 head of Angus cattle. Growing up in the Angus family, she developed a deep appreciation for the Angus brand and for those who stand behind it. This summer, she looks forward to expanding her knowledge of editorial writing and media. She is also excited to learn about other producers in the industry and to tell their stories.

Rosson said she wants to take this summer as an opportunity to push her limits and expand her horizons. “As an Angus intern, I am surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in the industry, making it the best place to learn and grow.”

Katelyn Engel will serve the Association as the communications intern. Originally from Galesburg, Ill., Engel is a junior at the University of Illinois, where she is studying agricultural communications and pursuing a minor in food and agribusiness management. Her dedication to the Business Breed began on her family’s farm, where they raise purebred Angus cattle and a variety of crops. This passion for the cattle industry expanded with her involvement in agricultural organizations and extracurriculars, where she took on many leadership roles. This summer, Engel looks forward to gaining professional development and strengthening her communications skills in design, photography, video production, and writing.

“I am beyond excited to be part of the talented and dedicated communications team here at Angus,” Engel said. “It is truly an honor to be given the opportunity to expand my horizons through building

new relationships and developing my skillset.”

Angus Foundation’s “George Grant Challengers” pledge to help sustain the breed’s 150 year legacy. Group of Angus breeders make $15,000 gifts, challenging fellow members to give $150 to the “A Legacy Built” campaign. A group of dedicated Angus breeders each pledged $15,000 to establish the “George Grant Challenge” in support of the Angus Foundation’s “A Legacy Built” campaign. With 2023 marking 150 years since the arrival of the breed in the United States, the sustaining fund celebrates this milestone by asking donors to pledge $150 annually to continue the Angus legacy for the next 150 years. The Foundation set a goal of reaching 1,000 donations to “A Legacy Built” by December 31. The “George Grant Challenge” will double the impact of this goal by matching dollar-for-dollar the first 1,000 donations of $150 in 2023. Contributions to the campaign benefit the Angus Fund, which provides unrestricted dollars to support the Foundation’s mission of education, youth, and research.

Scottish Angus breeder George Grant brought the first Angus bulls to the prairies of Victoria, Kan., with the dream to build a legacy — a legacy that went on to make a lasting impression on the beef industry. When crossed with Texas Longhorn cows native to the plains, Angus bulls sired high quality calves that were well suited to the region. These results demonstrated the Angus breed’s initial value in the United States. Grant’s legacy of Angus impact continues today through the positive effects of programs funded and conducted by the Angus Foundation. The “George Grant Challengers” pledged their gifts in honor of the person who introduced them to the Angus breed, served as a mentor, or influenced their success. Like Grant, those who serve as leaders and encouragers for the next generation are influential in continuing the 150 year Angus legacy.

“It’s with great pride that we recognize this group of dedicated Angus supporters,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “Their leadership and commitment to match the first 1,000 gifts to “A Legacy Built” validates the need to focus on the future by building a long term fund to sustain the Angus legacy. The challengers are a perfect testament to the Angus family’s dedication to our breed.”

“A Legacy Built” is intended to be a

Continued on the next page

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

CARSON FAMILY FARM, LLC

John, Callie, Isaac & J.R. Carson Laurel Springs

336-818-9087 • carsonfamilyfarm@gmail.com

CHAPMAN CATTLE COMPANY Bryant Chapman Taylorsville 828-514-0526

FOUR S FARMS

Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury

704-640-5875 • kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com

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

GRAGG FARMS

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

H&H FARMS

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

HI-LO FARMS, LLC

William & Kate Reichert Fuquay-Varina 919-812-0435 • hilofarmsblackangus.gmail.com

Cortney Holshouser NCAA Executive Secretary 919-796-2346 ncaa.sec@gmail.com www.ncangus.org

HILL ANGUS FARM

Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 • gmhill@uga.edu

JACK KNOB FARMS

Karl, Janet & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 • karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com

JENKINS ANGUS FARM

Jaime & Christy Jenkins Marshall 828-206-1345 • jenkinsangusfarm@gmail.com

KNOLL CREST FARM

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

LANE ANGUS

Roger & Bundy Lane

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

PANTHER CREEK FARMS

John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 • johnsmith3982@embarqmail.com

S&J Farms

Steven & Julie Lung Nathan Lung - Manager Carthage 910-947-3414 • sandjfarms2013@gmail.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM

Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 • mrooker@mrookerlaw.com

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS

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

TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 • greg.little@atimetals.com

VANDEMARK ANGUS

Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 • keaton@vandemarkfarms.com

WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC

Michael A. Moss

Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-460-7451 • windyhillfarmsllc@gmail.com

WINSLOW GENETICS

Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 • bensbulls@gmail.com

WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 • rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

long term, sustaining fund which seeks an affordable and impactful commitment of $150 annually or $12.50 monthly. Donors may also make a one time contribution of $150 in 2023 to help meet the match provided by the Challengers and achieve the Foundation’s goal of 1,000 donors by December 31.

“We’re optimistic about the ways this campaign will impact the future of the breed,” Boester said. “These generous gifts, both from our George Grant Challengers and our campaign supporters, ensure we sustain the Angus legacy our breeders have built.”

To participate in the Legacy Built campaign, donations can be made online at bit.ly/ALegacyBuilt, mailed via check, or even pledged at Angus events like the National Junior Angus Show or Angus Convention. For more details, contact Jaclyn Boester at JBoester@Angus.org

To learn more about the Angus Foundation and its mission, visit www. AngusFoundation.org

Angus Foundation honors breed’s anniversary with celebratory events. A total of $160,000 was raised through the Foundation’s Angus Day of Giving and Ranchers’ Revelry events. The

Angus Foundation had a successful week commemorating the 150 year anniversary of the breed’s arrival in the United States. This milestone was celebrated May 17 with the Foundation’s annual Angus Day of Giving and May 19 in Berryville, Va., at the Ranchers’ Revelry event. Angus Day of Giving raised over $80,000 for the Foundation’s Legacy Built campaign, and Ranchers’ Revelry raised over $80,000 as well. In total, the breed’s anniversary celebrations garnered $160,000 in unrestricted funds to help support the organization’s mission and ensure the Angus legacy continues.

Angus Day of Giving has been celebrated since 2021 to commemorate the day Grant arrived to the prairies of Kansas. This year, Angus Day of Giving marked the starting point of the Foundation’s goal of 1,000 donations by December 31 to its Legacy Built campaign. The campaign was launched to honor the breed’s 150 year milestone and asks donors to pledge $150 to sustain the Angus legacy for the future. Donations are earmarked to the Angus Fund, which uses unrestricted funds to support a multitude of American Angus Association programs.

The Foundation received 309 donations to the Legacy Built campaign to kick off its challenge. These gifts had double the impact with the help of a $30,000 matching gift from an anonymous donor. In total, the celebration raised over $80,000 to support the Angus Foundation’s mission to advance Angus education, youth, and research.

“It’s always amazing to see the outpouring of support from our Angus family, and this day of giving was no different,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “With the generosity of all who contributed to the Legacy Built campaign, including our anonymous match donor, we’re well on our way to ensuring the Angus legacy is sustained for the next 150 years.”

Ranchers’ Revelry was held May 19

in Berryville, Va., at Audley Farm. For over two centuries, Audley Farm has been a part of American history, with the most well known of its residents being Eleanor “Nelly” Custis Lewis, the adopted daughter of George and granddaughter of Martha Washington. Nelly was known for her “revelry” as the hostess of Audley Farm.

“We thought we could bring a little bit of a unique offering with our Thoroughbred program, our Angus program, and just the rich history of this farm,” said Turner Kobayashi, Audley Farm general manager. “To be a part of history and honor it and honor Mr. Grant, and just to meet and develop the fellowship and comradery with other ranchers out here, it’s just a wonderful opportunity.”

S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of MAY 2023

Cattle Receipts: 12,516 • Previous Month: 10,116

Feeder supply - 35% steers • 42% heifers • 22% bulls

FEEDER

During the Friday evening event, a unique collection of exclusive experiences, art, collectibles, and business services were auctioned, raising $67,950. Attendees enjoyed a night of Angus fellowship in celebration of the anniversary, with Audley Farm beef served for dinner. The evening also featured “The Steaks Races,” a tribute to Audley’s Thoroughbred racehorses with prizes sponsored by Certified Angus Beef. The opportunity allowed guests to “claim horses,” entering to win a variety of Certified Angus Beef brand items. In total, the event raised over $80,000 to benefit the Angus Foundation’s mission.

“Ranchers’ Revelry was an incredible evening to celebrate our great breed among Angus friends and family, and we are so appreciative to those who made it possible,” Boester said. “The Angus Foundation is grateful to Audley Farm for underwriting this event, the Angus breeders and allied industry members who donated to this fundraiser and those who supported by bidding and buying in our auction. This was a truly memorable event that gives me great confidence in

the future of our legacy.”

In addition to Audley Farm, Ranchers’ Revelry was made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers. Event coordinators Julie McMahon French of Belle Point Ranch and Wynn Dalton of Daltons on the Sycamore, along with many Virginia Angus breeders and Angus Foundation supporters, volunteered their time and efforts to the event. The auction garnered support from Angus enthusiasts around the country, as both item donors and buyers.

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 816383-5100.

Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization,

serving nearly 22,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to

farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers. For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org

ABBA

ExEcutivE updAtE

By DR. JOE C. PASCHAL American Brahman Breeders Association

blood to determine if there are differences in heifers and bulls that either come into estrus or produce semen earlier compared to those that do later. He had several candidates.

The last presentation of the day was by Dr. Thrift, who reported some very early statistics on a set of steers that were 67 percent Brahman and 33 percent Angus (they were genotyped) that had been on feed and placed into one of four implant regimes. The first three were implanted in different combinations, while the fourth and last was not implanted. The average for all four groups is shown in the table below.

organizations have that issue. Since I have been in this position, members that have called or visited me have gotten answers, maybe sometimes not the answer they wanted, but your staff and I have worked to make this a nonissue. Some of the answers were not of our doing, the issue having been decided before I arrived. However, concerns are often not raised directly to me or to your officers or board but to social media or group, and it often makes a simple concern much worse. I want to address two of those here.

ABBA needed to change and add

Dear ABBA Members,

Hard to believe it’s been a month since I last wrote. I try to make a list of things to cover in this email so you know what is happening.

Iridiana and I went to the LIX Exposicion Nacional de Ganado Cebu Show in Tampico, Mexico, on April 1115. We attended a Brahman Field Day hosted by Primo Castillo and his family at Rancho Las Huastecas in San Luis Potosi the day before the show. I had the privilege to talk about the history and genetics of the American Brahman (Grey and Red) breed21 and their performance on the pasture as well as on feed and gave a television interview. Armelinda Ibarra was there as a guest, as were members of the International Committee, including the committee chairperson Carolyn Falgout.

It is my philosophy that we need both a strong domestic market, as well as a strong international one. Anything sold internationally is one less that needs to be sold domestically. However, the domestic market is my principal focus since it affects more ABBA breeders directly.

A.J. and I went to Florida twice in May. Our first trip was to attend the Florida Brahman Breeders Association Field Day, Meeting, and Sale. We got to meet Larry Barthle and several other Brahman breeders. The field day included some presentations by the University of Florida (UF) Animal Science faculty and a tour of the UF North Farm Brahman herd. Marcus Shackleford announced the sale, and he was amazing on his recital of the pedigrees and even shared a funny story about Sloan Williams.

Our next trip was more recent. A.J. and I attended the 2023 UF Beef Cattle Short Course (BCSC), also in Gainesville. The two day event was very well attended and had a number of interesting presentations on how to improve feeder calf value, external parasite recognition, use of byproducts for cattle feed (distillers’ grains, cotton byproducts, and algae), a discussion of beef on dairy (breeding dairy

cows to beef bulls), among others.

At the UF Beef Teaching Unit South, the UF faculty conducted some very excellent demonstrations on cow size, liquid feed, pasture weeds, and supplemental feeds. Dr. Todd Thrift, UF Professor and Extension Beef Specialist (and a personal friend), and Jesse Savell had an excellent interactive demonstration on cow and calf size. Most folks missed the weight of the cows by more than 200 pounds!

A.J. and I took the opportunity to drive to the North Farm to visit with the manager there, Danny Driver. It was warm and humid, but the three of us piled into his truck for a tour of the Brahman herds at the station. The UF Brahman herd is a teaching and research herd (note the emphasis on “teaching”), and the research focuses on age at puberty, marbling, and tenderness. Eight Florida Brahman breeders contributed genetics to the initial population. The 200 or so mature cows plus 50 yearlings and weaners were pretty uniform phenotypically, and almost all of the cattle had been genotyped since they are used in their genomics research. Danny was an excellent guide who knew both the history of the station and the cattle.

The last day of the UF BCSC consisted of short research reports, including Dr. Mateescu’s on “Improving Accuracy of Genomic Selection for Carcass and Meat Quality,” Dr. Mario Binelli’s “Predicting Puberty in Brahman Heifers and Bulls,” and Dr. Thrift’s “Impact of Implant Strategy on Brahman Sired Steer Performance, Carcass Traits, and Tenderness.” Dr. Mateescu’s research on tenderness in Brahman versus Angus cattle indicates a large overlap in tenderness between the two breeds. Additionally, her work indicates that one well known genetic marker for tenderness in Bos taurus has the opposite effect on tenderness in Brahman. Markers should be used in the breed in which they are developed. No single marker is a strong indicator of tenderness. Dr. Binelli’s research is looking at metabolites (amino acids, fats, and other compounds) in the

As expected, the unimplanted group had the highest percent Choice (68 percent) but also the lowest ADG. There is a trade off that has to be determined between grade and gain when using implant strategies in the feedyard. Implants that you use in calves before weaning do not affect carcass quality. I know that when Todd gets his data set analyzed, I’ll make sure that we can use it.

