DECEMBER 2018
Vol. XIX No. 11 P.O. Box 997 Conrad, MT 59425-0997
Phone 406-271-5533 Fax 406-271-5727 website: tradersdispatch.com
NDSU Extension beef quality assurance meetings set
By NDSU Extension Service Cattle processors are responding to consumers who want to know more about the food they consume. Several of the larger beef processers have started requiring beef quality assurance (BQA) certification for cattle feeders. As of January 1, 2019, these processors won’t purchase fed cattle unless the feed yard is BQA certified. “This social transparency is needed by the corporations that buy beef from the processors,” says Karl Hoppe, Extension livestock systems specialist at North Dakota State University’s (NDSU) Carrington Research Extension Center. “Quality assurance is needed to maintain high-quality beef,” he adds. “Consumers want reassurance that cattle producers are continuing to do an outstanding job of raising high-quality beef.” Producers can obtain BQA feed yard certification by attending a Beef Quality Assurance session. Lisa Pederson, NDSU Extension beef quality assurance specialist, will conduct BQA certification meetings specifically for feedlots at three location in North Dakota in December. The 2 1/2-hour certification sessions are scheduled for: • December 6, 2 p.m., Lake Region Livestock Auction, Devils Lake • December 12. 1 p.m., North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s Beyond the Bunk meeting, Ramada by Wyndham, Bismarck CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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Merry Christmas Best Wishes for the Coming Year
PRODUCTION SALES
Feb. 2, 2019, Prickly Pear Simmental Ranch, Helena MT..................................A3 Feb. 26, 2019, Hill’s Ranch Simmentals, Stanford MT........................................A5
PRIVATE TREATY
Beery’s Land & Livestock Co., Vida MT..............................................................A7 Duncan Ranch Co, Joplin MT..............................................................................A7 Feddes Herefords, Manhattan MT.......................................................................A7 J Bar E Ranch, Plentywood MT...........................................................................A7 M/D Herefords, Baker MT.....................................................................................A7 McMurry Cattle, Billings MT................................................................................A7 Sidwell Ranch, Columbus MT..............................................................................A7 Sparks Herefords, Plevna MT..............................................................................A7 Square B Ranch & Cattle, Co, Warsaw MO................................................ A8, C34 Thomas Herefords, Gold Creek MT.....................................................................A7 Wichman Herefords, Moore MT...........................................................................A7 Wyse Genetics, Manhattan MT............................................................................A8
January winter beef symposiums
The Northern Agricultural Research Center in Havre, Montana, in conjunction with Hill, Blaine and Choteau County Extension, will host two beef symposiums in January. From 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 10, the first beef symposium will be held at NARC. The center is located about seven miles southwest of Havre on U.S. Highway 87. Tim DelCurto, Nancy Cameron Endowed Chair in Range Beef Cattle Production, will share research on weak calf syndrome. Sam Wyffels, doctoral student in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, will discuss winter feed supplementation and grazing patterns. Jennifer Thomson, associate professor of livestock genomics, will discuss expected progeny differences for commercial cattle operations. Additional topics include small rodent and coyote control, and Custom Ag Solutions will share information on risks and opportunities in current cattle markets. The symposium is free and open to the public CONTINUED ON PAGE A2 and lunch is provided.
K-State offers courses in pet food manufacturing, nutrition By K-State Research and Extension News
Recognizing a small revolution in how we relate to animals, Kansas State University’s Department of Grain Science and Industry is offering a new study emphasis on pet food manufacturing. According to a 2015 article in PetfoodIndustry.com, pet food manufacturers in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor account for more than half of all pet-food sales in the United States. These companies provide more than 2,000 jobs to the area. “There has been an evolution of the way we look at companion animals,” said Greg Aldrich, a research associate professor in the department and the Pet Food Program coordinator. “They’ve moved from being outside our home – on farms they were barnyard security and rodent control – to living inside the house. They’re sharing our house, sharing our kitchens and in some cases even sharing our beds. “They’ve become members of the family. There is an increasing awareness of the foods they eat and what we need to do to provide them with adequate diets.” While not a true “major” or dedicated field of study, the new pet-food emphasis will offer a variety of courses that students
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can take to add extra depth to other majors. Among the options K-State offers: • Pet-food emphasis area in the feed science and management degree option. • Pet-food minor for students in other disciplines: – Animal sciences and industry. – Agricultural technology management. – Agricultural economics. “They can pick up those same 15 to 17 hours and get a minor on their transcript,” Aldrich said. “I’m also training master’s and Ph.D. students in this whole area, to teach them how to do research and become the next generation of research scientists.” Another driving force behind the petfood emphasis is regulation. The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, which shifts the emphasis of federal regulations and CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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