The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 34, Issue No. 9 (SEPTEMBER 2020)

CC C

arolina attle onnection SEPTEMBER 2020 •

Vol. 34, Issue No. 9

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Guaranteed Analysis

COMPLETE FEED FOR CATTLE, SHEEP, & GOATS. NO ADDED COPPER NOT FORMULATED FOR EQUINE Feeding Instructions

Crude Protein, minimum.................................12.0% Crude Fat, minimum.........................................2.5% Crude Fiber, minimum....................................20.0% Calcium, minimum...........................................0.5% Calcium, maximum..........................................1.5% Phosphorous, minimum.................................0.50% Potassium, minimum.....................................0.55% Copper, minimum..........................................0 ppm Copper, maximum....................................10.0 ppm Selenium, minimum..................................0.10 ppm Zinc, minimum..........................................50.0 ppm Vitamin A, minimum..............................3,000 IU/LB Ingredient Statement

Feed 0.5-1.0 per 100 lbs of body wt. per day with adequate forage.

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Crude Protein, minimum............................10.0% Crude Fat, minimum....................................2.0% Crude Fiber, minimum...............................35.0% Calcium, minimum......................................0.5% Calcium, maximum.....................................1.2% Ingredient Statement

Grain Products, Plant Protein, Processed Grain Byproducts, Processed Roughage Products, Calcium Carbonate

Feeding Instructions

Feed as a supplement to forage for ruminant animals at the rate of 3-7 lbs per head per day. Feeding rate will depend on forage quality and availability, size, and condition of cattle and expected performance.

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ONNECTION 37th Annual N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test, by Gary Gregory …......…......…...................................... page 18 A Message from the CEO — United We Steak, by Colin Woodall ……......…......…......….......... page 56 ABS News ............................................................................................................................................ page 44 AgriThority Launches Soil in the Source™ Initiative to Support New Technology Product Development ….......................................................... page 29 Amazing Grazing — Bull Selection to Meet Grazing System Goals, by Johnny Rogers …...... page 12 American Angus Association News …............................................................................................ page 20 American Hereford Association News …....................................................................................... page 34 Animal Agriculture Alliance News …............................................................................................. page 40 APHIS Awards Contracts to Provide RFID Tags to Cattle and Bison Producers …................ page 68 Ashley’s Beef Corner — Southeastern States Summer Advertising Campaign,

by Ashley W. Herring ….................................................................................................................. page 10 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges News …............................................... page 39 Beef Checkoff News …....................................................................................................................... page 57 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ..................................................................….. page 66 Beef Quality Assurance Update ….................................................................................................. page 64 BioZyme Incorporated News …...................................................................................................... page 62 Boehringer Ingelheim News …........................................................................................................ page 24 Bring Your Beef Junior Showdown, by Peter Wilkins ............................................................….. page 58 Brookside Agra News ….................................................................................................................... page 46 Carolina Cooking — Italian Beef Meatball Sandwich Rolls ….................................................... page 49 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary …..................................................................... page 15 Diamond V News ..........................................................................................................................….. page 43 Director’s Report — Moving Ahead, by Travis Mitchell ….............................................................. page 3 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — “Legal” Moonshine, by E.B. Harris ...........................….. page 18 Farm Credit News ….......................................................................................................................... page 52 International Genetic Solutions News …....................................................................................... page 47 N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test Underway, by Gary Gregory & Deidre Harmon …............... page 50 N.C. Junior Hereford Association Update, by Josie Correll ….................................................... page 32 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report ….................................................................................................... page 67 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Myth of the Month ….................................................. page 56 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ........................................................................….. page 67 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report — Providing Regulatory Relief to Producers, by Marty Smith …........................................... page 54 National Farm Safety and Health Week — September 20-26,

by Marion Barnes & Brittany Flowers …......................................................................................... page 16 New NCCA Members for 2020 ….................................................................................................... page 52 North American Limousin Foundation News …........................................................................... page 48 North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices …................................................................ page 40 On the Edge of Common Sense — Handicapped Golfer, by Baxter Black ...........................….. page 13 Premier Select Sires News …........................................................................................................... page 46 Public Lands Council News …........................................................................................................... page 49 Resiliency, Entrepreneurial Spirit Will See Agriculture Industry Through Changing Economy …................................................................................................... page 50 S.C. Beef Council News, by Roy Copelan ….................................................................................. page 60 S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb …................................................................................. page 31 South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices …................................................................ page 30 The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker …........................................................................................ page 26 U.S. Agricultural Global Trade Update and 2021 Outlook …..................................................... page 70 Valley Vet Supply News …................................................................................................................ page 30 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden …................................................................................................. page 14 Zoetis News …..................................................................................................................................... page 44 Zoetis Quick Tips …............................................................................................................................ page 60

ON

SANTA GERTRUDIS American Red — Designed for the Commercial Cattleman,

by Webb D. Fields ..... page 8 Five J’s Cattle Company — The Family Legacy Continues ..... page 4 Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale Results ..... page 8 Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Ultrasound Update,

by Scott Sherrill ..... page 9

North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association President JEREMY LEE 5153 Battle Run Drive • Catawba, NC 28609 Vice Presidents KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734

The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 34, No. 9 SEPTEMBER 2020 Sales and Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

BURON LANIER 2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425

Phone: 919-552-9111 or 919-552-9112 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com

SCOTT WEST 489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850 Immediate Past President MIKE COX P.O. 1317 • Elon, NC 27244

The Carolina Cattle Connection

is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint

by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.

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

Manager, N.C.

STAFF

BRYAN BLINSON

Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL

Editor and Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT

Executive Director BRYAN K. BLINSON Assistant Editor and Proofreader 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

KIM BURDGE

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

N.C. Circulation

KIM BURDGE

Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE

S.C. Circulation

To Be Announced

South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director TRAVIS MITCHELL Phone: 864-803-1126 Email: twmitch@clemson.edu S.C. Beef Council ROY COPELAN Phone: 803-917-1119 Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov Website: www.sccattle.org Executive Committee President - Thomas Legare 1st Vice President - Roscoe Kyle Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Cecil Eaddy

William Brigman, Latta • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg Eddie Evans, Easley • Cecil Eaddy, Manning Thomas Legare, Johns Island • Richard Sox, Lexington Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Clay Alexander, Starr Timmy Benton, Walterboro • Michael Bailey, Lancaster Dale Wilson, Abbeville • Thomas Jones, Marion Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Jack Ferguson, York Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews

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 becom 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 $25 per year.

All address changes for NCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.

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Our

breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to r e ac h p r o d u c e r s a n d cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the S outheast . A dvertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Director’s Report

By TRAVIS MITCHELL, Executive Director, SCCA

Moving Ahead It is hard to believe summer is almost gone. Although summer has looked different this year, we as cattlemen have continued to provide the world with beef throughout the grilling season. There have been many highlights in the beef cattle industry throughout the summer that deserve recognition. The S.C. Cattlemen’s Association would like to congratulate Yon Family Farms for winning the 2020 BIF Seedstock Producer of the year award. Kevin and Lydia, along with the entire Yon family, are very deserving of this award.

NCBA did a great job handling their

summer business meeting in July. Even in the middle of a global pandemic, they found a way to carry out the business to protect the interest of our industry. Our land grant universities have found new and creative ways to share programs with producers. Many webinars have been developed from pasture and hayfield management to beef cattle outlook seminars. We will keep beef cattle webinar opportunities updated on our website as they are made available to us.

Plans are still being made for the first annual Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference hosted by the Clemson

Extension Service. This conference is designed with you and your operation in mind. This year’s topics will focus on how to increase profitability in your operation through cow and calf nutrition. The dates for the conference are November 12-13. If the conference cannot be held in person, it will still be held virtually with a modified schedule.

Please stay tuned for further details as we

get closer to the date.

The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association Board of Directors met August 20 through Zoom conference. The board received partner reports from our affiliates throughout the state. Although we are having to operate differently, I can assure each of our members the business of our great association is still being conducted.

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

Southeastern

COW/CALF CONFERENCE Save the date for the first annual Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference, designed with you and your operation in mind! This year’s topics will focus on how to increase profitability in your operation through cow and calf nutrition.

November 12-13, 2020

Pee Dee REC Facility

Registration Coming Soon

Lee Van Vlake 843-344-3322 rii@clemson.edu The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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e Special

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Section f

Five J’s Cattle Company — The Family Legacy Continues Five J’s Cattle Company proudly describes their operation with the tagline “three generations of cattlemen,” to emphasize the key component to their success: family. Located in Clayton, N.C., and owned by Jody and Angela Standley, Five J’s was established on Jody’s family farm in 2006. Jody, his parents, Joe and Kim, and Jody and Angela’s five children represent the three generations currently working together to make Five J’s a success. Five J’s Cattle Company truly is a family run, family centered operation.

grandparents and has since purchased all of the family’s remaining farmland.

In 2019, his final land purchase was the original homestead built in 1849.

Nicknamed “The Bunkhouse” by the Standley’s oldest boys, the family now uses it as their cattle office and family gathering place.

Angela and Jody on their wedding day with Jody’s beloved grandparents, Marie and Rudolph Johnson.

Will and Emily (Austin) Barbour, Jody’s great grandparents. Emily’s family started our farm in 1849.

The Standleys - Jody, Jack, Will, Angela, Ree, Sam and Luke.

The farm has been in Jody’s family since 1849 (his maternal great grandmother, Emily Austin Barbour, was raised on the farm), and he is the sixth generation to establish his home there; the couple’s children – Sam, Jack, Luke, Will, and Ree – are the seventh generation to call the farm home. In 2003, Jody purchased his first tract of land on the family farm from his maternal

Jody’s grandparents Marie and Rudolph used the farm predominantly for row crops while reserving a portion for Rudolph’s successful hog operation.

The old hog house is still standing today.

The 60-year-old stalls are being put to use again for sows giving birth to the pigs the Standley’s raise as part of their meat production operation. Following in his Papa’s footsteps, Jody first showed interest in hog farming, raising his own pigs beside Rudolph’s. Rudolph taught Jody how to care for the animals and about the business side of livestock production. Rudolph allowed Jody to

The Five J’s - Luke, Will, Sam, Jack, and Ree.

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Standley’s breed 250 head to sell as registered Herefords to ranches across the United States. Fueled by Jack’s interest in the breed and his own curiosity in the STAR 5 cross, Jody turned to Brandon Creech of Creech Farms to purchase his first Santa Gertrudis bull in 2015. “We tried one Gert bull with our Herefords and found the hybrid cross to be amazing,” Jody says. “The two breeds really seemed to complement each other.”

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

charge a feed bill to him as he raised his pigs, and the two would “settle up” after Jody sold his feeder pigs at market.

Jody’s grandparents always encouraged him and nurtured his dream of being a farmer when others discouraged him from pursuing the profession.

Jack, the driving force behind the introduction of the Santa Gertrudis breed to the herd, with two of his Gerts.

Sam and Jack rope and ear tag a calf.

Ultimately, Jody focused on raising cattle, and he slowly began building his cow herd when he purchased his first cow after the birth of the Standley’s oldest son, Sam, in 2006. He spent Saturdays with his father and uncle, Randy, as he searched for cattle to add to his herd.

Those were special times for Jody; days spent with his Dad and Randy tending to his growing herd, often with Sam and Jack, who was born in 2007, in tow. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Randy passed away in 2009, leaving some of his cattle to Joe, Jody, Sam, and Jack. Several offspring of Randy’s cattle are still here, grazing with the herd, a reminder of that special season in Jody’s life spent with two men he greatly admired and his own two sons, building the dream that would become Five J’s.

Hereford cattle have always been the foundation of Five J’s herd, a herd that has grown to over 600 head, including 400 Hereford cows. Each year, the

Jody and Brandon formed a fast friendship, and Creech has been instrumental in the success of Five J’s STAR 5 program. Following their success with the first Santa Gertrudis bull, the Standley’s opted to purchase additional Santa Gertrudis bulls to breed to their select Hereford females, launching their own STAR 5 herd. Today, Five J’s produces 150 STAR 5 cattle every year, selling to ranches across the Southeast and retaining some for their own program.” The STAR 5 cattle we have produced have been exceptional,” Jody says. “They are a very favorable cross that boasts amazing growth, and we have seen an unbelievable surge in the demand for our STAR 5s.”

Luke, Sam, and Jack unload hay into the silos at the farm.

e Special

Ree looking out over the Herefords.

The family is thankful for neighboring Creech Farms, who has been a tremendous asset in their growth.

The Standley’s are most grateful to Creech for the time he spent teaching Jack about the breed and encouraging him to start his own herd. Jack bought his first Santa Gertrudis from Creech at age nine, after working on the farm for many months to earn the money. In the past three years, Jack has worked to grow his herd, continuing to buy locally from Creech and recently began venturing out of state to buy from several of the top Santa Gertrudis ranches in the country, including Hefte Ranch, Strait Ranches, and Red Doc Farm. “These ranches and the great people that run them have been wonderful to work with,” Jody says.

“These are special people that care deeply about the Santa Gertrudis breed and its success.” Jody continues, “They have all taken time to encourage Jack’s interest in the breed. They’ve written to Jack to personally thank him for buying from their ranch and commend him for his hard work and have even reached back out to him to give him the opportunity to buy a lot or two before they were marketed.”

Angela adds, “I know how valuable their time is. To take time out of their day to reach out to Jack through a handwritten note or a phone call means so much to us.

Jody and I are just so thankful.”

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

In addition to the Standley’s recent acquisition of the Santa Gertrudis bull Never Sank from Hefte Ranch and Wendt Ranches, Five J’s has also partnered with Creech Farms to incorporate Catalyst’s sons from Strait Ranches into their program. “We know these bulls will produce the quality carcass that will take our STAR 5 program to another level, and we are excited for the future of our program,” Jody says.” Partnering with these exceptional ranches has expanded our knowledge in the breed and will ensure that our STAR 5 program continues to move in the right direction,” he adds.

Never Sank grazing with the herd.

Today, Five J’s produces 150 STAR 5 cattle every year, selling to ranches across the Southeast and retaining some for their own program. “The STAR 5 Hereford/ Santa Gertrudis combination creates the perfect Southern mama cow with exceptional fertility, milk production, and mothering ability,” says Jody. “They also boast extraordinary bone density, phenomenal growth, and top of the line carcass quality,” he adds.

The Standley family intends to continue using their Hereford cows to breed to quality Santa Gertrudis bulls to produce elite females for the Southeast and beyond. “It is our strong opinion that there simply isn’t a better cross,” Jody says. All of the Standley’s STAR 5 cattle are scanned, and they have found that the

Section f

Will’s Brafords with one of the sons of the famous Gert Sire Catalyst.

Hereford/Santa Gertrudis combination complements one another’s carcass quality and marbling. “The progeny combines the best qualities of each breed to produce exceptional STAR 5’s that are highly efficient, with incredible feed intake and rapid growth,” he explains.

“We’ve found that scanning our STAR 5 for our beef program gives us an early look at the consistently tender, beautifully marbled beef with a carcass yield consistently above 60 percent.”

Jack, Tyler, Will, and Luke on an evening ride to check cattle.

With the success the Standley’s have found from the introduction of the Santa Gertrudis breed into their cattle program, Five J’s have recently begun to expand beyond the STAR 5 cross. Driven by their third son Will’s interest in Braford cattle, Five J’s is venturing into the production of “Super” STAR 5 cattle. With the help and guidance of Perry and John Ross Debtor, Will purchased five Braford cows from Debtor Ranch to breed to their star Santa Gertrudis bull, Never Sank. The F1 cross boasts superior maternal ability, calving ease, and milk production. Their maternal aptitude and superior heat tolerance place them alongside Five J’s STAR 5’s as an exceptional Southern Mama cow.

“The boys’ interest in the Santa Gerturdis breed and the undeniable results

The Carolina Cattle Connection

we’ve seen thus far has led us to greatly expand Five J’s beyond our traditional purebred Hereford operation,” Jody says.

“Herefords will always be the foundation of Five J’s. Our oldest son, Sam, has worked alongside me the longest and has grown up raising Herefords. Sam really likes Line 1 Herefords and is growing his own herd alongside mine. I’m happy his interest lies in the production of the breed we built our herd on and ensures that Five J’s will continue to be a large producer of horned Herefords for our Hereford buyers.”

Jody continues, “I couldn’t be prouder of my boys. They have always worked hard and they are a big part of our success. In the past couple of years, I’ve watched their interest shift to the business side of the operation. It’s exciting to watch. They’ve researched breeds, saved their money, and begun to build their own herds and as a result, Five J’s has diversified and grown our operation. Allowing them to follow their own interests and bring in new breeds, specifically Santa Gerturdis, has been a game changer for our program. When I envision the future of Five J’s, Santa Gertrudis are a huge part of our plans.

Gerts are here to stay, there’s no doubt about that.”

Making Five J’s a success is a work in progress, and achieving their goals takes the entire family working together.

In addition to the Standley family, Kim Prestwood and Tyler Coats play key roles in the operation’s success.

Kim Prestwood joined Five J’s as ranch manager in 2018. Prestwood has been in the cattle business for five decades, a lifelong passion that began when he purchased his first Hereford as a teenager. He is being honored with

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e Special the “Fifty Year Breeder” award from the National Hereford Association at their national meeting in October, a prestigious award that celebrates the time and dedication he has devoted to the breed, that very few cattlemen ever achieve.

Prestwood’s knowledge of genetics and breeding practices have been invaluable around here. He is also responsible for starting Five J’s A.I. program. He plans breeding schedules, manages pastures for breeding, and continuously learns about new breeding practices and stateof-the-art applications ranchers are using across the country. Prestwood works to successfully introduce these ideas into Five J’s breeding program.

Prestwood, Will and Jack look over our lots at the Breeder’s of the Carolinas Sale .

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Another valuable asset to Five J’s farm, Tyler Coats handles the day to day operation. Coats grew up in a ranching family, the grandson of James Coats, a professional cowboy who worked on ranches across the southeast. James and his wife, Tillie, moved to North Carolina for James to take a job at Double J Ranch in Clayton. They bought a large farm that adjoined Jody’s grandparent’s farm.

Marie and Rudolph and James and Tillie were close friends for over 50 years, raising their families alongside each other. Jody’s mom, Kim, and Tyler’s dad, Ken, along with their siblings, grew up together. Today, Tyler and his wife, Megan, live in the Coats family homeplace with their two sons, Kolt and Kord. Nearly six decades later, Jody and Tyler’s children are growing up together on the adjoining farms, a testament to Jody and Tyler’s love and devotion to their family’s farming legacy and their deep ties to the land.

Coats’s ability to work and rope cattle on horseback has been a priceless asset to the operation. He is well versed in

Section f

all areas of running the farm. Tyler works closely with Jody and supervises Jody and Angela’s oldest sons – Sam, Jack, and Will. “The boys are an integral part of our operation who work hard every day helping run the farm. They are up before the sun every morning, working long hours with Tyler in the unrelenting North Carolina heat and humidity. To say that I’m proud of them for their work ethic and the responsibility they show us daily is an understatement,” Angela says.

“They are able to help with every part of the daily operation and are hardworking, driven boys who love helping their dad and have dreams of taking over the farm one day. Our youngest two, Luke and Ree, ride with Jody and Joe on Saturdays to check cows and would be working right beside Tyler and their older brothers if we let them. We look forward to the day all five of them are actively helping us run the farm.”

Jack, Sam, and Tyler working cattle on horseback.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Joe, Jody’s father, is also involved in the day to day work on the farm. Joe is very knowledgable in all aspects of the cattle industry, with over six decades spent raising and working livestock. He was raised on some of the largest cattle ranches in the southeast, including M&M Ranch in Florida; King Robert’s Ranch in North Carolina; and Beacon Hill Farms, Arthur Godfrey’s ranch in Virginia. Joe is essential in the running of Five J’s and works closely with Coats and Prestwood.

Joe has been by Jody’s side from the beginning, and together they have seen Five J’s grow from a small herd of ten to the bustling operation it is today.

In addition to the cattle production aspect of the business, the Standley’s operation also has a beef production entity. In addition to cattle, Five J’s raises pigs and lambs for the meat production side of their business, known as Five J’s Market. Jody’s mother, Kim, and Angela are instrumental in the success of the market, managing slaughterhouse orders, as well as inventory and sales to

their many market customers. Angela also manages advertising for meat sales.

Five J’s has its North Carolina Meat Handler’s License allowing them to sell meat by the pound. As the operation has grown, they’ve had to build additional infrastructure, including a new barn that will be the storefront for Five J’s Market, where the Standley’s will sell their pasture raised beef, lamb, and pork.

Sam stacking the pine boards milled for the family’s new barn and store front.

The storefront, which is scheduled to open later this year, is built in the exact spot where Marie and Rudolph’s home stood. To honor their memory, Angela had trees from the property milled into boards that are the focal point in the new barn. “Marie and Rudolph are a part of everything Five J’s was founded on, everything Five J’s is today and everything Five J’s will ever grow to be.

Using the pine boards in our new barn is a small way to have a piece of Marie and Rudolph with us as we open the marketplace and expand the business,” Angela says. As Five J’s works to expand its STAR 5 program and launch Five J’s Market in the coming months, family remains the cornerstone their success is built on.

Modified from article first printed in Santa Gertrudis USA

NOTICE

Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input.

HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.

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The Five J’s - Luke, Will, Sam, Jack, and Ree The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

Section f

American Red — Designed for the Commercial Cattleman

By WEBB D. FIELDS Executive Director, SGBI It was with great excitement when I came on board initially with Santa Gertrudis Breeders International almost a year ago. Not only has there always been a great amount of ranching heritage, quality, and value around the Santa Gertrudis breed, but the tremendous progress that has been made in recent years on both the phenotypic and genetic merit of these cattle is truly second to none. Early adoption of the most advanced genetic tools, collecting and implementing real world data, as well as phenotypic selection for the highest quality animals have all lead the Santa Gertrudis breed to a powerful current position. These aggressive advancements have allowed for current partnerships such as the American Red program, a collaboration with Red Angus Association of America, which we feel will not only provide additional market share for Santa Gertrudis breeders but provide a real world crossbred female into the commercial sector that can perform no matter the environment or marketing goals. Firstly, the mating of Santa Gertrudis and Red Angus is an extremely complimentary one. On the surface, the growth, heat tolerance, and adaptability in Santa Gertrudis combined with the known breed strengths in both maternal and carcass quality of the Red Angus cattle seems to be an ideal match

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for making a low input, high yielding animal. But if you have been following both breeds, you quickly understand that there are more than just the old standards and, in some cases, stereotypes. I won’t speak directly for Red Angus, but their cattle’s ability to come easy, grow quick, and do it efficiently with an end product that is in demand is impressive. Coupling that with the directional growth we have had within the Santa Gertrudis breed over the past 5-10 years is extremely exciting. The Santa Gertrudis breed not only can add pounds and heterosis into this mating, but our breeders have focused on making those the right kind of pounds. These cattle are more moderate in their kind, and more genuine in there build and muscle shape than ever before.

Most exciting, breeders have placed a large amount of pressure on our genetics to add carcass merit, allowing results like we saw in the 2018 Steer Feed Out where the cattle graded a remarkable 96 percent choice. More intriguing, combining these two breeds for a red hided, heat tolerant package that provides an elite amount of heterosis is sure to benefit breeders across the country. We feel the fact that these cattle make a low input, high performing female as well as obtain the heterosis and carcass valued genetics to thrive in both growth and quality as a feeder animal, all will pay dividends down the road.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Moreover, we made sure that only upper end genetics are utilized of both breeds that comprise the American Red by adding stipulations such as the sires used in making an American Red (either Red Angus or Santa Gertrudis)

must rank in the top half of the breed for either the Herd Builder (RAAA) or Balanced Index (SGBI). This ensures that only data proven genetics comprise the American Red cattle. To learn more about American Red and to understand further the program specifications, I encourage all to visit www.americanred.org or reach out to either association’s office. It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be a part of Santa Gertrudis, and I, for one, look forward to seeing the cattle advance, not only as a breed, but as an elite provider into the commercial sector across regions.

Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale Results The Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale was held the weekend of May 8-9 at the Chester Livestock Exchange in Chester, South Carolina. E.B. Harris was the auctioneer, and cattle sold to 34 buyers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and New Mexico. The volume buyer was Wiley Ranch of Deville, Louisiana.

This year’s sale grossed $167,550, with an average of $2,650 on 40 purebred lots and $1,435 on 40 Star 5 lots. The high selling bull sold for $3,000 from Creech Farms in Zebulon, N.C., to Old Place Farm in Warrenton, North Carolina.

The bull was a Star 5, American Red (50% Santa Gertrudis, 50% Red Angus).

The high selling pair sold for $11,000, which was a 3-n-1 from Creech Farms that sold to J.D. Chism of Pontotoc, Miss., and 5J’s Cattle Company in Clayton, North Carolina. The high selling bred heifer pair sold from Flatwillow Farms in Statesville, N.C., to Lou-Al-Tuck Farms in Great Falls, S.C., for $5,250, and the high selling open heifer sold from Creech Farms to Wiley Ranch in Deville, La., for $4,700. The high selling commercial lot was a pair that sold from Creech Farms to Jenna Fullington of Terry, Miss., and Craig and Tonya Bram of Louise, Tex., for $6,600.

At a scaled down membership dinner Friday night that featured the annual membership meeting, board members Carlyle Sherrill of Mt. Ulla, N.C., Tony Creech of Zebulon, N.C., and Lane Livengood of Thomasville, N.C., were reelected to the Board. Board leadership did not change: Peaches Carpenter remained President, Joe Graham vice president, and Carlyle Sherrill will continue his role as Secretary/Treasurer.

President Peaches Carpenter of Ocean Isle, N.C., recognized Carlyle Sherrill with the President’s Award for his service to the Breeders of the Carolinas.

President Carpenter also recognized Creech Farms as the Breeder of the Year.

Mark your calendar for May 7-8, 2021, for the 48th annual Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale in Chester, South Carolina.

Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Ultrasound Update

By SCOTT SHERRILL Beginning on March 18, 2016, the Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas began conducting ultrasound data collection days. We have now had ten such collection days, and some of our members have taken advantage of some other opportunities to collect information on their animals, and that information is included in the calculations below. Our total scans now number 120—82 heifers and 38 bulls from Creech Farms, J.C. Sherrill, Jr. Ranch, Flatwillow Farms, Rockin’ B Farms, and Old Iron Farms.

The top individual performers over the past four years have been: • Circle A Creed — High REA bull (17.00) - Circle A Real Deal 53 x TF096 • Creech 262-9 — High REA female (11.9) - Red Doc Roughneck 6224 x Creech 014

• Creech 130-6 — High IMF bull (5.41) - Never Before 1136 x XCF Dakota’s Noel 5-3 • Creech 175-7 — High IMF female (5.44) - Creech 100-4 x Gray Oaks 409 • Creech 170-7 — High REA/CWT bull (1.46) - Creech 100-4 x Creech Tara 95-4 • Creech 169-7 — High REA/CWT female (1.52) - Creech 100-4 x Harding 167/7 The high REA heifer increased from 11.8 to 11.9 square inches.

The chart below reflects the results from our three ultrasound days to date as compared to when we first started.

The idea behind the ultrasound day was to begin building the database of local carcass data, and we are glad to see more and more of our membership utilizing this

resource. With a consistent effort to collect data, we feel that our association will be able to move towards meaningful carcass data EPDs and higher predictability for our customers. We are also looking to increase the amount of raw carcass data available to purchasers at our annual Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale.

The next ultrasound day will be around November 2020 and will feature animals born between September and

December 2019. If you are a breeder of Santa Gertrudis or Santa Gertrudis influenced cattle reading this article and are interested in participating, please email carlyle.p.sherrill@gmail.com.

We are, as always, grateful to Brent Scarlett of Scarlett Mobile Vet for cooperating with us on the scans and to Mike Moss of Windy Hill Angus for use of facilities. Look for another update in September 2021!

Regular copy deadline is SEPTEMBER 5 for the OCTOBER issue.

Is there a problem?

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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• .2 million brand impressions • 170,000+ completed brand engagements • 41,000+ redeemed rebates (23.7% redemption rate!)

Shoppers will see the image below on their smartphone, which will give them a recipe, share a beef video, and guide them to the www.beefitswhatsfordinner. com website.

Tier 1 - “Any Brand” Ground Beef Offer 34¢ rebate value (New Purchaser Rebate)

Ashley’s Beef Corner

T

Southeastern States Summer Advertising Campaign

By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council The N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council has been participating in the southeastern states’ digital media campaign, which has been live for nearly two months. We are well beyond the halfway point.

Through Beef Checkoff funded videos and recipe content, this campaign is using YouTube Video and Google Search advertising to promote and reinforce consumer awareness of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand, to fortify positive associations with beef farmers/ranchers and encourage consumers to choose beef for their next meal occasion.

• The Southeast States footprint encompasses nine states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Total Campaign Overview: • Thus far, the campaign has generated 2,984,628 engagements through both YouTube and Google search (video views + website clicks) across the nine Southeast states.

• The two campaigns have resulted in 4,783,130 impressions.

• The campaign has spent $36,580 of its $67,000 total budget.

YouTube Campaign Overview • The YouTube campaign is promoting summer grilling content primarily through the United We Steak campaign, including the “Original Sponsors of Summer Grilling” producer centric video.

• The average cost per view is 2¢, which is below our goal of 4¢ (industry average is 5¢), allowing the checkoff dollar to reach more consumers via digital video.

United We Steak - 15 Videos (June 29-July 12): • Views: 395,814

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• Impressions: 696,067 • Cost Per View: 1¢ • View Rate: 56.86% Google Search Campaign Overview: • The Southeast States Google Search campaign has generated 15,109 clicks to the www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com to promote grilling and other popular beef recipes.

• Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ads have appeared in 176,453 searches • The average cost per click (CPC) is 32¢ - This is below our goal of 45¢, allowing the budget to reach more consumers through Google Search.

Ibotta Retail Beef Promotion - In a group buy to strengthen our dollars, N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council is participating in a promotion with Ibotta, an app that allows users to redeem cash for making purchases through the app.