Between trips to Florida, your ABBA staff were invited guests (along with several other Brahman breeders) to the Texas A&M Animal Science Department Awards Banquet. Dr. Jim Sanders, longtime teacher, researcher, and Brahman supporter, has retired after nearly a half century of service. ABBA presented him with a bronze bull in recognition of his service to ABBA. Dr. Sanders created a scholarship for students, and in order to help fund it, ABBA raised the initial $7,500 from a few of his friends, colleagues, and former students to present to him at the same time. It was quite a surprise, and ABBA received a lot of recognition. In addition, we were the only breed association at the ceremony. If you are interested in contributing to the scholarship fund, please contact me.

A.J. and I went to the Texas A&M Research Field Day at McGregor, Tex., in early May. The Research center was actually a Navy ordnance storage facility during World War II and Korea and has been a TAMU Research Station since 1947. It was the site of the Zebu Breed Evaluation Program in the 1980s and 90s that evaluated Grey and Red Brahman sired calves with those by Gir, InduBrazil, and Nelore sires. There was a lot of positive Brahman research and interaction between the A&M scientists and the ranchers attending the Field Day.

Finally, there are a couple of things that I would like to address. Long before I was offered the position as your Executive Vice President, members complained of a lack of transparency. I can tell you that all

staff to various accounts (including me) earlier in the year. This raised some red flags in the federal banking circles, and ABBA was required to respond to an email sent in February about the changes. Neither Iridiana nor I ever got any email (apparently, it was sent to my predecessor, but no one can tell me for sure). Even our local bank had no idea of the request. As a result of our lack of response, all of ABBA’s bank accounts were frozen. As soon as we realized the problem, Iridiana and I quickly responded. The local branch was apologetic and offered to cover any insufficient funds our checks might have caused. It was not acceptable that it happened, but we had no idea that anything was required of us. Now you know. ABBA is quite solvent.

Secondly and more recently, ABBA had committed verbally to hold their 2023 National Show in Abilene, Tex., at the Taylor County Expo Center. The total cost (awards, judges, scales, venue, etc.) to hold the show at that location was considered to be too high by the ABBA Executive Committee, so the contract was not signed. The ABBA Executive Committee has decided to move the date and location to November 7-10 in Bryan, Tex., at the Brazos Valley Expo. We will have more information in regard to the show soon. Not everything ABBA is involved in will turn a profit. In fact, ABBA is a nonprofit organization, but it is financially responsible for the officers of ABBA to consider all expenses.

As always, I would like to hear from you. If you have a field day or a meeting, let me know, and I’ll try to attend if you want me. One upcoming activity that might be of interest is the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on the campus in College Station on August 7-9. ABBA will have a booth and will be sponsoring one of the sessions, and A.J. and I will be speaking about issues of interest to Brahman breeders. For more information, visit www.beefcattleshortcourse.com.

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association

Shuffler Farm Performance Legends Sale. Dr. Eugene Shuffler held a herd reduction sale of mainly his Angus cows on May 20 at the farm in Union Grove, North Carolina. He did have ten

Simmental lots in the sale. These were top of the line cattle that have been very impressive over the years producing top indexing bulls at bull test stations in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

The top selling Simmental lot was a purebred Simmental cow sired by Gibbs

7382E Broad Range. She sold for $3,100 to Eddie Rash of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her Sitz Stellar 726D heifer calf sold for $1,800 to Phillip Watson of Bear Creek, North Carolina. The Simmental cow/ calf pairs averaged $3,475. The top selling bred Simmental heifer sold for $2,250 to Larry Love of Monroe, North Carolina. This heifer was sired by SFA NF22 Niagara of IW57. The bred heifers averaged $1,950.

Both Dr. Eugene and Carol Shuffler plan to reduce their Simmental numbers by offering some of their best Simmental genetics in this year’s Fall Harvest Sale. They are hoping to do much more traveling in their future, so they are looking to greatly reduce their cattle numbers.

High Ridge Farms Complete Dispersal Sale. Bruce Cuddy of High Ridge Farms held his Complete Dispersal Sale on May 28 at the farm in Albemarle, North Carolina. It was a very well attended sale. The top selling Simmental lot consisted of the CMB Evelynn E905 cow family. Evelynn is a purebred Simmental daughter of LLSF Uprising Z925. Her three daughters also sold along with her RVR Waylon 287H bull calf at side.

These bred heifers were top notch.

This calf is getting one last drink before the sale begins.

Matthew Lucas was one of the ringmen at the sale.

Chad and Cooper Joines were on hand for the Performance Legends Sale.

All ages of cowboys came out to the Performance Legends Sale.

Another top selling lot brought $14,000 and was the ES G91 cow and her twoyear-old daughter and calf. ES G91 is sired by TJ Frosty 318E. Two other lots brought $11,900 each. One was the ES G94 cow, her yearling heifer, and her two-year-old daughter and bull calf. Rubys Turnpike 771E is the sire of ES G94. The other lot was SK Saide E77 H35 and her yearling heifer calf. Kappes Trail 884 C507 is the sire of SK Saide E77 H35.

Simmental News

American Simmental Association Hosts Fall Focus 2023, Focusing on Inpactful Industry Issues. Education, science, and collaboration guide the American Simmental Association and will be highlighted at the 2023 Fall Focus event in Denver, Colo., on August 25-29. Topics relevant to the Simmental breed and industry as a whole will be covered by industry leading experts. The event will also explore Colorado’s robust beef industry through tours and educational demonstrations organized by the Colorado Simmental Association (CSA) and Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).

Bovine congestive heart failure and the importance of heart health in the feedlot, sustainability, and more will be discussed in concise talks and panels, with a focus on covering issues that directly impact producers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with these industry professionals. The educational day will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Denver on August 26.

The CSA and CCA, co-hosts of the event, have organized a day to explore the state’s beef industry. The event kicks off on August 25 with live cattle displays at

the National Western Stock Show Yards Event Center, followed by a Pulmonary Arterial Pressure (PAP) demonstration by Dr. Tim Holt, an interactive Feet and Leg Scoring demonstration, CSU Spur campus tour, and dinner.

The ASA Board of Trustees will hold their meeting on August 27-29, featuring Town Hall style committee meetings designed to give ASA members the opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues.

Attendance is free, with the exception of some meal charges. Fall Focus is open to everyone across breeds and sectors of the industry. To register and learn more, visit www.fallfocus.org

About the American Simmental Association. Founded in 1968, the ASA is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. ASA is committed to leveraging technology, education, and collaboration to accelerate genetic profitability for the beef industry. In keeping with its commitment, ASA, along with its partners, formed International Genetic Solutions — the world’s largest genetic evaluation of beef cattle. Learn more at www.simmental.org and www. internationalgeneticsolutions.com

The Simmental bulls sold extremely well. The top selling bull was the bull that Bruce credits as being “the most powerful, yet docile bull we have ever had the privilege to own.” Considering how long Bruce Cuddy has been in the cattle business, those are some really impressive words that make you stand up and take notice of this bull, Rubys Outer Limits 935G. He sold for $15,500

to Hill Top Simmentals in Worthing, South Dakota. A son of Hook’s Eagle 6E sold for $15,000 — also a yearling son of Rubys Outer Limits 935G sold for $10,200.

These cattle were all impressive, and Bruce Cuddy was very gracious as a host to everyone who attended.

2023 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 2023. 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.

2023 Reserved Spotlight Issues

This Gibbs 7382E Broad Range daughter and her Sitz Stellar 7260 heifer calf were the top selling Simmental lots in the sale.

This SimAngus daughter of SFS Sure Bet A64 sold to Eddie Rash of Winston-Salem.

Bruce Cuddy is answering any questions about the sale cattle. (Photo from American Simmental Association)

High Ridge Farms has been involved with Simmental cattle for decades. (Photo from American Simmental Association)

Remote Ranching the Easy Way.

Since switching to Riomax, Chad Sears has never looked back. Tradition and innovation. Respecting history and legacy and those who have gone before while looking toward the future as the sixth generation saddle up and ride the sprawling 4W Ranch near Newcastle, Wyoming.

The sixth generation to ride the 4W is Maclayne, who goes by Laynie, daughter of Chad and Gillian Sears. She is as much at home on the 29,000 acre ranch first established in 1878, which literally sits at the end of a long and winding road, as every generation before her and is the promise for the future.

Forward Thinking - With a nod to forward thinking, the genetics on the 4W used to be an eclectic mix of breeds, with hide color ranging from black and black baldy with moderate amounts of red as well as Hereford, Dutch Belted, and Beefalo, according to an article originally published in Tri-State Livestock News

The genetics in the 550 head cow herd now are mostly Red Angus along with Charolais crosses, dating back to the 1960s when the French breed was brought to the ranch near the headwaters of the Cheyenne River. Chad started to tighten the genetics in the 2000s in an effort to make a more uniform calf crop, except for a few colorful misfits that Gillian fell in love with, and Chad keeps for marker cows.

It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. In Chad Sears’ case, necessity was the driver for innovation, for taking a hard look at surviving drought and holding the herd together.

Pasture Management - “We’ve been using Riomax since 2012, the really bad drought,” Chad says. “I love the product because it’s really allowed our cows to

get out and utilize the full pasture.”

He used to cake his cows as a supplementation strategy, calling them to the truck. However, he deduced that the cows were using more energy as they ran to the cake truck than they got from the alfalfa cube supplement. Plus, the practice didn’t encourage the cows to utilize the whole pasture, some of which are very large, ranging from around 3,500 acres to as high as around 6,000 acres.

“With the Riomax tubs, you can really spread them out and they get full utilization of the pasture, plus it’s available all the time,” he says.

Breed Up and Weaning Weights - But pasture management, as he discovered, was just one of a multitude of advantages that the orange Riomax tubs provided. Conception rates have been at 97-98 percent since he began providing Riomax as a supplement. “Even on our first calf heifers, we had a couple of 100 percent (breed up) on those,” he says.

“The other great thing is our weaning weights have consistently gone up,” he adds. “We used to be lucky to get 500 pounds weights with our 1,100-1,200 pound cows. Now we’ve gone up to around 550 pound, 580 pound steers before shrink, and it’s a lot to do with Riomax.”

In addition to caking his cows, he previously gave his calves creep feed to enhance sale weights. “We switched from creep feed to putting Riomax out. It increased weaning weights and the cows go into winter in much better body condition.”

In fact, switching from creep feed to Riomax actually enhanced the salability of his calves. “The buyers that I’ve talked to actually prefer the calves that have not been on creep but have just been on

a supplement like Riomax. So that’s another benefit.”

Lowering Inputs on the Ranch

- It took Jean Harshbarger, Chad’s grandmother, a little while to get over paying the bill after the Riomax shipment arrived. After seeing the change in the cattle, writing the check got a little easier, especially considering the tubs replaced two other inputs.

Of course, having healthy, reproductively sound cows that are matched to the environment is important, but you also have to consider the bulls. Several years after adding Riomax to the management mix, a veterinarian was doing breeding soundness exams on the bulls, which involves testing the semen.

“The vet was like, ‘Whoa, what have you been feeding these bulls? The semen is fantastic.’”

That summer back in 2012 was bad. Really bad. The grass never greened up; the immediate future looked bleak. But tough times force tough decisions, and Chad Sears’ momentum has always been forward. He tried Riomax more than ten years ago and hasn’t looked back.

About Riomax. Riomax started in a one car garage and today works with countless ranchers all across the United States and Canada. Their mission? To bring profitability back into agriculture. Learn more about their nutritional products for cattle, horses, sheep, and soil at www.riomax.net/products

S.C. CharolaiS NewS

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

I have added a picture of the newest member of Webb Charolais, DC/CRJ Atomic Mass J3003. He arrived here from Montana the second week of April, and we are tickled to death with him. He has a great disposition and is really easy for me to handle by myself. He will be two years old on July 27, so he has some more growing to do.

Some may think I use this article to promote my cattle. If you do, it’s your own fault. No one ever contacts me with anything going on at their farm, any cattle they are proud of, or anything else. You can email me or call me with anything going on. I sure do not have time to contact every Charolais breeder in North Carolina and South Carolina, so it is your responsibility to contact me. I will include any information you give me, but you have to let me know.

Okay, fussing over with, now for an apology from me for no article last month. I finally got away from the farm in May and headed to Florida to visit my daughter and granddaughters. It is amazing that I actually came home because I had such a good time that I really considered selling the farm and moving to Florida!

Dennis Adams notified me (he notifies me of news) that he will be in the area at the end of July through the first of August to screen cattle for the Southern Connections sale on October 7 in Knoxville. Contact me or Dennis if you are interested in consigning and need pictures taken.

We were sad to hear of the unexpected passing of Steve Meadows from Clemson University. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.

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!

Pasture Management Systems, Inc.

