Executive Summary

Ernie Dominguez ABHA Executive Director

Welcome to the American Black Hereford Summer Issue!

I hope this note nds all of you, your family, and cattle well.

e weather has warmed up and rain has been scattered at best. I believe that as agriculturists we have a deeper appreciation for moisture and the weather than others. Despite the extremes through, the last few months of market trends, the witnessing of new growth with new crops, both animals and plants, gives us hope and something to look forward to.

Planning for the future is key for long term sustainable success. e goals of your operation are primarily unique for your program, but the one thing that is not unique is how the mating decisions that you make today will impact your herd, our breed, and the beef industry for many years to come. It is crucial that we assess where we are and methodically think what it will take to reach where we want to be. Paying attention to the details…reproductive e ciency, udder and foot quality, respiratory health, performance and disposition. ese are basic, but also the fundamentals that keep operations in business and moving in the right direction.

A few of our focal points of our planning for the American Black Hereford is asking “How do we become more widely accepted in the beef industry?” “How do we increase demand for our breed?”

In my time with the ABHA traveling and promoting the breed to the industry, our greatest hurdle to overcome is the lack of data to prove our story and back up our genetics. Ranchers still like to look at their cattle, but ultimately pounds and cow longevity is what hits the bottom line extremely hard. I think as we move forward, we must implement the reporting and use of all weights and records. Black Hereford cattle do a great job in many facets, we all know this, but to be truly considered by the industry we must be able to verify with data. W. Edwards Deming said, “Without data you are just another person with an opinion!”

Whether we want to admit it or not, today’s ranchers have more technology and challenges at hand than ever before. Managing risks and improving predictability are a must if you want to stay in the business. is is where data or EPDs become vital. Just raising good cattle is not enough anymore. When things get tough and money is tighter, the market becomes more competitive and the motivation to gain market share is a must.

As Black Hereford enthusiasts, we must strive for improvement to sustain and potentially grow our presence when these tougher conditions present themselves. We have to re-establish our identity and prove how we can help a rancher’s bottom-line. Having proof in black and white is what will be invaluable. Although our cattle have a lot of strengths, the ability of Black Herefords to compliment most of the US cowherd with added carcass cutability and feed e ciency are two of our major attributes that we are focused on. We can improve e cient production of the end product extremely well.

e information that comes into the Association must be directly linked to a registered animal before it has some working power. We all must make the most of the tools that are available and if we want to move forward it is imperative that we make calf and cowherd reporting along with the use of EPDs the pillars from which we build.

Your ABHA board and sta have set some broad goals and we continue to set new ones as we work toward bringing more Black Hereford genetics into the mainstream of the beef cattle industry. As you all know, the beef industry is a very competitive market, and all the breeds are trying to establish their value and identity within this industry. We have analyzed where we are and have set initial goals to where we want to be. Let us all do our best to see our cattle thrive at the top of the charts.

Speaking of “topping the charts”, the junior board and committee put together a top-notch Junior Nationals event in Lebanon, TN. It was a great time for fun, fellowship, and healthy competition. It was exciting to see both old and new faces. I’ll tell you; this junior’s group is stronger than ever and I’m con dent we are in good hands going into the future. is is absolutely an event that I look forward to every year. You’ll read more about this year’s Junior Nationals event later in the magazine.

ere are many programs and events that rely on the membership’s involvement to be successful, and we would love to visit with you about them. ere are so many ways we can support this breed, whether it’s testing and turning in more performance data, registering more cattle, supporting the AJBHA through fundraisers and sponsorships, or just simply attending ABHA events. Your support is what drives this breed forward and it is up to us all to keep the momentum rolling in the right direction!

We have a lot to look forward to as we start moving into the second half of the calendar year. Our annual member meeting, A Royal A air sale, and national show in October at the American Royal in Kansas City are all right around the corner. I hope you will make plans to join us in Kansas City! It will be a great opportunity for you to meet other ABHA members, share best practices and learn more about how to take advantage of all the ABHA has to o er. e ABHA continues to grow and the interest in our cattle is at an all-time high. More and more cattlemen are recognizing the undeniable attributes that our cattle have to o er the industry and their ranch’s bottom line.

Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas for how we can continue to make a positive impact for the breed and this industry. We are all in this together, we will continue to work together to keep the ABHA strong, and American Black Hereford proud. ABHA