Ibotta is a free cashback rewards and payments app that gives shoppers cash for everyday purchases when they shop and pay through the app.

The campaign will include 2,900+ retail locations, including the banner stores of Food Lion, Giant, GIANT, Martin’s, Stop n’ Shop, Hannaford, Weis Markets, Redner’s Warehouse Markets, and Giant Eagle. States reached through the campaign will include North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, West Virginia.

Funding Partners: The Beef Checkoff’s NEBPI, the Pennsylvania Beef Council, the Kentucky Beef Council, and the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council.

Highlights from the 2019 Beef Campaign:

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Consumer Engagement: Ground Beef Recipe - Ranch Burger: Looking for a new condiment to top your best burger?

Zesty ranch dressing and ground beef make for a fresh and flavorful burger, a slight twist to a classic favorite!

Ingredients 1 pound ground beef (93% lean or leaner) ¼ cup soft breadcrumbs 1 egg white 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 medium red onion, cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split, toasted Romaine lettuce, tomato slices ¼ cup reduced fat creamy ranch dressing Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg white, and seasoned salt in a medium bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Lightly shape into four ½ inch thick patties. Brush onion slices with ½ tablespoon oil.

Place patties and onion slices on grid over medium, ash covered coals.

Grill patties, covered, 8-10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill 7-9 minutes), until instant read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160°F, turning occasionally. Grill onions, 11-13 minutes or until tender, brushing with remaining ½ tablespoon oil and turning occasionally.

Line bottom of each bun with lettuce. Place tomatoes and burgers on lettuce. Spoon dressing over burgers; top with onions. Close sandwiches. Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

Government Dietary Guidelines Reaffirm Beef’s Important Role in a

Healthy Diet. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently thanked the members of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) for recognizing beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle, including the essential role of beef’s nutrients at every life stage. The DGAC released recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), the cornerstone of all federal nutrition policy.

The beef community has made it a priority to protect the scientific credibility of Dietary Guidelines and promote accurate information about the nutritional advantages of beef as part of a balanced diet. NCBA, in its roles as both a contractor to the Beef Checkoff and as a member driven policy association, submitted 21 sets of written comments, provided oral comments, and attended public meetings to ensure beef’s role in a healthy diet is recognized.

“Cattle and beef producers appreciate the evidence based recommendations of the DGAC. We believe beef is a wholesome, nutritious food that plays an important role in a healthy diet and we are supportive of many of the committee’s findings,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA and its members have made this work a priority for more than two years, and we’re pleased that the report reinforces the strong science which supports beef’s nutritional value in a healthy diet.”

Wo o d a l l noted that the recommendations shared in the report mirror many of the recommendations related to red meat, which were included in the 2015-2020 DGAs. In fact, the amount of meat recommended for healthy diets in the current report is the same as the 2015 DGAs. He also pointed to current DGAC report findings that suggest many Americans would benefit from getting more nutrients like protein, iron, and choline, which are readily available in beef.

“This report also demonstrates that women of child bearing age, adolescent boys and girls, and older Americans are especially vulnerable to not getting enough of the nutrients found in beef, which further demonstrates beef ’s valuable role in the diet,” said Woodall.

While the DGAC report is influential in the development of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Secretaries Perdue and Azar are now tasked with reviewing the DGAC recommendations before finalizing the 2020 Guidelines.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 11

By JOHNNY R. ROGERS Amazing Grazing Program Coordinator

Bull Selection to Meet Grazing System Goals Many factors contribute to successful grazing systems, and the genetic makeup of grazing animals will have a major impact. Developing sustainable and profitable cow herds will be the result of judicious selection for economically relevant traits over many generations.

Developing and retaining females that fit your system has tremendous importance.

However, most of the genetic contribution to cattle operations will come from the bulls used for breeding. If you are keeping your own replacement heifers, in only three generations, over 87 percent of your herd’s genetics will be the result of bull selection. Therefore, investing time in selecting the right herd sire(s) will pay dividends for many years. Deciding which beef cattle breeding system best fits your goals should be resolved before shopping for bulls, and most operations will fit into three categories.

Maternal Breeding Systems This system focuses on the production of low maintenance, environmentally adapted females that will have tremendous productivity and longevity.

A portion of these females are retained as replacements, and others are sold to other producers as premium replacement heifers. When considering bulls for this system, you must review pedigree relationships and use genetic tools (i.e., selection indices, genomically enhanced EPDs) to produce the next generation of elite females. Many breeds have EPDs that can help with this effort. Stayability, Heifer Pregnancy, and Maternal Calving Ease are examples of maternally oriented EPDs. Of course, these great females have steer mates, and often these steers are discounted in traditional marketing

channels. This is reasonable because this system produces and markets females with superior maternal traits. The steers from this program will lack the size and performance desired by cattle feeders.

However, these steers often work well for local beef finishing programs where they are grown more slowly and have time to develop more frame. Also, local beef programs are more accepting of smaller carcass weights.

Maternal breeding systems focus on environmentally adapted females that deliver value through low production costs, high reproductive rates, and longevity.

Terminal Breeding Systems Terminal systems purchase all their replacement females from reputable sources (Maternal System producers).

Their cows are bred to bulls who excel in growth and carcass traits, and all calves are sold (steers and heifers).

These producers capture the advantage of having efficient females while meeting market demands for extra growth, size, and carcass value. Unfortunately, many producers have been selecting for terminal traits, but then they keep the heifers for replacements. This often leads to cows that have poor maternal traits and have too much mature size to function in most grazing systems.

More cow size means more inputs and lower reproductive rates associated

Two examples of beef cattle selection indices available to assist in selection decisions.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

with these herds. So remember, if you decide to use a terminal system, sell all the calves. Before you can use this system successfully, you must find a dependable source of replacement females (bred heifers or cows). More operations are specializing in producing these females, but you may need to do some research to find cattle that will fit your management. Terminal systems have numerous advantages with one being the ability to devote all forage resources to income producing females (cows) with no resources allocated to replacement heifers. Another advantage is purchasing females from a source that uses a planned crossbreeding program. Heterosis (hybrid vigor) will provide a major advantage on the maternal side while breed complementarity can pay dividends when choosing another breed of terminal sires.

Planned crossbreeding programs can be a major profitability boost for many farms, and more producers should investigate the advantages.

All Purpose Breeding Systems Most beef cattle breeding systems will fall into the All Purpose category. This system attempts to optimize maternal production traits with “beef traits” (growth, carcass, etc.) to produce feeder cattle that have broad acceptability. At first glance, it seems obvious that this would be the best breeding system choice, and it is for many operations. However, the antagonistic nature of maternal and terminal traits makes it difficult to excel in both areas. Well managed All Purpose Systems can be successful, but they will miss opportunities. For example, All Purpose Systems will tend to increase mature cow size, which will increase cow costs and could lead to reduced stocking rates because of the higher feed requirements for larger cows. In addition, you are limited in the progress you can make with growth and carcass traits because you must keep maternal function in mind. Finding the balance between numerous traits can be difficult and careful planning should be used to

determine the best approach for your farm.

Once the breeding system has been established, you will need to determine your cattle operation’s needs and goals.

What traits do you need to improve?

Genetic change with beef cattle takes time because of the slow generation turnover. Are you using crossbreeding in your operation? Straight breeding (one breed) can be successful, but harnessing the power of heterosis and breed complementarity must be considered.

Traditional crossbreeding systems can be complex and difficult to manage, especially for smaller operations. Using hybrid/composite bulls can simplify crossbreeding while capturing enhanced performance. Bull selection criteria should mirror your genetic goals because the traits your bull(s) possess will determine your herd’s direction.

Now that the traits of interest/ importance have been established for your herd, we can look for tools to help us find bulls to meet our needs. Before scheduling a farm visit or going to a sale, producers should review the bull offering for genetic merit. All major beef cattle breed associations publish Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), which are calculated by performance data submitted by their breeders. If possible, seek seedstock providers that collect and turn in data because it increases the accuracy of their breeds genetic evaluation. In the interest of time, we will not review every EPD, but I would suggest reviewing the EPDs for the traits that are important to you.

Furthermore, a more powerful selection tool to consider is bio-economic selection indices. They combined EPDs with actual economic values and are reported as dollar values (i.e., $B = Angus, API = Simmental, etc.). Each index has its own individual definition, and some research is needed to make sure you are using the proper one. For example, some breeds publish terminal indices (i.e., Charolais = TSI; Simmental

A well designed terminal crossbreeding system. Crossbred cows (Angus x Hereford) for maximum maternal heterosis and calves sired by a third breed (Charolais). Source: Rangan Charolais.

= TI), and they should not be used for Maternal or All Purpose Systems. They are designed to place selection pressure on growth and carcass traits and will be a valuable tool when used properly.

Selection indices and EPDs are powerful and will move your herd in the direction of your choosing. So it is important to locate and rank bulls “on paper” prior to visual appraisal. This does not mean genetic tools are more important than visual traits. It takes a balanced approach, and utilizing all the available tools will lead to more desirable outcomes.

The important traits to consider during visual inspection starts with structural soundness. Breeding stock should have good foot structure and correct angles to the joints in their fore and hindquarters. Structural integrity is best evaluated when cattle are moving, and they should have a very easy fluid gate. Cattle that arch their back and take short choppy strides should be avoided. Resources are available to illustrate proper and improper beef cattle structure. Body capacity is important when selecting cattle to perform on forages. Cattle with good body depth and spring to their rib cage can consume larger quantities of forage. Body depth is best viewed from the side by mentally determining the distance from the top line (back) of the animal to its underline. A good location for reference is behind the front legs and at the rear flank. Spring of rib is best seen from the front/rear view.

Notice how the ribs are positioned on the spine, and they should have a wide arch coming from the backbone. Cattle with excellent body volume should have a performance advantage on forages.

Quality seedstock should have adequate muscle volume since this is the product we are producing. For scenarios where replacement heifers will be retained, bulls should possess a long, smooth muscle pattern and adequate muscle volume. An extremely expressive muscle pattern should be avoided in Maternal and All Purpose systems.

Terminal systems where all offspring will be sold could handle more selection for muscle as long as it does not lead to dystocia. Growth traits are best evaluated with EPDs and performance data collected by breeders. But visual traits can give you some indication of growth potential.

Hip height, which is usually reported as a frame score, can be used to gauge growth, and the ideal size will depend on operational objectives. Maternal Breeding Systems will typically select for more moderate frame scores to keep mature cow size in check. In addition, larger frame cattle could be more desirable when selecting terminal sires. It has been said

that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and when analyzing cattle, that statement is very true. Each of us will find things we like and dislike about different cattle, and no bull will be perfect for every situation.

It is important to stay focused on what your operation needs in its next herd sire and not become distracted. No one knows the needs of your herd and your goals better than you. It is fine to ask others for their opinion, but the final decision needs to be yours.

Few management decisions will have a greater impact than the bulls you select, and these new sires will set the genetic direction for your program. Careful analysis will make sure that this direction is pointed toward your goals. Cattle adaption to your production environment, and management is very important.

Find reputable seedstock suppliers that manage cattle like you manage your herd.

David Lalman, Oklahoma State Beef Specialist, offers this advice: “Purchase bulls out of cows that are managed like yours or worse, have never missed a calf, and calve early.” Of course, this guidance applies to operations retaining replacement females. Dr. Lalman is emphasizing the importance of low maintenance females that have longevity in commercial cow herds. For producers in the Tall Fescue Belt, it is advisable to find bulls produced from cows grazing fescue. Ask to see your seedstock suppliers cow herd in the late spring.

Have they shed their winter hair coat?

Research has shown that when cows have early hair shedding while grazing Tall Fescue, they will wean heavier calves and have improved reproductive performance.

Bulls that excel in grazing systems have structural soundness, extra body capacity, adequate muscle volume, and are adapted to their production environment. Source: Red Hill Farms.

When evaluating bulls, seek balance across multiple traits and avoid extremes. Remember, sustainable cattle grazing systems have two factors that contribute to profitability: 1) revenue and 2) expenses. It is very easy to chase revenue traits (growth) while ignoring the expense traits (mature cow size and milk).

Moderation and balance should be applied when selecting bulls to sire females. How you will market the calves produced by your bulls must be considered as part of the selection process. Profitable

operations exist, producing all types of cattle (Maternal, Terminal, and All Purpose). The key is finding what you can produce and market sustainably and profitably. The advantages of crossbreeding cannot be ignored in commercial cattle operations, and there are systems that can work for every size farm. Lastly, remember every cattle operation is unique, and your program may look different than your neighbors.

Develop your genetic, management, and marketing plan and analyze the results.

Continue to refine your program and look for new opportunities to advance your operation. The right bulls will bring tremendous value, and the wrong bulls will be a missed opportunity. For more information about this topic, contact your N.C. Extension Livestock Agent and/ or the Amazing Grazing Team. Good grazing!

Baxter Black

On the edge of

common sense

Handicapped Golfer I played in a celebrity golf tournament in Oklahoma City a while back. Now, I’ve been to a few celebrity team ropings, a couple of celebrity stock dog trials, a million brandings, and one celebrity rock pickin’ - but this was my first celebrity golf tournament. Generous people paid a lot of money to play golf with well known folks. The money was donated to help the blind.

I got in the golf cart with a feller named Phil. He asked me what my handicap was. I couldn’t think of anything real bad except an addiction to Miracle Whip; however, I was told at one time that my nose would qualify me for handicapped parking. He asked me how well I played. I said, not too well.

I’m sure he thought I was bein’ modest, because after the first hole he turned to me and said, “You really don’t play golf too well, do ya?”

You play 18 holes to a game. I don’t know why they invented that number.

You would have thought they’d play ten or a dozen or an even twenty, but for some reason, they chose eighteen.

Probably the first golfer just played ‘til his arms were sore and decided that was enough.

When you get down to the nitty gritty, there are two weapons you use in the game; the driver and the putter.

First you line yourself up between two swimming pool floats and “tee off.” This

The Carolina Cattle Connection

is done with the driver, which is a fly rod with the handle sawed off. Only my gun bearer and guide know which way to aim. He’d stand up beside me and point off to the horizon. Then tell me to hit the ball off in that general direction. It was always necessary to clear the spectators back 180 degrees from my line of fire. It was impossible to predict which direction my ball would go. By the third hole, we’d traded our golf cart in for an all terrain vehicle, and the rest of our foursome was driving an armored personnel carrier.

Once you make the green, it is recommended that one use a putter. The only comparison I can make to putting is that it’s like shooting the eight ball on a table the Navy has been landing planes on for three days! I think I could have dropped the ball from a hovering helicopter and had a better chance of hitting the hole. Finally, they let me putt with a snow shovel. They said it improved my game.

A nice feller lent me his golf bag and a pocket full of balls. I lost six of them.

I was ashamed to tell him. I’m sure he thinks I stole ‘em. I lost so many balls that we eventually rented a backhoe for the sand traps and hired two scuba divers to join our caravan.

They haven’t asked me back. But maybe I’ll get invited to a celebrity bowling tournament; at least I won’t lose as many balls.

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics N.C. State University You Decide: Is It Really 2030? The calendar says 2020, but some say it’s really 2030. Huh? Did we suddenly lose a decade? I, for one, certainly hope not, because that would make me 79 instead of 69.

Actually, no one is saying it really is 2030. What they mean is the ongoing trends in the economy have accelerated so rapidly that the world we are looking at now is closer to what it would have been in 2030. In other words, the future is on us sooner than we thought.

What is the cause of this time travel? It’s the COVID-19 pandemic.

As economists look at how businesses, households, and workers have coped with the virus, many of us see outcomes we wouldn’t have expected until many years in the future.

Here’s a good example. Meat

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processing plants use large numbers of individuals working in close proximity to convert cattle, hogs, and poultry into products supermarkets and restaurants can use. In fact, meat processing is an important economic sector in North Carolina.

When some of these plants had virus outbreaks, several economists – including me – speculated that down the road, we would see the processing plants begin to replace workers with machines and technology. The logic was that machines and technology are immune to virus outbreaks, and thus when a future pandemic occurred, these high tech food processing plants could continue operating.

I thought such a conversion was years away. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I read that some meat processing plants have already begun to introduce robots for some of their work. The article said

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

that the robots weren’t yet ready to do all the processing work, but over time the robots would be refined, and their tasks expanded.

Another example is remote working.

Prior to the pandemic, remote working was expanding, but it was still relatively small, accounting for under ten percent of the workforce. Futurists thought it would gradually expand, perhaps doubling between 2020 and 2030.

However, today there are estimates that perhaps 30 percent of employees are remotely working, and in the next decade, that number could expand to as high as 40 percent. Once again, the trend was already there; it’s just the pandemic has pushed the pedal on it.

The commonality of these two examples is technology. For years economists have talked about “technological unemployment” as a trend shaping the labor force. Indeed, in 2013 two British economists estimated almost half of today’s occupations could be susceptible to downsizing due to the substitution of technology for humans in doing work. While not all economists agree with those predictions, it looks as if the COVID-19 pandemic could make them more likely.

Technological unemployment is not new. It goes back at least as far as the 18th century when English textile workers opposed factory owners replacing them with machines. Once perfected, machines can usually produce more output in a given period of time than can humans. Plus, the machines don’t need rest or vacations.

Today there’s an additional reason for companies to consider replacing workers with technology. Technology and machines don’t get sick for long periods of time, like people infected with COVID-19. Technology and machines also don’t spread sickness from machine to machine, and machines aren’t subject to stay-at-home orders during a pandemic.

Now, before you think I’m unaware of spreadable “computer viruses,” I am!

I know that users of modern technology must use protective computer programs and be cautious of opening unknown attachments. Maybe someday – hopefully soon – we’ll have similar techniques, like a vaccine, to protect us against viruses.

Unfortunately, just like computer viruses, human viruses can be totally different each year, thereby requiring an entirely new vaccine.

Therefore, until we have better protection from infections like COVID-19, I expect people and businesses won’t let their guard down.

If they can, more workers will consider remotely working. Also, if they can, more businesses will look for ways to

use fewer people and more machines and technology as a means to protect against disease and pandemics.

A new study from two MIT economics professors raises an additional and important worry. If the technological unemployment spurred by the COVID-19 occurs, it may dramatically reduce the number of jobs available for those without post-high school training. In one way, this is a plus, because most of those jobs pay low wages. However, such a situation also creates challenges of retraining displaced workers for other – preferably higher paying - occupations.

This raises the important question of how this retraining will occur. Will businesses do it on their own with “on the job training?” If so, what strings might be attached to prevent retrained workers from moving to other companies?

Or, will we need to rely mostly on our public educational system, including community colleges and four year colleges and universities?

If these institutions do carry the bulk of the retraining, then they will need to provide quick, inexpensive, and focused education in specific work tasks.

Workers losing their jobs to technological unemployment, especially those with families and dependents, won’t be able to spend multiple years in new learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been more than a health event. It has had a profound impact on our economy by pushing existing economic trends ahead faster than we could have ever imagined.

So, if 2020 really is like 2030, do you like what you see? You decide!

You Decide: Did One-Third of the Economy Disappear? The headlines were eye popping. “Economy shrinks by one-third.” “All economic growth from the last five years wiped out.” “Worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s.”

These were some of the reactions to the recent release by the federal government of GDP numbers for the second quarter (April, May, and June) of this year.

Before I go any further, what in the world is ‘GDP’? GDP stands for ‘gross domestic product.’ Think of GDP as an aggregate production value for the country. It is a number that represents all the economic value generated by all types of businesses – farmers, manufacturers, service companies, educators, etc. and even government – during a specific time period. It is measured in dollars, but those dollars are always adjusted for inflation, so the value doesn’t rise just because prices increase.

There are several uses of GDP. GDP allows us to track the economic size of the country, even though the composition of the economy might be changing.

GDP is also calculated for most other countries of the world. This allows easy comparisons and rankings of countries using the size of their GDP values.

One of the most significant uses of GDP is in determining recessions and measuring their size. The major condition for a recession to occur is GDP falling for two consecutive quarters (six months).

Then, once a recession is designated, the size of the GDP’s contraction gives an indication of the recession’s severity.

GDP declined modestly in the first quarter of 2020. With the blockbuster drop in GDP during the second quarter, we have an official recession spanning at least the first half of 2020.

Now let me get back to those headlines. The report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said GDP fell by 32.9 percent in the second quarter, just a hair under 33 percent, or one-third. With the economy having a GDP of $19 trillion at the end of the first quarter, does this mean we lost a third of that – amounting to $6.3 trillion - in April, May, and June of 2020? If that kind of loss continues, will we even have an economy left by the end of the year?

Fortunately, the economy did not lose $6.3 trillion of GDP in the second quarter of 2020; the loss was much less. Here’s the somewhat complicated reason why.

First, the BEA likes to post most of its numbers on an “annualized basis.” What does this mean? It means the numbers are quoted as if they continue to occur for an entire year. BEA does this because users like to make comparisons in annual terms.

Indeed, if you closely read the press release from the BEA announcing the second quarter GDP results, you’ll see it says, “…GDP decreased at an annual

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rate (my emphasis) of 32.9 percent during the second quarter of 2020.” Translated, this means if whatever decrease actually occurred in the second quarter were to continue for an entire year, the total drop would be 32.9 percent.

So what was the actual decline in GDP in the second quarter? It was 9.5 percent.

When BEA says the annualized decline was 32.9 percent, it means that if the 9.5 percent drop happened for four consecutive quarters, then after adjusting for typical seasonal differences in the economy during the course of a year, the total annual contraction would be 32.9 percent.

Wow, there’s a big difference between 9.5 percent and 32.9 percent. But the story doesn’t stop here. The $19 trillion GDP number at the end of the first quarter is also an annualized figure. The actual GDP created in the first three months of the year was $4.8 trillion. Applying the decline of 9.5 percent to $4.8 trillion gives a GDP loss in the second quarter of $0.46 trillion, or $460 billion.

So, yes, the economy did shrink in the Spring, but not by the multitrillion dollar amount implied by the BEA’s “annualized” numbers. What kept the losses more modest? It was the gigantic federal help, including the household stimulus checks, the boost to unemployment payments, and the loans and grants to businesses. Without these, consumer and business spending would have been much weaker. Of course, all the federal money has been borrowed, and the costs of this borrowing will be faced in the future.

Here’s one more point. There have been numerous comparisons of the 2020 economic downturn to the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The actual 9.5 percent GDP decline in the second quarter of this year does exceed any quarterly pullback during the Great Depression. However, the difference is the Great Depression went on for years, and the economy actually did shrink by almost onethird. Economists today don’t think the economy will actually contract by onethird, and they expect today’s recession won’t continue for years.

The lesson here is economic headlines and details may not paint the same picture.

Sometimes you have to dig to get the real meaning. In a year, both you and I will be better able to decide how bad the economy really was during the virus.

About the author. Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at N.C. State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Week ending AUGUST 4, 2020) Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of Southeast Livestock Exchange and Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales ending Tuesday, AUGUST 4, 2020. All cattle in this report are located in North and South Carolina. Prices FOB the farm or local scale and many weighed with a 0-2 percent shrink and sold with a 5-10¢ per pound slide on the heavy side only. Some all natural lots.

Cattle Receipts: 5,209 Last Month: 3,717

Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 60 percent steers and 40 percent heifers. Nearly 90 percent of the run weighed over 600 pounds. Head totals are based on load lot estimate of 49,500 pounds.

Head 49 70 192 64 292 30 56 55

Wt. Range 650-650 700-700 765-765 760-760 825-840 810-810 875-875 900-900

Head 93 22 83 82 79 162 72 75 71 147 75 66 203 36 66 65 156 300 182 82 57 114 28

Wt. Range 525-525 510-510 590-590 600-600 610-630 600-615 685-685 660-660 670-690 660-670 650-650 740-740 700-740 740-740 740-740 750-750 750-765 820-825 800-815 810-830 865-865 850-875 940-940

Head 28 68 61 28

Wt. Range 600-600 725-725 810-810 875-875

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 650 $136.00 $136.00 700 $143.75 $143.75 765 $148.50 - $150.25 $149.67 760 $149.75 $149.75 837 $133.50 - $136.00 $135.09 810 $125.00 $125.00 875 $128.25 $128.25 900 $124.00 $124.00 FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range 525 $161.00 510 $142.25 590 $159.75 600 $158.00 620 $141.25 - $150.00 607 $146.25 - $149.75 685 $149.25 660 $146.25 680 $142.25 - $145.00 665 $147.25 - $149.50 650 $137.75 740 $139.25 723 $141.00 - $155.50 740 $135.25 740 $140.25 750 $154.75 754 $137.00 - $149.00 824 $133.75 - $134.00 805 $134.25 - $148.00 819 $139.75 - $145.50 865 $130.50 862 $144.00 - $149.25 940 $125.00

Avg. Price $161.00 $142.25 $159.75 $158.00 $145.61 $148.00 $149.25 $146.25 $143.63 $148.37 $137.75 $139.25 $146.34 $135.25 $140.25 $154.75 $144.30 $133.85 $142.75 $143.01 $130.50 $146.62 $125.00

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 600 $121.00 $121.00 725 $135.00 $135.00 810 $123.75 $123.75 875 $113.00 $113.00

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

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

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Head Wt. Range Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price Delivery 98 500-500 500 $143.00 $143.00 Value Added 85 575-575 575 $139.50 $139.50 Value Added 86 570-570 570 $136.50 $136.50 Natural 53 550-550 550 $127.25 $127.25 Unweaned 81 610-610 610 $135.00 $135.00 80 615-615 615 $134.50 $134.50 Value Added 77 620-625 623 $131.25 - $135.00 $133.21 Split Loads 82 600-600 600 $130.00 $130.00 Natural 151 650-650 650 $133.50 - $145.25 $139.34 Value Added 139 655-680 668 $127.25 - $139.50 $135.48 Split Loads 221 650-690 663 $132.00 - $137.50 $134.16 Natural 137 710-720 715 $128.50 - $129.25 $128.88 275 700-740 712 $130.00 - $145.50 $138.31 Value Added 83 710-715 712 $127.25 - $143.00 $134.22 Split Loads 70 700-700 700 $127.25 $127.25 Natural 32 750-750 750 $127.00 $127.00 Split Loads 120 800-825 812 $135.00 - $143.25 $139.13 Value Added 30 815-815 815 $119.00 $119.00 Split Loads

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 15

National Farm Safety and Health Week – September 20-26

By MARION BARNES & BRITTANY FLOWERS, Clemson University Each year since 1944, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety & Health Week.

This recognition was initiated by the National Safety Council and has been proclaimed by each sitting U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first document. The 2020 theme for National Farm Safety and Health Week is “Every Farmer Counts.” This year’s theme is one that hits home. As our country responds to and navigates its way through the uncertainty of COVID-19 and a global pandemic, we are reminded of the critical role our farmers play in feeding the world.

Farms and ranches have always been great places to live, work, and raise a family, but it’s no secret that they are also dangerous environments. Statistics indicate that agriculture ranks as one of our nation’s most hazardous occupations, with 23 fatalities per 100,000 workers, according to recent data. These statistics underscore the need for ongoing education of farmers, their families, and their employees of the dangers associated with agriculture.

Our nation has always had a robust agrarian history where farming was one of the main occupations, but things have changed drastically in the last 80 or so years. After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the number of U.S. farms declined sharply before leveling off in the 1970s. According to data from the USDA Economic Research Service, there were 2,029,200 U.S. farms in 2018. Thanks to modern farming practices, technology, and numerous innovations, fewer farmers continue to produce the food, fuel, and fiber on which our country and the world depends. As for productivity, in the 1930s, one American farmer produced enough agricultural products to feed four people: basically, those of the farm. Today, one American farmer produces enough food to feed 166 people in the U.S. and abroad.

If you haven’t noticed, our farmers are getting older. As of 2017, the average age of all farm producers in the U.S. was 57.5 years of age, up 1.2 years from 2012. This continued long term trend of our farm producers underscores the importance of farm safety education.

There are several conditions associated with age, such as arthritis, limited vision, hearing loss, slowed reaction time, balance and strength, etc., that make the dangerous work of farming particularly hazardous to senior farmers. For example, it has been demonstrated that tractor operators 65 years and older may be two

PAGE 16

to three times more likely to be fatally injured in tractor incidents than persons of other age groups.

Farm safety suggestions for senior farmers: • Get adequate rest, eat nutritionally, and wear proper work clothes and footwear.

• Take short work breaks and always stop when you are tired.

• Avoid farm activities that may be deemed risky to older farmers, such as operating machinery, climbing, working livestock, dusty environments, etc. Many senior farmers suffer from chronic respiratory health issues, such as bronchitis/emphysema.

• Senior farmers should obtain regular health checkups for vision, hearing, balance, muscular range, and mobility.

• Increase lighting in buildings and shops to accommodate vision needs for senior farmers. Generally, to be able to see objects as clearly as they did at age 20, many 45-year-old farmers require four times as much light. By age 60, the amount of light necessary to see clearly is double that needed for a 45-year-old.

• Newer tractors with enclosed cabs or ROP’s are safer for senior farmers.

While newer equipment comes with better safeguards and technology designed to make work easier and faster, senior farmers may take longer learning new techniques.

• Overconfidence can kill. Just because a farmer has years of experience doesn’t mean they cannot be injured or killed doing a task they have done safely for years.

• Don’t forget about mental health.

Depression and onset of chronic illnesses may limit some senior farmers’ ability to farm safely.

Many benefits come with age. Older farmers have the wisdom, experience, and enhanced judgment that those younger or new farmers may lack. Senior farmers should use these skills to compensate for the decreases in reaction time, mobility, and other physical limitations that come with age. There will come a time in every senior farmer’s career that they or someone in the family will have to decide when it’s time for “retirement” or to turn over specific tasks to someone else that puts older farmers at risk. This decision will not be an easy one and should not be taken lightly but could end up saving a senior farmer from injury or worse.

Senior farmers are not the only group at risk from injuries on the farm. New and beginning farmers and youth who

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

work on farms are also vulnerable. Less experienced farmers have not acquired some of the necessary knowledge and skills that come with years of farming.

