14 minute read
to Be Better Stewards
by Nate Smith, Top Dollar Angus General Manager
We think of stewardship as supervising or providing care for something. The role of a steward is something we can all agree is the embodiment of what it means to be in agriculture. In today’s ag sector, we feel outside pressure from all sides, typically in the form of questioning our stewardship of not only livestock, but all the natural resources involved in our operations.
With that in mind, I think it is worth taking a moment to take a 10,000-foot view to see what we have done to be better stewards and discuss how we have leveraged natural resources to make the cleanest and most effi cient food for the world.
Let us look at the dynamics of the industry in the U.S. from an effi ciency perspective. The population of the United States is 328 million, of which only 2.7 million are involved in the agricultural industry. That is roughly 1% of the total population feeding the whole population.
Furthermore, that 1% has produced food for the U.S. at a rate that allows the consumer to have the least amount of food costs at 6.5% of the average American’s budget. Comparatively, the citizens of Mexico spend roughly 23% of their income on food, with 25% of their total population working in agriculture. We look overseas, and Pakistani farmers make up 45% of the population but must budget a whopping 41% of their income on purchasing food.
So, what has made the U.S. the world leader in agriculture? We can trace it back to U.S. farmers and ranchers accepting technology and science as the main driver in effi ciency and performance.
For the past century, producers have made the most out of their resources by integrating cutting-edge science in their operations. In the early years, it was the introduction of the combustion engine, allowing farmers to cover more acres effectively, in less time with less labor cost and helping livestock producers transport animals to population centers for marketing directly to the people en masse.
As time moved on, the world of breeding and genetic selection began to take off. Think of corn being a common grass 4,000 years ago and, through selective breeding, a major grain-producing plant today. In short, a practice that humans have been performing in nature for years is now accelerated through the study of biology and planned breeding. From wheat for bread, to corn for livestock feed to beef for a growing population, breeding was one of the fi rst tools used to improve effi ciency.
As science progressed, we brought other discoveries into the agriculture sector. Our understanding of plant and animal nutrition allowed us to grow plants and animals on fewer inputs, more rapidly, using fewer natural resources, such as land and water. Technology brought forth a plethora of changes for the betterment of the industry as well. For example, the computer has allowed producers to better manage fi nances and the marketing of agriculture commodities.
The internet and RFID technology have allowed producers to give the U.S. consumer the safest food to date, while allowing the ability to track and manage products to specifi cations that would have been a nightmare to differentiate and manage in the past. Today, not only can the average U.S. consumer purchase affordable food in an easily accessed market, but they can also learn the story behind it.
These industry improvements and signs of progress are something of which all agriculturalists should be proud. It shows that our industry is fulfi lling the role of elite stewards to livestock and plants, as well as the people and natural resources of the U.S. The great thing about reviewing stewardship is to see where we have been and how far we have come.
The most rewarding part to me is thinking and watching what is to come in the future. As an industry, we have done amazing things, and I look forward to what the future has in store. n
Top Dollar Angus Team
www.topdollarangus.com Nate Smith, General Manager •(620) 546-4839 • nate@topdollarangus.com Kaytlin Hokanson • (307) 461-7687 • kaytlin@topdollarangus.com Jake Feddes • (406) 581-8157 • jake@topdollarangus.com Adam Menker • (419) 310-5344 • adam@topdollarangus.com Jason Gagnon • (559) 723-6362 • jason@topdollarangus.com Andy Albrecht • (402) 922-1000 • andy@topdollarangus.com
by Ryan Boldt, Director of Breed Improvement
The world is an interesting place. Through the internet, every person has access to information about pretty much any topic they could imagine.
However, with the ability to access information, one of the challenges that comes up is being able to differentiate between fact and opinion on a topic.
Many times, we seek sources of information that are reliable to fi nd what we would like to discover on a topic. Finding and utilizing these sources of good information allows us to learn and become better at what we are trying to accomplish.
When it comes to beef cattle genetic evaluations, one of the world’s most premier sources of information is the Beef Improvement Federation. The Beef Improvement Federation was fi rst founded in 1968 with the main goal of advancing and coordinating all segments of the beef industry. However, this organization is best known for its work in connecting academic fi ndings to industry genetic evaluation.