MILE OF FENCE PROGRAM

New Members by County in 2023 (as of 6-18-23)

Grand Total 756

New NCCA Members for 2023

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

Out-of-State

Audrey Fleming – Ohio

Raeleigh Silvernail – New York

Danielle Trimbur – Pennsylvania

Belinda Young – Livy Hill Farm – Virginia

Buncombe County

Lila Baggott

Harley Booth

Kavia Dills

Izaya Dours

Kadence Gates

Meyer Gregory

Tallmadghe Rain Hall

Thomas Holcombe

Ryan Justus

Daniel McPeek

Sophia Millsapps

Reese Penland

Julia Polhamus

Camryn Pressley

Amelia Penelope Reece

Zimena Reyna-Campozano

Ethan Rhinehart – Ruby Brown Farm

Anne Rigoni

Cadence Riley

Cameron Roberson

Trinity Smith

Jameson Spilman

Michael M. Thompson

Joven Vidmar

Savannah Wheeler

Lily Wright

Duplin County

Marlie Horne

Abigail Kitchton

Gillee Storm – G and G Farms

Franklin County

Trase Jones – Tar Creek Farms

Haywood County

Kaeley Alfred

Addan J. Apaseo

Jacob Appel

Logan Apperson

Emma Arrington

Olivia Bagley

Logan Ball

Skylar Ball

Will Beasley

Ayden Bowen

Caden Butler

Jasmine Cagle

Kaden Cagle

Cameron Caldwell

Kalie Cockran

Blaine Conard

Aimee Crawford

Christopher Cruz Ortiz

Connor Davis

Walker Davis

Alicia Devane

Elijah Dills

Jack Duckett

Hunter Dutertre

Eason Ezell

Kaylee Farmer

Davis Conor Ferguson

Barrett Freeman

Summer Gilmore

Christina Green

Travyn Gutierrez

Trace Guyer

Haleigh Harless

Phoebe Hyatt

Evan Jacobs

Ben James

Cole Bryson James

Ayden Jenkins

Nora Jenkins

Christopher Jessup

Bryson Justice

Ella Laughton

Tyson D. Leach

Breyson Mallette

Caitlyn McAbee

Gabriella McElroy

Hannah Mehaffey

Dalton Messer

Dulce Michua-Rojas

Even Pelletier

Kegan Plowman

Abbie Price

Jorge Ramirez

Kaila Ramsey

Zylie Ramsey

Taylor Rogers

Carter Rose

Luke Ross

Savannah Schreiber

Sierra Sellars

Cameron Shelton

Sarah Smart

Ethan Smith

Samuel Smith

Gregory Snyder-Lowe

Ashley Stone

Miley Layne Stover

Austin Teague

Nicolas Cashins Teague

Dallas Trantham

Ryan Ward

Cole Williams

Madilyn Wright

Austin Wyatt

Henderson County

Tylik Baker

Gunnar Bakken

Ryan Bartlett

Sophie Brown

Micah Burnette

Rylan Burrell

Danica Canet

Naomi Cannon

Brooke Ainsley Cantrell

Ricardo Castillo

Juana Espinoza Chavez

Anthony Sanchez Corea

Drake Elkins

Flor Fernanda

Payten Fink

Kaylee Foushee

Gavyn Gibson

Brian Cruz Gonzales

Jordin Gosnell

Josiah Gritsavage

Jackson Hamilton

Leah Hamlin

Isaac Hendrix

Jayson Hernandez

Mahalie Hill

Steven Holsinger

Mele Hunter

Jaylen Jackson

Aaron Johnson

Gabe Jones

Lukas Kachilo

Taneisa Kilgo

William Auston Kilpatrick

David Kubec

Rylee Leduc

Ava Lynch

Robert Hunter Marshall

Lucas Martin

Emily Janet Martinez Hernandez

Mason Maybin

Lexy Nicholson

Alena Nietubyc

Iliana Vera Ortega

Leah Kathryn Pace

Brenden Pickens

Monserrat Montano Prado

Adam Prince

Joseph Quann

Makenna Rector

Isaiah Reece

Emily Reynolds

Maribel Medrono Salinas

Tanner Shue

Benjamin Stevenot

Lee-Michael Strange

Jacob Tehavec

Jackson County

Zadie Adeline Reeves

Samantha Rinaldi

Johnston County

Anna Brown

Lauren McLamb

Macon County

Bryson Booe

Annabelle Brinkley

Jacob Cabe

Jenny Collins – DBS Farm

Maggie Collins – Collins Farm

Caroline Deal – Deal Family Farm

Lydia Dills

Johanna Tapia Enriquez

Tonni Evans

Yurem Feria Mendoza

Kayla Fitch

Jose Alfredo Gomez, Jr.

Tiana Gregory

Priscilla Hernandez

Darian Holland

McKayla Holland

Alexis Cheyenne Keener

Gage Ledford

Haylee Ledford

Abril Luna

Matthew McDowell

Cameron Morgan – Blades of Glory

Autumn Pader

Alexander Ramirez-Sanchez

Esperanza Rangel

Lucas Russo

Faith Sanders

Samantha Sanders

Ryan Sheldon

Gabriel Lee Simotics

Jimmie Stanfield

Trysten Keith Stanley

Aliyah Stewart

Kate Stillwell

Gabriel Stilwell

Coben Thompson

Keely Tran

Andrew Vinson

Annarose Warman

Alleda Kay Wright

Moore County

John Cooper McCrimmon

– McCrimmon Landscaping

Nash County

Heather Glennon

Bryson Parker

Onslow County

Meredith Smith

Sarah Mack Williams

Perquimans County

Benjamin Brown

J’Kyrah Brown

Morgan Byrum

Addison Chappell

Brianna Drewry

Mignona Elliott

Lileeann Estes

Leslie Lane

Indya Long

Madison Montgomery

Kendyl Moreland

Derek Morningstar

Jayden Passwaters

Taylor Phelps

William Rucker

Hailey Scott

Heather Smith

Megan Spafford

Madelyn Stallings

Miranda Stallings

Holden Talman

Mattison Winslow

Randolph County

Susie Abelardes

Braxton Adams

Kaylin Dawn Allison

Regan Allred

Emma Ammen

John Bales

Logann Beaver

Gavin Brady

John Mason Briles

Whitney Brown

Brandon Cabrera

Madison Canoy

Diego Castillo Villa

Isabelle Olivia Coble

Ryan Cole

Craven Cox

Lacey Erin Cozart

Carson Culberson

Devin Mekhi Davis

Ashton Deric Earls

Tessa Edwards

Russell Van Espinoza

Kallie Farrar

Addie Flinchum

William Howard Foxen

Sage Gurley

Austin Hancock

Victor J. Hernandez

Gene Hiatt – Cedar Lane Farm

Jessica Hollady

Anna Elise Holloway

Courtney Hunt

Devin Bryce James

Patrick Harvey Jones

Bailey Kennedy

Reagan Kennedy

Amelia Lynn Lackey

Caden Lambe

Bethany Sue Lewis

Angelica Barron Lopez

Jeremiah Duane Martin

Andres Emilio Martinez Silva

Tayler Lee McClenon

Ridge Meadows

Christopher Muro-Hurtado

Madisyn C. Neighbors

Cody New

Andrew Nielsen

Aidan Norris

Klaire Gabriella Norris

John Micah Oates

Mason Owens

Emily Parks

Josie Madalene Pearce

Leslie Ramirez

Molly Robbins

Dylan Roth

Samuel Atticus Routh

Angel Gonzalez Sanchez

Carter Self

Colin Smith

Octavia Spinks

Will Jameison Stalker

Lauren Stout

Brandon Leon Turner

Jayden Turner

Seth Turner

Violet Villanueva Reyna

Jacob Weathers

Kenly Whitaker

Austin Williams

Caroline Hope Wright

Cooper Wright

Robeson County

Trevor Stone

Rowan County

Ali Keys

Scotland County

Leonard Silas Easter

Stokes County

Kevin Farmer

Matthew Gray

Cannon Parks

Amber Pollard

Justin Rogers

Emily Shelton

Blake Turner

Surry County

Samuel Collins

Scott Kribbs – Five Creeks Farm

Transylvania County

Josue Alvarado

Baker Buchanan

Carter Coan

Charlotte Conley

David Miguel Diaz-Corn

Alex Fields

Aldo Flores

Meleah Foster

Meredith Hart

Brooklyn Leigh

Emily Lettner

Garrett Mason

Jasmyn Rene Reese

Jacey Rhoades

Lily Rogers

Noah Sasser

Jaxin Shelton

Cassia Thomas – K&G Farms

Brayden Ward

Jayeon Whitmire

Ethan Zaludek

Union County

Thomas Lyons

Wake County

Joseph David Steed

Wayne County

Sabrina Blackmon-Walters

Katlyn G. Parrish

John Avery Sasser

Will Teague

Shade Wilbanks

Deere offers new 1725C stack fold planter for cotton, peanut, corn, and soybean farmers. John Deere is offering a new 1725C CCS 12 row/30 stack fold planter along with four 1725C non-CCS planters that include 12 row/30, 12 row 36/38, 12 row 38/40, or 16 row/30 configurations. Each 1725C planter features an enhanced John Deere designed frame with convertible hitch, giving farmers more compatibility options between various tractors fitted with a Cat 3 or 4N hitch.

The latest 1725C planters come factory equipped with a full agronomic suite that includes ExactEmerge or MaxEmerge 5e row units, pneumatic row cleaners and closing wheels, and individual row hydraulic downforce. The agronomic suite helps improve seed-tosoil contact and crop emergence and can

increase the yield potential of the crop that’s planted.

Farmers who want to apply liquid fertilizer in-furrow or off-set while planting can add the optional John Deere ExactRate fertilizer system to any 1725C planter. ExactRate provides up to 20 percent more accurate nutrient placement in a turn compared to non-turn compensating systems.

All 1725C planters include electric drives that provide individual row control versus groups of rows on hydraulic drive planters, providing more accurate planting population control. Electric drive planters also reduce maintenance requirements, as they do not have wear parts like chains and sprockets found in hydraulic driven planters.

The 1725C with CCS features a 55 bushel tank so farmers can plant more acres

between refills and finish fields in less time.

On non-CCS 1725C planters, customers can choose a hopper size that best fits their farm. Deere offers a 1.6 bushel hopper for MaxEmerge 5e row units and on Exact Emerge row units (except 30 inch rows). A 2.7 bushel hopper is available for Exact Emerge row units, and a 3 bushel hopper is offered for the MaxEmerge 5e.

New rice package available for John Deere X9 1000. To meet the demands of today’s high yielding rice varieties and tighter harvesting windows faced by farmers, John Deere offers a new rice package for model year 2024 X9 1000 combines that can harvest up to 3,200 bushels per hour.

The rice package features enhanced wear parts of key components inside the combine. The tougher coatings and stainless steel parts can better withstand the abrasiveness of hybrid rice varieties when compared to previous models.

While harvesting rice, MY24 X9 1000 combines equipped with the rice package can provide up to 65 percent more harvesting capacity while using 20 percent less fuel when compared to John

Deere S790 combines. This increased harvesting capacity is possible thanks to the dual separator of the X Series that’s built to handle high crop volume without sacrificing grain quality. This ensures smooth crop flow during harvest, even in downed rice.

The grain tank on the X9 1000 can hold up to 420 bushels of rice, so farmers can spend more time harvesting and less time stopping to offload grain.

To learn more, visit www.Deere.com or your local John Deere dealer.

About John Deere. Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology enabled products, including John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray, and E-Power Backhoe, are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information on Deere & Company, visit us at www.deere.com.

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

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE

Ronnie & Donna Holman 4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659 ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com

JK RED ANGUS

Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-315-3821 jkredangus@gmail.com

LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010 johnlangdon5@gmail.com

ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY

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

PRESNELL RED ANGUS

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

BULL HILL RANCH

Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828 bullhill2@mindspring.com

COUNTRY BOY FARMS

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

FFA Packs 35,000+ Meals to Help Fight Food Insecurity in South Carolina

Raised by a single mother and having experienced homelessness as a youth, Teddy Tripp learned a thing or two about young people dealing with food insecurity.

And during a recent event at the Advanced Agribusiness Research Center at Pelion High School, Tripp helped coordinate a massive effort by young people around South Carolina to deal with food insecurity — in a very positive way — with nearly 200 FFA members packing more than 35,000 meals to be distributed to South Carolinians in need.

“Being an individual who came from a background when I was on the receiving end of those meals at one point when I was younger, I know what a lot of these kids in need are going through,” Tripp said. “So, for young people to take this time to be able to give back to maybe one of their friends or maybe a close relative or neighbor that these meals will impact, it speaks volumes for these young people to give up their time to be able to do this.”

Tripp is an event coordinator with Meals of Hope, a non-profit organization that partners with other organizations to fight food insecurity in the United States, operating food pantries in its home city of Naples, Fla., and hosting packaging events such as this one nationwide.

In this case, the March 23 event in the Midlands was aligned with FFA Day of Service, and South Carolina FFA members from across the state came together to focus on fulfilling a portion of the FFA motto, “living to serve,” as they partnered with Meals of Hope.

And not only did they meet their goal of 35,000 meals, but they also went above and beyond — packing 37,404 total meals that were set to be picked up

the following morning and distributed to South Carolinians in need in Dillon, Florence, Marlboro, Hampton, Bamberg, and Barnwell counties.

South Carolina FFA Executive Director Jillian Lash said that while local FFA chapters are often known for the service they do in their own communities, this year’s Day of Service focused on making a larger impact on the statewide problem of food insecurity — meaning all 37,404 meals are staying in the state of South Carolina.

“Meals of Hope are doing outstanding work, and it seemed like a great opportunity for our FFA members to have that hands-on experience that Agricultural Education is known for: to putting their interest into helping their communities — and what better way than feeding them,” Lash said. “This has been a year in the making, a year of planning, so it’s amazing to finally see it today and finally see those students in there with their hairnets and working hard to make sure that those meals are ready for South Carolinians.”

And from Tripp’s perspective, knowing the difference that those meals can make in the lives of other young people around the state makes the work by these FFA members even more impactful.

“Ninety percent of the children who have perfect attendance in lower-income schools are children that are going without meals at home, because they know when they come to school, this may be the one or two meals that they get. So, with food insecurity, you’re asking a child to go without or be present in something and act like they are happy, when on the inside they don’t know how to control

what’s going on. So, food insecurity is more than just something physical where a child must go without; it plays a huge role in the mental development and how it impacts that child, as well,” Tripp said.

The event was funded in part by a grant from National FFA for National Day of Service, as well as private grants and donations from around the state, and South Carolina FFA State President Drake Ariail said the packaging event epitomized key FFA values such as inclusivity and service.

“The beautiful thing about our organization is it’s for anybody — not just those from a farming background, which stood out to me because I don’t come from a farming background — and the FFA advocates for so much more than just agriculture. We advocate for leadership from people in our society, and that leadership carries over to our agricultural industry,” Ariail said. “The FFA’s name was changed …because we wanted everyone to know that the FFA welcomed all people.”

As Ariail alluded to, the letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America — and are a part of its history and heritage that will never change — but FFA is not just for students who want to be production farmers; FFA also welcomes members who aspire to other careers, as well. Thus, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture.

Today, the National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. In South Carolina, FFA is the agricultural

education component of youth development, which is offered and operated, along with South Carolina 4-H, by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service.