Men and women who have been farming less than ten years are at increased risk for injury due to the dangerous nature of farming.

Below are a few farm safety suggestions for new or less experienced farmers: • Everyone should read and understand the operator’s manual for each piece of equipment they operate.

• Supervise all persons around machinery until they can recognize the hazards and are capable of handling them.

• Establish safety policies/procedures that make safety a priority on the farm.

• Safety training should be available for all members of the operation, including family members. Even a short ten minute on site session can cover a great deal of safety information.

• Keep an open line of communications

and ensure everyone is comfortable with reporting hazards or asking for help.

• Inexperienced farmers should find a mentor or a more experienced farmer in the community, someone who could provide advice in areas that they may not be familiar with.

• New and beginning farmers should consider attending farm safety trainings.

Many organizations such as Farm Bureau or your local County Extension agent or Extension farm safety specialist may be able to provide training.

• Always let someone know your location when working alone. It’s good advice for all farmers, young and older alike.

These safety suggestions are by no means a complete list but are intended to increase the awareness of some hazards faced on the farm by both experienced and inexperienced farmers. Hopefully, this article has underscored the fact that America and the world depend on our farmers and “every farmer counts!”

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 17

E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture

By E.B. HARRIS

“Legal” Moonshine This COVID-19 has certainly changed the world. It has affected and changed us here. One of the changes that came about with us was the changes made at our auction sale site. We continued to have them live on site as well as online.

We did seem to see a little bit of a pickup of people bidding over the internet than in the past. I can’t seem to put a figure on exactly what it all is, but that’s what some folks elected to do, and we wanted to offer that option to them We thought about the customers who would still be coming to bid at the sale site, and Anne wanted to make sure they were safe. We bought some masks and hand sanitizer to have on the counter at the field office where customers would be coming to register and pay for the items they purchased. She thought a couple of large containers would be what was needed. She went to buy the hand sanitizer, and every supplier or store she went to the hand sanitizer was all gone, and they did not know when they would be getting any in to restock the shelves.

Her sister Verliene (we call her V) and her husband Bill live in Mocksville, North Carolina. Anne talks to her every

night, and she mentioned to her that she had been to buy some hand sensitizer and could not find any in the stores. V made mention to Bill about it, and he said he thought he could find us some.

In the next week or so, Bill called and said he had found some gallon size containers of hand sanitizer. We picked them up about a week later. I noticed the label on them had “Flammable.” I brought them in the office and took the cap off one of them. It was an old familiar smell.

Make sure the seal is tight if the sheriff stops you.

I looked at Anne and took another good smell of the hand sanitizer again and said, “This is nothing but moonshine corn whiskey.” I got to reading the label on it, and it was 90% alcohol and some other ingredients. It made me think back to how I knew it was moonshine whiskey.

As a child, I hunted all these creeks, branches, and bottoms in my community.

My Daddy had always trained us that if we were out hunting and got a particular sweet, sour smell, to turn and go the opposite way, which we did. You do not walk up on a man’s whiskey still.

Occasionally, we might stumble up on one if the wind wasn’t blowing the right way. I could tell after we got on it if it was running peach or apple brandy or plain corn liquor. Over the years, my nose

37th Annual N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test

By GARY GREGORY On July 8, the bulls were delivered to the Butner Bull Test Station to start the 37 th Annual Butner Beef Cattle Improvement Program Bull Test. A total of 59 bulls were taken in on this day, consigned by 15 producers representing 12 counties in North Carolina. There are two breeds represented at this year’s test, 51 Angus and six Hereford. Two Angus bulls are on test but will not be compared with the other Angus or eligible for the sale. You can keep up with the bulls’ performance by going to our new website at www.beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beefbull-test/. It is part of the new N.C. State

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

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

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PAGE 18

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

trained me on what I could smell. My sense of smell told me that what Bill had gotten for us was plain old corn whiskey.

Come to find out, a lot of the legal distillers with the shortage of hand sanitizer were jugging it up and listing as hand sanitizer. What else they put in it, I can’t tell you. I would guess A.I. lube. With all the changes going on in the world today and people going back and looking at things from yesteryear and what’s happened, all I have to say is if those changes come about the man who was caught making moonshine and convicted for selling nontaxed paid liquor, they may want to go back and strike his sentence and pay him time for what damage they did to him because all he was doing was making hand sanitizer getting ready for this pandemic.

Extension Beef website, which gives you an opportunity to see what else is going on in beef extension.

The bulls have adjusted to their new environment and have gone on feed. On July 20-21, the bulls were weighed on test, and the average of the two weights and hip heights were taken and used as the on test weight and hip height. The test will last for 112 days, with them being weighed off test on November 9-10.

The weights and heights at this time will be averaged together to make the final weights and hip heights. To be eligible for the sale, bulls must have a ratio of 85 or better on average daily gain on test and an adjusted yearling weight ratio of 93 compared to the other bulls in their breed.

They must have an adjusted yearling frame score of 5.0. The bulls must also pass a breeding soundness exam at the end of the test and will also be evaluated for physical soundness and disposition by a committee. Any bull not passing all for these criteria will not be eligible for the sale.

The sale will be held at the Granville County Livestock Arena in Oxford, N.C., on December 18. If you would like to schedule a trip to see the Butner bulls, you can contact Greg Shaeffer at 919-471-6872 or greg_shaeffer@ncsu. edu. We ask that you do not just show up at the Butner Bull Test Station due to COVID-19 restrictions. If you have any questions about the Butner Bull Test, you can contact Gary Gregory at 919-5154027 or ggregory@ncsu.edu. The next weigh day will be September 15.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 19

ANGUS NEWS American Angus Association Names Troy Marshall as Director of Commercial Industry Relations.

Marshall to play an integral role in building relationships with commercial producers. The American Angus Association recently named Troy Marshall the Director of Commercial Industry Relations. Marshall’s rich experience in the beef industry, combined with his industry knowledge, makes him a natural fit to connect with commercial producers who utilize Angus genetics targeting the cow/calf, stocker, and feeder segments.

“I am incredibly excited to have Troy joining our team,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO. “Troy has such a unique background in multiple facets of the cattle industry and is a real thought leader for our business. His creativity, experience, and credibility will be enormous assets to our organization

and will advance our efforts with commercial cattlemen to the next level.”

Marshall comes to the Angus Association with a wealth of cattle industry knowledge. For over 25 years, Marshall has been the owner of Marshall Cattle Company, where he has placed an emphasis on servicing cattlemen with superior Angus and SimAngus genetics.

In addition to his time on the ranch, he shared his knowledge as contributing editor for over ten years at BEEF Magazine, and he was the editor and publisher of The Seedstock Digest, the nation’s first weekly publication aimed at seedstock producers.

“The commercial cattlemen has and always will be the primary focus of the American Angus Association and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be part of the team that is focused on creating value for Angus genetics within the commercial industry,” said Marshall.

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Bull Sale December 12, 2020 • 12:00 noon Featuring:

35 Yearling Bulls 25 Two-Year-Old Bulls

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PAGE 20

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

“The commercial industry has done a great job of improving the quality of the product we produce, but they have not always been able to capture the value of the superior genetics and management that they are putting into their cattle. Our goal is to provide the opportunities to help capture that value.”

Marshall has also served as the Director of Commercial Programs for the American Maine-Anjou Association and the North American Limousin Foundation and has been a market analyst for CattleFax. These positions have allowed Marshall to develop a trend of commitment to creating opportunities for producers.

For more information about the American Angus Association, please visit www.Angus.org.

Take it Up a Notch on the National Angus Tour. Angus tour makes stops at diverse operations in the Kansas City area. In the center of America’s heartland lies Kansas City, a metropolitan area that boasts a rich agricultural history.

Kansas City’s roots can be traced to the establishment of the Kansas City Stockyards in 1871 and the American Royal Stock Show in 1899. Most know that tradition and agriculture have long been linked. In the modern era, livestock families have adopted new and creative approaches to bring the next generation into the operation to maintain their family enterprise. The 2020 National Angus Tour, hosted by the Missouri Angus Association, will shine the spotlight on several innovative farming families.

The first stop on the tour is Valley Oaks Feedlot, located approximately 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City.

Owned and operated by the David Ward family, the feedlot is housed in Lone Jack, Mo., and has a 4,500 head capacity.

The state-of-the-art Valley Oaks Feedlot was custom designed to provide cattle with optimal ventilation and temperature control in a low stress environment. The safe atmosphere and feeding program, combined with a superior genetic platform, elevates their cattle to be highly sought after by packers and local butcher shops alike. The operation typically produces 25 percent Prime and 98 percent Choice or higher premiums and is home to the 2019 American Royal Grand Champion Steak Competition.

Highlights of the Valley Oaks tour stop include animal health and nutrition, a stress-free building tour, manure management, and direct consumer marketing. Additionally, the Wards will share personal experiences in agri-tourism along with challenges from animal and environmental activists.

“We look forward to hosting the

National Angus Tour every year, and this year’s tour stops are second-tonone,” Caitlyn Brandt, American Angus Association events coordinator said, “Attendees can look forward to an educational tour that highlights many facets of the beef business, especially in the Midwest.”

The second stop on the tour is Mershon Cattle in Buckner, Missouri.

Mershon Cattle is an award winning commercial cattle operation owned by Bruce and Tracey Mershon. The couple has been honored as recipients of the 2019 Beef Improvement Federation’s Commercial Producer of the Year, the 2018 Missouri Hereford Association Commercial Breeder of the Year, and the 2013 Missouri Angus Association Commercial Producer of the Year. This data driven operation is backed by an Angus based crossbred cow herd. They utilize Angus, Hereford, Simmental, and Charolais A.I. and natural service sires that excel in carcass quality, feed efficiency, docility, and fescue tolerance.

Through careful genetic selection over the past 15 years, they have seen harvest data steadily improve and are now consistently running 95 percent Choice or better and 5 percent Prime.

During the farm tour, visitors will see their multi-faceted operation up close and hear from experts who work closely with the Mershon family as advisors on research trials. Attendees will learn about sexed semen and split time A.I. trials, as well as hair shedding; use of commodity byproduct feed blends; the use of new technology in database management of herd performance; and the symbiotic relationship with their row crop and seed business. Additionally, on display will be cows, yearlings, and calves, as well as their A.I. and natural service sires.

Lunch will be served at the beautiful Lone Summit Ranch, near Lees Summit, Missouri. Established in the early 1900s, the property has been home to outstanding pedigreed livestock of several species. Purchased in 2015, Linda Sallee and her husband have worked tirelessly to restore the historic buildings and barns to their original grandeur. Today, the facilities are available as a special event venue and host a variety of weddings, corporate meetings, dinners, and photoshoots.

“Missouri is the Show-Me State and the Missouri Angus Association is excited to show attendees these progressive operations,” Julie Conover, Missouri Angus Association general manager said.

“We hope you join us on Nov. 6 for this great Angus activity.”

Tour is limited to 200 guests, and spaces often fill up quickly.

Registration and hotel reservations are currently available online at www. angusconvention.com.

Angus Juniors Donate to Tulsa Food Bank. Youth from across the nation contribute to community service project through the newly created Angus Impact program. The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) strives to create opportunities for its members to grow, even outside of the show ring. The NJAA has always emphasized community service, and this year a program was created specifically for this cause. The Angus Impact program aims to encourage and facilitate community service initiatives for Angus youth to partake in.

Keegan Cassady, 2019-2020 membership chair for the National Junior Angus Board, was the driving force behind bringing this program to existence.

“We wanted to create a program that involved juniors all year long and got them involved in their communities,” said Cassady. “This year our cause is food insecurity, which hits very close to home for our juniors as young agriculturalists.”

At the 2020 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Tulsa, Okla., members were encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food items to be donated to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Together, the juniors were able to collect 175 pounds of donations. Board members Dylan Denny, Tyler Bush, and Keegan Cassady had the opportunity to hand deliver their donation, visiting with staff and learning more about the important role the food bank plays in providing food for eastern Oklahoma.

“The community really is the backbone of what we do here,” said Jenny Berry, media coordinator and graphic designer for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. They serve the 24 eastern counties of Oklahoma through 350 partner agencies, typically providing about 464,000 meals per week. She says that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this has increased to about 700,000 meals per week since the beginning of April.

Continued donations have been crucial to keeping up with these changes in both supply and demand.

“Having these young people wanting to step up and help make a donation is really inspiring to see,” said Berry.

The NJAA is passionate about the importance of building strong leaders and citizens, rather than just successful showmen. When spearheading this project, the junior board didn’t want it to be a one time occurrence. It’s their intention that this continues to be a priority for junior associations across the country well into the future. Cassady

hopes that juniors will continue to enjoy participating in the Angus Impact program and appreciate its purpose.

“We hope that throughout the years the Angus Impact program will grow,” said Cassady. “We want to make sure juniors are engaged and excited about helping others.”

Angus Juniors Enjoy a Trip to Camp Angus. NJAA members gathered for growth and fun at Camp Angus in Nebraska City, Nebraska. In a typical year, Angus juniors from across the nation would have attended the annual Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference this summer. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) and the Events and Education department at the American Angus Association® had to adapt this well attended event from its initial venue in Orlando, Florida.

Camp Angus, hosted August 4-6 in Nebraska City, Neb., served as an enjoyable alternative to the usually highly anticipated LEAD conference.

Madeline Bauer, events coordinator for the American Angus Association®, shared that the objective of Camp Angus is to provide juniors with opportunities to meet fellow Angus youth, engage with industry leaders and take part in activities, promoting growth and personal development. She spoke about unlocking the potential each junior has within them to succeed.

“Camp Angus was a success as we could see the passion and fire that are in these juniors’ eyes,” said Bauer. “The goal was to ignite that fire, and we hope the juniors keep the flame going as they navigate through their junior years.”

Juniors spent the first evening in Nebraska City hearing from keynote and industry speakers whose content laid the foundation for the rest of Camp Angus. Each speaker emphasized the importance of having a plan and being able to pivot when the plan no longer works, especially in the uncertain times we face today. Wednesday started with a trip to Bruning Farms to visit their operation and learn from camp sponsor Allflex, whose technology has been implemented by the Bruning family.

Juniors then participated in personal development workshops, a tree course, and ended the day with lawn games, line dancing, and a campfire. On the final morning, experts from Vytelle, Certified Angus Beef, and Sullivan Supply Inc. brought Camp Angus full circle, bringing insight on being successful and adaptable in the livestock industry. Throughout their

Continued on the next page

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Contact one of these N.C. Angus breeders today for your next genetic selection: 4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 email: info@tarheelangus.com

MESSICK ANGUS Kathleen Messick Madison 336-937-1956 email: messickangus@yahoo.com

BACK CREEK Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) email: robinbackcreek@att.net

PANTHER CREEK FARMS John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 email: JohnSmith3982@embarqmail.com

BB ORGANIC FARM NC, LLC R. & E. Miller Wake Forest 919-570-2816 email: bborganicfarmnc@gmail.com

PROPST FARMS James L. Propst Zach Moffitt - Manager Concord 336-736-6340 email: zmoffitt19@gmail.com

BILTMORE ESTATE Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 email: livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com BRIDGES BEEF CATTLE Eddie, Cindy, John & Crystal Bridges Shelby 704-692-2978 email: bridgesbeefcattle@gmail.com BRITT FAMILY FARMS James Britt Calypso 919-738-6331 jrb4070@hotmail.com C-CROSS CATTLE COMPANY Duane Strider Asheboro 336-964-6277 email: ccrosscattle@yahoo.com www.ccrosscattle.com FOUR S FARMS Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 email: kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 whgentry@windstream.net H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 email: jennham@bellsouth.net HILL ANGUS FARM Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 email: gmhill@uga.edu JACK KNOB FARMS Karl, Janet, & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 email: karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 email: mrooker@mrookerlaw.com SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Phil Goodson Rick Kern - Manager Louisburg 919-880-9062 (Phil); 919-272-6124 (Rick) email: jpgoodson@bellsouth.net www.springfieldangus.com TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 email: greg.little@ATImetals.com UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-953-0521 email: uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.com VANDEMARK ANGUS Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 email: keaton@vandemarkfarms.com WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-549-0070 email: michaelmoss@rtmc.net WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 email: rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

Sharon Rogers

N.C. Angus Association Executive Secretary

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

LANE ANGUS Roger Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7711 email: ritalane@embarqmail.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 21

Angus News continued from the previous page time in Nebraska, juniors also heard final thoughts and acknowledgments from each of the six retiring NJAB members.

Paige Lemenager, an Angus junior from Illinois, expressed her excitement to still be able to attend an event like Camp Angus in a year when opportunities have been limited.

“I was thrilled to have another chance to see my Angus family,” said Lemenager.

“After seeing a location change, I was proud to be a part of this association that stepped up to host such a fun event in these uncertain times.” Lemenager is confident that the knowledge and relationships gained at Camp Angus will serve her well in the future, especially as a young Angus breeder. While she hopes to be able to attend a traditional LEAD conference next year, Camp Angus served as an alternative opportunity for juniors to connect, learn, and grow with fellow Angus friends in a summer when events of its kind have been few and far between.

2020 Angus Convention Simplified to 137th Annual Meeting. Annual event modified to accommodate COVID-19

restrictions in Kansas City. The American Angus Association has made the difficult decision to reformat the 2020 Angus Convention originally scheduled for November 7-9 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Considering the current gathering restrictions created by COVID-19, modifications were necessary to balance the health of attendees and the need to conduct the business of the Association.

The event will be a two day meeting on November 8-9 and will continue the long tradition of holding an annual meeting of delegates that has occurred since the inception of the Association in 1883.

The National Angus Tour and trade show portion of the event have been cancelled, and the number of educational sessions will be reduced, but virtual options for members and attendees will be offered.

“The health and safety of Association members, guests and staff remains our top priority,” said Mark McCully, Association CEO. “While no technology can replace the value of an in person gathering, we believe offering virtual attendance options this year is the responsible thing to do. We

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

plan to offer a modified format, allowing for both an in-person annual meeting and a virtual educational experience for those who would like to join from home.”

Socially distanced educational sessions, an awards dinner, and fundraiser will be hosted on November 8. Guests who register online can partake in the virtual educational sessions held throughout the two day event. Association leadership will provide several updates and educational workshops. Each day will be headlined with keynote speakers to inspire attendees to advance their operation.

The American Angus Association Board of Directors candidate forum and state caucuses will proceed as scheduled and will be webcast for those not in attendance. The 137 th Convention of Delegates will be held on November 9. If members are unable to attend in person, they can attend virtually, and voting delegates will have a virtual participation option.

“The decision to modify the event and the business meeting was not taken lightly,” McCully said. “We still look forward to seeing our members in Kansas City, and if not, we hope you join us online. Give the office a call if you have any questions regarding your registration.”

The Association knows its membership is resilient, and the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in different ways. Offering a modified format for this industry leading event aligns with our heritage of innovation and progress, and the Association thanks its membership for cooperating during these trying times.

For more information regarding the 137th Annual Meeting, please visit www. angusconvention.com, where there is an updated schedule and information about registering or modifying a registration.

2020 Annual Convention of Delegates List. Last spring a form on which to nominate Delegates to the 137th Annual Convention of Delegates was sent to active life or regular members of the American Angus Association who qualified as Eligible Voting Members by April 10, 2020. Nominees could be any Eligible Voting Member whose farm or ranch is located in the same state as the nominator. After completed forms were returned to the Association office in St. Joseph, ballots were prepared and sent to Eligible Voting Members in each voting district (state or Canada).

Ballots have been tabulated to determine the voting delegates for the 2020 Annual Convention of Delegates to

be held on November 9, in Kansas City, Missouri.

The following is a list of North Carolina and South Carolina delegates and alternates to the 2020 Annual Convention of Delegates of the American Angus Association.

North Carolina Delegates Eugene Shuffler - Union Grove Russell O. Wood - Willow Spring Richard D. Kirkman - Siler City Jeffrey D. Wood - Willow Spring Alternates John C. Smith, Jr. - Pink Hill John Barnes - Autryville Steve McPherson - Snow Camp Colby Virtue - Vass South Carolina Delegates Kevin Yon - Ridge Spring Walter Shealy III - Newberry Larry W. Olson - Barnwell Alternate John C. Garrett - Troy Angus-On-Dairy $Value Indexes Launched. Angus-On-Dairy $Value Indexes are bioeconomic selection indexes that allow multiple changes in several different traits at once pertaining to a dairy-beef crossbreeding objective.

The indexes are an estimate of how future beef-on-dairy progeny of each Angus sire are expected to perform, on average, compared to beef-on-dairy progeny of other Angus sires if the sires were randomly mated and calves were exposed to the same environment.

These indexes were designed as specific crossbreeding tools for Angus bulls being mated to dairy cows. Two indexes have been developed for the dairy market: Angus-On-Holstein ($AxH) index and Angus-On-Jersey ($AxJ) index to help dairy producers identify the most profitable Angus sires for those markets.

Each index comprises several genetic traits weighted by the appropriated economics to serve this terminal beefon-dairy sector, including calving ease, growth from birth through the feeding phase, feed intake, dressing percent, yield grade, quality grade, muscling, and height (only included in $AxH).

To view the percentile breakdown, visit www.angus.org/DairyIndex/ AngusonDairyPercentiles.pdf?v=3.

For more information on these $AxH or $AxJ, feel free to watch the informational video at www.youtube. com/watch?v=THLNVHsdvPM&feature =youtu.be.

A Lifetime of Impact – 2020 Honorary Angus Foundation Announced David and Carolyn Gazda honored at the 2020 National Junior Angus Show. David and Carolyn Gazda of Athens, Georgia, are household names in the Angus family. The couple is known across the country for its serviceleadership style and commitment to the Angus breed and its vast community.

Over three decades of service is just a small indicator that proves the Gazdas to be more than deserving to be the 2020 inductees into the Honorary Angus Foundation.

“There are few more recognized faces in the Angus family than the Gazdas,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association, CEO. “David’s 32 years of service to the Association and its members is a commitment that is truly worth recognizing.”

It wasn’t until his high school graduation that David Gazda and his father purchased their first few cows.

Quickly enough, they both became members of the Georgia Angus Association, and the rest was history.

Before David began his career with the Association, he managed a three species unit at Stephen F. Austin (SFA) State University as Carolyn finished her master’s degree at the same college. Soon after, David managed RSE Farms, and later they both took positions at Quercus Farms in Gay, Georgia.

Upon returning to Athens, David accepted his current position as a regional manager for the American Angus Association in 1988. Today, he still covers the states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. More than 30 years later, he is the longest standing regional manager to have worked for the American Angus Association. In addition, he serves as the director of field services, where he manages the other 12 regional managers throughout the country.

To the Gazdas, the American Angus Association has become like a second family. From assisting on national, state, and local levels on a volunteer basis to David’s role at the Association, much of their time is occupied by Angus activities.

David has partnered with the states to plan six Eastern Regionals and two National Junior Angus Shows. He has been active in the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, serving on the executive committee and as president in 2013. In 2014, the Young Cattlemen’s Council established the David Gazda YCC Visionary Award and made him the recipient of the first award. Then, in 2014, he was inducted into the North Carolina Angus Hall of Fame, and later in 2018, the Georgia Angus Hall of Fame.

“The commitment and servant leadership the Gazdas have exhibited is truly second to none,” said Thomas Marten, Angus Foundation executive director. “We are extremely thankful for their support.”

Carolyn also has devoted much of her time to the business breed, specifically, to the Georgia Junior Angus Association (GJAA). In 2010, she was recognized as the Advisor of Year at the 2010 National Junior Angus Show for her efforts as a longtime advisor of the GJAA. Later in 2019, she served on the committee of judges for the acclaimed National Junior Angus Show Showmanship Contest.

Among their core values of hard work and dedication, the value of family has always remained the top priority of David and Carolyn. The couple raised two daughters, Katie and Taylor, in the Angus breed. They also have one grandson, David Hudson Stipe, who is already a member of the National Junior Angus Association and has his own small herd of Angus cows.

Their qualities of support and vision for the Angus breed have helped the Association become what it is today, and the Gazdas will surely leave a lasting impact for many years to come.

For information on how to nominate someone for the Honorary Angus Foundation Inductee award, go to www. angus.org/njaa/Awards.aspx.

Angus Foundation Grants Record Scholarships, Awards. Angus youth received $230,000 in scholarships and LEAD awards at 2020 NJAS. As higher education costs continue to rise, the Angus Foundation continues to raise the bar on its investment in the next generation. Through the generosity of Angus Foundation donors, academic scholarships will offset the cost of undergraduate and graduate degrees for National Junior Angus Association members. A record 97 scholarships and LEAD conference awards were earned by Angus youth totaling $230,000 in a July 25 virtual presentation during the 2020 National Junior Angus Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We received an unprecedented number of applications this year,” Thomas Marten, Angus Foundation executive director, said. “We are thankful for our generous Angus Fund and endowment donors. Year after year, they step forward to encourage our Angus youth in their studies as well as in leadership and career development programs and cutting edge research to advance the breed.”

A five member committee consisting of industry experts, Foundation board members, Angus breeders, and National

Junior Angus Association board members evaluate the applications. The committee considers involvement, participation, leadership, service, career goals, and other criteria set forth in the scholarships’ fund agreements. Since 1998, the Angus Foundation has awarded more than $3.1 million in undergraduate and graduate scholarships.

For more news, information, and to support the mission of the Angus Foundation, please visit www.

AngusFoundation.com. Scholarship winners from North Carolina include: Undergraduate Angus Foundation General Scholarship - $3,000 Lynae Bowman - Germanton, N.C. Marcie Harward - Richfield, N.C. Mattie Harward - Richfield, N.C. Graduate Angus Foundation General Scholarship - $5,000 Jordan Cox-O’Neill - Willow Spring, N.C. DeEtta Wood Memorial Scholarship - $1,000 Cara Smith - Pleasant Garden, N.C.

About the Angus Foundation.

Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $3.5 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research throughout the past decade.

For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org.

Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 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.

McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale November 14, 2020 • 12:00 noon at the farm in Mocksville, N.C.

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Mark Hancock • 336-909-1082 (cell) The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 23

Successful BVDV Prevention Strategies Focus on Type 1b. Thirty years ago, the majority of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) cases were caused

by Type 1a. Now Type 1b has emerged as the most prevalent subgenotype of BVDV in the United States, accounting for roughly 70 percent of reported cases.1,2 One reason for the shift is that viruses often mutate to escape detection by the animal’s immune system. But some experts theorize that Type 1b may have gained dominance by taking advantage of gaps in protection left by vaccines that haven’t adequately stimulated immunity against this ever increasing disease threat.

Once the virus gains a foothold in an operation, animals that are persistently infected (PI) with BVDV Type 1b expose susceptible cattle to the virus and are considered to be a primary source for maintaining BVDV infections in cattle herds.

PAGE 24

NEWS

“Whether you’re a cow/calf, stocker or feedlot operation, when your cattle are exposed to BVDV, I would say the odds are three to one they’re going to be exposed to Type 1b,” said John Davidson, DVM, DABVP, senior associate director of beef professional veterinary services, Boehringer Ingelheim. “If you’re a betting person and you take those odds, you’ll want to make sure your vaccine program lines up against that threat.”

In addition to an effective vaccination program, sound prevention strategies frequently utilize herd surveillance for PI cattle and strict biosecurity measures to prevent BVDV from damaging the herd.

Herd surveillance for PI cattle - Good records are the cornerstone of any herd health program, but they’re especially important for identifying potential BVDV issues. “When you start with excellent records, and you recognize changes in reproductive performance,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

productivity or unexplained illness rates, you can begin to piece together a possible explanation,” advised Dr. Davidson.

Identifying a problem that could be related to BVDV should trigger surveillance testing. In large operations, veterinarians may start with pooled ear notches or blood samples, which can help determine if BVDV is part of the issue. Any pools with positive results are followed up with individual tests to identify PI calves. All bulls, replacement heifers, and dams of PI calves should be tested as well, and positives should be culled or isolated from the rest of the herd.

Biosecurity to minimize exposure - At the cow/calf level, it’s important to minimize the exposure of cows and heifers to calves of unknown PI status.

“I’ve seen numerous instances where an operation might have cattle with an unknown history on one side of a common fence line and vulnerable pregnant cows on the other, not aware that fence line contact between pregnant cows and PI calves was what eventually led to more BVDV PI cattle,” said Dr. Davidson.

It’s a numbers game. For operations that buy cattle from unknown sources, the odds are good there will be PI calves present. Infected calves can shed large amounts of virus, exposing other cattle at the local livestock market and on the trailer ride to the stocker or feedlot. On arrival, infected animals can leave viruses around the feed bunk, in the water trough, and through the chute during processing.

That’s why it’s important to quarantine new additions to the herd.

“It’s a good idea to keep them in their own group for 14-21 days, test their BVDV status, monitor them for disease and make sure they’re vaccinated before moving those cattle out into the general population,” Dr. Davidson added.

Establish a sound vaccination program - According to Dr. Davidson, BVDV PI calves are preventable. “This is truly one of those diseases we can impact through selection of the right vaccine and giving it at the right time,” he explained.

Producers should work with their veterinarians to choose the right vaccines for the unique disease threats on their operations.

D r. D a v i d s o n r e c o m m e n d s vaccinating cows with a modified-live virus BVDV vaccine pre-breeding. “It’s important to identify vaccines that have the PI prevention claims clearly indicated on the label,” he said. “Even further, make sure those package inserts also include language about the efficacy of those vaccines against the most common subtype of BVDV, which is Type 1b.”

Vaccinating cows against BVDV helps protect their health and reproductive efficiency, and enables them to deliver healthier, PI-free calves. That same prebreeding vaccine also helps them produce antibody rich colostrum, to protect calves from BVDV for several weeks to a few months. “If a calf is born with sufficient colostrum intake from a well vaccinated cow or heifer, producers can then vaccinate that calf at around 30 days of age with a modified live virus vaccine that includes antigens for BVDV,” noted Dr. Davidson.

Avoid the commodity mentality - “If we’re going to utilize health programs to minimize disease and reduce our reliance on antibiotics to treat disease, it’s vitally important that producers and their veterinarians understand that all modified live virus vaccines are not equal in preventing BVDV PI calves,” stressed Dr. Davidson.

