Red Angus Well Represented at Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show

by Brandi Buzzard, Director of Communications and Editor

Last month, Red Angus staff, breeders and commercial producers were present at the Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in New Orleans, Louisiana, to hear updates on trends and issues affecting beef producers, lead educational workshops and discuss ideas and insight with industry leaders.

Cattlemen’s College is a lauded and highly attended feature of the convention and Red Angus was able to feature two staff members to share information in their respective subject areas.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Brandi Buzzard Frobose spoke alongside two other cattle producers, Debbie Lyons-Blythe and Carrie Mess, on a panel called “Changing of the [Cattle] Guard,” where they discussed how advocacy has changed over the past 15 years and how cattle producers can better engage with interested consumers.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Harold Bertz, director of commercial marketing, alongside Jordan Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor of animal science at the University of Missouri, shared with attendees that “Profitability isn’t Random.” The session discussed heifer development programs, such as Red Choice and the Show-Me-Select Heifer Replacement program, their application on farms and ranches, and how they can help producers be more profitable.

In addition to Cattlemen’s College, Red Angus also facilitated two Sustainability Forums on the Cattle Chats stage in the trade show to not only highlight the importance of sustainability in the beef industry, but also to accentuate Red Angus’ commitment to being a leader in the space.

The first panel, “Examining the Intersection of Sustainability and Animal Well-being,” featured Lily Edwards-Callaway, Ph.D., associate professor of animal science focused on livestock behavior and welfare at Colorado State University, and Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Ph.D., professor of animal science at Colorado State University and director of AgNext. Both panelists drew from their research and industry experience to emphasize the importance of animal well-being to overall beef sustainability. They spoke about how difficult it is to specifically measure both indicators but the importance of keeping them linked on a ranch and in management plans is of paramount importance.

The second panel featured Steve Wooten, owner of Beatty Canyon Ranch, past president of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the 2019 winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award, and Kevin Miller, owner of Croissant Red Angus, past Red Angus board member and vice chair for the NCBA Cattle Health and Wellbeing working group. Their panel focused around on-ranch application of management principles to improve the overall sustainability of ranches from both a cow-calf and a feedyard standpoint. They also offered tangible advice on how producers can implement changes and see results within a short amount of time, specifically with genetics.

All four discussions were very well-attended and received praise from event managers during the week. These opportunities align with the Red Angus Strategic Plan as the breed strives to quantify and communicate the Red Angus advantage in stakeholder profitability and sustainability. //

100 Head of Charolais, Red Angus, & Red SimAngus Yearling Bulls

20 Head of Registered Charolais, Red Angus, & Red Simangus Yearling Heifers

10 Head of Commercial Red Angus Bred Heifers

22 ET

26 ET

JBARW WAR WAGON 2509

JBARW MR CINCH 2510

Auctioneers: Brad Veurink & Dan Clark