In South Carolina FFA, the total membership in 2021-2022 was 9,985 members across 118 FFA chapters and 22 Middle school FFA programs. Nationally, there are more than 850,00 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Lauren Knight, South Carolina FFA State Vice President, who got involved in FFA as a freshman at Swansea High School and is now a freshman at Clemson University, said the Day of Service event was exactly the kind of work that the organization prides itself in doing.

“FFA’s motto is ‘learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live and living to serve,’ so in South Carolina we have always harped on that last little phrase — living to serve — so service is a big part of the FFA, whether that be on more of a local level or the statewide level like today,” she said. “And really, FFA is all about leadership and bringing those agriculture students into an area that they can flourish.”

Summer Interns Join the AHA. The American Hereford Association (AHA) welcomed four interns in May from across the nation to join the team for the summer. Riley Greiten, Midlothian, Texas; Tate Caughman, Fayetteville, Ark.; Laramie Coffey, Morrison, Okla.; and Kase LeRow, McGregor, Texas, will assist their respective entities within the AHA to complete various projects throughout the summer.

Riley Greiten – Hereford Publications Inc. and AHA Communications Intern - Riley Greiten is serving as the Hereford Publications Inc. and AHA communications intern. Greiten is currently a senior at Texas Tech University (TTU), where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications with a minor in agricultural leadership. During her time at TTU, Greiten has had many different opportunities, including being a member of the 2022 Texas Tech meat judging team. Outside of school, she interned at the Four Sixes Ranch, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and H-E-B. Greiten is expected to graduate in December 2023. Post graduation, she plans on pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural communications. As the Hereford Publications Inc. and AHA communications intern, Greiten will assist with both the Hereford World publication and other communications efforts at AHA. She will aid in social media content strategy, as well as provide photography and writing components throughout the summer. She will write feature stories for Hereford World and assist in preparation for the 2023 AHA Annual Meeting.

Tate Caughman – Certified Hereford Beef Intern - Tate Caughman is serving as the Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) intern. Caughman graduated in May 2023 from Oklahoma State University (OSU), earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a focus in production. During her time at OSU, Caughman was heavily involved in the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association, where she served as the treasurer for the organization. Aside from her involvement in extracurricular activities, Caughman also excelled in the classroom, earning her a spot on the Dean’s List and President’s List. After her internship, Caughman plans on

News

pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural communications. As the Certified Hereford Beef intern, Caughman will assist with the day-to-day marketing of the program. She will help to market the brand to various food services as well as different retail business partners.

Laramie Coffey – Youth Activities Intern - Laramie Coffey is one of two youth activities interns. Coffey is currently a senior at OSU, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications with a minor in agribusiness. While attending OSU, Coffey has been involved in the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association and Collegiate Farm Bureau. Coffey also acts as a mentor and tutor for other students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture at OSU. Outside of the classroom, Coffey has had the opportunity to intern at the Oklahoma Youth Expo and Cattlemen’s Congress, as well as working for the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation. In her role as a youth activities intern, Coffey will assist with all facets of youth programs throughout the summer. Her role specifically includes working to manage youth educational contests while at the VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), as well as assisting with the management of the Faces of Leadership event. In her role, she will assist with the management of the JHNE Ambassador team.

Kase LeRow – Youth Activities

Intern - Kase LeRow is the second youth activities intern. LeRow is currently a senior at TTU pursuing his bachelor’s degree in animal science with a focus on production. Prior to his time at TTU, LeRow attended Blinn College, where he graduated with his associate degree in animal science. During his time at Blinn College, LeRow was an active member of the livestock judging team. LeRow is currently on the TTU livestock judging team. Besides his involvement in school, he interned for Genesource and the State Fair of Texas. LeRow is expected to graduate in May 2024. Post graduation, he hopes to obtain a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition. As a youth activities intern this summer, LeRow will assist with all youth activities and events. Specifically, he will oversee the entry process and plan show logistics for the JNHE. Additionally, LeRow will help

manage the JHNE Ambassador team.

“The AHA is happy to welcome a great group of summer interns into the office,” says Jack Ward, AHA executive vice president. “We appreciate them choosing the AHA and working alongside our staff to continue to develop their skills for the next step of their careers.” If you are interested in becoming an AHA intern, the applications open in the fall and are available at www.Hereford.org

Hereford Youth Prepare to Make a Mad Dash to the Hereford Bash. The 2023 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) is making the Mad Dash to Madison, Wis., for a Hereford Bash on July 8-14. “Mad Dash to the Hereford Bash” will be held at the Alliant Energy Center, and the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) is excited to announce 2,051 entries from 802 junior members are preparing to dash north for one of the largest junior beef breed events of the year.

Excitement is at a high level as exhibitors from 38 states and Canada plan to participate in more than just another livestock show. NJHA members look forward to competing in educational and leadership programs throughout the week long event, ranging from the future professionals contest, Hereford Bowl, speech and sales competitions to the Bridging the Gap College and Career Fair. Alongside these contests, the Hereford Youth Foundation of America awards $29,000 in scholarships to deserving junior members who applied and went through a rigorous interview process in May.

New to the Hereford Bash will be the selection of the top five females in the bred-and-owned show, made possible by the newly established GKB Cattle Youth Endowment. In addition to the top five selection, the grand champion bred-andowned female will win a trailer courtesy of GKB Cattle and Gary and Kathy Buchholz, Desdemona, Texas.

“Thanks to our long time industry partners like VitaFerm and the generosity of donors like GKB Cattle, the Junior National Hereford Expo gets more special with each passing year and memories from the event are treasured by Hereford families for a lifetime,” says Amy Cowan, American Hereford Association director of youth activities and foundation. “From the relationships to the leadership development and the champion handshakes, this year’s event is setting the stage to be remembered as the greatest Hereford Bash of all time.”

This event also hosts the NJHA Annual Meeting for its membership and the election of new directors to the NJHA board of directors. This year, nine

applicants have applied to be a candidate for the NJHA board of directors. They will begin the process of interviewing and campaigning before arrival in Madison, with hopes of receiving a coveted maroon jacket from a retiring board member.

Gates open at 2:00 p.m. on July 8, and the public is invited to watch the shows underway in Veterans Memorial Coliseum, starting on July 11 at 8:00 a.m. through July 14. For a complete schedule, please visit www.Hereford.org/youth

About the American Hereford Association. AHA, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The notfor-profit organization, along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), and 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.

4B FARMS, LLC

Shelby, NC

Bryson Westbrook

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

BLINSON POLLED HEREFORDS

Lenoir, NC

Keith & Peggy Blinson - 828-310-4526

Bryan & Beth Blinson - 919-422-9108

DOUBLE J FARM

Traphill, NC • Earlysville, VA

John Wheeler 910-489-0024

doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com www.doublejfarmllc.com

E. CARROLL JOYNER

BEEF UNIT

Raleigh, NC

Matt Morrison 716-720-0227

FIVE J’S BEEF & CATTLE COMPANY

Clayton, NC

Jody & Angela Standley

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

HEREFORD HILLS

Greensboro, NC

Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative

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

North Carolina has members attending these JULY EVENTS

Junior National Hereford Expo

July 8-14

Madison, Wisconsin

Faces of Leadership Conference

July 23-26

Columbus, Ohio

Good luck to all our Juniors who will be attending!

MITCHEM’S FARM 3C

Vale, NC

Wayne, Crystal, Regan & Jordan Mitchem 704-472-4369 mitchemsfarm@bellsouth.net

NORTH PINO LAND & CATTLE COMPANY

Mocksville, NC Kevin Robinson 336-940-2547 kevrob1@aol.com

LOVE FARMS

Blowing Rock, NC Jim Love 828-266-1458 cell • 828-295-4236

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

PRESTWOOD BEEF CATTLE

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

QUAIL RIDGE FARM Rutherfordton, NC Mark Brewer 828-329-2074 markbrewer65@gmail.com

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

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

TRIPLETT POLLED HEREFORDS Statesville, NC James Triplett 704-902-2250 triplettmarble@bellsouth.net

W&A HEREFORD FARM Providence, NC George, Tammy, William, & Andy Ward 434-251-3637 gwwardjr@comcast.net

WILL-VIA POLLED HEREFORDS Mooresville NC Lavette Teeter 704-662-5262

Cattle Farmers Address Sustainability Questions

By LAUREN REISIG

On the edge of a sprawling 3,500 acre property in southside Virginia, Paul Bennett’s eyes instinctively drift to the two dozen cows grazing outside his window. The land, once home to the Bennett family crop farm, is now Knoll Crest Farm and is solely devoted to raising cattle.

Cattle farmers know their land and livestock better than anyone. They constantly study and evaluate their practices to identify opportunities for improvement. This dedication to continuous improvement for both the cattle and the land has been central to the success of cattle farms for generations.

For decades, Paul Bennett, like other cattle farmers across the country, has utilized different technologies with the goal of maximizing sustainability. Claims that American farms are incompatible with sustainability efforts contradict the fact farmers and ranchers have been dedicated to sustainability for decades and are committed to continual improvement. They have a vested interest in sustainability and want to care for the land that was passed on from their ancestors and leave it better for future generations. They know that without careful, sustainable management, there’s no land to pass on.

Sustainability isn’t achieved in silos - Sustainability is often spoken about in siloed terms — water, climate, emissions, health. However, Paul’s son, Scott, cautions against this myopic attitude.

These silos are interdependent on, not independent of, each other. The continued health of the local ecosystem depends on farmers taking a holistic approach. “To get that big picture sustainability, you have to look at the whole operation — it’s there,” said Scott.

Paul confirms that sustainability creeps into every aspect of cattle farms. “I learned a long time ago that a big part of sustainability is customer service,” he said.

By focusing on customers’ goals and objectives, Knoll Crest Farm can tackle environmental and sustainability issues through better genetics, among other practices. For example, Paul has improved cattle’s adaptability to more extreme weather.

How does this fit into the Venn diagram of sustainability silos? It ensures “a baby calf’s ability to jump up and nurse his mom on a 15ºF morning when he’s born at 5:30,” explained Paul.

Improving the genetics of cattle means they are able to more efficiently use natural resources, which, for any business looking to be as sustainable as possible, is a win.

Sustainability is not an overnight endeavor. Many cutting edge farm practices, like genomic testing, take time to adopt. “But now we can look back and…see the quantitative difference it’s made,” remarked Paul, reflecting on the farm’s ability to now quantify that which he could previously only qualify.

Cattle farms foster a thriving ecosystem - Small, low tech sustainability efforts can have a similarly direct and positive impact on the farm’s cattle and the local ecosystem.

Simply by fencing off streams, Knoll Crest Farm has prevented cattle from wading in and muddying the water. “When the cattle do drink out of it, [the water] is crystal clear and fresh,” explained Paul.

The positive impact at Knoll Crest Farm is not unique. The empirical evidence from Virginia to California concludes that cattle grazing preserves land 1 and provides homes for other animals. In the past 20 years, Knoll Crest Farm has become a burgeoning habitat for deer, turkey, and even coyotes.

into the atmosphere — they’re part of a natural process called the biogenic carbon cycle2. Essentially, the methane produced by cattle converts back into the CO2 that plants use for photosynthesis.

The cattle eat the plants, and thus the cycle continues. Without cattle, this cycle would be broken, and the opportunity to sequester carbon could be lost if the land, once preserved by grazing cattle, is developed.

Moreover, cattle are part of a sustainable food system. In fact, cattle in the U.S. generate more protein for the human food supply than would exist without them3

“In order for this farm to be passed on from generation to generation, which is a quintessential American story, is

While Paul touted the harmonious ecosystem that emerged from their sustainability practices, a family of deer — as if on cue — crossed over the range line to join the cattle for a late afternoon snack under the April sun.

This tranquil tableau is a far cry from the image of farting and belching cows which have become scapegoats for the nation’s environmental woes.

An illogical scapegoat - The Bennetts are aware that cattle farmers are often villainized for their flatulent steer, but they contend the ire is misplaced.

Cattle belches don’t add new carbon

it has to be sustainable,” said Scott. “Sustainable financially, sustainable environmentally.”

The 2017 Census of Agriculture 4 revealed that family owned operations comprise more than 90 percent of U.S. farms and ranches.

To secure their family’s livelihood, these farmers are already working to solve questions that the average consumer wouldn’t even know to ask.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner - The innovative practices employed by the Bennetts and other forward thinking farmers are the reason that American beef is the

most sustainable, high quality in the world.

That’s why — more than 30 years after the launch of the iconic ad campaign5 — beef is still what’s for dinner.

Paul’s confidence in cattle farming practices means he is just as comfortable buying ground chuck on sale at the grocery store as he is ordering certified prime cuts of beef at a steakhouse.

This past April, the Bennett family celebrated Scott’s wedding with a reception at The Monocle Restaurant, a D.C. mainstay adjacent to Union Station and Capitol Hill.

With Knoll Crest Farm’s cattle genetics sold to ranches in nearly every state in the U.S., was it possible that beef originating from their family farm made it to Scott’s wedding? Maybe.

Was beef part of their wedding meal? “Yes, there was beef served,” Scott laughed. “For sure.”

For more information on cattle farm sustainability and all things beef, visit www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

References

1www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/8/4466

2www.clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/ biogenic-carbon-cycle-and-cattle

3www.academic.oup.com/tas/article/2 /4/439/5050230?login=false

4 www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/ AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/ Typology/typology.pdf

5www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

Reprinted from Washingtonian online

2024 Clemson University Bull Test Update

By BRIAN BOLT, Ph.D., Clemson University

I hope this finds you well. It’s hard to begin a CU Bull Test update without acknowledging the loss of my longtime colleague, co-worker, and friend, Dr. Steve Meadows. There will be no way to replace him at Clemson University. We can only hope to honor the work he had done by continuing to serve the cattle producers of the region. I am serving as the interim director for our bull testing program while we make plans for the future.