A recent study, in fact, showed that different BVDV vaccines vary in their ability to stimulate a protective immune response against the virus.1 The scientists compared six different BVDV vaccines, including five modified live virus vaccines and one killed vaccine. After administering the vaccines, researchers evaluated the effect the vaccines had on the calves’ immune response by measuring antibodies to BVDV subtypes, including Type 1b, currently the most prevalent strain in the United States.

Another study determined that heifers required a BVDV Type 1b antibody titer of 128 or higher at the time of exposure to BVDV Type 1b PI cattle to be protected against fetal infection.3 In order for an animal to be considered protected from or immune to the BVD virus, the vaccine must stimulate the production of a certain level, or titer, of antibodies.

In other words, even if heifers had received a BVDV vaccine, if it didn’t stimulate an antibody titer of at least 128, some cattle could still be vulnerable to fetal infection. This was especially true for heifers with titers of 64 or fewer.

The Singer strain - The study found that two modified live virus vaccines containing the BVDV Type 1a Singer strain induced higher levels of Type 1a and Type 1b antibodies than BVDV vaccines containing different Type 1 strains. It also resulted in a greater number of calves with BVDV Type 1b titers of 128 or higher, potentially providing greater protection against today’s most common BVDV subtype.

“One of the most compelling parts of this research is the fact that only two vaccines were consistently able to hit that minimum threshold titer of 128, while the others were not,” reported Dr. Davidson.

He credits the Singer strain for that difference. “Compared to other BVDV vaccine strains, the Singer strain has demonstrated an ability to traffic through the animal tissues, exposing the vaccine virus to more immune tissue,” he added.4 “It’s really about awareness of the true threats, the economically important diseases in the industry, and finding the vaccines that best line up against those,” Dr. Davidson concluded.

References 1Fulton R.W., Cook B.J., Payton M.E., et al. Immune response to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) vaccines detecting antibodies to BVDV subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2c. Vaccine 2020;38(4)4032–4037.

2Data on file, Boehringer Ingelheim, and www.BVDVTracker.com. Data collected November 1, 2018, through November 1, 2019.

3Leyh R.D., Fulton RW, Stegner J.E., et al. Fetal protection in heifers vaccinated with a modified live virus vaccine containing bovine viral diarrhea virus subtypes 1a and 2a and exposed during gestation to cattle persistently infected with bovine viral virus subtype 1b. Am J Vet Res 2011;72(3):367–375.

4Chase CC. The impact of BVDV infection on adaptive immunity.

Biologicals. 2013;41(1):52-60.

Three Ways to Prevent Costly Injection Site Lesions and Protect Animal Welfare. “Losses due to injection site lesions can range from a few dollars docked on a carcass to the entire carcass being condemned,” said Joe Gillespie, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “They often affect both herd profitability and animal welfare.”

Injection site lesions are typically made of scar tissue that forms in the muscle or subcutaneous tissue following an injection. The lesions must be trimmed and discarded by processors, and the costs of trimming can be as much as $40 per head.1 While lesions are sometimes unavoidable, there are management practices that cattle producers can abide by to protect animal welfare, maintain meat quality, and minimize the impact on their operation’s bottom line.

1) Follow label (including needle) directions carefully. This may seem simple, but anytime that you’re administering an animal health product, reading and closely following the directions will help ensure the product is able to perform its job effectively.

Any deviation from the label directions can hinder efficacy and increase the likelihood of an injection site reaction.

Most cattle health products can be administered subcutaneously, and this is

the preferred method of administration to preserve meat quality, versus an intramuscular injection.

“No matter the route of administration, it’s best to use a new needle that’s the proper size indicated on the product label, so that you don’t introduce any bacteria into the injection site,” emphasized Dr. Gillespie.

Needles should be new, the appropriate length, and no larger than 16 gauge. Note: Using larger or dull needles can traumatize tissue and produce injection site lesions.1 2) Don’t push volume limits. In addition to injecting the product with a clean, properly sized needle, it’s extremely important to administer the correct volume. No more than 10 milliliters (mL) should be injected into any given site. This means that some of the products administered in large volumes will require multiple injection sites, spaced at least 4 inches apart.

“While it may not seem like a big deal to give five or ten more cc’s than indicated, any added volume increases the risk of forming an injection site reaction, no matter what product you’re using,” advised Dr. Gillespie.

Overdosing an injection site also can be a waste of antibiotic treatment, as it does not make the product more effective or treat an animal’s illness faster.

3) Choose a tissue friendly treatment. Anytime that producers are administering an antibiotic to an animal, there are two goals to keep in mind: First, the product needs to reach therapeutic levels in a short time frame to effectively treat the animal and maintain therapeutic levels for as long as possible.

All products used to treat disease in cattle have their pros and cons, but producers may be paying extra if they’re choosing a high dose antibiotic in hopes of treating the disease faster.

“Therapeutic levels in antibiotics that treat common calf diseases aren’t much different between 200 milligram (mg) dosage products and 300 mg,” explained Dr. Gillespie. “Infected calves treated with a 300-mg product are receiving a dosage of 1.5 times higher concentration, which in theory should mean that you have a significantly longer time of antibiotic levels available in the tissue.

However, these products come with an added cost, and typically only last a little bit longer than the lower-concentration options.”

Second, it’s important to avoid any unnecessary irritation to the animal.

Ideally, a calf dealing with respiratory disease, foot rot, or pinkeye will be administered a fast acting antibiotic that causes little to no irritation, so that when

they get out of the chute, they can go back to the feed bunk and pick up right where they left off.

“You don’t want products to negatively impact the calf’s attitude post injection,” said Dr. Gillespie.

“Administering a low dose antibiotic will minimize the burning sensation or irritation that often leads to calf depression and long term tissue damage.”

When you’re choosing between broad use antibiotics, he recommends selecting a product formulated with Select Carrier™.

This unique carrier works to reduce tissue irritation and cattle discomfort, which in turn minimizes costly injection site lesions and post treatment tissue reactions.

Finally, producers are strongly encouraged to work with their local veterinarian to assess their herd’s disease risk levels and current treatment protocols, as well as to ensure that they’re able to treat sick cattle both quickly and cost effectively.

Reference 1Hilton W.M. Beef quality assurance injection sites and techniques. Purdue

The Carolina Cattle Connection

University Cooperative Extension Service. 2005. Available at www. extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/VY/VY60-W.pdf. Accessed May 23, 2018.

About Boehringer Ingelheim.

Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company, therefore, concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal well being through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of $4.4 billion and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information, visit www.boehringeringelheim.com/animal-health/overview.

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 25

THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association AJSA National Classic. Thomas and Cara Smith of Pleasant Garden, N.C., traveled with their parents to the AJSA National Classic in Brookings, S.D., to compete with two heifers and a cow/calf pair. These were the only attendees from North Carolina. While there, Thomas and Cara competed in many other things along with the heifer show, such as a genetic evaluation quiz, judging contest, public speaking, and sales talk, to name a few. Cara placed 20th in the genetic evaluation quiz and also received a Gold Merit Award, which is a $3,000 scholarship. Their cattle placed very respectfully with a third, fifth, and eighth in class. Considering the best cattle from all over the nation were there, these Smith kids did a great job.

But the fun wasn’t over for Cara Smith. During the Awards Banquet, the announcement that she was elected to serve as AJSA President came as a sweet surprise! In her own words, “When they

Grand champion Simmental and reserve supreme overall shown by Cooper Joines.

her. Congratulations, Cara!

Southwest Cattle Clash. July 25 was the date for the Southwest Cattle Clash in Wytheville, Virginia. TX Edge

Cara Smith with Doug Parke after she was elected as AJSA President.

announced that I was elected to be the 2020-2021 AJSA President I was shocked but excited. Being elected as President means the world to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited to see what we as a Junior Board get accomplished.”

This is the first time a junior from North Carolina has ever served as President of the AJSA, and we are extremely proud of

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

PAGE 26

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

of Glory, shown by Cooper Joines, was selected as grand champion Simmental heifer and reserve supreme overall champion. Congratulations to Cooper!

Y’all have stumbled on the best place to advertise expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies. Check the Classifieds in this issue!

American Simmental Association 1 Genetics Way • Bozeman, MT 59718 406-587-4531 • www.simmental.org

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

AgriThority Launches Soil is the Source™ Initiative to Support New Technology Product Development The soil is the foundation of farmers’ business and is the focus of a growing category of new technologies in the agricultural industry. As growers continue to look for ways to maximize production and profit from their crop operations, the soil and the microorganisms in the soil have become a greater focus. Soil is the Source™ is an AgriThority initiative supporting the development of new technologies from all around the world to help farmers improve soil health and productivity for greater yield and profit.

“We are continually learning new methods that help maximize yields,” says Gloverson Moro, Ph.D., AgriThority Director of Global Product Development.

“But that is not enough anymore; to preserve the soil for the long term is now also an imperative. That’s exactly the goal of the new Soil is the Source initiative – to help innovators develop the new technologies that will advance the health of the soil for greater productivity and

sustainability.”

Since the early 1900s, soil health was largely defined in terms of physical soil quality and fertility. Then soil biology and microbiome were discovered and linked to food quality and human health. Over the last few decades, soils have become a greater focus of the agricultural industry as an area of opportunity for many companies. AgriThority adds product development and scientific support to agricultural companies developing technologies with potential products ranging from soil applied biostimulants, soil amendments, and micronutrients to precision application methods and macronutrient enhancements.

“Soil is one of our greatest natural resources and sustains all the food we consume,” says Dan Davidson, Ph.D., AgriThority Product Development Manager. “Producers value their soil and are good stewards of the land. While they want to protect their soil, they also

need to sustain their soils’ productivity.

Improving microbial activity and harnessing its output will take their soil and crop production to new levels.”

According to the Soil Health Institute, good soil health practices can lead to improvements in many issues the agriculture industry is facing today, including reducing nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, along with the need to increase carbon sequestration and drought resilience, among others.

Addressing those may translate not only in lower environmental impact but also in new sources of revenue for the farmer.

Sustainability continues to be a buzz word in the industry, and adopting soil health practices is a way to improve that long term sustainability. AgriThority is committed to helping companies bring more technologies to market that can improve soil health through the Soil is the Source™ initiative.

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Learn more at www.AgriThority.com.

12 th A nnual B ull & R eplacement F emale S ale

November 21, 2020

12:00 noon • At the Farm in Burlington, NC

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

Jonathan Massey

Johnny Massey

jonathan.massey2@gmail.com

johnnymassey.1@gmail.com

336-260-2565

336-214-4144

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 29

Livestock Scales 101. Considering investing in a weigh scale system? Here are three questions to ask yourself when weighing the options. Identifying the best weigh scale set-up for your individual operation can be a weighty decision.

When thinking about the different options available from manufacturers, there are three important questions producers will need to ask themselves to identify the best set up for their ranch. But before reading into those three important questions, let’s first look at how weigh scale systems can add value to livestock operations, and how operations can be at risk for profit loss by not monitoring individual weight gain. While it seems easy enough to eyeball animals to guess individual weights, the human eye can be deceiving. Whether you are managing a smaller cattle operation or a large feedlot, by closely monitoring individual body weights, you can help increase profit by: • Improved reproductive performance - By knowing individual weights, producers can maximize reproductive performance and profit through timing, calving ease, bull selection, and improved overall calf health. “Having this information about each animal helps set production parameters, so producers can know which are their best sets of cows that are producing the best sets of calves,” said Arnold Nagely, DVM, co-founder and CEO of Valley Vet Supply. “Our main goal is to make breeding decisions that improve the overall genetics of our calf crop. Make sure you are continually keeping back the highest producing cows that will improve your herd’s genetics for heavier calves down the road.”

• Effective management of weight gain - Cattlemen can easily monitor the rate of weight gain for individual cattle.

This allows for tailored feeding programs, more closely tracking input costs and optimum sale day weights. It also helps

Don’t get caught napping!

Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!

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NEWS

identify those animals with the greatest feed efficiency, as well as monitor your top performers and poor performers for more effective culling decisions.

• Reduced treatment cost and wasted medications - Medications and parasite control products are dosed to an animal’s individual weight. By eliminating the practice of eyeballing weights, producers can maximize the health of livestock with more accurate dosing. “By keeping a more watchful eye, producers can help ensure their ranch is as profitable as possible for the generations to come,” said Dr. Nagely. At the other end of the scale, in visiting with Jason Jones at Datamars, he shared two reallife examples of how cattle operations can experience significant loss by not monitoring weight gain.

Example No. 1: Feeding and forecasting - A ranch aimed to market their 700-pound steers at 800 pounds, which should have taken 40 days at a rate of 2.5 pounds average daily gain (ADG). By not closely monitoring weight gain, they achieved only 2.3 ADG, putting the 62 head of steers at 8 pounds less than the desired market weight. This resulted in a loss of $545.60/semi-truck load come market time.

Example No. 2: First conception breeding - “For cow/calf operations, the first conception is a deal breaker,” says Jones. Ideally, a heifer being 6065 percent of her mature cow weight is optimal for first breeding; thus, tracking weight gain is critical for targeting breeding dates. Every missed cycle puts a heifer (and her calf) back by 21 days.

Consider that, on average, calves gain 2.0 pounds per day while on the cow; by missing the first cycle, this could result in a loss of $60 per calf.

By combining the benefits of monitoring individual weights with the power of electronic identification (EID), also referred to as radio frequency identification (RFID ear tags), ranchers can improve their herd’s health and productivity for a more profitable operation. Using EID, ranchers can closely monitor an individual animal’s performance, genetics, health treatments, and more through all life stages from calfhood to harvest. Additionally, they can more effectively take advantage of premium marketing opportunities come sale time.

EID cattle tags are available in high performance half duplex (HDX) or full duplex (FDX) technology. HDX tags provide producers with the greatest read distance and readability through

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

interference. HDX technology is used frequently in dairy applications and is also ideal for permanent weigh systems at packing plants using automated reading systems or walk through readers. If you have a portable weigh system and closer readability is accessible for your management program, FDX tags are a cost-efficient solution, in which data can be captured by using a stick reader or wand at the chute or in an alleyway.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself When Selecting Livestock Scales When weighing the options, where does one begin? Jones recommends asking yourself three questions before making your purchase to help ensure the system is right for your needs.

1. Do you need the scale to be portable or permanent? If you have livestock located across different sections, going with a portable platform scale will

allow you to easily transport the system to the cattle. When you are weighing livestock by portable installation, simply set up the scale system before the entrance into the squeeze chute to capture weights. Looking to weigh cattle in the same location they will be processed? If so, your most ideal option will be to have a permanent installation, in which load bars are placed under your squeeze chute and bolted to concrete. “Remember,” encourages Jones, “the more level the load bar is, the more accurate it will be.” Determining whether you will have a portable or permanent installation will drive which load bars you need to complete your system.

2. Why do you need a weigh scale indicator? A weigh scale indicator is the physical readout of the animal’s weight.

There are several models of weigh scale indicators available. Producers

S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of JULY 2020 Cattle Receipts: 8,394

•

Previous Month: 10,770

Feeder supply - 31% steers • 39% heifers • 30% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,510 $62.21

Boner 1,229 $64.28

Lean 992 $59.11

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,711

$94.10

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $145.11 $613.82 450-500 473 $136.81 $647.11 500-550 530 $134.51 $712.90 550-600 570 $131.81 $751.32 600-650 622 $127.04 $790.19 650-700 676 $124.26 $840.00

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $134.65 $569.57 450-500 471 $133.43 $628.46 500-550 519 $128.98 $669.41 550-600 566 $126.14 $713.95 600-650 619 $118.07 $730.85 650-700 664 $116.62 $774.36

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 425 $127.84 $543.32 450-500 472 $124.56 $587.92 500-550 520 $122.20 $635.44 550-600 566 $120.44 $681.69 600-650 618 $115.42 $713.30 650-700 667 $114.19 $761.65

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

can select from basic to more advanced models, which can interface with other technologies, such as EID ear tag readers, allowing producers to automatically sync data into their digital record keeping programs. With a more advanced weigh scale indicator, producers can rest easy knowing information is captured correctly and automatically into their computer system. “You can connect the scale indicators to your computer and click ‘download.’ By combining data collection with weights and EID technology, you can save a lot of time,” Jones said.

3. How will you incorporate data into management practices? This is an important factor when deciding which scale indicator model is the best option for you. From the more basic models to the most advanced, producers can use this data for their operation’s advantage.

Basic models are used to simply track animal weights for health monitoring and marketing purposes. For more advanced management practices, some producers may be using the scale indicator to capture data such as breed, sex, pregnancy check, or sire/dam. Some indicators also allow producers to group animals together based on various characteristics (a feature available with the XR5000 Bluetooth Indicator). “The XR5000 is the Cadillac of our line,” Jones said. “With that, it has

100 data fields that can be customized.

They could preg-check cattle today and enter in how many months bred that cow is, and then the next week, they’re weaning calves. The model also programs all the vaccinations they administer and the batch numbers of those vaccines.

It even has a dosage calculator.” To construct a complete livestock scale system, producers will need a weigh scale indicator, a platform (if building a portable weigh system), a squeeze chute (if building a permanent weigh system); load bars and load cell; EID reader and EID ear tags. To learn more, please visit veterinarian founded Valley Vet Supply.

About Valley Vet Supply. Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians to provide customers with the very best animal health solutions. Building on over half a century of experience in veterinary medicine, Valley Vet Supply serves equine, pet and livestock owners with thousands of products and medications hand selected by Valley Vet Supply founding veterinarians and their professional staff.

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

S.C. Charolais News

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

Well, everybody in the Charolais Associations in North Carolina and South Carolina seems to be well. I haven’t had any reports of any cattlemen with the plague. As a matter of fact, I haven’t heard of any cattlemen across the country getting the bug. It makes me wonder if something we use on cattle makes us immune, wormer, fly spray, medications, touching CID-Rs, etc. If you are like me, I have spilled enough of these things on me to soak into my system.

Most people are busy weaning calves.

I have 16 bulls up at the house, weaned and yearlings. I have ten more spring bull calves in the pasture to be weaned in the fall. Just the other day, I had a cow have twins, both bulls. Heifers have become a rarity on this farm. We are still planning a bull sale at Upstate Livestock, either the third or fourth Saturday in March. I will let you know before the end of the year all of the details. All of you who have bulls to consign, start feeding them out. I should have a bunch to put in the sale, and the guys I have talked to in Florida are excited about us having a bull sale.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

The October Southern Connection Sale is still on with some changes. Right now, the sale will be October 31 at the Knoxville livestock barn in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are moving the sale to Knoxville because the facility in Calhoun, Ga., is owned by the University of Georgia, and they will not let anyone use it because of the virus. A trip to Knoxville should be great that time of year with all the leaves turning. Bring your Halloween mask and plan on joining us on October 31.

I have a question that has nothing to do with cattle. Is it just me, or is everything nowadays so hard to open, from medicine to coffee creamer to washing powder? You have to be equipped with a knife, plyers, and screwdriver to get into anything. The paper under the lids will not peel off.

You have to stab it with a knife to pull it open. Medicine, forget it. You cannot squeeze it or push on it hard enough to open. Washing powder, forget it. It just about takes dynamite to open the jugs. I swear they are using Gorilla Glue to seal everything. Rant over.

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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UPDATE

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!

By JOSIE CORRELL, Reporter The 2020 Southeast Regional Junior Hereford Show. The 2020 Southeast Regional Junior Hereford show was held on June 26-27 at the Western Carolina Agriculture Center in Fletcher.

After months of hard work and a great determination for the “show to go on,” over 50 youth from ten states participated in the “Got To Be N.C.” Herefords themed event. Extra precautions were taken to adhere to social distancing rules, and the event was broadcast live for spectators to watch from afar.

On Friday, classes of bred and owned heifers, steers, cow/calf pairs, and bulls were judged by Randy Daniels of Georgia.

Judge Daniels also placed all ages of showmanship.

On Saturday, Wes Hudson of Arkansas judged the owned heifer show. The Southeast Regional uses rules established by the National Junior Hereford Association, and all juniors must own the animals they exhibit. To qualify as bred-and-owned, the junior must own the entry’s dam at the time of conception and must be listed as the breeder and owner on the registration certificate. The show had exceptional quality animals and proud owner exhibitors.

Many sponsors helped to make the event possible. They include Farm Credit Association of N.C., W&A Hereford Farm, Cedar Creek Farm, Terrace Farms, Lookabill Family Livestock, Mitchem’s Farm 3C, Buncombe County Farm Bureau, ShowCoat Solutions, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Pollettes, Showrite/Barlett Milling, Vitafirm, Purina Animal Nutrition, Animals “R” Us Vet Clinic, Walker Polled Hereford Farm, Mississippi Junior Hereford Association, Georgia Junior Hereford Association, Preston Redmond, Windmill Acres, Southern States, and Alphagraphics. On Saturday evening, an exhibitor dinner of beef brisket was sponsored by VitaFirm. North Carolina’s own Melanie Fishel, the National Hereford Queen, and Josie Correll, N.C. Hereford Queen, presented each class and handed out ribbons and awards. Clara Fishel of StockShots Photography was the official show photographer.

During this extraordinary time, hosting an event took even more, planning and preparation. Special thanks to the committee of Crystal, Wayne, and Regan Mitchem; Reggie and Patty Lookabill; Tyler Barrier; Andie Carpenter; and Will Thompson for their hard work in planning

V

the weekend events. Very special thanks to the N.C. Department of Agriculture, N.C. Mountain State Fair, and Neil Bowman for their dedication and determination for the “Show to Go On!” Each exhibitor and family was truly thankful for the opportunity to exhibit their cattle and participate in a show.

Photos courtesy of Clara Fishel, StockShots Photography The 2020 Junior National Hereford Expo. The Junior National Hereford Expo, appropriately themed “Come Home To Hereford,” was held July 1015 in Hale Arena at the American Royal Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City is the headquarters of the American Hereford Association, and the Expo was right at home there! Originally planned for Louisville, Ken., the Expo was moved to due many Covid-19 issues. Precautions were required in the barns and monitored by the Kansas City health department.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Each state had its own area, and exhibitors were required to wear a mask. Everyone agreed that social distancing and masks were a small price to pay for being together with our Hereford family from across the country. Exhibitors from over 30 states participated in the shortened version of the Expo and the virtual contest. North Carolina Juniors participated in many different areas.

Regan Mitchem participated in showmanship, where she made the first cut, showed heifers and bulls, and was awarded the Bud Snidow Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes a commendable NJHA member who demonstrates the qualities of honesty, fairness, hard work, enthusiasm, and dedication to the Hereford breed and its breeders. Regan was also awarded the Outstanding member from North Carolina.

Jordan Mitchem participated in showmanship, where she made the first cut and had a first place in the owned heifer show. Jordan submitted an entry in the people category of the photography contest and won third place.

Skylar Murray exhibited three heifers.

Josie Correll participated in the Queens’ activities each day, including escorting classes into the ring, handing out ribbons and awards, and working the thank you table where exhibitors could write notes to sponsors.

Melanie Fishel fulfilled many official duties, including holding an orientation meeting for all state Queens, presenting the awards to all champions, and organizing a service project. Melanie chose the Callea Mae Breiner Memorial Foundation to be the beneficiary of the proceeds of the fundraiser.

Wyatt and Lucas McCoy and Talton Correll attended the Expo.

N.C. Junior Hereford Association advisors Crystal and Wayne Mitchem attended and helped to organize and support the youth as needed. Their support is invaluable. The Expo was quite different, but everyone had a great time and was grateful for the opportunity to exhibit cattle and participate in many NJHE activities.

Scenes from the 2020 Junior Hereford Shows

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 33

Commercial MD Test Now Available.

The American Hereford Association (AHA) is pleased to announce Neogen® has developed a commercial test for Mandibulofacial Dysostosis (MD) and is ready to test all animals recorded in the AHA database. Members must contact AHA Customer Service either by phone or email to request an official MD test. Consequently, you cannot request an MD test on MyHerd.

There are two pricing structures available for this test. If you request a test for MD on a DNA sample already at the lab or request an MD-only test on a new sample, the cost is $20. To test for MD on a new sample in combination with our basic test (genomic profile, parentage, and all other AHA abnormalities), the charge is $13 plus the $42 basic test fee, making the MD plus basic combination package $55.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will no longer test samples for MD now that Neogen has a commercial test available.

The AHA appreciates your cooperation

News

and patience while this commercial test was being developed, and we thank UNL for providing testing options in the interim.

New Rule. The American Hereford Association Board of Directors has approved a new rule regarding A.I. permitted sires. As of September 1, all A.I. permitted sires must be tested for known genetic abnormalities in addition to the established parent verification requirement. Bulls which have been A.I. permitted prior to September 1 will be grandfathered into the rule change, so the new rule will only apply to bulls that become A.I. permitted after September 1.

Schmidt Hired as Customer Service Representative. Julia Schmidt joined the American Hereford Association team as a customer service representative on August 3, 2020.

As a customer service representative, Schmidt will play a vital role in the performance of the Association as a customer liaison for resolving questions, interpreting discrepancies, conveying

accurate information, and promoting participation in AHA programs and services.

“We’re beyond excited to have Julia join the AHA team and look forward to having our membership get to know her,” says Laura Loschke, AHA education and information services coordinator and records supervisor.

Schmidt previously served as a research technician for Agri-Research Center with a focus on capturing electronic data and communicating those results. Prior to, Schmidt worked as a supplemental instructor at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Tex., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics in 2019. She also interned with the First National Bank of Syracuse.

“I am excited for the opportunity to

join the American Hereford Association team,” Schmidt says. “I look forward to utilizing my cattle experience to better serve the AHA membership.”

About the American Hereford Association. AHA, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest US 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. For more information about the Association, visit www.Hereford.org.

For pictures and additional news releases, visit www.Hereford.org/media.

Regular copy deadline is SEPTEMBER 5 for the OCTOBER issuE Spotlight material is due SEPTEMBER 1 for the OCTOBER issue

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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A s s o c i a t i o n o f A m e r i ca n Vete r i n a r y M e d i ca l C o l l e g e s

NEWS

National Veterinary Scholars Symposium Virtual, Real Success.

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the in person 2020 National Veterinary Scholars Symposium (NVSS) scheduled for San Diego in July, the AAVMC and conference sponsors quickly retooled to present the important meeting as a virtual experience.

With support from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, the AAVMC presented the Veterinary Summer Scholars Program August 4-6, 2020, and it was a resounding success. This year’s theme was “Disruptive Innovation” and the meeting featured student research presentations from across the spectrum of biomedical science as well as three major keynote presentations focused on COVID-19.

About 770 students, faculty mentors, and others registered for the event, which annually highlights the essential role of scientific research in veterinary medicine, provides veterinary students with valuable first hand experience in conducting and presenting research and highlights the opportunity to pursue careers in biomedical research. The conference included 45 student poster sessions over the three day event, which were made possible by 30 faculty volunteers representing 14 different institutions.

During welcoming remarks, AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe stressed the value of gaining hands on experience and familiarity with the scientific method that participating students acquired through their summer research programs.

“Nobody expects that all of you are going to pursue careers in research,” he said. “But having gone through this program, every one of you now has a better understanding of hypothesis driven research and the biomedical research enterprise.”

“If veterinarians fail to embrace reason and science, if we let our biases influence patient care, we contribute to an environment in which important decisions are based on emotion and intuition, not evidence,” he continued.

“This undermines the basis of veterinary medicine and weakens our profession.”

Maccabe concluded his remarks with some advice for the students. “Be curious, not complacent, be skeptical but not cynical,” he said, “And keep on wondering because the world is a wonderful place and you’re about to

embark upon a wonderful career.”

Students participating in the program conduct a hypothesis driven research project developed jointly by the student scholar and faculty mentor who is typically conducted over an 8-12 week period during the summer. The results are then shared in the end of summer research symposium.

“The Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program and endof-summer symposium provide students with real-world exposure to research, many new collaborative relationships with mentors and peers, and the chance to take their intellectual curiosity a step further,” said Caroline Belmont, Head of U.S. Animal Health Innovation for Boehringer Ingelheim.

“Through great collaboration and the agility of the participating veterinary schools, students and supporting organizations, we successfully recreated this experience in a virtual manner this year, in the face of great uncertainty and many logistical challenges,” Belmont continued. “We hope that this year’s students walk away from this experience with greater resilience, confidence, and inspiration to tackle the many remaining challenges we must face in animal and human health.”

Over 500 student posters featured topics that ranged from wildlife conservation and microbiology to timely subjects such as virology and COVID-19 pandemic access to care. Students presented their research findings utilizing a digital scientific poster platform, which allowed them to record their verbal presentation, add features such as embedded video into their digital poster, and interact directly with interested attendees. Topic-based poster sessions also allowed students to present live and field questions about their research.

Three distinguished keynote speakers presented remarks during the virtual symposium.

• Dr. Jonna Mazet, professor of epidemiology and disease ecology in the One Health Institute at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, spoke on “Using One Health to Provide a COVID Pandemic Blueprint for Hope.” Dr. Mazet’s work focuses on global health problem solving for emerging infectious diseases and conservation challenges.

• Dr. Angela Bosco-Lauth, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical

Sciences at Colorado State University, spoke on “SARS-CoV-2 Host Range Studies.” Dr. Bosco-Lauth’s work focuses on zoonotic infectious diseases, emphasizing disease pathogenesis, ecology, and transmission.

• Dr. Erin Sorrell, a member of the Center for Global Health Science & Security and an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Georgetown University, spoke on “The Importance of Veterinarians in Research and the Response to Emerging Infectious Diseases.”

The rapid pivot required to present a virtual conference as a result of the pandemic was a perfect example of the innovation and agility required to advance science, pointed out Boehringer Ingelheim’s Head of Global Innovation Animal Health Dr. Eric Haaksma in his welcoming remarks. “In this symposium, we bring together the researchers from academia, government and industry, and we believe that that is the key to future disruptive innovation.”