Key information is cataloged in the “Guidelines for Uniform Beef Improvement Programs.” This document provides standard practices for collection of information that is utilized for genetic evaluation in beef cattle. Recently this document has been converted to a wiki format that can be viewed at: http://guidelines.beefi mprovement. org/index.php/Guidelines_for_Uniform_Beef_Improvement_Programs.
On the website, there are more than 100 different pages that cover topics such as data collection, genetic evaluation and best management practices. These recommendations have served the U.S. beef industry well in providing a standardized approach to collecting information. Standardization has allowed for organizations such as International Genetic Solutions to become a reality. In addition to overseeing the guidelines, the Beef Improvement Federation also produces and hosts an annual symposium. This year the symposium will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, June 22-25. The focus of this year’s meeting is Innovation to Application.
The fi rst afternoon will be a young producer symposium that will focus on profi tability in balance. The second day, the general session will cover views on where the beef industry is going. Breakout sessions will include topics such as advancements in genomic and genetic prediction, advancements in producer applications and advancements in effi ciency and adaptability.
The fi nal morning’s general session will provide talks pertaining to precision livestock technology in the beef industry. Breakout session topics will include advancements in emerging technology, advancements in end-product improvement and advancements in selection decisions.
Post-conference tours are scheduled June 25 and will offer two different options for participants. For a full schedule, visit the following link: https://beefi mprovement.org/ symposium/schedule.
This conference has always been one of my favorites to attend. There is always a multitude of great information shared and something new to be learned. It is an excellent social event as well! I hope that you will plan to attend, and I cannot wait to see everyone that will be there! n
It’s time to round-up the data for the
The onset of the IGS-BOLT evaluation, paired with the submission of phenotypic records, has led to a new era in genetic evaluation for the cattle industry. In an eff ort to collect necessary female genotype and phenotype information to improve genetic predictions, the Red Angus Association of America Board of Directors has approved the Red Cow Rally. The Rally research collaboration between RAAA and Neogen is designed to increase phenotypic data collection and submission for mature weights, body condition scores and genotypes on Red Angus females. A limited number of research genotypes (GGP-LD) and rebate funds will be available for the project, so discounts and rebates will be issued on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis.
HOW IT WORKS:
• Members will receive a research price of $20 for genomic tests in order to DNA test 90%+ of their current active cow inventory. An additional $5 rebate will be available for females tested that are 6+ years of age. • Participants that submit both mature weights and body condition scores electronically on 90%+ of current active cow inventory will receive an additional, one-time $5 rebate per head.
TO ENROLL:
Fallon Flick,
Manager of Performance Data Programs (940)477-4589 fallon@redangus.org
RULES AND RESTRICTIONS:
1.All members must fi rst enroll by signing a contract of understanding of the program requirements to participate.
Research prices and rebates are only available to Red Cow Rally participants. 2.DNA samples must be submitted via Allfl ex Tissue Sampling Unit or blood card on the electronic Red Cow Rally order form. TSU orders larger than 50 must be submitted in 96-well trays. 3.Payment for DNA testing must be made in full at the time of sample submission. 4.Rebates will be issued as a credit to the member account once additional data requirements have been met and verifi ed. 5. Weight and BCS measurements are required to be taken at the time of weaning a calf during the duration of the project.
by Terryn Drieling for the Red Angus Magazine
An increasing number of headlines are touting the movement away from meat by companies and consumers alike, out of a deep and genuine concrn for the well-being of the environment. Those concerns aren’t unfounded – they are, however, grossly misplaced.
The use of outdated information, half-truths and straight misinformation has led people to believe that cattle are to blame for climate change and cutting out meat is the best way to make the greatest impact. However, when fear is set aside and only the true facts are considered, it’s easy to see that beef is part of the solution – not the problem.
Cattle and Carbon Sink
Carbon is one of the most common elements on earth. It is essential for life. It’s recycled, stored and used as a resource in different states through a cyclical process called the carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is a natural part of the carbon cycle. Human activities are altering the cycle by adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, mainly through the use of fossil fuels, and manipulating natural carbon sinks such as forests and soils through acts like deforestation and tillage. The result is more carbon dioxide than can be sunk is released into the atmosphere.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide accounts for more than 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have risen from 280 ppm to more than 400 ppm since the industrial revolution.