I would like to acknowledge everyone involved with Bull Testing at Clemson University, from the consignors who continue to send us high quality, high performing bulls to the dedicated staff at the CU Beef Farm who provide daily care and management of the bulls. This is truly a team effort that results in genetics that have been thoroughly tested, screened, and evaluated across almost all production parameters.

We have kicked off our nomination period for the 2024 Clemson Bull Test, with nominations being due by July 15. More information can be found at www. clemson.edu/extension/bulltest/clemson/index.html. Bull delivery day was pushed back a few days, but most other details remain the same.

We hope you will be able to join us in person or virtually for the sale, scheduled for February 3, 2024, at the T. Ed Garrison Arena Cattle Complex in Pendleton, South Carolina. Along with this, I hope to begin communication about our plans for the Edisto Research and Education Center (EREC) Bull Test soon, slated to begin in the spring of 2024, and resume our annual sale in the fall of 2024.

If you have any questions or thoughts that I may be of assistance with, do not hesitate to reach out. Feel free to call or text me at 864-934-2104 or email me at bolt@clemson.edu

Culinary Corner

Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner Culinary Team

Kick Off Summer Grilling Season with Beef

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Checkoff funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand kicks off summer grilling season with delicious recipes and tips for cooking burgers four ways. The iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand is sharing tips for cooking burgers all summer, no matter where you are. The sound and smell of beef sizzling on the grill are synonymous with summer, and the beef experts are here to test trending methods and provide tips for a flawless beef burger.

Cooking burgers on the grill is the most traditional method and with good reason. Most grills can accommodate a large number of burgers, making it ideal for feeding a crowd. It’s also quick and easy and keeps the mess, and the heat, outside on those hot summer nights.

No grill? No problem! There are plenty of great ways you can prepare your burgers all summer long, from a cast iron skillet to a smoker, griddle, or even the waffle iron cooking method trending on social media, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. culinary team has best practices for every method.

Cast Iron Skillet - If you consider yourself a novice chef or need to cook a

burger indoors, a cast iron skillet is the perfect method. Using a skillet allows the burgers to cook in their own juices, which ensures a juicy burger with a rich flavor profile. Chef Alex Reitz of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. culinary team explains, “Skillet cooking will also create a tasty and even crust on both sides of the burger, locking in the natural flavor.” He also recommends covering the top of the skillet to allow the burger to cook more evenly.

Smoker - Smokers and pellet grills have increased in popularity over the past several years. Traditionally known for cooking large cuts of beef low and slow, they are also great for burgers! “This cooking method will take a bit longer than normal, but always remember that time, patience, and practice pay off — don’t be afraid to tweak your technique to suit your tools and tastes,” says Chef Reitz. Cooking on a smoker will give similar results to grilling but leaves room for customization of smokiness and flavor depending on what wood you choose.

Griddle - Another great cooking method to consider this summer is the “smash burger” technique. Smash burgers are commonly cooked on a griddle,

and with so many griddle options –from indoor cooktops to small portable versions – this method is popular whether at home or on the go. Chef Reitz loves this technique and explains, “Smashing your burger into a flatter/thinner patty will result in a really crispy crust that can’t be replicated with other cooking methods. In addition to cutting down on cooking time, you can play with flavors by adding different toppings, like onions, to your patty as you smash it on the griddle.”

Waffle Iron - You may have seen waffle burgers trending on social media lately, so our culinary experts put this method to the test. “This may not become your primary burger cooking method,” says Chef Reitz, “but it does work and

might be a fun way to get social media loving kids away from the screen and into the kitchen.”

No matter what cooking methods you try this summer, make sure to follow these tips for success. First, form your patty slightly larger than your bun to achieve the perfect bun-to-beef ratio after cooking. Second, avoid the temptation of flipping the burger too early. Wait until the burger releases from the cooking surface, and only flip once to keep all of those juices locked inside. Finally, always use a thermometer and make sure to cook your burger to a safe and savory internal temperature of 160F.

For more great burger tips and recipes, visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Topcon introduces new feed management platform options for optimizing resources. Topcon Agriculture announces advances in its TAP FEED management cloud based software platform for dairy and beef operations. Platform options now include the free TAP FEED App and the subscription based TAP FEED Lite and TAP Feed Pro for dairy producers. For feed advisors, consultants, and nutritionists, the new TAP FEED Advisor customer management tool is also now available.

TAP FEED integrates feed management software with feed mixer scales. Feed mixers efficiently combine ingredients, forming a total mixed ration (TMR). Mixer weighing systems allow users to manage and track feed loads to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support calculated management strategies.

“The easy-to-use feed management software is tied directly to proven feed mixer weighing technology, including mobile app and cloud integration, representing the latest evolution in modern feed management,” said Michael Stone, vice president of product development for Topcon Agriculture. “Precise management decreases waste and increases performance. With feed accounting for over 50 percent of operating costs, precision management is essential for profitability.”

Two new add-ons are also available, one providing the ability to connect TAP FEED subscriptions to third party feed management and technology such as herd management, feed suppliers, and more. The other add-on is an advanced inventory manager allowing users to manage and track feed inventory, including input ordering features, ingredient and inventory management, re-ordering systems, inventory alerts, and reports.

“For the feed company and consulting side of the industry, we are excited to launch TAP FEED Advisor. Many farmers manually report feeding results to their advisors. By adopting a digital workflow approach, advisors can remotely monitor their client’s activities, create reports, analyze use, and provide insights for improved profitability in real time,” he said.

Learn more about TAP FEED at www.topconpositioning.com . View a video on TAP FEED Lite at vimeo.com/ topcon/tapfeedliteoverview

About Topcon Positioning Group. Topcon Positioning Group, always one step ahead in technology and customer benefits, is an industry leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial, and agriculture markets. Topcon Positioning Group is headquartered in Livermore, California.

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 purch ased 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, 14 th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

A MEssAgE froM thE cEo

By COLIN WOODALL National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Success Breeds Contempt…and Attacks

Why do animal activist groups care about reforming the Checkoff? They don’t, but they do care that the Checkoff has been hugely successful over the years in building consumer demand for beef. While each day, another unsuspecting American is duped into giving just “$19 a month” to help the dogs and cats, the reality is most of these groups are focused on their anti-meat political agendas and not animal welfare. Groups like these want to slow down and eliminate meat consumption, and they have figured out that the best way to do that is to make it harder to do what we do. Animal activists support things such as EPA’s WOTUS rule because it will make it harder on us as producers. Their latest effort is around promoting the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act, better known as the OFF Act, because it would dismantle the Checkoff as we know it and destroy the great work this program has done for decades.

More specifically, this bill would

prohibit the Checkoff from contracting with any organization that lobbies on agricultural policy. Since NCBA employs federally registered lobbyists, this legislation would prevent us from being a contractor even though we have a firewall in place prohibiting Checkoff dollars from being spent on policy advocacy efforts. Our firewall is audited by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and USDA, and we have our own internal accounting and compliance controls to ensure we comply with the Checkoff regulations. The firewall is a sacred line that we just won’t cross. If NCBA was prohibited from being a contractor, the future of programs like Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner advertising campaigns, and the work we do in nutrition research would be in jeopardy. The Checkoff works on a cost-recovery basis which means we must front all the expenses for the work we do. We then submit these expenses to CBB for review to make sure we have met all the requirements

we agreed to in order to be a contractor. If we pass the review, then we can get reimbursed for the expenses we incurred. NCBA was designed by the cattle producers who developed the first Beef Industry Long Range Plan to serve the role of a Checkoff contractor. This was the will and intent of cattle producers, and we don’t believe Congress has a right to trump that.

The OFF Act goes further to prevent the Checkoff from engaging in unfair or deceptive acts or from disparaging other agricultural commodities. The current Checkoff regulations already prevent that from happening. The legislation also requires the Checkoff to publish their financial information and allow for compliance audits by USDA’s Office of the Inspector General. You can find the Checkoff financials on the CBB’s website today, along with the authorization requests each contractor submitted outlining the scope of work and the expense required to execute the programs.

5 for the AUGUST issue.

Is there a problem?

Furthermore, the Office of the Inspector General can audit Checkoff contractors whenever they want. These provisions of the bill clearly illustrate that the sponsors have no idea how the Checkoff works and, more importantly, have no respect for the producers who volunteer their time to help lead and direct the Checkoff.

So, who is behind this legislation?

The Senate bill is led by Senator Cory Booker, a vegan Democrat from New Jersey. His co-sponsor is Senator Mike Lee, a beef eating Republican from Utah. This is a great example of where you get so far out on either side of the political spectrum that you meet up again. On the House side, South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace is joined by Democrat Dina Titus from Las Vegas. The one thing tying them all together is animal activist groups. Senator Booker is a known animal activist and receives support from groups like HSUS. Representative Mace has made animal activism a hallmark of her time in Congress, and Representative Titus is part of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus. We can now put Senator Lee in the animal activist category, given his willingness to join this group and ignore the will of his constituent cattle producers in Utah. As all our mothers warned, be careful who you hang out with. These Members of Congress are nothing but puppets of these activist groups.

The Checkoff belongs to you. Cattle producers fund it, lead it, and direct its efforts. An effort was undertaken in 2020 and 2021 to gather enough producer signatures to force a referendum on whether the Checkoff should continue.

After 15 months of collecting signatures, the petitioners failed to get ten percent of the producers needed for the vote. However, that failure was a de facto vote and showed the vast majority of producers know the value the Checkoff brings. NCBA will continue to expose that this legislation is not really about the Checkoff. It is about the activist agendas of the groups supporting it.

NcBA prEsidENt’s rEport

By TODD WILKINSON National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Making Strong Statements in Washington This Spring

Thank you to everyone who came out for NCBA’s 2023 Legislative Conference in April. We had a strong showing of more than 300 cattle producers in attendance, directly advocating for the cattle industry in Congress and at federal agencies. This was our first Legislative Conference since 2019, and I was proud to see all the cowboy hats blanketing our nation’s capital. Having that many cattle producers in Washington at one time makes a big statement and is a testament to our strength as an industry.

A major issue we tackled during our time in Washington, D.C., was the deceptively named “Opportunities for Fairness in Farming,” or OFF Act. Well, let’s call it what it really is: the Obliterating Family Farms Act. The bottom line, this is a bad bill that would cripple beef research and promotion efforts that are critical to our livelihoods and the beef industry as a whole. The unholy alliance supporting this legislation includes a laundry list of animal rights groups like PETA and HSUS. It’s being pressed by Senators and Representatives with track records of trying to tear down

our industry. I continue to be shocked, but not surprised, that R-CALF has even joined this dubious group, hoping again to use an alliance with animal rights activists to tear down the Beef Checkoff. How can anyone who raises livestock or eats meat put their name next to groups that dream about seeing our farms and ranches shut down for good? Having producers tell their own members of Congress they support the Beef Checkoff is the best defense against bad bills like the OFF Act.

Cattlemen and women also visited federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of the Interior. NCBA members shared powerful stories about the negative impact government overreach creates for their operations. With the new WOTUS rule in place for half the country, producers talked about having to hire lawyers to make sure they are compliant and cut back in other areas to afford legal bills. Producers had meetings with Interior Department officials about the Endangered Species Act and said they have watched the

lesser prairie chicken population fluctuate over the years based primarily on the amount of moisture available on the range. They told these officials cattle production only helps create good habitat for the species, and listing the prairie chicken would only hurt populations further and stop producers from doing what they do best, preserving habitat on working lands. This grassroots advocacy cannot be replicated because it takes all of us to take precious time away from our operations and spend a week in Washington fighting for the future of our industry.

I echoed many of these producer sentiments shortly after Legislative Conference when I testified before the House Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry on the state of the U.S. cattle industry. This hearing was an opportunity for us to help Congress understand the issues of importance to our businesses. I also drove home the message that unintended consequences and over-regulation have a drastic and negative impact on cattle producers and rural communities.

The subcommittee asked questions on a variety of topics. They also showed interest in the ways Congress can help

cattle producers. I thanked Congress for creating and funding programs like the Livestock Forage Disaster Program and the Livestock Risk Protection Program which greatly help producers deal with severe weather conditions and unexpected disasters. I called on Congress to robustly fund programs combating foreign animal disease outbreaks through the 2023 Farm Bill. I made it clear to lawmakers that a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on U.S. soil would not only be detrimental to America’s farmers and ranchers, but it would also be a huge hit to the U.S. economy and our export markets.

I was asked multiple times by committee members about federal regulations and their impact on cattle producers. And, to put it bluntly, I said regulatory overreach from the federal government makes farmers and ranchers feel attacked. I know you’re pushing back on bad regulations in your home states; it takes all of us to make sure legislators understand the consequences of government overreach. That is why the advocacy work we do in Washington, D.C., is so important, and it is why I was proud to be able to speak before this committee to fight for producers and the future of our industry.

growing world population.”

NCBA News

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

Cattle Industry Groups Strongly Support the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act. Leading national and state cattle industry organizations have announced their support for the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Representatives Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Don Davis (D-N.C.).

NCBA President Todd Wilkinson“The threat of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States represents an existential threat to every cattle producer. It would also threaten this nation’s food and national security. We must act now to ensure we are prepared to combat a potential crisis before it happens. As a cattle producer, it is reassuring to see bipartisan support for legislation like the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act, which will help our industry prepare for and ultimately prevent a national crisis.”

California Cattlemen’s Association President Steve Arnold - “The wellness and care of cattle is not taken lightly by

California ranching families and cattle producers throughout the United States. We thank California Representative Jim Costa and Congress for also making animal health a priority with the bipartisan support of the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act. These proactive investments to ensure the stability of our cow herds and ranching lifestyles amid a future foreign animal disease outbreak are invaluable steps forward.”

Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President Bob Noble - “It is not a matter of if, but rather when the U.S. cattle industry will face a foreign animal disease outbreak. We should take what we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response, such as the need for enhanced vaccine manufacturing, improved precautionary planning, and disease mitigation practices, and apply those key learnings to protect cattle production so as to not find ourselves in a situation of trying to play catch up. It is crucial that the new Farm Bill continue to support and expand animal disease prevention and management with proactive measures to not only protect the livelihoods of cattle producers but, more importantly, to sustain a food supply reliant on the high quality protein beef cattle provide for a

Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Kaitlyn Root - “Support for foreign disease prevention and response programs is crucial for ensuring Minnesota cattle producers can continue operating safely and efficiently. A foreign animal disease could destroy the U.S. cattle industry, so financial support for these programs in the Farm Bill is necessary and appreciated.”

Nebraska Cattlemen President Steve Hanson - “Food security is national security, which makes additional investments vital for prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak. Our producers rely on these programs to protect their livelihood in the case of an outbreak.”

North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association President Scott West - “Here in North Carolina, cattle producers often run diversified farming operations with many different types of livestock, which would only compound the overall devastation caused by a foreign animal disease. We appreciate leaders like Representative Don Davis and many others for introducing the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act to help us be better prepared for a foreign animal disease outbreak before it happens. Making these critical investments today will protect the U.S. livestock industry for generations to come.”

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Arthur Uhl“The U.S. cattle industry has built its strong reputation on its safe, nutritious, and high quality beef. Preparing our nation to work together in the case of a foreign animal

disease outbreak is a top priority for Texas. Thank you to the leaders championing this issue, including Senator John Cornyn and Representative Ronny Jackson.”

Texas Cattle Feeders Association

Chairman Michael Bezner - “Increased investments to enhance disease surveillance, secure beef supply plans for cattle feeders, and expansion of the vaccine bank for foreign animal diseases will significantly increase resiliency of the U.S. cattle and beef production supply chain. TCFA supports the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2023, and we appreciate Senator Cornyn’s and Representative Jackson’s leadership to advance this bipartisan legislation in collaboration with other members of Congress.”

Cattle Producers Rejoice in Supreme Court Ruling on WOTUS Case. Unanimous Decision in Sackett v. EPA Narrows Scope and Regulatory Burden of the Clean Water Act. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the Sackett family in Sackett v. EPA – the court’s most recent consideration of which features are subject to federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction. In its holding, the court soundly rejected the contentious “significant nexus” test. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) strongly supports this ruling and is currently engaged in litigation against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Biden Administration’s WOTUS definition.

“Cattle producers across the country can breathe a sigh of relief today. Since EPA’s adoption of the “significant nexus” test, cattle producers have had to retain costly legal services to determine if water features on their property are federally jurisdictional,” said Todd Wilkinson. “Today’s Supreme Court opinion refocuses the Clean Water Act on protecting our water resource through regulatory clarity. We look forward to working with the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as they implement the Court’s new Continuous Surface Connection standard.”

~ Joey

NCBA submitted an amicus brief in the Sackett case, encouraging elimination of the Significant Nexus test in exchange for a more practical standard. “In its brief to the Court, NCBA highlighted the unconstitutionality of imposing criminal penalties for violations of vague standards under the Clean Water Act. The Court recognized and reversed the Significant Nexus test, in part due to the constitutional due process risk that it created,” said Mary-Thomas Hart, Chief Counsel for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

NCBA has been heavily involved in litigation surrounding the WOTUS rule

“As president of the Duplin County Cattlemen’s Association and a fellow cattleman, I encourage you to take five minutes of your time to speak with Donna Byrum. She introduced me to a program that I knew nothing about, and within six months she was on my doorstep with a check. The PRF program has been a blessing amid the changing climate and different extremes that all our farming operations have experienced.”

Carter

since 2015. NCBA filed suit against the Obama era WOTUS definition, defended the Trump era definition that brought more clarity to what water features are included under WOTUS, and filed suit against the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule that did not include critical

agricultural exemptions.

NCBA Praises House Appropriations Committee for Advancing Agricultural Bill. Legislation Includes Cattle Industry Priorities on UDSA Rules, Animal Health. Recently, NCBA thanked members of the House Appropriations Committee for

Federation oF

State BeeF CounCilS update

Federation Through the Decades:

2000s. As the Federation of State Beef Councils celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, let’s step back in time and look at successful projects that have created a strong state/national partnership through the decades. Uncertainty ruled the first decade of the new millennium for both producers and consumers. The fear of a Y2K technological meltdown had everyone on edge as the calendar flipped from 1999 to 2000. The arrival of an animal disease crippled the industry, but stakeholders rallied to keep beef on consumer plates.

In December 2003, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in a cow in Washington, and immediately the industry’s crisis management plan, which was developed in the ‘90s, was activated with the beef industry working with food safety experts to reassure consumers about beef’s safety. Consumer confidence in U.S. beef actually increased from 89 percent in December 2003 to 91 percent by February 2004. Throughout the crisis, the Federation provided state beef councils with staff support, expertise, and resources to share information with consumers and producers locally.

Checkoff funded programs during the decade included consumer market and human nutrition research, iconic promotional campaigns, the introduction of a variety of valuable new cuts, and the creation of new beef recipes. Checkoff funded muscle profiling research reinvented and added value to the chuck and round, which were previously underutilized and undervalued, by developing “new” cuts, including the flat iron steak and petite tender. Foodservice outlets sold 47 million pounds of flat iron steaks in 2005, with 106 million pounds of beef value cut steaks sold in total that year.

Composer Aaron Copland’s iconic “Rodeo” music and the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand became synonymous,

and Sam Elliott’s distinctive voice brought beef’s message to homes nationwide. The Beef Industry Safety Summit was established in 2003 as an opportunity “to bring industry safety leaders and scientists together to hear the latest research results, learn about advancements in food safety monitoring and testing methodology, and openly converse with competitors seeking solutions that benefit the entire industry.”

In 2009, the Checkoff funded Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program was created to develop strong beef advocates by offering a free, self guided online course for farmers, ranchers, service providers, consumers, and other members of the beef community. The online lessons address environmental sustainability, beef nutrition, animal welfare, and beef safety while taking advocates through the beef lifecycle, from pasture to plate. Upon completion of five interactive online lessons, advocates become equipped with the communication skills and information to be confident in sharing beef stories on social media and in communities to help others better understand how cattle are raised and how beef can be part of healthy, sustainable diets.

These programs and others provided state beef councils with the staff expertise and materials to extend beef messaging within their own states. Federation support from voluntary state contributions also supplemented the national Checkoff budget and helped the Federation enhance state services. States supported each other as well. In 2006, the Federation Initiative Fund was created to provide beef councils in high population states with low Checkoff collections additional dollars for beef promotion and education campaigns.

For more information about the Federation of State Beef Councils, visit www.ncba.org/federation . Next month, digital advertising comes of age in the 2010s with consumers liking, tweeting, and pinning beef.

advancing the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill, which will provide funding for essential programs that support cattle producers while defending against overreaching regulations.

“We are pleased the House Appropriations Committee showed such strong support for a number of cattle industry priorities, including protecting producers’ ability to capture premiums by nullifying USDA’s overreaching Packers and Stockyards rules and lowering cattle producers’ cost burden in implementing animal disease traceability,” said NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer. “NCBA thanks Chairwoman Granger and Chairman Harris for their leadership and urge swift adoption of this bill on the House floor.”

The bill is a win for cattle producers and would defund the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s harmful Packers and Stockyards rules. These rules would open cattle producers to frivolous complaints and lawsuits and, if implemented, would harm cattle producers’ ability to capture premiums from their high quality cattle.

Additionally, the bill would provide $10 million for the purchase of electronic identification (EID) tags and related infrastructure to support the implementation of animal disease traceability. Several other industry priorities are included in the legislation, such as reports on cell cultured meat, the Cattle Contracts Library Pilot Program, and the Asian Longhorned Tick, and funding for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, feral swine eradication, and healthy dog importation screenings.

The bill now goes to the full House of Representatives for consideration. NCBA urges both the House and the Senate to support these key agricultural provisions.

The 2023 YCC Class Marks 40 Years of Leadership Development. Recently, the NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC) program concluded its successful relaunch after a three year hiatus. This year’s class included 71 leaders from

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across the nation and every segment of the beef industry. After nine days of intensive leadership training and a five city tour that showcased every facet of the beef industry, these leaders completed their trip with a full day of representation in Washington, D.C. The event, which is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, Elanco, Farm Credit, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, John Deere, Tyson, and NCBA, is designed to give participants exposure to the full supply chain. Completion of YCC prepares participants to serve as leaders within their state associations in addition to being advocates for NCBA and the beef community.

The 2023 class began its journey in Denver, Colo., with classroom sessions designed to provide background knowledge about NCBA and the work it conducts on behalf of its members and the beef community. In Denver, participants took part in leadership development sessions, media training, and hands-on demonstrations of the work NCBA does as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The group also made a visit to Greeley, Colo., to tour Five Rivers Cattle Feeding’s Kuner Feedyard and enjoyed an evening with Trent Johnson and the outstanding staff at Greeley Hat Works.

“The challenges facing cattle and beef producers increase every day. Part of NCBA’s role, and an important part of our success, is the ability to identify and develop leaders while also preparing them to meet these challenges head-on. YCC is a crucial part of this process and we are thankful to each of our sponsors for helping us conduct this important program,” said Wyoming cattle producer and NCBA president-elect Mark Eisele, who also participated in the trip. “Developing the next generation of leaders is just one of the ways that NCBA continues to protect and enhance the cattle business. The YCC program helps participants develop their leadership skills, while also exposing them to the full value chain in a way that not many producers get to experience.”

Eisele noted that the YCC experience allows participants to return to their respective state and breed associations and serve in a wide variety of leadership roles. Many participants then rise to national roles at NCBA and other industry associations, so the background knowledge they gain during this trip helps prepare them for that future in leadership.

“Providing knowledge, information, and leadership skills is an important function for NCBA and one we take seriously,” Eisele said.

In Nebraska and Ohio, YCC participants had the opportunity to visit Tyson Foods’ Dakota City beef processing

plant, the headquarters of Certified Angus Beef, and Wendy’s restaurants. Stops in these locations allowed the group to gain a better understanding of the full beef value chain, from processing through marketing and consumer outlets for beef.

The 2023 YCC class finished its itinerary in Washington, D.C., where participants learned how NCBA’s policy work impacts their operations and the broader industry. After an in-depth policy issue briefing from NCBA’s lobbyists and staff experts, participants took to Capitol Hill, visiting more than 200 congressional offices to advocate for industry policy priorities.

“Over the past nine days, each member of the class has had the opportunity to better understand the cattle and beef industries and the complex relationships that represent the industry today. In addition, each of us has made connections and had experiences that will benefit us now and in the future. The leadership skills and the knowledge we’ve gained will allow each of us to continue on our leadership journey and provide us with ways that we can give back to the industry that we love,” said 2023 YCC Chair Jake Feddes, a Montana cattle producer. “Visiting the offices of our elected officials in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the issues that affect us was particularly meaningful for our class and we’re proud of the impact we had on Capitol Hill. After spending time with each of these talented individuals, I’m absolutely confident that the future of the beef industry is bright.”

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

Buy feed now, pay later: Feed financing program with deferred payments. The 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program – offered as part of a collaboration between Purina Animal Nutrition and John Deere Financial – can help maximize your cash flow and provide payment flexibility that fits your livestock marketing schedule. Rising interest rates. High input costs. Inflation. These are all fiscal challenges facing cattle, sheep, and goat operations around the country. Fortunately, livestock markets are on the upswing, providing momentum to capitalize on the situation with the right tools and timing.

“The 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program can help offset one of the most significant expenses on your livestock operation by delaying payments until it works for you,” says Jay Rogers, director of dealer operations for Purina Animal Nutrition. “The 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program allows you to defer paying for select Purina cattle, sheep, or goat nutrition products for up to six months. It gives you the flexibility to pay for feed after your livestock have been marketed.”

How it works - Purina has collaborated with John Deere Financial to offer this unique feed financing tool.1 The 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program has been available regionally and is now offered nationally through participating Purina dealers.

“Registration in the program is done through participating Purina dealers, and the enrollment periods last six months,” Rogers says. “During the six month enrollment period, Purina pays the interest charge.”

“The six month enrollment timing aims to match when you provide supplemental nutrition to cattle, sheep, or goats and then target to market them at the end of the enrollment period before interest begins to accrue,” Rogers says. Here are some examples of how this could work:

• Cattle - You have a spring calving cow herd, and feed financing enrollment starts on July 1. You plan to creep feed during the summer and then wean calves in the fall feeding Purina starters and mineral. The enrollment period would end on December 31. Ideally, calves would be marketed before this date, and the feed bill would be paid with their sale proceeds.

• Sheep or goats - You have a flock of sheep or a herd of goats, and feed

financing enrollment began on June 1. You’ve weaned the lambs or kids. You plan to graze throughout the summer, supplying Purina mineral and feed tubs in the pasture with the aim to breed ewes or does towards the end of the summer. The enrollment period would end on November 30. Ideally, lambs or kids would be marketed before this date, and the feed bill would be paid with their sale proceeds.

Select Purina cattle, sheep, and goat supplements and minerals are eligible for the 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program. Feed mixed with Purina cattle, sheep, and goat supplements is also qualified to participate. Contact your Purina dealer for complete details on eligible products.

Advantages to financing - Financing your feed, especially with an offer like this, gives you many advantages to help reach your operation goals, including:

• Financial certainty knowing your rate is locked in and won’t fluctuate.

• Purina covers your interest charge for up to six months during the enrollment period, which wouldn’t be the case with an operating line of credit and only comes when you pay cash.

• Maximizing your cash flow by keeping your operating line and cash available for unforeseen expenses.

• Offering an additional resource to help establish and maintain a successful operation.

• Go to www.purinamills.com/6-40 or contact your local Purina dealer for more details on the 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program.

Reference

1The 6-4-0 Feed Financing Program is a collaboration between Purina Animal Nutrition and John Deere Financial.