The decision to cancel the existing in-person meeting in San Diego and convert to an online format was made in April, according to AAVMC Director for Professional Development Caroline Cantner. The decision to cancel the in person meeting and offer a virtual opportunity was a major undertaking that required a great deal of effort and planning on behalf of the conference organizers and sponsors, including the University of California San Diego and Western University of Health Sciences, the host institutions for the original

in person conference. Cantner also expressed appreciation to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for assisting with the abstract process and abstract booklet.

“While we initially did not know how many students would be able to participate, it is overwhelming to see the number of students and programs who joined us for the virtual symposium,” said Cantner. “The success of this event speaks to the critical importance of veterinary medical research and the commitment of the veterinary research community to the next generation of researchers.”

The next NVSS will be hosted by Iowa State University in 2021. Questions about these events can be sent to Dr. Cantner at ccantner@aavmc.org.

About the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The member institutions of AAVMC promote and protect the health and well being of people, animals, and the environment by advancing the profession of veterinary medicine and preparing new generations of veterinarians to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. Founded in 1966, the AAVMC represents more than 40,000 faculty, staff, and students across the global academic veterinary medical community. Our member institutions include veterinary medical colleges and schools in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as departments of veterinary science and departments of comparative medicine in the United States.

Be a winner!

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 39

NEWS

Engage with your campus about agriculture virtually this semester.

Dairy Management Inc. supports the development of agricultural advocates through College Aggies Online scholarship competition. The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship competition kicks off September 14. Undergraduate, graduate students, and collegiate clubs will compete in the nine week program to learn how to engage about food and agriculture online and in their communities. Last year, students were awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships.

CAO would not be where it is today without the continued support of premier sponsor Dairy Management Inc. “Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff, has been a proud sponsor of the College Aggies Online program since 2015,” said Don Schindler, senior vice president of digital innovations at DMI. “We’ve seen the progress and growth that competing students and clubs make when participating in this program, and we’re happy to offer our advice and feedback to support this next generation of agricultural advocates.”

College Aggies Online helps students become confident and effective communicators on behalf of agriculture and has been doing so since 2009. Just like the upcoming fall semester, the competition will look a little different this year. Collegiate clubs usually host events on their campus to engage with peers

about agriculture, but to ensure students are able to adhere to social distancing guidelines to protect their health and the health of others, the Alliance has updated the club competition to include virtual engagement opportunities and events suited for small groups. The Alliance encourages participating clubs to follow social distancing, wear face masks, and use hand sanitizer at any in-person event.

Participating clubs should follow any guidelines set by their universities for event sizes or required safety measures.

Student organizations have ten challenge categories available to choose from to earn points for the club competition. In the “Undeniably Dairy” challenge sponsored by DMI, clubs are encouraged to partner with local dairy farmers and checkoffs to share the nutritional benefits of dairy and how it’s produced with students on campus who may not be familiar with agriculture.

Additional examples of virtual club challenges include a virtual farm tour, virtual “Ask a Farmer” panel, hosting a webinar for a local K-12 class, hosting a milk mustache social media campaign, starting an online watch party for an agricultural film, and much more.

Undergraduates and graduate students can also sign up for the individual competition. The individual program is completely virtual, with students engaging and networking via social media to enhance their communication skills.

Students and collegiate clubs interested

in becoming confident and effective communicators for agriculture are invited to sign up at www.animalagalliance.org/ initiatives/college-aggies-online/.

The CAO program would not be possible without the generous support of our 2020 sponsors. In addition to Dairy Management Inc., this year’s sponsors include CHS Foundation, National Pork Industry Foundation, Seaboard Foods, Bayer, Institute for Feed Education and Research, National Corn Growers Association, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Culver ’s Franchising System, Domino’s Pizza Inc., Ohio Poultry Association, and Pennsylvania Beef Council.

To become a sponsor of the program, c o n t a c t C a s e y K i n l e r, d i r e c t o r o f membership and marketing, at ckinler@

animalagalliance.org.

Alliance releases report from Farmed Animal Conference E-Summit.

Virtual event took place of cancelled 2020 Animal Rights National Conference. The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report detailing observations from the Farmed Animal Conference E-Summit (FACES), held virtually August 3 – 9.

The event was organized and hosted by California based animal sanctuary Animal Place, which also advocates for a “vegan, cruelty free lifestyle.”

“The world may be dealing with a pandemic – but that has not stopped animal rights extremists from activist activity targeting farms, processing facilities, retailers, and every other link in the food chain,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president, and CEO. “The

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of JULY 2020 Cattle Receipts: 15,773

•

Previous Month: 15.883

Feeder supply - 34% steers • 40% heifers • 26% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,402 $61.92

Boner 1,182 $62.00

Lean 1,027 $52.89

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,625

$90.67

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 427 $141.14 $602.67 450-500 476 $140.30 $667.83 500-550 527 $137.26 $723.36 550-600 572 $134.86 $771.40 600-650 624 $133.88 $835.41 650-700 669 $130.08 $870.24

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 422 $138.53 $584.60 450-500 471 $130.36 $614.00 500-550 522 $127.58 $665.97 550-600 572 $123.91 $708.77 600-650 621 $114.54 $711.29 650-700 671 $109.90 $737.43

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $126.00 $532.98 450-500 473 $123.16 $582.55 500-550 524 $120.07 $629.17 550-600 571 $119.91 $684.69 600-650 621 $114.98 $714.03 650-700 672 $111.91 $752.04

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

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

animal rights movement continues to grow more aggressive while throwing out more outlandish claims that are not backed by science or peer reviewed research.

Our annual conference reports provide everyone in animal agriculture an idea of what is happening within the minds and movement of animal rights extremism.”

Animal Place announced its virtual conference after the cancellation of the Animal Rights 2020 Virtual National Conference, originally set to be held July 17 – 19 in place of the in-person Animal Rights National Conference initially planned for those same dates in Portland, Oregon.

The event kicked off with a session aimed at convincing viewers animal agriculture was the largest contributor to climate change. “The consumption of animals and animal agriculture is the leading destruction force on our planet today,” said Jane Velez-Mitchell, founder of activist media outlet Jane UnChained.

Louis Psihoyos, filmmaker and director of The Game Changers, a documentary promoting a vegan diet, took it a step further, adding, “It’s the thing that’s killing us the most - eating of animal products. It’s hurting the planet the most and by the way, it’s responsible for the

current pandemic.” Animal rights groups have consistently attempted to pin the current pandemic on animal agriculture, even though leading research shows it originated from wildlife.

Speakers at the conference pushed a vegan diet, claiming plant based food options were the superior choice over animal based options. Neal Barnard, M.D., medical advisor to PETA and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an activist group with a small percentage of physicians within its membership, said, “It’s been pretty clear that a plant based diet was the right way to go for health, for the animals, for the environment for many years.” He also claimed that a plant based diet can reverse diseases like diabetes and cancer. Dawn Moncrief, founder and president of A Well Fed World, said, “A plant based world would definitely make food security much more possible.”

Several sessions called for the public acknowledgement of animals as ‘sentient beings’ and elevating them to the same status as humans. “The legal battle of personhood is essential,” said Anita Krajnc, Ph.D., co-founder of the Toronto Pig Save. “If you look at people of color, black people, how they were treated in the

Constitution, if you look at women, how they were treated as chattel, it’s definitely part of the abolition of the oppression of animals,” Krajnc continued. In a separate session, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, a former doctor of psychoanalysis, claimed animals have no unconscious like humans, meaning they cannot hide emotion.

Agriculture based youth organizations were also attacked as part of the conference. “So many children are devasted by the whole 4-H, FFA program that is clearly meant to desensitize them to farmed animals,” said Kim Sturla, cofounder and executive director of Animal Place. Velez-Mitchell added, “Some might describe it even as ‘soul’ murder.”

They discussed programs within the animal rights movement that encourage these members to give their animals to sanctuaries with the agreement that they do not participate in 4-H or FFA again.

In addition to attacking the budding generation of agriculturalists, activists also targeted farmers. Velez-Mitchell referred to farmers as “warehouse workers” trapped in indentured servitude to animal agriculture.

“We know a lot of these so called ‘farmers,’ and the reason I put that in quotes is that they’re not the small farmers running their farms as you would imagine from TV

shows or movies,” she added.

Also speaking at the conference were: Brenda Sander, Afro-Vegan Society; Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, co-producers of activist documentaries Cowspiracy and What the Health; Kelcie Leach, Animal Place; Seth Tibbott, Tofurky; John Oberg, formerly of Vegan Outreach and The Humane League; and Joyce Tischler, Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The 2020 Farmed Animal Conference E-Summit Report, which includes personal accounts of speaker presentations and general observations, is available to Alliance members in the Resource Library on the Alliance website. The Alliance also has reports from previous animal rights conferences accessible to members on its website.

About the Alliance. The Animal Agriculture Alliance is an industry united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

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 910-281-3821 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

Jerry Simpson, President - 704-302-2940 • simpson_jerry@msn.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

NEWS

The Path to Better Performance is Through the Rumen – Beef Management Tip. Rumen health is a major issue in feedlot cattle. Maintaining a rumen that is resilient to challenges isn’t easy, but the benefits of doing so can lead to better overall animal health, performance, well being, and profitability. Here are three management tips that look at the obvious – and the not-soobvious – signs that can affect rumen health, and how to beat these battles in beef.

Bunk Management - Consistency is key when it comes to proper feed bunk management. Feed managers strive to deliver fresh, nutritious, and consistent rations to cattle to optimize intake and sustain animal growth and performance.

However, poor feed bunk management can result in reduced dry matter intake, reduced daily gain, and, ultimately, lost production and revenue. Considerations related to feed bunk management include feed mixing, feed processing, quality, balancing, and delivery decisions.

Inconsistency in any of these areas leads to poor bunk management.

To prevent poor bunk management, proper protocols need to be in place and followed. This means delivering the right amount of feed at the right time. Minimizing variation in feed deliveries promotes stable ruminal fermentation, which ultimately improves feed efficiency and reduces production costs. Bunk management records

that include feed deliveries and bunk scores are critical. South Dakota State University (SDSU) researchers developed a scoring system (Table 1) that allows the feeder to estimate consumption, appetite, and feed deliveries. To be consistent, feed calls should be made by the same employees each day, and a protocol for when to adjust feed deliveries should be developed and followed. Examples of bunk scores 0, ½, 1, and 3 are shown in the table below.

If protocols like these are not in place, poor bunk management can lead to several digestive disorders, including liver abscesses and acidosis.

Acidosis - In beef cattle, acidosis generally means an acidic rumen pH caused by too much rapidly fermentable carbohydrates and/or too little fiber.

Acidosis occurs when the rumen microbes produce more acid than the animal can use. This situation can result in a cascade of events such as the death of some rumen microbes and a shift in the microbial balance. The important thing to remember is clinical vs. subclinical acidosis.

Cattle experiencing clinical acidosis are normally off feed, show signs of sickness, or have a yoyo effect on eating – consuming too much feed one meal and then nothing the next. However, feeders don’t think about or recognize subclinical acidosis. With subclinical acidosis, cattle might be a bit acidotic, but you can’t see

it on the feed records. This can result in liver abscesses and suppressed digestibility.

Byproduct feeds such as distillers grains, and corn gluten feed can be a great tool for helping reduce acidosis and liver abscesses.

However, don’t be too complacent just because you are using these feedstuffs.

High distiller and/or gluten diets are not 100 percent guaranteed and can still be an issue.

To reduce the risk of acidosis, establish and implement feed bunk management protocols, maintain rumen health by ensuring consistent feed intake, guarantee feed in the bunk matches the ration on paper (TMR audit), and feed products that create the right rumen microbial balance.

In-Feed Considerations: Regarding feed, some factors to consider include sulfur, antibiotics, and mycotoxins. Excess sulfur in cattle feed – often due to high levels of byproduct feeds – can have a disastrous effect and be highly toxic. We like to think we always buy our distillers and gluten from plants that regularly run low in sulfur, but bad batches can occur. When it comes to antibiotics, some have a beneficial effect on rumen health. Others, however, can negatively impact the rumen microbes that ferment feed and assimilate protein for the animal. The last feed factor to consider is mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic compounds typically produced by molds.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

When fed to animals, they harm health and performance. To protect cattle, feed testing should be done regularly, and best practices should be followed regarding feed quality.

As you can see, cattle face numerous challenges day in and day out. Success in every type of beef operation builds on a foundation of good nutrition and rumen health. To combat some of these challenges, work with your nutritionist to incorporate an in-feed immune support product. With the right immune support product, your cattle have a better chance of overcoming challenges, improving immune function, optimizing rumen and liver health, and maintaining consistent feed intake. All of this can lead to better performance and production, which is the end goal.

About Diamond V. Diamond V is a leading global animal health business based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. Diamond V conducts research in many species and manufactures natural (as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)) immune support products for animal health, animal performance, and food safety worldwide. Global headquarters and all Diamond V manufacturing is located in Cedar Rapids. More than 75 years of science, innovation, technology, and quality have earned Diamond V the reputation of The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®.

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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NEWS

Zoetis Rallies Local Communities to #FillTheFridge for Neighbors in Need. Zoetis donates 17 refrigeration and freezer units to local food banks and pantries. Nutrient dense and fresh foods, including dairy, meat, and poultry products, are often the most needed items at food banks and pantries, according to Feeding America and its affiliate organizations. However, they are often the least donated and the most difficult to preserve, due to a lack of appropriate cold storage. Recognizing an opportunity to serve its colleagues’ and customers’ communities, Zoetis has donated $50,000 to The Dairy Alliance and Midwest Dairy to purchase 17 cold storage units for food banks in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Virginia.

Now, with the addition of cold storage space, the participating food banks will have the ability to keep these critical food items in supply. These 17 units will help the food pantries they are in serve an estimated 20,000 people each month.

In fact, the first cold storage units are already making a difference.

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“We love the new cooler!” said Brenda Lee Lillard, co-director of Cullowhee Valley Baptist Church’s food pantry in Sylva, North Carolina. “We got a surprise delivery of milk, and we could not have taken it if we did not have the cooler.”

Coming home to a full fridge - The donation and delivery of cold storage units is just the beginning. Zoetis also is helping these food banks and pantries keep their new cold storage units stocked with its Fill the Fridge initiative.

“It’s one thing to deliver an empty refrigeration unit. It’s another to help keep it stocked,” said Tim Bettington, executive vice president and president, U.S. Operations, at Zoetis. “That’s why we would like to invite our colleagues, customers, and industry allies to donate fresh dairy, meat, and poultry products to their local food banks and pantries, or volunteer time to stock shelves and fridges.”

Zoetis has already donated a combined $25,000 to Feeding America and The Great American Milk Drive initiative to help fill fridges through its Calving Season promotion this spring,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

and its recent June Dairy Month Dear Dairy initiative. Both initiatives sparked appreciation of beef and dairy producers and encouraged donations to support food banks — something that was needed more than ever when COVID-19 hit.

The Zoetis Calving Season promotion empowered cow and calf producers to submit pictures or videos of their calving season experiences. For every submission, Zoetis donated $1 to the COVID-19 Response Fund with Feeding America.

The Dear Dairy campaign invited dairy farmers to write love letters to the dairy industry, and then the public voted on their favorite letter. For every letter and vote, Zoetis donated $5 to The Great American Milk Drive, an initiative created

by Feeding America in partnership with dairy farm families and milk companies to drive donations of fresh milk, a nutrient powerhouse, to food banks.

You can help Fill the Fridge - The access to fresh dairy, meat, and poultry products at food banks requires all hands

on deck. To get involved, individuals are encouraged to post on social media about their own food donation or volunteering experience at a food bank and use the hashtag #FillTheFridge. In addition to posting, they can challenge others to do the same and join the initiative of giving back.

About Zoetis. Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products, which are complemented by bio-devices, genetic tests, and precision livestock farming.

Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers, and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2019, the company generated annual revenue of $6.3 billion, with approximately 10,600 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisus.com.

ABS Demonstrates Commitment to the Science, Precision, and Accuracy to Create Sexcel Sexed Genetics. ABS Global announces the publication of the paper, “Technical Note: Droplet digital PCR precisely and accurately quantifies sex skew in bovine semen,” in the Journal of Dairy Science. The paper describes the IntelliGen Technologies proprietary methods to validate sexed semen skew and demonstrates the commitment to the rigorous science ABS uses to create Sexcel sexed genetics.

“We published this paper to provide a better understanding of our process and show our commitment to precision and accuracy in the testing, which we have had in place for several years,” says Dr. Elon Roti Roti, senior author, joined by Nicole Cray and Jami Hauer of IntelliGen Technologies, and Matthias Wagner of Cellino Biotech Inc. The paper provides transparency to Sexcel customers about the processes that are used to validate product skew. Publication in the Journal of Dairy Science ensures the methods were peer review by industry subject matter experts.

As Dr. Roti Roti explains, the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay measures the sex skew using a molecular assay separate from the way sexed semen is produced.

Therefore, the ddPCR assay can provide a more thorough and independent assessment of sex skewed semen.

“If you use the same ruler to measure

the same thing twice, you’ll roughly get the same answer every time you measure,” says Dr. Roti Roti. “Whereas, if you take a different measurement tool, especially if it’s a tool with a finer resolution, then you have independent confirmation of what you are trying to quantify. We’re generating the skew with one ruler and then measuring with a completely different platform.”

“Beyond using a different technique to measure skew, the assay has such fine tuned measurement ability that we actually count individual X and Y chromosomes,” states Dr. Roti Roti.

“ABS is committed to high quality sexed semen produced and evaluated by leading technology. This means that ABS customers using Sexcel sexed genetics experience the sex skew in resulting calves born with an accuracy that they expect and deserve,” says Nate Zwald, Chief Operating Officer – Dairy, ABS Global. To learn more about ABS Sexcel and experiences from customers across the globe, visit www.absglobal.com/services/sexcel.

About ABS. Headquartered in DeForest, Wis., ABS Global is the world leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services, artificial insemination technologies, and udder care products. Marketing in more than 70 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941.

News

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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NEWS

All Natural ProMin Specialty Feed Additive from Brookside Agra Formulated to Regulate Mineral Absorption for Peak Performance. For over 70 years, animal feeds have been supplemented with trace minerals, which are essential for animal health, growth, lactation, and reproduction. Absorbed easily into an animal’s system, Brookside Agra’s all natural ProMin proteinated trace minerals can “up regulate” or “down regulate” the amount of minerals absorbed, therefore helping the animal reach its peak performance level.

Research has proven that organic trace minerals better fit an animal’s trace mineral requirements by providing better availability when the animal needs them.

Trace minerals also provide a greater potential of increased stability when subjected to varying pH levels.

Animals have systems that regulate the amount and form of the nutrients and metabolites they absorb and utilize.

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Animal nutritionists have discovered that the more accurately they supply the needs of the animal in terms of diet and environment, the more efficiently the animals will perform.

“The pH of the gastrointestinal tract ranges from 1 to 2 in the stomach and can go up to 7.2 as digesta moves through the digestion process. It is particularly important to have a trace mineral that will survive this pH shift and the digestive degradation attempts until reaching the target absorption site. ProMin proteinated trace minerals provide a greater potential of increased stability when subjected to varying pH levels. The multiple bonds in ProMin increase the potential for utilization by the animal,” said Tim Nelson, Brookside Agra Vice President – Animal Health & Nutrition Sales.

Trace minerals are potentially toxic to all life, but absolutely necessary as well. Too much can kill, and too little can also kill. The absorption architecture in

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

animals must work very well and respond rapidly to changing supply and demand during periods of varying growth, stress, and disease.

The ProMin manufacturing process mimics Mother Nature because organic minerals are made the same way that the animal does when it eats and digests its feed. The animal gets some organically complexed minerals in the food they eat, but most are broken down by enzymes and pH during digestion. The animal then rebuilds the minerals into organic forms so that the minerals will remain

soluble and be able to easily move to the sites of absorption as digestion proceeds.

The animal’s system is designed to appropriately handle minerals in this manner.

Adding minerals to the diet of deficient animals in a form that is already prepared for transportation to the site of absorption improves the probability that the animal can get the necessary minerals when they need them. ProMin is recommended for all types of livestock and poultry.

The ProMin product portfolio

NEWS

Premier Select Sires Welcomes the Voice of Cooperative Members. Premier Select Sires has formed a brand new discovery group, which will be known as the Premier Owner’s Voice (POV), to gain insight and input from cooperative members. POV will involve all types and sizes of cooperative members to represent the more than 14,000 unique member purchasers across 23 states.

“There is no question that our industry continues to rapidly change,” said Mark Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer of Premier. “The health of our cooperative is dependent on our ability to learn and adapt to those changes.

And beyond that, we need to meet—and exceed—our members’ expectations and needs going forward. This means exploring avenues of new technology, enhancing customer reach, and improving cooperative efficiencies, among other things. To accomplish those goals, we’re relying on a strong partnership with members of the Premier Owner’s Voice to generate ideas and talk about objectives.

These are exciting times for Premier Select Sires!”

Members of the inaugural group include producers from Maine to Florida to Kansas, and they will serve a one year term. Participants include dairy and beef producers from a variety of operational sizes and styles. These individuals will meet throughout the year to learn, share, and strategize, giving a true voice to membership and strengthening the Premier cooperative in the process. Karen Wheatley, Premier Manager of Employee Development, Training, and Engagement, will facilitate the meetings.

“Being a cooperative doesn’t get enough attention these days, and I think we’re missing the mark when we aren’t celebrating this independence,” said Carpenter. “Not only does our cooperative return dividends to member purchasers, but with the formation of the Premier Owner’s Voice, we’re becoming better in the service we provide and better in the success we deliver because we’re doing this together.”

Any questions about the groups, or questions about becoming future POV members, can be directed to CEO Mark Carpenter at mcarpenter@premierselect. com, Vice President of Marketing and Development Kirk Sattazahn at kirk7@ premierselect.com, or the Premier Select Sires office at 570-836-3168.

About Premier Select Sires.

Premier Select Sires is a farmer owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23 state member area.

Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides industry leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands; effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies; reliable services and programs backed by years of success; knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on farm assistance Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics. Learn more about Premier Select Sires at www.premierselectsires.com.

includes: • 15% Zinc Proteinate • 15% Manganese Proteinate • 15% Copper Proteinate • 10% Magnesium Proteinate • 15% Iron Proteinate • 10% Cobalt Proteinate For more information about all natural ProMin, visit www.brooksideagra.com/products/specialty-feedadditives/promins/.

Brookside Agra’s Calf-Rescue™ Oral Nutritional Supplement Gives Fall Calves Boost They Need at Birth, Weaning. Cattle producers have long

South Devon Breeders and Commercial Buyers Alike Win Big as NASDA Joins IGS Genetic Evaluation Database. The North American South Devon Association recently integrated all of their genomic and performance data into the International Genetic Solutions (IGS) database. This database includes nearly 20 million head from across over 17 different breed registries in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. IGS has created the most scientifically credible, directly comparable, multi-breed genetic evaluation, and now South Devon breeders and buyers have the opportunity to utilize this system to their advantage.

IGS represents the most extensive collaborative effort between beef cattle breeds. South Devon EPDs have been adjusted and are officially represented on a plane where they are equal to those of other breeds. The collective goal is to help South Devon seedstock producers market their livestock while allowing commercial producers to make the best informed decision for their own operation.

According to Matt Spangler of the University of Nebraska, IGS is “changing the paradigm of thought from ‘we are a breed that services members’ to ‘we service an entire cattle industry’.” The North American South Devon Association joining this breed conglomerate just confirms their commitment to promoting profit and advancement for the breed and the beef industry as a whole.

American Sales Association Joins IGS Genetic Evaluation Database.

Enters “new era” for producers and commercial buyers. The American Salers Association recently entered as one of the newest affiliates of International Genetic Solutions (IGS). After updating and integrating EPDs and genetic indicators for the entire Salers breed, new IGS

debated over when is the best time for calving – the spring or the fall. And while most cows in the U.S. calve in the spring, the benefits of fall calving cows are numerous.

Calves born in mid-September through late November often have the advantage of good fall pasture quality and less erratic weather patterns than in the spring. Producers are also generally more devoted to monitoring their calving cows during the fall than in the springtime when other tasks are competing for their attention.

However, fall calving is not without

NEWS

sanctioned performance reports were able to be issued to producers at the end of June. The IGS system consists of more than 17 breed associations from across the US, Canada, and Australia, that have entered data on nearly 20 million head of cattle. Cumulatively, they have put together the most directly comparable, multi-breed genetic evaluation tool available.

IGS brings forward the value of collaboration between multiple beef cattle breeds and translates this value directly into the management and decision making process of the producer. Now, Salers EPDs have been entered into a program that puts them on an equal plane with all the EPDs of other IGS represented breeds.

The goal is to help seedstock producers market and advertise their livestock and to ensure that commercial producers are able to make the best informed decision for their own operation.

The Salers breed holds the interest of both registered and commercial producers in very high regard. According to ASA Executive Vice President Sherry Doubet, “The American Salers Association is excited for commercial producers across the country to be able to utilize EPDs and compare them across breeds. We are pleased to be able to continue our commitment to the commercial producer by joining IGS in this endeavor.”

About International Genetic Solutions. IGS is an unprecedented collaboration between progressive organizations across the U.S., Canada, and Australia that are committed to enhancing beef industry profitability. The collaboration encompasses education, technological advancement, and genetic evaluation. Through collaboration, IGS has become the largest beef cattle evaluation in the world.

its challenges. The cold and snow are difficult on nursing calves, plus the nutrient requirements for lactating cows generally increases 25-30 percent, therefore increasing the cost to harvest, store, and feed cows during the long winter months.

To give fall calves the nutritional boost they need during times of stress such as birth and weaning, Brookside Agra recommends Calf-Rescue™.

When given as directed, Calf-Rescue provides calves with select vitamins and a stabilized source of direct fed microbials (probiotics) to maintain a healthy, natural appetite, digestion, and immune system.

“The gut of a newborn calf is nearly sterile. It is vital for the health and well being of the calf to develop a healthy gut microflora,” said Tim Nelson, Vice President - Animal Health & Nutrition Sales at Brookside Agra. “When given at birth, Calf-Rescue provides beneficial bacteria to promote a healthy digestive system, enabling it to grow to its full genetic potential, at a cost of only about $1.50 per calf.”

Calf-Rescue includes: Select Vitamins - Calf-Rescue provides guaranteed levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Thiamine HCL, Pyridoxide HCL, and Vitamin B12 - vitamins critical for normal calf growth and development.

Prebiotic Inulin - Calf-Rescue also contains inulin, a complex carbohydrate that serves as a nutrient source to help successfully colonize beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract - Calf-Rescue provides a source of high quality protein based from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and contains concentrated levels of essential and functional nutrients critical for young animals.

Calf-Rescue also contains a healthy dose of microorganisms including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, and Bacillus subtilis to promote healthy ruminant function during times of stress.

“When calves are stressed, their appetites often decrease, while the nutritional demand on their bodies increases,” said Nelson. “Calf-Rescue, with its unique blend of vitamins and natural microorganisms, works to promote healthy microbial counts in the rumen to increase feed intake and improve digestive function.”

Use Calf-Rescue during: • Birth and weaning • Shipping and receiving • Following antibiotic therapy • During digestive disorders • Showing • Times of stress

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Made in the U.S.A., Calf-Rescue is available in a case of 12 applicator tubes (1.04 oz. each) for easy oral administration. Calf-Rescue contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Calf-Rescue may be purchased online at www.brookside-agra.com/ products/animal-health/calf-rescue/.

For additional product information or custom orders, contact Tim Nelson, Vice President - Animal Health & Nutrition Sales ,at 402-560-7381 or tim.nelson@ brookside-agra.com.

About Brookside Agra. Brookside Agra is a global fifth generation, family owned business based in O’Fallon, Ill., that manufactures and distributes a variety of research proven, all natural products for specialty feeds; animal health and production; agriculture and the environment; and commercial, industrial and household use. For more information about Brookside Agra and its all natural products, visit www.BrooksideAgra.com or contact Chad Vaninger, General Manager, at 618-628-8300 Ext. 23 or chadv@brookside-agra.com.

Any news from your county? Be sure to share your meetings, sales, field days, etc., with your fellow cattlemen through the Connection! q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 47

NALF Promotes Mallory Blunier to Director of Media and Activities.

Mallory Blunier has been promoted to Director of Media and Activities for the North American Limousin Foundation.

Mallory has been heavily involved with NALF media and communications the previous four years and has grown very familiar with both NALF and NALJA programs and activities. She is a previous state FFA officer from Illinois and is very excited to take on the additional responsibilities working with NALJA, their board of directors, and membership as well. Mallory stated, “I am very excited to be taking on this new responsibility and can’t wait to see what these juniors accomplish this year!”

Mallory will be assisted by Tammy Anderson and Dominique Braun in her expanded role at NALF and NALJA.

The North American Limousin Foundation would like to thank Katie Campbell for her dedication and commitment to the Limousin breed and the Junior Association for the past five years. We wish Katie the very best as she moves forward with her future endeavors.

Work Order 1 update scheduled for IGS BOLT EPDs. In the life of any National Cattle Evaluation, periodic updates are needed to make the best use of all available information and technology.

The evaluation which generates the EPDs published by NALF is no exception.

Over the last couple of years, a massive research undertaking has been going on to modernize the evaluation of growth traits (Birth Weight, Weaning Weight, Yearling Weight, and Milk). Below is a brief description of each update followed by the impact of these collective changes on

2020 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 2020. 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.

2020 Reserved Spotlight Issues

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

CHAROLAIS FORAGES ANGUS PEST MANAGEMENT BRAHMAN HEREFORD GELBVIEH SIMMENTAL SANTA GERTRUDIS *************** *************** RED ANGUS

Contact The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Phone - 919-552-9111 for the contact person for each Spotlight Issue.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

NALF EPD. These changes were expected to be incorporated into the production run generated from IGS on the week of August 17.

The changes made include: 1. A new definition of contemporary groups based on the age of the dam.

Calves born to first calf females will be placed in a separate contemporary group.