One of the ways to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases and combat climate change is through carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration is the longterm storage of carbon in plants and soil. Untilled pasture and grasslands can store large amounts of carbon, but if left uncared for or ungrazed, those grasslands eventually become overgrown, unhealthy and eventually die. That’s where cattle come in. When cattle graze, they eat some of the grasses and they trample some into the ground. As the cattle graze and trample, they produce manure. The grazing, trampling and manure fertilizes and secures the soil, retains moisture, promotes healthy plant growth and prevents erosion (another way carbon is oxidized).
Cattle keep the soil and the range healthy and growing, so it can capture more carbon from the atmosphere and sink it into the soil. Previously tilled cropland with poor soil quality that has been turned into permanent pasture for grazing cattle can sequester carbon at a rate comparable to that of forests.
According to the EPA, direct emissions from beef cattle represent roughly 2% of total U.S. emissions, but when cattle are incorporated into grazing rotations and used in “no-till” cropping systems, they have the potential to not only reduce the carbon footprint of beef but also help reverse climate change globally.
Ultimate Upcylers
It’s true that cattle emit methane, which is also a greenhouse gas. However, the microbes that produce methane during digestion are the same microbes that give cattle their upcycling capabilities. Those microbes help cattle breakdown cellulose, something humans can’t digest, and turn it into beef, a nutritious protein.
Upcycling is the process of taking things of little value and turning them into something new and of higher value. Cattle can upcycle in a variety of ways.
Most of the grazing lands in the U.S. are unarable and not suitable for farming or growing anything of nutritional value for humans. These lands are, however, suitable for growing grass and other forages. Cattle consume the forages and turn it into beef, thus turning useless land into useful, and sequestering carbon in the process.
Beet pulp, sunfl ower meal, cottonseed meal, corn gluten meal and distillers grains are all byproducts of other processes – byproducts that are inedible for humans and would otherwise go to waste. But all these byproducts are feedstuffs that cattle can utilize and upcycle into beef.
Conversely, corn is a human-edible food. However, because the ruminant digestive tract is the only one that can break down cellulose, cattle are able to utilize the nutrients within each kernel far more effectively than humans. In addition, the extra energy in a grain-based diet results in more effi cient weight gain and fewer days on feed for grain-fi nished cattle, and actually yields fewer methane emissions than those of grass-fi nished cattle.
Part of the Solution
Going meatless is not going to save the environment. In fact, eliminating beef would be a detriment to the environment. Cattle have the potential to be a big, important part of the climate solution. It’s time we change the rhetoric. n
by Brandi Buzzard Frobose, Editor and Director of Communications
Among the headlines about commodity prices, drought in the western United States, beef demand and exports, one pervasive issue has the beef and livestock industries on high alert.
The Colorado Treatment of Animals Initiative #16, which proponents refer to as the PAUSE (Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation) initiative, is one that, on the surface, seeks to eliminate animal abuse. However, it takes very little investigative journalism to determine the real intent of the initiative is to severely cripple animal agriculture in Colorado – an outcome that could cause a substantive impact across the nation.
The implications of this initiative would have a sizable impact on agriculture, specifi cally livestock production. The proposal would remove exemptions for livestock and husbandry practices including AI, palpation, fertility testing and other common practices.
Additionally, the initiative proposes criminalizing common veterinary practices such as spaying and neutering, birthing assistance and reproductive practices. Perhaps the most distressing inclusion in the initiative is the outlawing of slaughter until an animal has reached one-quarter of its lifespan which, in the case of cattle, would restrict slaughter prior to fi ve years of age.
The initiative was received by Colorado legislative staff in February and since then has had agriculturalists and producers worrying about the potential outcome and planning appropriate actions to combat the initiative’s procedural path. On April 7, the initiative received a hearing in front of the Colorado Title Board where opponents of the measure argued that the title was too broad and used political catch phrases that may contribute to voter misunderstanding.
Subsequently, the Title Board agreed to revise the title for clarity, but Coloradans for Animal Care, a coalition including the Colorado Farm Bureau, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, the Colorado Livestock Association, the Livestock Marketing Association, as well as several other organizations, challenged that the title is still too broad and has appealed the Colorado Supreme Court to address the issue. The court is expected to hear the case at some point this summer.
Kayla Dale, membership engagement director at the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, said that Coloradans for Animal Care is considerably worried that voters will see phrases related to animal abuse and lend support to the initiative without understanding
If the PAUSE Initiative passes in Colorado, it would have a sizable impact on agriculture, specifi cally livestock production. This could set a dangerous precedence for other states to follow.