Purina Animal Nutrition. Purina is a national organization serving producers, animal owners, and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients, and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Beef CheCkoff News

Restaurants Hungry to Sell More

Beef. Whether eating at home or dining in a restaurant, the consumer’s appetite for beef remains strong. 1 And while foodservice beef sales declined sharply during the pandemic, sales in both dollars and volume have rebounded to surpass pre-pandemic levels of 2019. 2 Foodservice occupies a majority of beef sales, with 57 percent of beef sales occurring away from home.3 This market is a critical segment of the supply chain and provides tremendous opportunities for increased beef sales.

Foodservice beef sales by volume and value are projected to increase through 2027. In 2021, foodservice beef sales totaled 6.9 billion pounds and $31.7 billion. Those numbers are expected to increase to 9.4 billion pounds and $51.9 billion by 2027.4

The supply chain and market research teams at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor of the Beef Checkoff, partnered with Restaurant Business magazine to host a “Today’s Beef Consumer” webinar for foodservice, retail, and distribution representatives. The most current data was presented about what’s driving consumer purchase behavior, perceptions, and beef trends in foodservice. Foodservice decision makers gained valuable insights equipping them with the information they need to sell more beef.

“It is really important to share information about beef with our supply chain partners so that they know beef is a versatile product that can increase their sales,” said Trey Mosier, director of foodservice engagement at NCBA.

West End Precast

276-228-5024

Wytheville, Virginia

“Building relationships with foodservice partners is critical to expanding sales of beef in the away-from-home market.”

This joint effort brought the supply chain and market research teams together to share the most current consumer data with this broad influential audience. More than 450 people registered for the event, and attendees were engaged throughout the presentation, asking thoughtful questions and demonstrating support for beef farmers and ranchers.

Beef continues to perform better than chicken when it comes to taste, and beef currently holds a slight advantage over chicken in terms of consumer perception of nutritional value. 5 In addition, consumers continue to perceive beef as a great source of protein.5

According to Haden Comstock, associate director of market intelligence and tracking at NCBA, while beef demand remains strong, macroeconomic factors such as consumers saving less and accumulating more credit card debt and persistently elevated inflation rates signal that demand may soften in the future. For consumers, cost is becoming more important than convenience, and while they are not eliminating beef, their purchasing preferences are transitioning to more economical cuts. Webinar presenters suggested that restaurants emphasize those cuts and create a unique dining experience to keep beef on plates.

The webinar resulted in increased engagement with companies wanting to know how they can leverage a relationship with the beef industry to sell more beef in their operations. Restaurant Business stated that this was one of

8 ft Concrete Feed Bunks

Water

their best performing webinars they’ve ever had in terms of registration and engagement, expressing, “This live event exceeded expectations for all our webinar metrics!”

Webinars continue to be valuable sources of information for supply chain partners as they make business and buying decisions. NCBA will offer more Checkoff funded virtual educational opportunities in the future to build demand for beef with foodservice and retail operators.

Watch the webinar and learn about “Today’s Beef Consumer” at www. beefitswhatsfordinner.com/foodservice/ todays-beef-consumer-webinar.

References 1 USDA, Economic Research Service, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

2023 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts

Sides

Bekkerman, et al. 2019

2 GlobalData, Beef Produce by Channel in U.S.,2019-2023

3NielsenIQ, Discover, 2022 Retail Beef Sales

4 GlobalData, Beef Product by Channel in U.S., 2019-2027

5Consumer Beef Tracker, 2018-2022

About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50¢ on the dollar and forward the other 50¢ per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

BioZyme Announces 2023 Summer Interns. BioZyme Inc. is excited to announce its 2023 summer interns. For many years, BioZyme has welcomed summer interns to the team as a part of its commitment to outreach and youth in the agriculture industry. Over the years, many of these interns have not only remained part of the BioZyme family, but several have gone on to accept full time positions with the company. This year’s class of interns is comprised of three talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Ethan Dennis of Saint Joseph, Mo., has been named the Sales Intern. Haylee Henry of London, Ohio, and Dawson Osborn of Lynchburg, Ohio, have been named Marketing Interns. Dennis will travel with the Business Development Team to various locations this summer to learn more about sales and working with customers. Henry and Osborn will focus their attention at various junior livestock shows and events this summer while engaging with youth and potential customers and helping young livestock exhibitors discover their “formula 4 success” with the BioZyme Family of Brands.

Ethan Dennis is a sophomore at Northwest Missouri State University, majoring in business. He eventually hopes to use his skills to go into sales and is looking forward to learning more about BioZyme products. He will travel with BioZyme’s Alan Lee, John Jeffrey, and others to further his product and sales knowledge. He has experience working part time at BioZyme while attending college. He enjoys hunting, fishing, trapping, and spending time with family.

“I am excited to learn more about the BioZyme products and to learn more about sales tactics from different people. Really, no matter what part of business I go into, learning different ways to sell from different people will be beneficial. I really admire Alan Lee and the way he talks about the products, so I am excited to learn from him this summer,” Dennis said.

“Ethan’s enthusiasm to learn more about sales and the BioZyme Family of Brands is going to lead him to excel not only in this internship, but in life. He is a young man who is not afraid to ask questions, roll his sleeves up, and get to work, and he encompasses the passion for people and animals that we all do here at BioZyme,” said Alan Lee, Director of Domestic Business Development.

Haylee Henry is a May 2023 graduate of South Dakota State University, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Leadership with a minor in Marketing. At SDSU, she was president of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, a College of Ag Ambassador, and a member of the SDSU Women’s Choir. She served a two year term on the National Junior Swine Association board of directors.

Henry is looking forward to attending graduate school at the University of Arkansas, where she plans to get a master’s degree in Agricultural Extension & Education. She is a long time user of Vita Charge Liquid Boost and a variety of Sure Champ products, and she says she appreciates the consistent results that the products offer.

“I’m looking forward to this internship as an opportunity to help make me a more well rounded individual, as I’m always looking for opportunities to grow,” Henry said. “There is always a chance to learn if you are 8 years old or 85. I put 110 percent into everything, and I am looking forward to working with a side of the industry that is more based with reaching producers and consumers.”

Dawson Osborn attends The Ohio State University with plans to graduate with a degree in Political Science in December 2023. He is active on campus, is on the livestock judging team, serves as reporter for the Saddle & Sirloin Club, and was the Alpha Gamma Sigma Fraternity secretary and steer show chair. He also served as the 2021-22 Ohio FFA Association State Reporter. Osborn was a member of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Collegiate Policy Academy, Ohio Cattlemen’s BEST Junior Representative, and a member of the Ohio Junior Shorthorn Association board of directors.

His career goals include serving as an advocate for an agricultural organization or working in public policy to help make ag a more predominant focus. He would like to spend some time in Washington, D.C. He credits his dad as his role model for always serving as a mentor to him and others in the livestock industry while also having a successful career.

“To me, care that comes full circle means taking care of the people in our industry just as much as it does the actual livestock. I believe in treating people with hospitality and giving them my full attention in all interactions,” Osborn said.

“I have used the Sure Champ products for the ten years that I showed and know the products well. I am looking forward to going to shows and promoting products I am confident in.”

“We are so excited to have two diverse young livestock enthusiasts join the Marketing Team for the summer,” said Lori Lawrence, BioZyme Senior Manager of Commercial Marketing. “Both Haylee and Dawson have wonderful experiences in the livestock industry, are eager to learn and engage with adults and young people, and are genuinely interested in sharing our products and helping others succeed, carrying out our mission of care that comes full circle.”

The internships began on June 1 at the BioZyme headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo., and will conclude at the end of the summer, with each intern giving a capstone presentation to BioZyme’s leaders.

How to Beat Summer Heat Stress in Cattle. Heat stress can be a challenge for cattle. Performing in the summer heat isn’t an easy task, yet it is something every producer expects them to do. One byproduct of rumen fermentation is heat. That’s a huge reason for cows to change their grazing behavior. When they’re bunched together in the shade or standing in a pond, these cattle are not working for you. Fortunately, BioZyme Inc. makes products for livestock to help them beat the heat and perform to their potential.

The HEAT technology is a combination of essential oils and garlic to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge. BioZyme has incorporated its HEAT technology across its family of brands to help all cattle beat the heat regardless of if they are stockers out on pasture, cows in gestation, or show cattle trying to win a purple banner.

“HEAT is one of the greatest resources we can offer our customers. The ingredients work to promote blood flow, helping animals maintain a normal body temperature in extreme heat or when grazing fescue. Combine that with the garlic, which helps deter insects, and the HEAT technology is a bonus to Amaferm, which helps keep the rumen functioning properly during heat stress,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme Beef Technical Sales Manager.

Healthy, Efficient Pounds - For stockers or freshly weaned calves out on grass, the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT is an ideal free choice vitamin and mineral supplement designed to maximize efficient gain when temperatures are above 70ºF. In addition to the HEAT technology, it contains AO-Biotics Amaferm, a prebiotic research proven to enhance digestibility, and organic

copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability and hoof health.

One advantage of HEAT technology is it keeps cattle out grazing longer. If cattle are not grazing, they are not gaining. BioZyme customer Rex Claxton has used the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT and knows the benefits.

“We put the Gain Smart HEAT to the test, especially in the summer. We have a lot of drought stressed, heat stressed calves. That’s when we buy a lot of calves when everybody is out of grass, including ourselves. We feed about two percent of their body weight in commodity ration, DDG based feed. I’m a firm believer of the HEAT in the summer. You see the cattle grazing more, spread out more, they aren’t bunched up under the shade tree panting. It seems like they get out and hustle more and are not as stressed about the heat. They seem to stay cooler, and if we can keep them cooler, we can keep them more comfortable, they will definitely perform better. Anything we can do to keep them comfortable will help them perform,” he said.

Get ‘em Bred, Keep ‘em Bred - For cows that have just started their gestation cycle in late spring and early summer, the heat can be a challenge. However, customers from across the country rely on the combination of Amaferm and HEAT technology to keep their cows bred and grazing during the summer.

“We’ve been using the VitaFerm Concept•Aid for several years and have seen a lot better conception rates in our cows. As a cooperator herd for Deppe Angus, we do primarily A.I. and embryo work, so it is very important to have all of our cows on the right vitamins and minerals like we find in VitaFerm. Last summer we fed the VitaFerm Concept•Aid HEAT, and our cows took the heat and were in better shape, especially out on the fescue like we have here in Southern Iowa,” said customer Andy Joos.

“We’ve been using VitaFerm products in our cattle operation for the last two years. We put VitaFerm and another mineral side-by-side, and the cattle would always go to the VitaFerm. The Concept•Aid is a really good mineral. While using this product, our cows have taken to breeding much more easily, and we were able to move a group up about 45 days with 75 percent of them being bred during their first heat cycle. We tried the Concept•Aid HEAT this summer and the cattle seemed to handle the humid, hot days easier,” said Timmy Mills, TNT

Continued on page 60

Family Farms in North Carolina.

Other HEAT Options - BioZyme incorporates HEAT technology into a variety of other products, including the Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT. The convenient, easy-to-use tub for cattle is designed to support digestive health and intake when temperatures are above 70ºF.

For show livestock, Sure Champ Extreme with ClariFly is a pelleted, daily supplement designed to support hoof health, hair coat, and performance when temperatures are above 70ºF. Ideal for cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, this product contains HEAT technology, Amaferm, ClariFly, and MOS.

Regardless of if you are grazing calves or cows or getting show livestock prepped to win, you want and expect them to perform. Don’t let the stress of summer temperatures stop them from grazing, gaining, and gestating. Beat the heat with products with the HEAT technology from BioZyme.

GFI 263: Understanding the Transition and How to Be Proactive. Every animal owner has a goal of keeping his or her animals as healthy as possible. Livestock producers and animal enthusiasts strive to keep their animals as healthy as possible, which will be even more important as new regulations are implemented in June that will transition common over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics to prescription only.

On June 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance for Industry (GFI) 263 went into effect, transitioning 91 antibiotics that have been available OTC to prescription only. This means that antibiotics commonly purchased OTC in the past to treat scours, respiratory illnesses, pinkeye, foot rot, and more will now only be available with a prescription. This doesn’t mean you will only be able to purchase from your veterinarian; however, your vet will need to issue your animal a prescription, which means you need to have an established veterinarian-client-patient-relationship (VCPR).

Additionally, if your local feed or farm store does not have the means to act as a pharmacy, these products may be removed from their shelves entirely.

“A VCPR means that your vet has been present at your place and examined your animals within the last 12 months. It is always good to have an established relationship with a reliable vet so he or she understands your management practices and operation. Sometimes an animal can be treated simply by making a management change instead of giving

unnecessary antibiotics,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme Beef Technical Sales Manager.

Keeping animals healthy is always a top priority. Since we know that 70 percent of the animals’ immune response lives in the digestive tract, gut health is paramount to immune health. There are many ways to support digestive health. For over 70 years, BioZyme has trusted the prebiotic AO-Biotics Amaferm to support and enhance digestion. All BioZyme’s Family of Brands deliver Amaferm in their products. The Vita Charge brand, specifically, is a very convenient option and offers fast acting, multi-species livestock products for support before, during, and after stressful times, often the times when animals get sick.

Vita Charge products come in gels, liquids, drenches, and tubs for a variety of application methods. In addition to Amaferm, these quick acting products contain mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) that help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system. The synergistic combination of Amaferm and MOS provides rapid resilience to challenges. The products can be used for cattle, sheep, goats, and swine in a variety of scenarios, including parturition, weaning, receiving, hauling, going off feed or water, vaccinating, or showing.

When it comes time to wean or turn out stockers, the Gain Smart line is an ideal product that provides nutritional support for a healthy immune system. Gain Smart is a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for stocker cattle that promotes healthy, economic pounds by maximizing the energy and protein available in the diet. With Amaferm in each of the four formulas and a complete vitamin and mineral package, your calves should maintain quality health while gaining efficiently.

Finally, for cow/calf producers, the VitaFerm line of nutritional supplements for beef cattle maximizes energy and forage utilization to support successful production. A variety of formulas exist with various nutrients for different management needs; however, all contain Amaferm for increased digestibility.

“Taking a proactive approach with your animal health is a great management tool. Keeping Amaferm in their diet every day helps keep their gut healthy, and we know a healthy gut leads to overall increased health. Not to mention, antibiotics eliminate even the good bacteria in the GI tract. With the BioZyme products, there is a product and a formula

for nearly every species at every stage of production that can keep their gut functioning properly and the immune response at bay,” Cassady said.

Science Fair Project Leads to Management Update for Backgrounding Operation. Show me someone who is looking for ways to save money; you will probably tell me to look in the mirror. Show me a teenager who is looking for some extra money while working on his science fair project, and I’ll show you Seth Dunivan. According to this Oklahoma eighth grader, saving extra money for his family and providing better care for their animals is what motivated him to research the main challenges of receiving stocker calves. When “stress” showed up in his Google search, he then wanted to find out how he could help the calves with the stress they endure. That’s when he discovered the Vita Charge Stress Tubs.

Dunivan, a student at Morrison Public School, said his family brings in freshly weaned calves trucked out of Florida each spring. On their arrival, they are noisy, tired from traveling, and stressed. He said his internet search produced results that took him to the BioZyme website to learn more about Vita Charge Stress Tubs. He started to do his research on the product and located a dealer nearby.

“For this project, I had hypothesis that the group with the stress tubs would gain 20 pounds, and my hypothesis was very close. The cattle on the Stress Tubs gained 15 pounds more than the ones that did not. They gained 2.8 pounds per day while the ones without tubs only gained 2.1 pounds. So, it definitely shows they were gaining more weight while they were eating less food. They saved $11.88 per head on feed,” he said.

Dunivan’s project lasted about 30 days and included two groups of calves with about 35 animals in each group. The groups were managed similarly with the same feed, water, and vaccinations. However, one pen had two Vita Charge Stress Tubs designed to support digestive health and intake in cattle. The control pen was not provided Stress Tubs. The Stress Tubs contain AO-Bioitics Amaferm to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system and probiotics to help restore the gut microbiome.

The calves on the Stress Tubs did indeed gain more, an average of 0.7 pounds per head per day more, and were more efficient. Dunivan said the overall medicine cost was less in the Stress Tub pen, as only one calf needed to be treated

for sickness, compared to three in the other pen. Overall, the pen of calves with the Stress Tubs saved or earned $549 more than the control pen without tubs during those 30 days. As a result, his dad has now started using the tubs, and calves are welcomed to Oklahoma with Vita Charge in their pens.

“A few weeks ago, my dad went back and bought more of the Stress Tubs. Now all of our calves get them when they come off the semi,” Dunivan said. The Dunivan family currently sources their products from Ryan Kirkpatrick at Ponca City.

Not only did that group of calves win, but the project also won for Dunivan in his division at the State Science and Engineering Fair in Oklahoma as well as the State FFA Agriscience competition. Science teacher Tammy Will is thrilled with his success.

“One of my educational passions includes real scientific research. I was told by a judge at the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair how well he not only presented, but how well he understands his project and, of course, it is a very relevant agriculture application,” Will said.

Cattlemen, Dunivan has done the homework for you. You make us #AgProud, Seth! Thanks for doing your research, and best of luck as you advance to national competitions in the Fall.

If you are looking for ways to save money and keep your calves feeling healthy and gaining efficiently, give them the start they need with Vita Charge Stress Tubs.

To learn more about the Vita Charge products or to locate a dealer near you, visit www.biozymeinc.com/vitacharge

About BioZyme Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include AO-Biotics®, VitaFerm®, Gain Smart®, 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

Alltech announces new leadership roles in culture and talent, marketing and communications, president’s office. In a demonstration of its commitment to nurturing talent, Alltech is pleased to announce new leadership in the office of the president, the culture and talent team, and the marketing and communications team. Orla McAleer joins the culture and talent team as chief culture officer, Susanna Elliott will lead the global marketing and communications team as chief marketing and communications officer, and Brian Lawless will lead the office of the president as chief of staff.

“As we have reviewed our strategy and growing capabilities, we are focused on the recruitment, development, and well being of our greatest asset — our people,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Orla, Susanna, and Brian bring leadership and experience that will enable us to capitalize on our opportunities and leverage the strengths of our global team.”

As the chief culture officer at Alltech, McAleer will work to strengthen the company’s emphasis on its people and purpose. She has worked in the business for more than 20 years and has traveled extensively, building teams and close relationships with colleagues globally. Prior to this new role, she was the chief marketing officer at Alltech, responsible for overseeing the company’s global marketing efforts across its more than 120 markets and building a winning team and brand that has matched the growth ambitions of the company. McAleer received a master’s degree in business, leadership, and management practice from the University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and holds a diploma in public relations.

As chief marketing and communications officer, Elliott will lead a 130 person global team to advance the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty. Through data, insights, and relevant content creation, Alltech’s marketing and communication team provides thought leadership, rich resources, and inspiration relevant to agriculture’s challenges and opportunities. Most recently, Elliott served as Alltech’s chief of staff and director of communications. In these roles, she worked closely with Dr. Mark Lyons and the executive team to

support the business through the global challenges of 2020-2023. The position afforded her unique visibility of the entire business, a perspective that now informs her leadership of Alltech’s global marketing and communications strategy. Elliott has held various communications roles over her 15 years at Alltech and is involved in supporting the agriculture industry as an American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) board member and as vice chair of the CLEAR Center advisory council at the University of California, Davis. She received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Asbury University.

Lawless is the chief of staff at Alltech, leading the office of the president. As chief of staff, he will support Dr. Mark Lyons and the executive team to drive global strategy and maximize operational effectiveness. Lawless brings tremendous knowledge from the ag-tech industry into this role from his involvement in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator in Dublin, Ireland. Currently, he is supporting the Bluegrass Ag Tech Development Corp., which aims to cultivate an agri-food innovation ecosystem in Kentucky. Over his ten years in the business, he has served as deputy chief of staff, species marketing manager, brand manager for North America and, at the beginning of his Alltech career, worked closely with Dr. Mark Lyons on key growth projects. Lawless holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and Spanish from DePauw University and a master’s degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University.

Alltech and Agolin partner to provide eco-friendly nutrition solutions for supporting cattle production and sustainability goals. As a global leader in animal nutrition, Alltech is proud to partner with companies that share its commitment to Working Together for a Planet of Plenty. Recently, Alltech announced it has acquired a majority interest in Agolin. Founded in 2006 in Switzerland, Agolin has developed and produced plant based nutrition solutions that improve herd performance, profitability, and sustainability, according to a 2020 metaanalysis* in the journal Animals

Agolin’s high quality essential oil blends are scientifically proven to optimize feed intake and performance, including improved milk and meat production*. Furthermore, Agolin Ruminant was the first feed additive certified by The Carbon Trust for methane reduction in ruminants (2018). Today,

organizations such as Verra and Gold Standard are including it in their major international climate protection projects.

“Agolin’s essential oil blends are a complement to Alltech’s proven nutritional technologies, such as Yea-Sacc and Optigen,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech’s president and CEO. “Governments, consumer brands, and retailers are making important commitments to reduce their environmental impact. These commitments rely upon farmers and ranchers, and we are dedicated to supporting them with the best available nutritional technologies to achieve more milk and meat while reducing their environmental footprint.”

The alliance between Alltech and Agolin will empower farmers and ranchers to reach their sustainability goals while also supporting the performance and profitability of the cattle in their herds and supply chains. The synergistic use of Alltech and Agolin nutritional technologies leads to benefits such as improved animal welfare, greater feed efficiency, and conversion, enhanced milk and meat production, increased profitability, and a reduced environmental footprint, including a boost in nitrogen efficiency. The partners will also be exploring opportunities to develop new technologies that bring together the best of Alltech’s proven nutrition and Agolin’s essential oil blends. Agolin has a presence in Europe, Asia, and North America. Alltech’s majority interest in the company will expand the availability of Agolin to additional markets.

“We at Agolin are delighted with this strategic alliance to grow synergistically through the added technical expertise and global reach of Alltech,” said Kurt Schaller, managing director of Agolin SA. “This represents a new era for our business, and we look forward to breaking new ground in our industry.”

Agolin focuses on research and development to produce and market innovative feed additives based on plant active ingredients which are effective and easy to use. Its essential oil blends are backed by a strong quality management system (FAMI-QS), which ensures safety and guarantees traceability.

For more information, visit www. alltech.com/agolin and www.agolin.com

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

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

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

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

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

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.

“Cattle with Something Extra”

NDEX OF DVERTISERS

ANGUS

Jul. 1-8 — National Junior Angus Show, Grand Island, Neb.

Aug. 5 — Edisto Pines Female Production Sale, Leesville, S.C.

Aug. 26 — Angus Advantage Sale, Monroe, N.C.

Sep. 30 — Biltmore Angus Field Day & Fall Sale, Asheville, N.C.

Oct. 14 — Fred Smith Company Ranch

Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.

Oct. 27 — Yon Family Farms Maternal

Roots Fall Female Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.

Oct. 28 — Yon Family Farms Maternal

Roots Fall Bull Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.

Nov. 4 — Barnett Angus Ranches

4th Annual Bull Sale, Washington, Ga.

Nov. 4 — Locust Level Farms Sale, Vernon Hill, Va.

VENTS

Nov. 4 — SimAngus Solution

15th Annual Sale, Burlington, N.C.

Nov. 10 — Lane Angus Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C.

Nov. 18 — Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C.

Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total

Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Dec. 2 — 48th Annual Union County

Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

Dec. 12 — Brushy Mountain Genetics

Bull & Female Sale, Taylorsville, N.C.

2024

Jan. 6 — 15th Annual EBS Select

Bull & Female Sale, Monroe, N.C.

Feb. 17 — Yon Family Farms Spring Bull & Female Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.

Charolais

Jul. 2-7 — American-International Junior Charolais Association Junior National. St. Paul, Minn.

Oct. 12 — JMar Genetics Quality Over Quantity Charolais Bull & Heifer Sale, via DVAuctions

GELBVIEH

Jul. 2-7 — American Gelbvieh Junior Association Great Dakota Classic, Huron, S.C.

Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total

Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Dec. 2 — 48th Annual Union County

Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

HEREFORD

Jul. 8-14 — Junior National Hereford Expo, Madison, Wis.

Jul. 23-26 — Faces of Leadership Conference, Columbus, Ohio

Nov. 18 — Southern Partners in Performance, Union Grove, N.C.

Dec. 1 — Knoll Crest Farm Total

Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

SIMMENTAL

Jul. 7-13 — American Junior Simmental Association National Classic, Des Moines, Iowa

IDE

Aug. 25-29 — American Simmental Association Fall Focus 2023, Denver, Colo.

Sep. 1 — N.C. Simmental Association

Social Event, Union Grove, N.C.

Sep. 28 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Nov. 16 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Livestock market sales

Jul. 3 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Jul. 5 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Jul. 5 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Jul. 10 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Jul. 11 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales

Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Jul. 12 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Jul. 12 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Jul. 17 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Jul. 19 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Jul. 19 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Jul. 24 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Jul. 26 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Jul. 26 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Jul. 31 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Aug. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales

HEThere were four college sophomores taking organic chemistry. They were doing so well on all the quizzes, midterms and labs, etc., that each had an “A” so far for the semester.

These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to go out of town to party with some friends. They had a great time, but after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn’t make it back to school until early Monday morning.

Rather than taking the final then, they decided to find their professor after the final and explain to him why they missed it. They explained that they had gone out of town for the weekend with the plan to come back in time to study, but, unfortunately, they had a flat tire on the way back, didn’t have a spare, and couldn’t get help for a long time. As a result, they missed the final.

The professor thought it over and then agreed they could make up the final the following day. The guys were elated and relieved. They studied that night and went in the next day at the time the professor had told them. He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet, and told them to begin.

They looked at the first problem, worth five points. It was something simple

about free radical formation. “Cool,” they thought at the same time, each one in his separate room, “this is going to be easy.” Each finished the problem and then turned the page.

On the second page was written: (For 95 points): Which tire?

A dog walks into a butcher shop and the butcher asks, “What do you want?”

The dog points to steak in a glass case.

“How many pounds?”

The dog barks twice.

“Anything else?”

The dog points to some pork chops and barks four times. So the butcher wraps up a two pound steak and four pork chops, and places the bag in the dog’s mouth. He then takes money from a purse tied around the dog’s neck, and sees him out.

A customer, who has been watching in amazement, follows the dog to a house several blocks away, where it rings the doorbell to be let in.

As the owner appears at the door, the customer says, “What a remarkable dog!”

“Remarkable?” snorts the owner.

“This is the second time this week he’s forgotten his keys.”

Sep. 2 — N.C. Simmental Association

Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C.

Oct. 14 — Fred Smith Company Ranch

Extra Effort Fall Sale, Clayton, N.C.

Dec. 2 — 48th Annual Union County

Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.

WAGYU

Sep. 21-29 — American Wagyu Association & World Wagyu Council Conference, San Antonio, Tex.

Nov. 4 — Wilders Wagyu Stay Wild ‘23

Production Sale, Turkey, N.C.

OTHER EVENTS

Jul. 3-5 — Beef Improvement Federation Symposium, Calgary, Canada

Aug. 3 — Graded Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 5-6 — S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up, Clemson, S.C.

Aug. 12-13 — N.C. Junior Beef Round-Up, Fletcher, N.C.

Aug. 29 — S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Regional Meeting, Chester County

Aug. 30 — S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Regional Meeting, Saluda County

Aug. 31 — S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

Regional Meeting, Anderson County

Sep.13 — Windy Hill Farms/In-Vitro

Fertilization Collection Events, Ramseur, N.C.

Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Aug. 2 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 2 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Aug. 7 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Aug. 9 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 9 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Aug. 14 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Aug. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales

Video Auction, via macsvideo.com

Aug. 16 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 16 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Aug. 21 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Aug. 23 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 23 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.

Aug. 28 — Harward Brothers Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Statesville, N.C.

Aug. 30 — Stanly County Livestock

Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.

Aug. 30 — Wilkes Livestock Exchange

Weekly Sale, North Wilkesboro, N.C.