2. Setting the genetic correlation between weaning weight maternal (Milk) and weaning weight direct to 0 (compared to - 0.3). There has been debate in the scientific literature about the degree and direction of genetic correlations between direct and maternal weaning weight.

Previously, the IGS evaluation used a moderate negative correlation. This meant that young, unproven animals with high growth potential often saw negative impact on their milk EPD when their own growth data was submitted or when a genomic test was done. The correlation in the new model will be set to zero.

This should impact animals with low accuracies the most.

3. Different variances for different sexes (heterogeneous variance). Bull calves typically have higher growth potential than heifers, which means the variation in their weights is also greater.

The new model will account for this difference.

4. New DNA Marker subset. Since BOLT-powered EPDs were released, many more animals have been genotyped, and many more performance records have been submitted. As a result, new, more informative markers were able to be deciphered. The new EPDs will employ this new, larger marker set on the growth traits.

5. Accounting for different birth weight collection methods. Upon closer analysis of birth weight data, it became apparent that different reporting and collection methods were being used.

These methods ranged from reporting in 2 lb or 5 lb increments to data that was obviously from hoof tapes instead of scales, to clearly fabricated data. New methods allow for the identification and proper accounting for these various collection methods.

6. Not including genomic effects for Weaning Weight Maternal (Milk).

The current genetic evaluation marker effects for both WW and Milk. However, in the new evaluation, the ability for the genomic part of the EPD calculations for Milk to be performed caused problems with the overall efficiency of the weekly evaluation. Therefore, the decision was made to remove the genomic component for Milk. Even with the removal of this information, work done to judge the efficacy of EPDs shows that the resulting EPDs from the updated model are an improvement over the previous evaluation.

In the table below, you’ll find a comparison of the genetic trend graph for the current growth suite of EPD vs. the genetic trend for the new WO1 suite of growth EPDs that will be released soon.

For more information, please v i s i t w w w. n a l f . o r g / w p - c o n t e n t / uploads/2020/08/Updates-to-GrowthTrait-Predictions-1-1.pdf.

A.I. Sire and Donor Dam Information Reminder. All A.I. Sires and donor dams born in 2015 or later are required to have a GGP-HD genomic profile on file in addition to parent verification for sires and sire verification for donor dams. Animals born before 2015 do not require the genomic profile but do require either parent or sire verification through SNP DNA typing.

They must also be tested for any genetic condition (AM, NH, Proto, etc.) that they are a potential carrier for. A.I. sire permits are recommended on any new A.I. sire and can be added by contacting either Alison Jones at alison@nalf.org or Tammy Anderson at tammy@nalf.org or the NALF office.

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

For more information about NALF, please visit www.nalf.org.

PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL NEWS Ranchers Decry House Passage Of Reckless Land Grab Legislation. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Director of Natural Resources and the Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director, Kaitlynn Glover, recently released the following statement in response to the passage of the Great American Outdoors (GAO) Act by the House of Representatives: “This is a sad day for public lands and the American taxpayer. With today’s approval of the GAO Act, the House has chosen to willingly relinquish their responsibility to engage in important land conservation decisions far into the future.

The bill will allow virtually unrestricted spending for lands and waters across the United States that will be added to a federal estate that is already in disrepair.

The 310 members of the House who supported this bill today sentenced these lands to a bleak future, complete with the expectation that these lands will be added to the deferred maintenance backlog in a not-so-distant future. The ranching community urges President Trump to veto this reckless excuse for a land management bill.”

Background - The GAO Act creates more than $17 billion in new, mandatory spending through funding for federal agencies’ deferred maintenance backlog and by converting funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

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mandatory at a level of $900 million per year into perpetuity. The bill gives federal agencies free rein to spend a minimum of $360 million per year of LWCF funding solely to acquire new private land without any oversight from Congress.

The Senate passed the GAO Act in June 2020. Prior to the Senate vote, PLC and NCBA sent a letter signed by 48 livestock and natural resources groups in highlighting the blatant conflict by pairing the mounting disrepair of current land under federal control and allowing rampant acquisition without accounting for management of future land acquisitions.

NCBA & PLC Highlights Importance Of Public Lands Ranchers In Senate Hearing. Ethan Lane, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs and representative for the PLC, recently testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the public lands cattle industry.

The testimony highlighted the importance of public lands ranchers during the pandemic, including their role in resurging the American economy. The testimony also addressed the need for future aid from Congress through access to vacant allotments or areas ungrazed during the summer season and flexibility to utilize grazing as a nimble, targeted natural resource management tool.

“Given the production impacts this year prior to and during calving season, many of these normal production targets were interrupted,” Lane said. “There may be a need for access to additional forage, including vacant allotments or other available allotments that were not grazed during the summer season.”

Lane also discussed the important role of public land ranchers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting their commitment to continued food production, rangeland management, wildfire prevention, and wildlife conservation.

“Despite these challenges, ranchers were on the land, managing the forage, ensuring wildlife had water and forage,” Lane said. “From the most fundamental need for food security, to the dollars that remain in rural communities as a result of agriculture production, to cost savings for the American taxpayer by avoidance of costs associated with catastrophic

wildfire, public lands grazing does it all.”

Lane called for the committee to remember the value of public lands ranching and its important role in maintaining open spaces throughout the year.

“We fix fence, roads, water features.

We are the eyes and ears on the landscape.

We are reliable. We are consistent. We are essential.”

Administration Takes Important Steps to Improve Species Conservation.

Kaitlynn Glover recently released the following statement in response to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service’s announced improvement to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) “habitat” definition: “We appreciate the Trump Administration’s work to direct important

resources to where they are most needed.

By clarifying the definition of habitat, species conservation will improve and we will avoid long, drawn out, speculative analyses that delay important conservation work for imperiled species.

We welcome this addition to ESA as it removes an unnecessary burden from livestock producers who are looking to act as responsible stewards and make improvements to rangeland.”

About the Public Lands Council.

PLC represents 22,000 cattle and sheep producers who operate with federal grazing permits in the West. The PLC advocates for these western ranchers who preserve our nation’s natural resources while providing vital food and fiber to the nation and the world. Learn more at www.publiclandscouncil.org.

Carolina Cooking Italian Beef Meatball Sandwich Rolls Total Cooking Time - 1 hour, 15 minutes 1 recipe Italian style beef sausage 2 eggs, divided ¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs 12 cherry sized mozzarella balls (about 6 ounces) 12 ounces refrigerated pizza dough 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese Garnish: Marinara sauce, chopped basil leaves (optional) Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine Italian Style Beef Sausage mixture, 1 egg, and bread crumbs in large bowl; mixing thoroughly. Shape into 12, 2 inch meatballs. Place a mozzarella ball in the middle of each meatball, making sure the mozzarella ball is completely covered with the beef mixture. Place meatballs on aluminum foil lined broiler rack coated with cooking spray. Bake in 400°F oven for 24-27 minutes. *Cook’s Tip: Italian Style Beef Sausage: Combine 1 pound ground beef (93% lean or leaner), 1 teaspoon fennel seed, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly, but thoroughly.

Cut dough into 12 pieces, about 1 ounce each. Stretch each piece to cover

The Carolina Cattle Connection

1 meatball, pinching the edges to seal.

Place on parchment lined, shallow rimmed baking sheet, seam side down.

Place remaining 1 egg in small bowl, beat with a fork. Brush rolls with egg; top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake rolls in 400°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce and basil, as desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Italian Beef Meatball Sandwich Rolls

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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Resiliency, Entrepreneurial Spirit Will See Agriculture Industry Through Changing Economy Home deliveries, direct sales, and an emphasis on local producers are just a few of the ways that the agriculture industry has changed during COVID-19.

Change will continue as the economy evolves, and the resiliency that the agriculture industry possesses will see it through what lies ahead.

David Kohl, esteemed emeritus professor of agriculture and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech University and stalwart of the agriculture industry, recently provided insight on how he sees the agriculture industry adapting to the new economy.

In March —almost overnight – 70 percent of the agriculture market disappeared as COVID-19 began to spread around the world. Restaurants, hotels, airlines, as well as other industries, ceased or drastically cut food orders, which caused decreased demand and led to a major change in how producers and local food processors delivered their goods.

To maintain a revenue stream, farmers and producers pivoted business models almost overnight and began selling directly to consumers. As businesses re-open, they are looking to maintain these customers that came from that shift in demand.

“I think it’s sustainable for businesses that are in touch with consumers. If you just go out there, provide the product or service, and are not in touch with the consumer, it’s not going to be sustainable,”

Kohl said. “For businesses that are adaptable, entrepreneurial, and provide a valued service, the model is sustainable. It is not sustainable if you’re just going to try to purely commoditize this.”

Kohl said, for example, that being in touch with the consumer could mean using technology to find exactly the product and quantity that they want.

Using ice cream as an example, Kohl said the producers should offer just enough, such as a four ounce cup of the ever refreshing mint chocolate chip. No more, no less. Exactly what is requested.

“Some industries are not going to come back to 100 percent,” Kohl said.

“As I work with the agriculture industry and farm groups, or even our creamery business, we all hope that we will operate in an environment comprised of at least 90 percent of the previous economy, but some of those economies might be 50 to 75 percent, like hotels and airlines.”

When facing a life changing and society changing event, the economic market for agriculture has a few historical phases, according to Kohl, who calls these events that occur about every ten years “black swans.”

“This one, the suddenness and the global nature of the pandemic, is not over because there are re-emerging health issues going across the globe,” Kohl said.

“Every black swan will accelerate change in the economy, business models, and basic human behavior.”

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The three phases that comprise a black swan event are the dirty bird, angry bird, and the phoenix.

The dirty bird phase results in job loss and preventative health practices.

The economy was shut down, and anxiety was felt.

The angry bird phase – where the economy currently resides – is composed of a variety of recovery plans. Job losses have already occurred, pay cuts have been taken, the stock market is volatile, and confusion and frustration may be rampant. The final characteristic of the angry bird phase is deglobalization.

In the decades following World War II, globalization was the name of the game.

Around 20 percent of net income was from agriculture exports. Now, though, deglobalization and regionalization are occurring, where a country is inclined to take care of itself and deal only with trusted trading partners. Delivery methods that are less dependent on international transport, such as rail and road, will become more important.

Regionalization of processing is also likely to occur, said Kohl. Currently, the vast majority of food processing in the United States occurs in the Midwestern region. A push to have processing occur in Mid-Atlantic states is likely, bringing

benefits such as jobs and a reduction in shipping costs.

The phoenix, the final phase of the black swan, is the bird that comes out of the angry bird phase and will likely occur in early 2021. There’s a collective commitment to move forward together.

The phoenix phase for the current “black swan” event, Kohl said, will likely have accelerated innovation, artificial intelligence, and health systems.

As a result of COVID-19, Kohl sees a few policy changes happening as well, such as a push to get reliable, fast internet into rural and agriculture dependent areas. Human capital is returning to these regions from urban and heavily populated regions, and with that, broadband internet will need to accompany them.

Transparency of where food originates, is processed, and where it is distributed is another policy change that could be on the horizon.

The final change Kohl hopes to see is an emphasis on healthy soil and water.

“This is something policy needs to center on,” Kohl said. “If you look at where some of these diseases have occurred, it’s in places that have unhealthy soil and water. If you have healthy soil and water, you have a healthy plant, animal, and human being in an environment.”

N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test Underway

By GARY GREGORY & DEIDRE HARMON, N.C. State University The bulls were delivered on June 24 to start the 41st Annual Waynesville BCIP Bull Test. There are 52 bulls coming from 16 producers in six counties in North Carolina and five producers from two counties in Tennessee. The breeds represented at this year’s test include 34 Angus, four Charolais, five Hereford, and nine Simmental or SimAngus bulls. You can keep up with the performance of the bulls on the N.C. Beef Cattle Improvement Program website at www.beef.ces. ncsu.edu/beef-bull-test/. This site is part of the N.C. State Extension Beef website so you can keep up with extension beef’s other activities and information.

The bulls were weighed on test on July 6-7 with the average of the two weights and hip heights used for the starting weight and hip height. The test will last for 112 days with the bulls going off test on October 26-27. To be eligible for the sale, bulls must have a ratio of 85 or better on average daily gain on test and an adjusted yearling weight ratio of 93 among their contemporaries in the same breed. They must have an adjusted yearling frame score of 5.0, which is 49 inches at the hip. The bulls must pass a breeding soundness exam, and a committee will evaluate structure and disposition. They must pass each of these criteria to be eligible for the sale.

The sale will be held on December 5 at the Western North Carolina Regional Livestock Center in Canton, North Carolina. If you would like to visit the Waynesville Bull Test station, contact Kyle Miller at 828-456-3943 or kyle. miller@ncagr.gov to make an appointment. We ask that you do not just show up at the test station due to COVID-19 restrictions. If you have any questions about the Waynesville Bull Test, you can contact Gary Gregory at 919-515-4027 or ggregory@ncsu.edu. The next weigh day will be September 1.

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New NCCA Members for 2020 In 2007, members of the Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection at the NCCA Annual Conference in Hickory. A new member is defined as someone who has never been a member or someone who has rejoined after a brief break in membership. The new members are identified in this new members section by name and county of residence.

Below is a list of NCCA’s new members for the last month: Out-of-State Andrew Hall – South Carolina Alamance County Mary Sutton – S&B Farms Beaufort County Zachary Jenkins

Cumberland County Reagan Sawey Duplin County Hunter Britt Wills Brooks Franklin County David Thomas – Bute Farm LLC Guilford County Erin Dillon Iredell County Luke Johnson Jackson County Abbegail King – Axios Farms Lenoir County Elizabeth Spence

Cabarrus County Aaron R. Cook Kaitlyn Plowman

Nash County Doug Johnson – 2 JS Cattle Company

Caldwell County Richard Setzer – Free Dog Acres

Pasquotank County Carmon Braxton

Columbus County Logan McKee

Pender County Tessa Seitter

Randolph County Carlee Cagle Steven Robbins Rockingham County Jason D. Byrd Sampson County Isaac James Best Megan Elizabeth Merritt Anthony D. Smith Union County Jason Cameron Starnes

Wake County Hailey Stroud Watauga County Amanda Salmi Wayne County Samantha Crouch Eric Edmundson Myra Gerrell Amber Weaver Bryan Wooten Wilkes County Sarah Spicer

Farm Credit News Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina Donate $40,000 to North Carolina Baptists On Mission. The Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina recently made a donation of $40,000 to the N.C. Baptists On Mission as a part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program. This donation was used to support the purchase of a refrigerated food truck. The food truck will deliver fresh produce boxes across the state to families negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deliveries will be made to local churches, soup kitchens, and other institutions, and in turn, those organizations will directly provide them to individuals and families in need. With the shutdown of schools and restaurants during much of this pandemic, this USDA program gives North Carolina farmers another outlet for their produce.

The CEOs of AgCarolina Farm Credit, Cape Fear Farm Credit, and Carolina Farm Credit are Dave Corum, Evan Kleinhans, and Vance Dalton. They issued the following joint statement regarding the donation: “N.C.

Baptists on Mission is an organization we support because of their commitment to the community. Working with this group sheds light on the importance of farming and the need to help serve others during this time of difficulty. This food truck will benefit those experiencing food insecurities as well as farmers who need a market for their produce.

The Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina are proud to serve the agricultural and rural communities of our state.”

About AgCarolina Farm Credit.

AgCarolina Farm Credit is a farmer owned financial cooperative with headquarters in Raleigh. They are the leading provider of credit to farmers in central and eastern North Carolina. AgCarolina Farm Credit has over $1.4 billion in loans and commitments outstanding to nearly 3,300 North Carolina farmers. Loans are made to finance land, homes, farm buildings, operating expenses, livestock, and equipment, as well as other purposes.

Credit life insurance, appraisal services, and leasing are also available through AgCarolina Farm Credit.

Pictured from left to right: N.C. Baptists on Mission Executive Director – Richard Brunson, Carolina Farm Credit CEO – Vance Dalton, AgCarolina Farm Credit CEO – Dave Corum, and Cape Fear Farm Credit CEO – Evan Kleinhans

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NCBA

President’s Report

By MARTY SMITH

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Providing Regulatory Relief to Producers When most people think of lobbyists, they probably envision professionals in business suits working the halls of Congress to build support for legislation that helps their clients in one way or another. That’s certainly one aspect of lobbying - and something that our team in Washington does as well as any lobbying team in the nation.

But there’s another aspect of lobbying that many people often don’t think about, but which is as important as working in the halls of Congress, if not more so. I’m talking about lobbying on regulatory issues in the Executive Branch, and it’s something that NCBA’s team in Washington also does every single day.

Over the past few years, it has produced a lot of positive results for cattle producers across America.

Just last month, for example, NCBA’s lobbying team was successful in pushing to rework often onerous regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in more than 40 years. Over the past several decades, NEPA regulations have been used by activists and bureaucrats to tie up or block critical infrastructure projects or improvements to agricultural operations for years on end.

In mid-July, after years of hard work by NCBA’s lobbying team, President Trump announced a final rule that will ease these regulations and make it more possible for

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producers to do what we need to do to raise cattle and feed the world.

Of course, the NEPA victory comes on the heels of the repeal and rewriting of the terrible Obama era 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. On July 16, NCBA member and Arizona rancher Jim Chilton stood on the South Lawn of the White House and explained to President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and several Cabinet Secretaries how important the repeal of WOTUS will be to his operation and many others.

“Cutting the red tape set us free as private property owners,” Chilton said at the White House event on deregulation.

“Our ranch has approximately 100 dry washes – these are washes with no water. The Corps of Engineers and EPA who wrote the Obama 2015 regulations ruled that any dry wash that had more than 12 inches of sand in the bottom became a water of the United States.

It was outrageous. The 2015 rules and regulations were overreaching red tape and threatened me and other farmers, ranchers, businessmen, and landowners with the possibility of going to jail and facing huge fines. The heavy hand of government is no longer on our shoulders.”

Also in July, the Department of the Interior answered NCBA’s call to halt the reintroduction of grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. Ranchers and public lands users in these communities already face overwhelming losses and impacts from huge gray wolf populations, and when paired with the economic hardship of the

coronavirus pandemic, the introduction of yet another apex predator would prove devastating.

July was a very busy month with the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) making its final recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Over the past two years, our team has worked closely with the DGAC, USDA, and HHS to keep the guidelines focused on sound science and nutrition, and as a result, the final draft guidelines recognize beef’s role in a healthy diet, including the essential role of beef’s nutrients at every life stage.

While the guidelines may not technically be considered regulations, they are the cornerstone of all federal nutrition policy.

Of course, there are many other examples of regulatory relief over the past three and a half years - numerous waivers of Electronic Logging Device mandates for livestock haulers, for example. The cumulative results have been impressive and historic: as President Trump pointed out at his recent South Lawn event, this Administration has removed more than 25,000 pages of federal regulations, and for every new regulation added, eight others have been removed. That’s the most impressive record of deregulation in our nation’s history, and it’s due in part to the hard working, dues paying members of NCBA, who make our team’s work in D.C. possible - both in the halls of Congress and in the halls of the Executive Branch’s departments and agencies.

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A Message from the CEO

By COLIN WOODALL

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

United We Steak While Labor Day may be approaching faster than any of us are prepared for, it is important we remember that 1/3 of summer grilling season still remains.

“United We Steak” is the cornerstone of the checkoff funded summer grilling promotion NCBA manages, and we are thrilled with the results.

If you haven’t seen NCBA’s latest checkoff funded campaign, head on over to www.unitedwesteak.com to check it out. The first thing you’ll see is a map of the United States where each state is cut out of steak. That isn’t a computer generated image, but rather the result of diligent work by the NCBA team to hand cut each of those steaks. Have you ever tried to cut the shape of Maryland out of a steak? Not an easy task, but it shows the innovative spirit of this campaign.

United We Steak is more than just

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a unique graphic designed to get your attention. It’s meant to be a multi-pronged approach that draws our customers to the recipes and producer stories and then leaves them with a passion to fire up their grills.

The roll out of United We Steak included a satellite media tour where NCBA’s very own meat scientist Bridget Wasser started at 3:00 a.m. doing live interviews from the NCBA Culinary Center, funded by the Beef Checkoff, with media outlets across the country. We also put the steak map on one of the larger than life billboards in Times Square in New York City.

We truly took this launch prime time. The campaign was also rolled out to key food bloggers, chefs, retailers, and foodservice operators to help them support and promote beef. If you haven’t seen the campaign yet, don’t worry because it is headed your way. It’s another in the long line

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. promotions from NCBA. Yep, you read that right, from NCBA, which is home to the Federation of State Beef Councils. The councils were critical partners in this campaign.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. is the beef brand we manage as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. This checkoff funded tagline is inarguably one of the most successful marketing efforts in history because of its uncanny ability to take sizzling images of beef, combine them with Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” music, and instantly make mouths water.

It’s also a brand that must evolve to stay relevant. Now, I’m personally partial to the television ads from the early 90s voiced by Robert Mitchum. To me, that will always be Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. As a society, though, we aren’t sitting around the TV on Sunday nights waiting for Mitchum’s iconic voice.

The way Americans watch TV these days is much different. Fewer and fewer people are watching live TV. Many use a digital video recorder so they can watch at their convenience and fast forward through the commercials. Digital TV platforms are growing in popularity, and that is why we have evolved our promotional campaigns to take advantage of today’s technology.

The video of sizzling steaks is still there. The “Hoedown” music is still there.

The distinctive voice is still there. Just the format has changed. We will continue to look at ways to keep Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. famous and relevant to the times.

While NCBA may be the creativity behind these campaigns, we can only do it because of the checkoff financial investment. We have to earn the checkoff dollars we use. Contrary to the belief of some, these dollars are not “given” to us.

The Beef Promotion Operating Committee is made up of cattle producers who decide which programs presented by contractors get funded. It is then up to us to deliver on our commitment, or we don’t get reimbursed, and we don’t get funded again.

Most producers don’t appreciate that we do this work on a cost recovery basis.

In short, we only get paid AFTER we’ve made the investment and done the work.

If the work doesn’t pass muster from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, we’re on the hook for the costs. That is a measure of accountability that few appreciate.

We must defend our use of checkoff investments at multiple levels, and we are happy to do it because we have nothing to hide. On their first day at NCBA, each employee is schooled on compliance with the rules we must follow as a contractor, and that focus on compliance is a constant part of our work.

In my role, I will not compromise the integrity of NCBA or the integrity of the checkoff. The work is too important, and your trust in us is at the heart of all we do.

Let me be clear: checkoff money does not pay for any of our policy efforts…period.

So, share your support of the checkoff with your friends, neighbors, and fellow cattle producers because…United We Steak!

Beef Checkoff News

Task Force Releases New Beef Industry Long Range Plan for 20212025. The Beef Industry Long Range Plan task force officially introduced its new five year plan for 2021-2025 recently at the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Denver. The task force’s mission is to ensure the long term prosperity of the U.S. beef industry by sustainably producing the most trusted, highest quality, and consistently satisfying protein for consumers around the world.

“We want beef to be the protein of choice, and we want the entire U.S. beef industry to be trusted and respected for its commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability,” said Kim Brackett, leader of the task force and cow/calf rancher from Idaho. “The task force invested many hours, discussing the current state of the industry and what we need to accomplish over the next five years. We feel we’ve established some important priorities and strategies, as well as benchmarks for success that will help keep our industry on track through 2025 and beyond.”

The Beef Industry Long Range Plan - Updated every five years, the Beef Industry Long Range Plan is a tool designed to help the beef industry establish a common set of objectives and priorities. It communicates the industry’s strategic direction and provides insight on how the industry can serve its stakeholders by growing beef demand.

Since 1995, industry leaders have gathered to develop an aligned, comprehensive plan with the goal of increasing consumer demand for beef.

These leaders are brought together to study and compile major areas of opportunity facing beef over the next five years.

The 2021-2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan includes the following key priorities and core strategies: Industry Objectives: 1. Grow global demand for U.S. beef by promoting beef’s health and nutritional benefits, satisfying flavor, and unparalleled safety.

2. Improve industry wide profitability by expanding processing capacity and developing improved value capture models.

3. Intensify efforts in researching, improving, and communicating U.S. beef industry sustainability.

4. Make traceability a reality in the U.S. beef industry.

Core Strategies: 1. Drive growth in beef exports.

2. Grow consumer trust in beef production.

3. Develop and implement better business models to improve price discovery and value distribution across all segments.

4. Promote and capitalize on the multiple advantages of beef.

5. Improve the business and political climate for beef.

6. Safeguard and cultivate investment in beef industry research, marketing, and innovation.

“We’ll measure the plan’s success by tracking key metrics for each Core Strategy,” Brackett said. “For example, one of the measures for the Core Strategy to ‘Drive growth in beef exports’ will be to grow the value of U.S. beef exports as a percent of total beef value to 21 percent by 2025. Additionally, there are a number of other goals to help measure success specific to the other core strategies.”

How the Beef Industry Uses the Long Range Plan - The Long Range Plan Task Force encourages other beef industry businesses and organizations to utilize the plan as input for their own strategic decision making processes.

For example, the Beef Checkoff, its committees, and contracting organizations use pieces of the Long Range Plan as their guidebook. All funding decisions and focus areas of Checkoff projects and programs, by design, must follow the key areas outlined in the plan that aligns with Checkoff budget categories: promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, producer communication, and foreign marketing. To ensure this focus, each year, Checkoff committees continue to renew their alignment by identifying key plan initiatives as their priorities based on current industry needs.

Checkoff contractors take this direction and develop Checkoff funded programs that fall within the scope of the Beef Promotion and Research Act and Order and support the plan’s priorities.

The Beef Industry Long Ranch Plan Task Force - The task force convened several times over the past year and considered all aspects of the industry from production trends, economic factors, foreign markets, consumer trends, and the competitive climate. The group evaluated the previous five year plan and determined, based on industry trends and insights,

where the industry should maintain and/or shift focus over the next five years.

In addition to Brackett, other members of the task force are also individuals representing key beef industry segments and devoted to ensuring the beef industry’s long term success: • Dr. Keith Belk, Department Head Animal Science, Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colorado) • Andy Bishop, Fairfield Farms, (Cox’s Creek, Kentucky) • Tim Brady, Director of Risk Management, Agri Beef Co. (Boise, Idaho) • Donnell Brown, Owner/Manager, R.A. Brown Ranch (Throckmorton, Texas) • John Butler, CEO the Beef Marketing Group, feeder (Manhattan, Kansas) • Paul Defoor, Co-CEO at Cactus Feeders, Inc., feeder (Amarillo, Texas) • Joe Goggins, Owner, Auctioneer, and Field Rep, Public Auction Yards, (Billings, Montana) • Ken Griner, President, Usher Land & Timber, Inc., cow/calf and seedstock (Chiefland, Florida) • Mary Kraft, Owner/Operator, Quail Ridge Dairy (Fort Morgan, Colorado) • Jon Lowe, Head of Global Commercial Development, Livestock, Zoetis (Parsippany, New Jersey) • Dean Meyer, farmer/feeder (Rock Rapids, Iowa) • William Rishel, Owner, Rishel Ranch, seedstock (Lincoln, Nebraska) • Suzy Strassburger, President, Strassburger Steaks, LLC, a specialty meat purveyor (Carlstadt, New Jersey) • Jerry Wulf, Partner/Advisor, Wulf Cattle (Hancock, Minnesota) “After helping to develop our previous Long Range Plan, I was encouraged with how it was embraced by the entire industry,” said Brackett. “Over the past year, our task force researched and fashioned this new plan with just as much care, and we hope it will be received with even more enthusiasm.”

To view the complete Beef Industry Long Range Plan, a plan summary, or get more information, visit www.

BeefLongRangePlan.com.

Beef Checkoff Contractors and Subcontractors Share 2020 Successes.

On July 27-30, cattlemen and women from across the U.S. gathered at the Gaylord Rockies resort in Denver – and virtually, from their own farms and ranches – for the annual Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Here, the cattle industry discussed current issues as a group, heard the new 2021-2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan, and reviewed how the Beef Checkoff has adjusted messaging and programs over the past several months.

While at the meeting, Beef Checkoff

The Carolina Cattle Connection

committee members from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Federation of State Beef Councils in each of the five different program committees – Safety, Nutrition and Health, Innovation, Consumer Trust and Export Growth – heard presentations from Checkoff contractors. These presentations explained how programs, research, and education have creatively changed to drive beef demand over the past six months.

A video of those Checkoff contractor presentations is now available for viewing, with contractors and subcontractors presenting in the following order: • National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA) with subcontractor National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA) • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) • Kansas State University (KSU), a subcontractor to the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) • Meat Importers Council of America (MICA) with subcontractor Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) • United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a subcontractor to NCBA • Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) • North American Meat Institute (NAMI), Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (FMPRE) “As we’re all aware, 2020 has presented the beef industry with numerous challenges,” said Jared Brackett, chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Our Beef Checkoff contractors have truly risen to the occasion, revising their 2020 plans to accommodate the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our lives, both professionally and personally. The presentations we heard at this year’s Summer Business Meeting only made me feel even more confident that the Checkoff will continue to drive beef demand in a positive direction. I’m also looking forward to seeing how we’re able to apply what we’ve learned in 2020 to our efforts in 2021.”

To learn more about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information, and safety, visit www.

DrivingDemandForBeef.com.

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.

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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Bring Your Beef Junior Showdown

By PETER WILKINS With cattle shows being cancelled all over the southeast this year, leaving the kids with false hope for their beef projects, and nowhere to take them, the Bring Your Beef Junior Showdown was formed. On August 1, at Sarratt Farms in Gaffney, S.C., 48 kids across three states - South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, brought 90 head of beef cattle to exhibit. We could not have pulled this show off if it was not for the sponsors giving to the kids. We paid out $5,625 in premiums to the kids, along with grand champions and reserve champions receiving director chairs, and all champion showmanship winners receiving a Boxel Show Box. This show was definitely for the kids. It was a hot summer day, but no complaints were made, just a quote from one of the kids, “We are just happy to be showing again.”

Sponsor shoutouts go to Brown Packing Co., Cherokee Hills Farm, Sarratt Farms, S.C. Junior Angus Association, Yon Family Farms, Elmore Cattle Company, Mike Hamrick, Biozyme Inc., Cherokee Ridge Farms, Buford St. Ace Hardware, Tumble T Bar T Farms, Burns

Chevrolet, James River Equipment, Lee Clinton Farms, Montgomery Farms, Cherokee Feed and Seed, Circle E Farm, Sullivan Farms, Walter Earle Farm, Godfrey Feed, Ag South Farm Credit, Paul Boyd Angus, Roger Shiflett Ford, Four Winds Farm, S.C. Beef Council,

Davis Farms, and Blanton Farms.

Judge - Steve McGill, Iva, S.C. Novice showmanship: grand champion - Adelynn Abruzzino; reserve champion - Lillian Wilkins Junior showmanship: grand champion - Annah Claire Sullivan; reserve champion - Liza Sullivan Intermediate showmanship grand champion - Trey Chafin; reserve champion - Ellie Taylor Senior showmanship: grand

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Linn, Kansas

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

champion - Marcie Harward; reserve champion - Mattie Harward Grand champion steer and winning $500 was Greyson Peeler, with BFR Primo weighing in at 1,230 pounds. Reserve champion steer was Daley Abruzzino, with Theodore weighing 1,120 pounds on the day of the show. Grand champion Angus heifer was Reagan Gilbert with her

December 1, 2018, heifer, CheckerHill Viola 857, and reserve champion Angus heifer was Reagan Gilbert with her April 5, 2019, CheckerHill Viola 914.

Grand champion AOB was Ky Alford with his September 2, 2019, purebred Hereford heifer, KJ 7560 Rachael 754G ET. Reserve champion AOB was Cate

Gilbert with her November 3, 2019, purebred Hereford, Purple Trixie. Grand champion Commercial heifer was Cohen McClure with his December 2, 2018, Cloud Samantha 18F. Reserve champion Commercial heifer was Liza Sullivan with her January 2020 heifer calf. Grand champion Simmental was Ellie Harmon with her February 10, 2019, heifer, NFF Wicked. Reserve champion Simmental was Lillian Wilkins with her October 3, 2019, heifer, HILB/JASS Lotta Love.

Supreme overall heifer and winner of $500 was Reagan Gilbert with CheckerHill Viola 857.

We want to personally thank Bill Sarratt for opening his farm up and allowing the kids to show their cattle that they have worked all year with. It would not have been possible to pull off a show this size without a facility like Sarratt Farms and the crew there for getting the place ready for everyone and looking top notch. Also, a big thank you to the check in crew, ring personnel, poop scoopers, pizza crew, to lining up the show classes; it took an army of people and workers!

We can’t say thank you enough!

Show Results

Grand champion All Other Breeds heifer Grand champion Simmental heifer

Reserve champion All Other Breeds heifer Reserve champion Simmental heifer

Supreme champion & grand champion Angus heifer Grand champion steer

Reserve champion Angus heifer

Reserve champion steer

Grand champion Commercial heifer

Showmanship champions

Reserve champion Commercial heifer

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 59

Long duration switch left his stockers heavier. Tennessee producer sees performance results that studies show could be expected. Vince Ogle puts an exact number on the difference he saw when switching to a long duration implant at his stocker operation in southern Tennessee — 20 pounds more per head.

The first year he trialed Synovex One Grass at Ogle Farm, he turned to the 200 day implant after typically using a conventional implant, Revalor-G. The difference for Synovex One Grass came from feeding his cattle on the same pasture used the previous year. Now, Ogle said he uses Synovex One Grass, labeled for steers and heifers, on every animal under 475 pounds that comes through — about 5,500 head this past year.

“Implants work,” Ogle said.

“With the long duration implant, I’m getting twice as many days of implant performance compared to my other implant. It’s a tool that can make you extra money; it’s worth using.”

Studies echo customer’s observation - Studies across the nation’s cattle country have shown similar advantages for Synovex One Grass. One conducted in Oklahoma demonstrated a 20 pound advantage per head on steers implanted with Synovex One Grass compared with cattle that received Revalor-G or Encore.1 Those results were not isolated. In California, steers implanted with Synovex One Grass grazing native grass for 192 days demonstrated an 11 pound advantage

over steers receiving Revalor-G. 2 A third study, researching steers grazed on Oklahoma wheat pasture for 212 days, revealed a 15 pound average gain for the group implanted with Synovex One Grass.3 “We now have study results that demonstrate a long duration implant provides a performance benefit across multiple forage types and in a variety of regions of the country,” said Gary Sides, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist, Cattle Strategic Technical Services, Zoetis. “Our data from three separate studies supports the performance opportunity — and ultimately added profit — long duration implants can provide.”

Benefits beyond the weight gain - Ogle likes to straighten his cattle out upfront. He receives all types of cattle throughout the year and then keeps them up close for about a month to set them up right before sending them out for a long grazing season.

The switch from a conventional implant to the 200 day implant for Synovex One Grass provided management flexibility. As he put it, “getting those extra days” for other tasks and reducing potential stress on his cattle, along with the added pounds gained, makes all the difference.

“I try to avoid moving animals around and running them back through the chute to avoid stress and shrink,” Ogle said. “If you figure dollars to dollars, you’ll see that it’s worth it when it comes to implanting.”

Regular copy deadline is SEPTEMBER 5 for the OCTOBER issue Spotlight material is due

SEPTEMBER 1 for the

OCTOBER issue PAGE 60

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Discover the difference products for Synovex make for producers at www.

NoStressSynovex.com.

Do not use SYNOVEX products in veal calves. Refer to label for complete directions for use, precautions, and warnings.

References Data on file, Study Report No. 16CARGFA01, Zoetis Inc. 2 Data on file, Study Report No. 18CPTIMP-01-01, Zoetis Inc. 3 Data on file, Study Report No. 17CRGIMP-01-02, Zoetis Inc. 1

S.C. Beef Council News

By ROY COPELAN Here we are in September, and a few things have changed. Schools are back in sessions (either virtually, in person, or a combination of both); the days are a little shorter; maybe some fairs, show, and sales have started; and all of us are still adjusting to different schedules. Even the weather has begun to change, and in a few weeks fall will arrive. Oh well, it is what it is.

The summer months passed at a fast pace considering the impact of the virus.

Our “Summer Grilling” beef campaign was cut short this year at only retail levels.

We were able to continue to tell the beef story, and consumer beef demand held steady with a few weeks of noticeable gains in sales.

Now, on to our Fall “Tailgating” beef campaign from September 7- November 22. Who knows what this time frame holds?

South Carolina had seven entries in the Sutter Home “Build a Better Burger” recipe contest this year. Good luck to each of those entries. Regional winners will compete in Atlanta this fall and then on to Nationals.

The S.C. Beef Council was a sponsor with the S.C. Farm Bureau Annual “Ag in the Classroom” project this year. All presentations were virtual, but with tons of great interest by the participating teachers from around the state. The SCBC also co-sponsored with the Cherokee County Cattlemen’s Association in a “Bring Your Beef Junior Showdown” in Gaffney one Saturday. Over 50 youth participated in the beef show and judging.

I trust you enjoyed seeing the various outdoor beef billboards along the interstates throughout the state.

Another messaging to our very important consumers and daily customers. Keep pounding the beef story!

Our website, Facebook, and Twitter sites stay busy all the time. The latest beef information is being promoted.

Beef recipes, beef news, and events are connected with consumers with these useful tools. Your beef dollars at work through these media presentations.

Consider renewing or becoming a new NCBA member as a new year begins starting October 1. This is your grassroots commodity organization. Your support and membership is very important and appreciated.

Look to see you out at sales, shows, fairs, etc., this month.

Until next month…

Beef Promotion and Research Program

PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine.

Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).

Today’s Date: ________________ Seller’s Name: ____________________________

Buyer’s Name: ____________________________

Address: _________________________________

Address: _________________________________

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

Seller’s Signature: _________________________

Buyer’s Signature: _________________________

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

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

Person remitting assessment form:

Seller

o

Buyer

o

* State of Origin of Cattle: ______________________

* If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.

Send Report and Remittance to:

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

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

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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Cogent Solutions Group Experiences Growth, Expands Production. Through production of all natural supplements for joint, skin, and gastric care, Cogent Solutions Group has been at the forefront of animal and human health since 2005. BioZyme Incorporated, Saint Joseph, Mo., acquired Cogent Solutions Group in 2018, resulting in growth for both companies.

“The acquisition has been mutually beneficial for both parties. Cogent has certainly grown and benefitted from the expertise as far as BioZyme’s animal health knowledge is concerned as well as industry connections. But mostly the vision that they offer through the company culture,” said Jill Vanover, Director of Operations, Research, and Development for Cogent Solutions.

Just as Cogent has grown from the acquisition, BioZyme has benefited from the partnership, Vanover explains.

“Cogent’s manufacturing expertise really lies in its ability to formulate and

NEWS

produce liquid products across varying degrees of viscosity; so, things from thin liquids all the way up to very thick gels.

We have the ability to fill in multiple container sizes and types, single and multi-dose, oral dosing syringes, smaller cosmetic sizes, all the way up to gallons and beyond.”

Since Cogent has such varied expertise and opportunities to manufacture and package a variety of products, part of their growth is due to custom liquid and gel orders. In addition to their own line of human and animal products, they also manufacture all of BioZyme’s liquids and gels.

With growth comes opportunity. This spring, Cogent, located in Lexington, Ken., had the opportunity to move to a more expansive facility. The move occurred in May and created a larger and more efficient manufacturing space for the company. According to Vanover, the new facility tripled Cogent’s manufacturing footprint and doubled its

a

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Doesn’t interfere with pregnancy. * Pregnant cows work really well, so the cow doesn’t get out of her production group. * Can do a donor every 2 weeks.

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PAGE 62

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

production capacity. In addition to the space, Cogent also increased its batch volume capacity for increased efficiency.

“We are in team building mode so we can reach our full potential,” Vanover said. “We’re small, but mighty! We’re in the process of increasing our production team so we can run several products on multiple lines at the same time.”

Currently, Cogent employs a total of eight employees, with one of those working in marketing in the Missouri office. That leaves the remaining seven to handle orders, inventory, production, and shipping.

“Our new facility is a grand opportunity for us. We have big plans to review and expand our toll manufacturing abilities to help us grow and help us form new business relationships. We also have some new product development ideas in the works for the near future,” Vanover said.

Finally, with the expansion of space and growth of its team, Cogent had one more efficiency it wanted to improve in 2020 – a more user friendly website. Its website, once housed on several platforms, is getting an overhaul.

Moving to one platform, with a facelift and increased efficiencies, the redesign has successfully launched. The site, www.cogentsolutionsgroup.com, has a fresh look, will be easier to navigate, and simpler for customers to place their orders for products.

Growth is good for the sister companies of BioZyme Inc. and Cogent Solutions Group. The two companies rely on each other’s strengths to maximize their potential while caring for humans and animals. That’s care that comes full circle.

Stop the Stress, See Added Returns. Stress. Anxiety. Tension. All of these are emotions that cattle producers deal with during their daily routines.

Add pens of stressed out bawling calves yearning for their mamas, and that tension might even escalate for a week or so at weaning time. What if there was a product that could keep your weaned calves healthier, jumpstart their appetite, and show you some added economic return? Would that help eliminate the stress in your life? Even for a day?

The Vita Charge line from BioZyme Inc. comes in various formulas, all designed to support cattle’s digestive health and promote feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery and will help you see an added economic return.

“Prevention is oftentimes much less expensive than treatment,” said Kevin Glaubius, Senior Manager of Formulation and Regulatory for BioZyme.

The first product recommended for calves at weaning or stockers at receiving is Vita Charge Drench. This liquid comes ready to use on large groups of ruminating calves. Like all Vita Charge products, it contains Amaferm, a precision based prebiotic that impacts intake, feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption to help combat stress and support the animal’s own immune system.

In addition, the Drench contains organic zinc and essential vitamins to stimulate the immune system and to ensure that feed intake stays consistent. Added enzymes work with Amaferm to generate a more rapid digestive response.

The second way to give your calves the Amaferm advantage is with the Vita Charge Stress Tub. The Stress Tub contains Amaferm as well as MOS, which traps and expels pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm. It comes in 50 and 200 pound tubs and is a simple, convenient way for calves to get daily Amaferm to help combat stress and help with recovery without additional handling. For weaning when temperatures still exceed 70 degrees, try the Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT. In addition to Amaferm and MOS, this 50 pound tub contains plant extracts that are research proven to help support the animals’ ability to maintain normal body temperature, and garlic, which could help deter flies, further reducing stress.

But how do your investments in these products pay? You should see returns in several ways, according to Glaubius. The combination of Amaferm, MOS, and trace minerals and vitamins in the Vita Charge products are the key nutrients your calves need to drive appetite, keep them eating, and keep them healthy, all which will help you spend less time and money on treating sick calves while you see higher performing calves.

“From a nutrition perspective, when an animal is stressed, like at weaning time, its vitamin and trace minerals requirements increase. Stress also compromises immunity,” Glaubius said.

“With the Amaferm in the Stress Tubs, you are driving feed and water intake, and the MOS in there to help combat the bad bugs and prevent sickness.”

A healthier calf will grow faster and more efficiently requiring less feedstuff and fewer supplements, therefore costing you less money on input. The Amaferm advantage is research proven to increase digestion and absorption, therefore taking less feed for the same amount of gain. And perhaps most importantly, the health of the animal isn’t compromised.

Therefore, you don’t have as much added cost and expense of treating a sick calf or worrying about the pounds and performance lost while that calf was sick.

“With efficiency of gain, you will be saving money and operating at maximum efficiency, hopefully getting more pounds of gain with less pounds of feed. When an animal gets sick, it loses weight, and then you will always have to push them to play catch up,” Glaubius said.

In one research trial, a group of 120 calves were randomly split, half were given the Vita Charge Cattle Drench upon arrival, and the other half did not receive the Vita Charge. The group that was given the Vita Charge Drench gained, on average, 0.10 pounds more per day and had fewer treated for sickness (17 vs. 28). Therefore, with added gains and fewer treatments, Vita Charge does show increased ROI. It’s time to stop stressing and time to start paying yourself back for making good management choices. With a choice like Vita Charge products, your calves will be less stressed, healthier, more efficient gainers, and you will see added returns. That’s a management practice everyone can be happy with. To learn more about Vita Charge, visit www. biozymeinc.com/vitacharge.

VitaFerm Conserve™ Adds Product to Diverse Line. Your cattle’s health and performance should be

your number one management priority.

Keeping Amaferm in their diets 365 days each year is a way to help you ensure that those cattle stay healthy while getting the most nutritional value from their feedstuff.

In an effort to make sure every producer can get that Amaferm advantage into their herds’ diets, BioZyme Inc. launched VitaFerm Conserve™, an economical vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle that supports the health and condition of the whole herd, earlier this summer. It includes Amaferm to optimize nutrient digestion and absorption, while the vitamin and mineral pack preserves cattle performance.

VitaFerm Conserve is a complete vitamin and mineral supplement line that comes in a variety of formulas. The newest formula to launch is VitaFerm Conserve MOS. MOS works to trap and expel pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm.

“The combination of Amaferm and MOS provides maximum protection to the digestive system of the animal. Amaferm, a prebiotic, keeps the rumen functioning and optimizes digestion and absorption, while MOS expels any of the harmful

pathogens that remain. The two working together are a winning combination, especially for the cow/calf producer,” said Alan Lee, BioZyme Director of Domestic Business Development.

Conserve contains a balanced vitamin and mineral package and Amaferm. Rather than formulating to optimum nutrient levels like the VitaFerm Concept•Aid line, VitaFerm Conserve is formulated at sufficient nutrient levels to maintain performance. Therefore, the savings can be passed on to the producer without sacrificing the health or performance of the cow herd.

In addition to the standard VitaFerm Conserve and the Conserve MOS, four other formulas exist. There is VitaFerm Conserve Mag to mitigate the effects of grass tetany; VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G to assist those in areas prone to anaplasmosis; VitaFerm Conserve™ Garlic, to deter insects; and the VitaFerm Conserve Protein Tub, for convenience.

Don’t sacrifice your cattle’s health and performance by denying them the Amaferm advantage. Conserve your nutrition costs without sacrificing performance and get Amaferm to your herd 365 days a year. To learn more about VitaFerm Conserve, visit www.vitaferm.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

com.

Mitigate Heat Stress in Livestock.

Raise your hand if you enjoy heat and humidity? If you are in production agriculture and specifically in the livestock business, chances are those hands remained at your side or maybe tucked deep inside your pockets.

Summer’s high heat and humidity bring extra challenges to livestock producers when it comes to overall health and performance.

Heat stress is a real challenge across species. Regardless if you’re running sheep in Texas, grazing stockers in Wyoming, or involved in poultry production in the Carolinas, the combination of heat and humidity can wreak havoc on the health of your herd or flock.

What is heat stress? Heat stress occurs when the animal’s ability to release heat becomes inhibited due to the overwhelming high temperatures.

Typically heat stress isn’t caused by excessive heat alone but is also triggered by high humidity and a decrease in air movement. Livestock, like humans, are most comfortable in their thermoneutral

Continued on the next page

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 63

BioZyme News continued from the previous page zone.

“The Thermoneutral Zone (TNZ) is the environmental temperature range in which the least effort is required by an animal to regulate body temperature. In the TNZ, an animal is most comfortable, has the fastest growth rate, and achieves the most efficient feed-to-gain ratio.

This temperature zone is highly variable and depends on factors such as species, humidity, time of year, age, acclimation, amount of fat or hair coat insulation, level of production, wind, and other factors,” according to a Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet.

It’s important to point out that heat stress varies by species and even within species and by geographic location.

“The unfortunate part is everybody’s situation is different based on regional climate differences,” said Kevin Glaubius. “Where a backgrounder in Texas might have to deal with severe heat for seven months, someone in North Dakota might have extreme heat for just two months. However, the commonality is understanding the cascade of events that go on with heat stress – symptoms to look for and what to do.”

Signs of Heat Stress - During the summer months, especially, producers should take extra care to look over their livestock on a regular basis to monitor factors that can lead to heat stress. Watch for behavioral and physical signs that your animals could be experiencing heat stress so you can effectively mitigate it before it turns from bad to worse.

The first visible sign of heat stress you should look for is an increased respiration

PAGE 64

rate. The increase in respiration rate leads to increased air volume intake, which can ultimately lead to other sicknesses. With increased air intake, animals are inhaling more dust, dirt, bacteria, and viruses into their bodies, which can quickly lead to bigger problems.

The second sign of heat stress, and the one most commonly thought of, is animals that seek out shade and water during the peak heat of the day. This disrupts the normal feeding pattern of continuously grazing and consuming smaller meals. That disruption shifts to night grazing and slug feeding, where they eat more at once due to increased hunger. Slug feeding leads to acidosis and bloat in ruminants, which can lead to more health issues or death. When they bunch up during the day, they also are more likely to be exposed to sickness because of shared germs – think of containing school kids in an enclosed room with no fresh air.

Other typical signs include lethargy, reduction or total loss of appetite, panting, drooling, aimless wandering or staggering, and ultimately death. In addition, increased body temperature and increased heart rate are also symptoms of heat stress.

Effects of Heat Stress - Heat stress can cause detriment to the herd or flock both from a performance and reproductive standpoint. Animals that are not eating or grazing are not gaining.

Heat stress can cause shorter gestation lengths resulting in lighter birth weights and immune compromised offspring.

Extreme heat is a major cause of poor

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

reproductive performance. Females can face problems initiating and maintaining pregnancy. The males can become sterile and also experience a lack of libido.

Prevention and Treatment Preventing heat stress before it happens is ideal; however, in some cases, you will need to treat your animals for heat stress. Treatment is often the same as preventative measures, but with more care and caution. Let’s explore some of the ways to mitigate and treat heat stress.

The first step in alleviating heat stress for any species is to provide plenty of clean, fresh, cool water. Keeping your animals hydrated is critical in preventing heat stress since dehydrated animals have problems maintaining body temperature.

If you provide plenty of water sources, spread them across several areas to help eliminate crowding of animals at one particular location. Also, keeping water under shade will help keep the animals gathered under the shade.

Don’t work your livestock during extreme heat. If you need to work your livestock, plan any work as early in the morning as possible before the day heats up. Working animals causes stress, and combined with heat stress can cause serious issues. If you need to transport your livestock, do so early in the day or later in the evening when the temperature cools.

Provide shade. Sometimes trees are enough. If you are running a feedlot or grazing in a large open area where trees are not an option, consider building some shade structures. If you have a building that serves as shade, make sure it has proper ventilation and circulation like a

fan. An enclosed structure with minimal air movement will only contribute to your animals’ heat.

Adjust feeding times. Digestion contributes to increased body heat, therefore, heightening the chances of heat stress. Wait until later in the day for your afternoon feeding, and if you only feed once per day, make that feeding in the early afternoon.

For poultry, all of the above mentioned are critical to heat stress mitigation. However, you might also want to provide your birds with added electrolytes through their water. A water soluble electrolyte can be used during times of heat stress to help replenish electrolytes that have been lost. Always follow the instructions on the package when using electrolytes. Electrolytes also increase your bird’s water intake, which is definitely a good thing when trying to help them cool off. When you mix up an electrolyte solution, try freezing it in ice cube trays. You can add the cubes to your flock’s drinking water as needed as an additional way to cool them down.

Other Nutritional Considerations - Finally, keeping Amaferm in your animals’ diets, especially during the summer heat, is especially beneficial to helping eliminate heat stress. Amaferm is a precision biotic designed to increase intake, digestion, and absorption of feedstuff. Feeding Amaferm during heat stress has multiple benefits, including improved digestibility, increased energy availability, improved rumen function, and less loss of performance. The improved digestibility observed with Amaferm provides more energy to the animal during heat stress when intake is reduced.

Amaferm is found in BioZyme products created specifically to help maintain body temperature and mitigate heat stress.

HEAT is a unique blend of clove, cinnamon, and chili pepper. HEAT provides capsaicin to help maintain circulation to support animal performance in both heat and fescue situations.

Capsaicin and Amaferm are both research proven to help maintain body temperature. HEAT also contains garlic to help deter insects. Keeping insects controlled is important to heat stress because insects like to gather on animals when they bunch up. Insect bites cause added stress and economic losses.

A lowered body temperature has several key benefits. It helps get the females in the herd or flock bred and keeps them bred. It helps keep those animals out grazing, which means the potential for gaining is greater, even in

warmer climates.

The HEAT line up includes several products tailored to specific production phases that should be used for anytime temperatures get hotter than 70 degrees.

HEAT products include: • VitaFerm Concept•Aid HEAT - A cow breeding mineral that is designed to help get cows bred and help them maintain pregnancy during the summer heat.

• VitaFerm HEAT • VitaFerm HEAT Auero 3G, to help with the control of anaplasmosis • VitaFerm HEAT IGR, for horn fly

control, only in selected states • VitaFerm HEAT Tub • VitaFerm Gain Smart Stocker HEAT • Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT Raise your hand if you’re ready to eliminate some stress in your life.

Combine heat stress with other stressors and see a decrease in performance and pregnancies, neither are good for the bottom line. Take proactive measures to mitigate stress in your flock and herd and start those measures with plenty of cool water and a nutrition program that helps

UPDATE

Beef Quality Assurance Program Earns Compliance With International Animal Welfare Standards. The Checkoff funded National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program, managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, is now recognized as an industry leading animal welfare program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reviewed and certified that the BQA program complies with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Animal Welfare Management/General Requirements and Guidance for Organizations in the Food Supply Chain. The ISO specification was developed in 2016 to provide a path for programs to show they are aligned with the principles of the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and ensures the welfare of farm animals across the supply chain.

“USDA’s affirmation that the program complies with ISO specifications is an important recognition of U.S. cattle producers’ continued commitment to delivering a safe, high quality beef supply while maintaining the highest animal welfare standards,” said Dr. Julia Herman, Beef Cattle Specialist Veterinarian for NCBA. Developed more than 30 years ago, the BQA program has become the industry standard for delivering education and resources to cattle producers. More than 85 percent of the U.S. beef supply today is managed by BQA certified farmers and ranchers, according to the National BQA Database. By partnering with state programs across the country, the program reaches cattle producers on operations of all sizes, in all corners of the nation, with digital and in person training and certification.

To earn certification with the animal

welfare standards, the BQA program underwent a thorough audit process which evaluated the program’s principles, guidelines, and standards across its many resources, including the BQA National Manual and Self Assessments. This recognition will mean the BQA program is listed on USDA’s Quality Assessment Division website as being compliant with the ISO specification.

“BQA’s recognition by USDA of ISO compliance clearly shows that animal welfare is a top priority for America’s cattle producers and global consumers can rest assured that the American beef they consume is produced in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the world,” said Kent Bacus, NCBA senior director of international trade and market access.

About the Beef Quality Assurance Program. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association manages the BQA program as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. Funding for the BQA Awards is made possible by the generosity of Cargill, which has supported the program since its inception, and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, which sponsors the BQA educator award. For more information about BQA, visit www.BQA.org.

About ISO. ISO/TS 34700 represents the culmination of a joint effort between ISO and the OIE following a cooperation agreement signed in 2011 between the two organizations. The technical specification was completed in 2016 and is intended to support the implementation of relevant practices to ensure animal welfare in livestock production systems around the world. It will be a way for business operators in the food supply chain to demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare management.

maintain body temperature.

For more information about the products listed or to learn more about the Amaferm advantage, visit www.amaferm. com.

RHS Cattle Co. Earns BioZyme Master Dealer Status. RHS Cattle Co., Denton, N.C., has recently completed the necessary training to be named a BioZyme Master Dealer.

As a Master Dealer, RHS Cattle Co. had at least one of its employees complete multiple online training modules to further his or her education about the brands and product lines BioZyme offers.

The Master Dealers will be able to share expanded knowledge of the BioZyme products with potential customers.

“We are excited to certify this dealership knowing it excels in knowledge about our product lines, and it will be an excellent resource for all product needs and questions,” said Kristi Stevens, BioZyme Senior Manager of Marketing Operations. “RHS Cattle Co. has taken the time to complete our strenuous training program, and has committed to stocking or is willing to order our full product line. Feel confident that they are one of the most informed dealers that our company works with.”

Master Dealers will receive special designation on the online dealer locator, signage for their store, and apparel that indicates their Master Dealer certification so customers can easily identify those who have gone the extra mile to provide excellent knowledge and service.

To learn more about BioZyme and its product lines or to locate a dealer in your area, go to www.biozymeinc.com.

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, a trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include Amaferm ®, VitaFerm ®, Vita Charge ®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, and DuraFerm®.

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.

Wilkes Livestock Exchange 106 Armory Road • PO Box 2146 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 Phone: 336-838-3442 • Fax: 336-838-3591 Weekly Sales - Wednesdays - 1:30 p.m.

Take-up Tuesday Evenings

Catching and Hauling Services Available

Shelmer Blackburn, Jr.

919-270-1522 • shelmerblackburn@hotmail.com

Seth Church

336-927-5370 • sethchurch@charter.net

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2020

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CHUCK

SHANK

CHUCK

BRISKET

RIB

PLATE

LOIN

SIRLOIN

ROUND SHANK

FLANK

RIB

LOIN

SIRLOIN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

ROUND

INGEDIENT CUTS

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

BRISKET LEAN

LEAN

PLATE & FLANK LEAN

LEAN

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

BRAISE/ POT ROAST

LEAN

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

ROAST

STIR-FRY

SKILLET TO OVEN

* MARINATE BEFORE COOKING FOR BEST RESULTS

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

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INDIRECT GRILLING

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

NCBA News

NCBA Campaign for Dietary Guidelines. NCBA launched a nationwide grassroots campaign to highlight the #BenefitsofBeef and called on cattle producers to submit public comments in support of federal dietary guidelines that recognize beef’s role in a healthy diet.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recently released its Scientific Report, laying the groundwork for five years of federal nutrition guidance.

NCBA has engaged for the past two years to ensure the Dietary Guidelines are focused on nutrition and based on sound science. NCBA applauded the DGAC’s recommendations released last week, but anti-meat advocates are already working to downplay the important role meat plays in these guidelines.

“Study after study shows that beef plays an important role in a balanced, healthy diet across the lifespan,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “NCBA has made it a priority to protect the scientific credibility of Dietary Guidelines and promote accurate information about the nutritional advantages of beef as part of a balanced diet.”

No process is perfect, and NCBA believes there is room for improvement when the final guidelines are released later this year.

“The science is on our side when it comes to the #BenefitsofBeef. We’re now in the home stretch of this process.”

N.C. Weekly Auctions Report

Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 (Week ending AUGUST 7, 2020) Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $121.00 - 179.00

400-500 $108.00 - 162.00

500-600 $124.00 - 149.00

600-700 $110.00 - 140.00

700-800 $105.00 - 132.00

800-900 $84.00 - 120.00 Heifers

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

$115.00 - 162.00 $113.00 - 144.00 $105.00 - 126.00 $100.00 - 119.00 $92.00 - 118.00 $80.00 - 96.00

Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $60.00 - 72.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $54.00 - 98.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $61.50 - 79.00 Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156

Smith said.

N C B A A d d re s s e s C h e c k o f f Referendum Petition. NCBA President Marty Smith recently released the following statement about the Beef Checkoff referendum petition launched in July.

“In the 1980s, NCBA was instrumental in the initial passage of the Beef Promotion and Research Act and the resulting referendum that established the Beef Checkoff as we know it today. The Act makes it very clear that cattle producers have a say in the continuation of the checkoff through a grassroots petition process.

“NCBA fully supports the producers’ right to have their voices heard on the future of the checkoff. However, we also believe the petition and signature gathering processes should be transparent and conducted with integrity. NCBA trusts cattle producers to make the right decisions for our industry, so if some producers feel they need to sign a petition calling for a vote on the Beef Checkoff, then they should sign. If enough sign, then we should vote. We are confident that a vote by those who invest and direct their hard-earned dollars will again show strong support for this program and will finally allow our industry to put this issue behind us.

“For more than three decades, cattle producers have accomplished great things for the industry by working together to direct these investments. From improvements in beef safety, successful marketing programs to new product development, the Beef Checkoff has a long track record of solid returns for each dollar invested. Beef producers should be proud of that work and we believe that a majority of cattlemen and women stand behind the program.”

NCBA’s Annual Summer Business Meeting Commences. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Annual Summer Business Meeting began on July 28 in Denver, where more than 500 cattle producers, industry partners, and stakeholders gathered, both in person and virtually, for policy development, education, and long range planning.

“Summer Business Meeting is a perfect example of NCBA’s grassroots, member driven, policy making process in action,” NCBA President Marty Smith said. “This event is about bringing producers together to learn, discuss, vote, and adopt policy positions for the next year. These are policies designed

by and for America’s cattle producers. I am proud to see that even with all of the challenges of 2020, we have had nearly 600 cattle producers join us in Denver.”

NCBA unveiled the Beef Industry’s Long Range Plan (LRP) during General Session, which includes industry priorities and the vision for promoting Beef, America’s premiere protein, over the next five years. Idaho rancher Kim Brackett and chair of the LRP Task Force presented the new plan, and NCBA’s Board of Directors will vote on the proposed plan at the Wednesday board meeting.

The Summer Business Meeting also featured important policy committee meetings like the Live Cattle Marketing Committee, which considered several policies of importance to the industry.

“I’m honored and excited to be working with all our attendees and I want to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to make these next three days a success and engage in important conversations on the state of the beef industry,” Smith added.

Strong Turnout of Cattle Producers Sets Important Policies for the Future.

Live Cattle Marketing Committee Unanimously Passes Policy to Increase Cash Trade Levels. A capacity crowd of cattle producers worked for more than six hours recently to identify a policy that would help resolve concerns about live cattle marketing issues and lead the industry to more robust price discovery. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Live Cattle Marketing Committee considered several proposals, each aimed at encouraging greater volumes of cash cattle trade. After intense debate, the committee and the NCBA Board of Directors unanimously passed a policy that supports voluntary efforts to improve cash fed cattle trade during the next 90 days with the potential for mandates in the future if robust regional cash trade numbers are not reached by the industry.

“The policy decisions we made this week truly show the grassroots policy process at work. We had tremendous turnout for this year’s summer meeting, clearly demonstrating that cattle producers needed the opportunity to meet in person to hammer out solutions to these important issues,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “Despite the issues going on in the world today, we had more than 600 people turn out, the vast majority in person, to find solutions for issues facing our industry.”

Smith noted that the work of the Live Cattle Marketing Committee caps months of working group efforts to find industry and market driven solutions to increase price discovery without government mandates.

“The policy we passed today is the result of every state cattlemen’s association

The Carolina Cattle Connection

coming together to work through their differences and finding solutions that meet the needs of their members, all of whom agree that our industry needs more robust price discovery. This policy provides all players in the industry the opportunity to achieve that goal without seeking government mandates,” said Smith.

“Everyone who took the time to participate in this process over the past several months and throughout this week’s meetings is to be commended.”

The policy passed by the Live Cattle Marketing Committee and approved by a vote of the NCBA Board of Directors can be viewed at www.ncba.org/CMDocs/BeefUSA/ policy/FED_20CATTLE_20PRICE_20DISCO VERY.pdf.

The Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting also included a full slate of both policy and checkoff committee meetings. The checkoff meetings helped set the plan of work for fiscal year that starts October 1, as well as providing an opportunity for cattlemen and cattlewomen to review current contractor campaigns, including a very successful launch of the popular United We Steak campaign.

“The past several months have been challenging for everyone, but they’ve been particularly difficult for America’s cattle farmers and ranchers,” said Smith. “This week’s meetings provided a crucial opportunity for us to come together—safely and with plenty of social distancing—to resolve the issues of the past several months. However, it has also provided an opportunity for a reset and chance to refocus on the priorities that haven’t gone away as we battled through this crisis. We’re thankful we had the opportunity to do just that during this week’s meetings.”

National Cattlemen’s Foundation Now Accepting Applications for W.D. Farr Scholarships. Grants will Support Graduate Students Committed to Beef Industry Advancement. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for the W.D. Farr Scholarships for the 2020-21 school year. Two $15,000 grants will be awarded to outstanding graduate students who demonstrate superior achievement in academics and leadership and are committed to beef industry advancement. The awards will allow the students to further their study in fields that benefit the industry.

Deadline for application submission is midnight CT on September 11, 2020.

The scholarship was established by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation to honor the successful career of the

Continued on the next page q SEPTEMBER 2020

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NCBA News continued from the previous page late W.D. Farr. Farr, a third generation Coloradan, pioneer rancher, statesman, and banker was known for his extraordinary vision. His dedication to improving agriculture, livestock, and water development has resulted in significant changes in farming methods that have influenced the practices of ranchers and farmers throughout the nation.

To apply for the scholarship, graduate students planning to pursue a career in the beef industry should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, description of applicant’s goals and experience, and statement of belief in the industry, as well as a review of the applicant’s graduate research and three letters of recommendation. All applications must be submitted online.

The scholarships will be presented at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., February 3-5, 2021. For more information and to apply, visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org.

Sixth Generation Rancher Tells Dietary Guidelines Panel: “I’ve Lost Over 125 Pounds,” Thanks In Part to Healthy, Nutritious, Lean Beef.

Sixth generation California rancher Kiah Twisselman recently told officials with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) about her first hand experience with the benefits of beef in her diet and urged them to do more to encourage beef as part of a healthy diet as they finalize new federal dietary guidelines. Twisselman testified on behalf of NCBA, the nation’s oldest and largest national organization representing America’s cattle producers.

“I know first hand how important it is for dietary guidance to be practical, flexible, and clear,” Twisselman said in

a public online hearing recently. “Two years ago, I began my journey to better health. I’ve lost over 125 pounds through small life changes, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. I’ve also built a successful weight loss and life coaching business to empower others to do the same.”

Twisselman urged federal officials to build on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC’s) recommendation to include lean meat in a healthy diet by clearly identifying beef as a lean meat option and highlighting ways to achieve that recommendation by naming specific lean meat cuts like sirloin or 95% lean ground beef. She also called on officials to highlight beef as a common, readily available source for essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins.

“Lean beef is a versatile, affordable, nutrient dense, and delicious protein source for a healthy and balanced diet.

From my herd to yours, thank you for guiding Americans toward healthier diets with beef,” Twisselman concluded.

Over the past two years, NCBA has worked closely with the DGAC, USDA, and HHS to keep new dietary guidelines focused on sound science and nutrition, and as a result, the final draft guidelines recognize beef’s role in a healthy diet, including the essential role of beef’s nutrients at every life stage. NCBA has provided extensive written and oral commentary through both the Center for Public Policy and the Beef Checkoff.

NCBA, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, submitted 21 sets of unique comments, providing over 100 research studies that comprehensively review the scientific evidence supporting the critical role beef plays in a healthy diet.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

Department & FMCSA For Extension of HOS Exemption. NCBA recently released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (DOT-FMCSA) announcement of a 30 day extension to the Hours of Service (HOS) exemption for livestock and feed haulers: “Livestock haulers are crucial to keeping beef moving through the supply chain and on to grocery store shelves. We thank DOT and FMCSA for extending this exemption and giving crucial relief to critical infrastructure,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs, Allison Rivera. “While this is a win for the cattle industry, more still needs to be done. NCBA will continue to work with Congress and the Trump Administration to find a permanent fix for

Hour of Service regulations.

Background - FMCSA issued an emergency declaration at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to exempt livestock haulers from burdensome Hours of Service regulations. The most recent 30 day extension to that declaration was set to expire on August 14, 2020. Now the exemption runs through September 14, 2020.

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.

APHIS Awards Contracts to Provide RFID Tags to Cattle and Bison Producers The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently awarded contracts to purchase up to eight million low frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags, which will help increase overall animal disease traceability in cattle and bison. The contract allows APHIS to purchase additional tags each year for up to five years.

“USDA continues its commitment to protecting our Nation’s animal agriculture by increasing traceability in the cattle and bison sectors, in this case by providing free RFID tags to interested producers,” said Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach. “This will not only help offset the costs of switching to RFID tags, but also help us more quickly respond to potential disease events.”

USDA believes that RFID devices will provide States and the cattle and bison industries with the best opportunity to rapidly contain the spread of high economic impact diseases. Use of RFID tags better positions the livestock industry, State and Federal veterinarians to accurately and quickly trace animals exposed or infected with potentially devastating diseases before they can do substantial damage to the U.S. livestock industry.

These RFID tags will be provided to animal health officials and will be distributed for use in replacement

breeding cattle and bison at no cost to the producer. RFID low frequency official calfhood vaccination (OCV) button tags are available for brucellosis vaccinated animals, and official “840” white button tags are available for non-vaccinated heifers. Free metal National Uniform Eartagging System tags will remain available as USDA continues to receive comments and evaluate next steps on its proposed RFID transition timeline. The proposal is available for review and public comment through October 5, 2020.

Contracts for the RFID tags were awarded to three American tag companies, all compliant with the Buy American Act – Allflex (Dallas, Tex.), Datamars (Temple, Tex.), and Y-Tex (Cody, Wyo.).

Contracting with all three manufacturers will allow USDA to procure the number of tags needed to meet an industry volume equivalent to the number of replacement heifers in the United States.

As part of its overall effort to increase traceability in cattle and bison, APHIS distributed more than 1.1 million RFID tags to 38 states between January and July 2020. Each state veterinarian distributes the tags in a way that best serves their industry.

For more information on availability and distribution of tags, producers can contact their State Veterinarian’s office.

Producers can also purchase RFID tags for their animals by contacting any of the companies approved to manufacture official identification RFID tags.

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U.S. Agricultural Global Trade Update and 2021 Outlook The current state of the global food and agricultural trade economy - Since Phase One of the U.S.-China trade agreement was passed at the start of 2020, quite a bit has happened in the world. The accelerated progression of current events this year makes it challenging to stay on top of the latest news for U.S. agriculture — but particularly challenging to stay informed on the varying agricultural trade agreements and the progress that has been made for U.S. ag exports.

AgAmerica Lending’s Chief Economist Dr. John Penson has continued to monitor this progression and provided a deeper look into the current state of U.S. agricultural trade.

Through his insights and other reputable sources, we have compiled a summary of the most recent global trade updates specific to U.S. agriculture into one digestible article.

The U.S.-China Trade Deal is Strained but Still Alive - The passing of the Phase One trade deal marked China’s promise to buy $200 billion of U.S. goods by the end of 2021 — including more than $36.5 billion of U.S. agricultural products by the end of 2020. Yet what began as a stance against the trade deficit between the two economic powerhouses, soon turned into an even more complex issue when COVID-19 quickly spread throughout all corners of the world and created doubt as to whether China would be able to uphold what was considered to be an already aggressive goal prior to the pandemic.

At the start of July, Dr. Penson found that $4.65 billion worth of U.S. agricultural purchases — less than 13 percent of the total goal — had been made thus far. The bilateral friction between the U.S. and China has been exacerbated this year by not one but several factors, including: • Skepticism surrounding China’s ability to meet the agreed upon U.S. purchases; • Lack of transparency regarding the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China; • The new security laws imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing; and • The U.S. stance regarding human rights violations in the Xinjiang region.

The most recent U.S.-China relationship update involves the mandatory closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas.

Although China has vehemently opposed the action, market analysts do not expect it to affect future purchases of U.S. agricultural goods.

Despite recent retaliatory action that mandated the closure of an American consulate, so far China is separating the disagreement from the trade deal and continuing its trend of record U.S. corn and soybean purchases.

The second largest single day corn purchase dating back 25 years was recorded on July 10. The fourth largest grain purchase of 1.76 million metric tons of corn was purchased by China four days later, according

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to Dr. Penson’s analysis of the USDA’s latest WASDE Report. This brings total Chinese purchases of U.S. corn in 2020 to nearly 4 million metric tons, the second-largest annual export volume on record after the 5.15 million metric tons purchased back in 2011.

How will the New USMCA Benefit U.S. Agriculture? Shifting to trade talks closer to our borders, the U.S.-MexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA) officially went into effect July 1. This free trade agreement replaced NAFTA — the trade treaty signed in 1994 — and created a more beneficial relationship between the first and third largest export markets for U.S. agricultural goods. These exports made up 28 percent of total ag exports in 2017 and support more than 325,000 American jobs.

Below is a summary of key agricultural provisions in the USMCA by sector.

Dairy - Adjustments have been made to Canada’s milk class pricing system that will eliminate milk price classes 6 and 7 in January 2021, six months after enforcement began. Skim milk solids in Canada will also be set no lower than a level based on the U.S. price, and potential surplus impacts will be eliminated.

Why it matters: The USCMA increases American access to the Canadian dairy market through new exclusive tariff rates and competitive market gains in U.S. dairy commodities including milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream, whey, and margarine.

Wheat - The USMCA will maintain tariff free access to U.S. wheat for Mexico and eliminate the wheat grading system in Canada that puts American wheat farmers at a competitive disadvantage in the market.

Why it matters: Securing zero U.S. wheat export tariffs means American wheat farmers will be able to continue selling an estimated three million metric tons of U.S. wheat to Mexico per year, which averages close to $1 billion in sales.

Termination of Canada’s wheat grading system is a step towards leveling the playing field for U.S. wheat farmers.

Note: Despite the removal of Canada’s foreign grain grading discrimination system, several reports indicate this is only a first step in correcting the imbalance of trade for U.S. wheat. A limited number of varieties are approved for Canadian imports, which still creates an access barrier for many American wheat farmers.

Eggs and Poultry - Canada’s new tariff rate quota has increased for the U.S. poultry sector for the next six years, with one percent growth for an additional ten years.

Why it matters: U.S. poultry imports to Canada will increase by nearly 18 percent at the end of the sixth year of the agreement. In the same time frame, U.S. egg product imports to Canada will

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

increase by more than 83 percent.

Wine and Distilled Spirits - All three countries agreed to avoid technical barriers of wine and spirit trade through nondiscrimination methods regarding the sale, distribution, labeling, and certification process.

Why it matters: Canada is among the top California wine importers, second only to the collective 28 countries within the European Union. This trade transparency clears logistical and regulatory hurdles for American winemakers and is expected to reduce the softening in U.S. wine sales to Canada that has been seen in recent years.

U.S. Agricultural Trade Updates Around the World Japan - The United States has made headway through the implementation of the Phase One trade agreement with Japan by eliminating or lowering tariffs on more than 90 percent of U.S. food and agricultural goods. Reduced tariff products include beef and pork. Immediately eliminated tariff products include almonds, walnuts, blueberries, cranberries, sweet corn, grain sorghum, and more. A staged tariff elimination process will take place for other U.S. commodities, including cheeses, poultry, wine, oranges, fresh cherries, egg products, and tomato paste.

The American dairy sector has requested continued negotiations to amend existing trade inequalities that grant preferential access to the EU through the JapanEuropean Union agreement.

Brazil - Phase one of a mini trade deal between the U.S. and Brazil is expected to wrap up by the end of 2020 that covers trade facilitation, digital trade, and regulatory practices without the need of congressional support. However, the second phase is expected to be more comprehensive, addressing tariff reductions and barriers.

Congressional support will be needed for the second phase, but reports indicate it will likely be unable to gain traction through the current bipartisan majority of Congress.

European Union - In June, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer said prospects for a new trade agreement with the E.U. were dim. While formal trade negotiations began back in 2018, they have largely excluded agricultural products despite the growing U.S. trade deficit. Both countries have differing views on phytosanitary measures, technical barriers, and geographical indications that will make an agreement difficult to reach in the foreseeable future.

Britain - Since leaving the European Union earlier this year, Britain has now been in the process of negotiating trade deals with major trading partners like the U.S. However, they have reportedly been in no rush to come to an agreement unless certain import restrictions on commodities

like British steel and lamb exports are lifted.

India - According to Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in late July, the U.S. and India are closing in on a trade deal which will open U.S. dairy markets and drop tariffs on agricultural goods in exchange for concessions on generic drug exports from India. A preferential trade agreement will likely be reached to lower tariffs before transitioning to a free trade pact.

South Korea - As one of the most reliable importers of U.S. agricultural goods, South Korea is 18 years into the 20 year U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) that eliminates duties on nearly two-thirds of U.S. ag exports and gives U.S. exporters preferential treatment.

However, due to increased competition, U.S. exports were down 15 percent from 2018 to 2019 but the U.S. still remains the top supplier of agricultural goods for Korea. The ongoing trade relationship is strong but will likely face growing competition as South Korea pursues free trade agreements with more countries.

Kenya - The U.S. and Kenya began engaging in trade discussions at the beginning of July 2020 and devised an agreement that is currently under review.

Under the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) laws, final negotiations must be finalized and signed by July 1, 2021. This deal could create new export opportunities for U.S. farmers and ranchers as Kenya imported $2.3 billion agricultural products in 2019, with only 3 percent from the United States.

More than a Traditional Land Lender - The U.S. is among the largest agricultural exporters in the world. This means that American farmers and ranchers have an enormous responsibility not just to maintain the food supply for our nation but for the world. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, roughly a quarter of all agricultural goods grown in the U.S. are exported each year. In 2019, the U.S. exported an estimated $112 billion worth of agricultural goods. From January through May 2020, more than $55 billion worth of U.S. agricultural exports have been recorded.

AgAmerica Lending is a proud supporter of American agriculture and make it a priority to break the boundaries of traditional financing as advocates for our nation’s farmers and ranchers. The mission is to share the critical role of these unsung heroes and equip them with the resources needed to get the job done.

To learn more about hot topics within the agricultural industry—such as farm labor shortages, crop diversification, the economic impacts of COVID-19, and more—visit the AgAmerican Lending digital library of agricultural resources at www.agamerica.com/farm-publications/.

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LASSIFIED PUREBRED C ATTLE B REEDERS BACK CREEK

www.huntsbrangus.com Calhoun, GA 770-548-7950

ANGUS

Joe and Robin Hampton 345 Withrows Creek Lane Mt. Ulla, NC 28125

704-880-2488

Angus

“Cattle with Something Extra”

Black Crest Farm

W.R. “Billy” McLeod

RICHARD KIRKMAN, DVM

1320 Old Manning Rd., Sumter, SC 29150

20416 US 64 West Siler City, NC 27344-0350

803-481-2011

919-742-5500 • rdkirkman@centurylink.net

williammcleod@ftc-i.net • www.blackcrestfarm.com

Breeding Registered Angus since 1962

BBU Registered Beefmaster Bulls and Females

WHITEHALL BEEFMASTERS

Walter D. Shealy III and Family

Joe and Ann Logan

20977 US Hwy 76 • Newberry, SC 29108 Walter Shealy • 803-924-1000 Dixon Shealy • 803-629-1174 walter@blackgrove.com • dixon@blackgrove.com www.blackgrove.com

I NDEX

OF

REGISTERED POLLED HEREFORDS • EST. 1998 “Quality Cattle For Quality People”

Cattle Available Private Treaty John Wheeler • 910-489-0024 doublejfarm@yahoo.com • www.doublejfarmllc.com Headquarters - 775 Clacton Circle • Earlysville, VA 22936 Cattle located in Traphill, N.C.

Black & Red Available

Great for grass programs!

Heat Tolerant • Calving Ease Gentle Natured • Tender Carcass

H.J. WHITE FARMS

PO Box 215 • Bladenboro, NC 28320 910-648-6171 (day) • 910-863-3170 (night)

FOR SALE

BLACK GROVE

214 Cowhead Creek Road Greenwood, SC 29646

Telephone: 864-538-3004

CATTLE FOR SALE PRIVATE TREATY AT ALL TIMES!

328 Fowken Farm Rd. • Jonesville, SC More than 70 years of breeding grass type cattle!

Carcass Data • Fescue Suited • Southern Bred EPDs Breeding Soundness Exam on Two-Year-Old Bulls

Norris Fowler • 864-219-0182 www.fowkenfarm.com

YOUR AD HERE!

A DVERTISERS

12 Annual SimAngus Solution Bull & Replacement Heifer Sale ............................ 29 2020 Edisto Forage Bull Test & Heifer Sale …........... 51 4K Farms/Tarheel Angus ….......….....................…...... 71 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale …............................ 44 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo and Sale …............... 25 AGCO — Massey Ferguson …….......…........................ 45 American National Insurance — The Josey Agency .............................................. 71 Apple Brandy Prime Cuts …........................................ 54 Back Creek Angus ….................................................... 71 Beef Maker Fall Edition Bull & Female Sale …........... 35 BioZyme Incorporated — VitaCharge ….................... 63 Black Crest Farm …..................................................... 71 Black Grove Angus ................................................….. 71 Brubaker Family Angus .............................................. 71 Carolinas Animal Health …......................................... 71 Circle F Farms Fall Bull & F-1 Female Sale …............. 38 Conquest Insurance Agency, Inc. …........................... 64 Double J Farms ......................................................….. 71 Dura•Cast …................................................................ 46 E.B. Harris Auctioneers, Inc. ….................................. 71 EBS Farms 12th Annual Select Bull & Female Sale …............... 24 First Choice Insurance — Donna Byrum …................ 18 Five J’s Beef & Cattle Company ….............................… 7 Fowken Farms — CATTLE FOR SALE …...................... 71 FPL Food, LLC ….......................................................... 59 Fred Smith Company Ranch …................................... 71 Fred Smith Company Ranch 4th Extra Effort Fall Sale …..................................... 27 Gill-Starr Farm Heifer Sale …..................................... 71 H.J. White Farms …..................................................... 71 Harward Sisters Cattle Company …........................... 14 High Ridge Farms Sale …............................................ 28 Howard Brothers Farms …......................................... 71 Hunt’s H+ Brangus …................................................. 71 Hutton & Sons Herefords …....................................... 71 JMAR Genetics and Guests Charolais Bull & Heifer Sale ….............................. 31 John Deere …............................................................... 37 L.E. Smith Cattle Equipment …................................... 58 th

Darryl Howard Cell: 910-990-2791

SENEPOL CATTLE FOR SALE

KEEP POSTED FOR UPDATES ON THE 2020 Tarheel Angus/4K Farm Production Sale

Autryville, NC 28318 www.howardbrosfarms.com

McMahon Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale .......... 23 MultiMin® 90 ….......................................................... 17 N.C. Angus Association Directory …......................... 21 N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Membership Application ….................................. 52 N.C. Hereford Association ...................................….. 32 N.C. Simmental Association ….................................. 26 National Beef Checkoff/ North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment ….... 11 Nationwide® AgriBusiness Insurance — The Wills Company …....................................... 53 Pearson Livestock Equipment …................................. 6 Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Directory …................................ 41 Rusty Thomson & Family Cattle Fencing and Equipment …......................... 42 Santa Gertrudis Breeders International …................. 9 Smith Farm Trailer Sales …....................................... 71 South Carolina Private Treaty Sale Checkoff Investment Form …............................... 61 Southeast AgriSeeds ….............................................. 36 Southeast Brangus Breeders Association Showcase Sale …................................................... 43 Southeast Livestock Exchange — Upcoming Sale Schedule ….............................. 55 Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference — SAVE THE DATE …............................................... 3 Springfield Angus Bull Sale …................................... 20 ST Genetics — Bill Kirkman ….................................. 71 The Carolina Cattle Connection 2020 Spotlight Schedule …................................... 48 The Carolina Cattle Connection Advertising Rates and Sizes …............................. 69 Vandemark Angus Fall Bull Sale …........................... 22 Virginia Herd Health Management Services — Pat Comyn, DVM …........................................... 62 Wax Company — Marshall Ryegrass …....................... 2 West End Precast — Feed Bunks …........................... 50 West End Precast — Feed Bunks & Troughs …......... 34 Whitehall Beefmasters ….......................................... 71 Wilkes Livestock Exchange …................................... 65 Yon Family Farms Fall Sale ….................................... 19

A NIMAL H EALTH

INSURANCE

C. A. H. Brent Glenn, DVM Lancaster, S.C.

Jim Traynham Wingate, N.C. 704-233-5366 Cell - 704-292-4217

Carolinas Animal Health, LLC

519 Morgan Mill Rd., Monroe, NC 28112 704-289-5083 • 704-289-1696 • 800-222-8638

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

AUTO • HOME • LIFE BUSINESS • FARM & RANCH

803-789-7000

The Josey Agency, Inc. Douglas Josey Multi-Line Agent

Cell: 803-385-8161 Email: djosey@truvista.net

2610 Kee Moore Drive Chester, SC 29706

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT SMITH FARM

SEXED SEMEN Authorized Representative

336-382-9635 • bkherefords@gmail.com

* Located in Greensboro, N.C. -- Serving North and South Carolina*

AUCTIONEERING Ernest B. Harris President

Phone: 252-257-2140 Mobile: 252-430-9595 ®

Inc. / Auctioneers

3200 NC Hwy. 58 • Warrenton, NC 27589 NCAL #1468 • NC#C#4264 • VAL #146 • SCAL #3895 Email: ebharris@ebharris.com www.ebharris.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

TRAILER SALES

trailers • truck bodies • tool boxes

Carl R. Smith 2205 Finch Farm Rd. Trinity, NC 27370 336.475.1279

Authorized Dealer

smithfarmtrailers@yahoo.com

U PCOMING SALES GILL-STARR FARM HEIFER SALE

September 12 • 10:00 a.m. • Starr, SC 40 Yearling Replacements Red Angus • Red SimAngus Angus Composites - Reds & Blacks Willyne McGill 864-940-0892 • gillstarr@wctel.net

q SEPTEMBER 2020

PAGE 71

VENTS ANGUS Sep. 12 — Gill-Starr Farms Heifer Sale, Starr, S.C. Oct. 17 — Circle F Farms Fall Bull & F-1 Female Sale, Baxley, Ga. Oct. 17 — Fred Smith Company Ranch 4th Fall Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 31 — High Ridge Farms Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Oct. 31 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Springs, S.C. Nov. 7 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Chickmauga, Ga. Nov. 14 — McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registerd Angus Bull Sale, Mocksville, N.C. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 21 — 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 12 — Springfield Angus Bull Sale, Louisburg, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Feb. 11 — UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale, Athens, Ga. BRAHMAN Oct. 17 — Circle F Farms Fall Bull & F-1 Female Sale, Baxley, Ga. BRANGUS Sep. 26 — Southeast Brangus Breeders Association Showcase Sale, Brundidge, Ala.

IGHTER A farmers wife prayed to the Lord and asked him, “How old will I be when I die?”

His reply was 96 years old.

She said, “Hot diggity dog, I will have myself fixed up.”

She had everything lifted and tucked and was in the doctor’s office, making the last payment on her reconstruction. She walked out of the doctor’s office, started across the street, and was hit and killed.

She gets to heaven and asks the Lord, “What happened? You told me that I would live to be 96.”

His reply: “We’ll I just didn’t recognize you!”

*

*

*

A priest buys a lawn mower at a yard sale. Back home, he pulls on the starter rope a few times with no results. He storms back to the yard sale and tells the previous owner, “I can’t get the mower to start!” “That’s because you have to curse to get it started,” says the man. “I’m a man of the cloth. I don’t even remember how to curse.” “You keep pulling on that rope, and it’ll come back to you.”

*

*

*

Two old friends, Ned and John, lived for baseball. Then one day, John died, leaving Ned inconsolable.

PAGE 72

IDE

A few weeks later, Ned heard someone calling his name. He looked up. Standing on a cloud was his old pal.

“Ned,” John called down, “I have good news and bad. The good news is, there’s baseball in heaven!”

“Great,” said Ned. “What’s the bad news?”

“You’re pitching Sunday.”

*

*

*

In the foyer of a church, a young boy was looking at a plaque with the names of men and women who had died in various wars.

He asked the pastor, “Who are these people?”

The pastor said, “Those are members from our church who died in the service.”

The boy asked, “The early service or the second service?”

*

*

*

A patient came to the hospital with a burned right hand. As the doctor took down his medical history, he asked the injured man, “Do you smoke?”

“Yeah, a pack and a half a day,” said the patient.

Concerned, the doctor told him, “You should consider quitting.”

“No, it’s OK,” said the patient. “I smoke with my left hand.”

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2020

CHAROLAIS Oct. 17 — JMAR Genetics & Guests Charolais Bull & Heifer Sale, Wardensville, W.Va. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. 2021 Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. GELBVIEH Oct. 19 — Beef Maker Fall Edition Bull & Female Sale, Cedar Town, Ga. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. HEREFORD Oct. 19 — Beef Maker Bull & Female Sale - Fall Edition, Cedar Town, Ga. Nov. 7 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Chickmauga, Ga. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. SIMMENTAL Sep. 4 — N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting, Union Grove, N.C. Sep. 5 — N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Sep. 12 — Gill-Starr Farms Heifer Sale, Starr, S.C. Oct. 17 — Fred Smith Company Ranch 4th Fall Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 31 — High Ridge Farms Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Oct. 31 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Springs, S.C. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Red angus Sep. 12 — Gill-Starr Farms Heifer Sale, Starr, S.C. 2021 Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. OTHER EVENTS Sep. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Sep. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Sep. 3 — Weaned Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 10 — Clemson Extension Virtual

Workshop Series - Finding Value in Certification Programs Sep. 10 — Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 12 — Gill-Starr Farms Heifer Sale, Starr, S.C. Sep. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Sep. 20-26 — National Farm Safety & Health Week Sep. 22 — Clemson Extension Virtual Workshop Series - Loadlot Marketing Oct. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Oct. 6 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Oct. 8 — Clemson Extension Virtual Workshop Series - Evaluating a Marketing Plan Oct. 10 — 2020 Edisto Forage Bull Test & Heifer Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 15 — Clemson Extension Virtual Workshop Series - Panel Discussion of Market Trends Oct. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 3 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 3 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Nov. 12-13 — Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference, Florence, S.C. Nov. 17 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 21 — 9th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Asheboro, N.C. Dec. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Dec. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 5 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Jan. 19 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 18 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction