Ohio Beef Newsletter Available

The September 19, issue # 555, of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter is now posted to the web at: http://fairfield.osu.edu/ag/beef/beefSept19.html

What may be the last EQIP sign-up, at least as we know it today, was announced this week with a closing date of November 2, 2007. Find details in this week’s BEEF letter.

Articles this week include:
* EHD, Q & A Update for Ohio
* Ohio Farmers Should Apply Now for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Funding
* Forage Focus: Fertilizing Established Alfalfa Stands This Fall
* Weekly Roberts Agricultural Commodity Market Report

Stan
———-
Stan Smith
Program Assistant, Agriculture
OSU Extension, Fairfield County
831 College Ave., Suite D
Lancaster, OH 43130

Performance at a Crossroads

Performance at a Crossroads

Angus Beef Bulletin

Compiled by API staff

Approximately 570 cattlemen and academia gathered in Fort Collins, Colo., June 6-9 for the 39th Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Research Symposium and Annual Meeting. The group returned to the state where the organization was founded to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

A.L. (Ike) Eller Jr. began Thursday’s session, themed “Performance at a Crossroads” by taking a poll of the audience to determine the age demographics of the room. After the quick poll, Eller made the point that there were several attendees who were not born when BIF was organized 40 years ago.

FULL STORY PDF

Managing Forage Resources for Bigger Profits

Managing Forage Resources for Bigger Profits

Kit Pharo, Pharo Cattle Company

From Range Beef Cow Symposium XVI Proceedings

Edited by Dale R. ZoBell, Extension Beef Specialist

Pharo Cattle Company is located 8 miles north of Cheyenne Wells, on the central high plains of Eastern Colorado. This is a short-grass country with very limited and unpredictable rainfall. We have a commercial cow herd, as well as a registered cow herd. Our seedstock program consists of Red Angus, Black Angus, Tarentaise, and Composites. Our Composite cattle are 50% Tarentaise, 30% Red or Black Angus and 20% Hereford.

Since our ranch provides our only source of income, our ranching practices must be both sustainable and profitable. Recently I’ve heard a lot of people use the catch phrase “sustainable agriculture.” I’m not sure I know exactly what that means, but I do know that it must begin with a profit because agriculture that is not profitable is not sustainable.

Lately, to be profitable in the cow/calf business hasn’t been easy. What makes it possible for some ranchers to be profitable while many are losing money even in the good times?

FULL STORY  PDF

Baxter Black: The Farm Bill 2008

Baxter Black:  The Farm Bill 2008

A big debate rages on the five year $286 billion Farm Bill. Its supporters on the Congressional Ag Committee are mostly from farm states, which is to be expected. At the same time: * The percent of unionized laborers in the work force continues its decades long plunge. * America continues its tendency to lose industries; steel, automobile, shoes, oil, mining, timber, tools, electronics and publishing.

FULL STORY

Non Genetic Factors can Affect Quality Grade of Cattle

Non Genetic Factors can Affect Quality Grade of Cattle

Cattle Today

Overland Park, Kansas — Dr. Pete Anderson, vice president of sales and technical services for VetLife, told the attendees at the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Research Symposium in Fort Collins, Colorado that there are a number of factors besides genetics that impact beef marbling and quality grades. Anderson said, “Since approximately fifty percent of the US fed cattle are marketed on a value-based system that is largely driven by marbling scores and resulting quality grades, it is important that we understand all the factors that beef quality grades.

FULL STORY

McCrea Joins Hereford World Staff As Advertising Coordinator

McCrea Joins Hereford World Staff As Advertising Coordinator

Cattlenetwork.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ­­­— Amy McCrea, Olathe, Kan., has joined the Hereford World staff as advertising coordinator.

In this position, McCrea will be responsible for coordinating Hereford World advertising and working with Hereford breeders and Hereford fieldmen. She will also assist with proofreading projects and work with the production team on Creative Service projects as time allows.

“Amy brings a wealth of customer relations experience to our team,” says Caryn Vaught, Hereford World production manager. “She is a talented individual with real-world experience working with customers to develop advertising campaigns.”

McCrea recently worked for BCS Communications as an account manager. She worked directly with her client, Boehringer Ingelheim, on newsletters, mailings and advertising. She also assisted with other various public relations tasks.

FULL STORY

S. Korean cattle breeders rally against US beef

S. Korean cattle breeders rally against US beef

The Straits Times

THOUSANDS of South Korean farmers rallied Tuesday against US beef imports and urged the government to scrap a sweeping free trade pact with the United States.

Police said about 7,000 people from the Korea Beef Association braved heavy rain to take part in the rally near the National Assembly.

No violence or arrests were reported.

Shouting ‘Stop US beef imports’, they denounced the government for trying to remove a potential irritant in trade relations by allowing unlimited imports of US beef.

FULL STORY

U.S. cattlemen urge modification of cattle and beef trade with Canada

U.S. cattlemen urge modification of cattle and beef trade with Canada

Midwest Messenger

USDA announced Sept. 14 that it intends to expand the list of allowable imports into the U.S. from countries recognized as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) minimal risk countries. Canada is the only minimal risk country designated by the U.S.

As written, the Final Rule establishes Canada’s effective feed ban implementation date as March 1, 1999. Canadian cattle born on or after March 1, 1999 and product derived from Canadian cattle born after March 1, 1999 will be eligible for import into the United States under USDA’s Final Rule.

The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association delivered a letter dated Sept. 13 to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns urging the agency to modify the rule so that only cattle and beef from cattle born after Jan. 1, 2003, are eligible for import from minimal risk countries. The Final Rule is scheduled for Federal Register publication on Sept. 18 and becomes effective Nov, 19.

FULL STORY

When Is The Best Time To Deworm?

When Is The Best Time To Deworm?

Cattlenetwork.com

The goal of a parasite control program is to disrupt the parasite’s life cycle with strategic use of pasture management systems and anthelmintics (dewormers). A successful outcome depends predominantly on the timing of these interventions.

The multitude of parasites that infect cattle can be classified as external (fleas, lice, mange, grubs) or internal (worms, protozoa). Worms, called helminthes, include roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes. Roundworms, called nematodes, have the most significant impact on cattle health in the northeast and will be the focus of this discussion.

FULL STORY

Gelbvieh Association Revamps its Carcass EPDS

Gelbvieh Association Revamps its Carcass EPDS

Cattle Today

With the release of the Fall 2007 Sire Summary and EPDs the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) announces significant changes to the EPDs for carcass traits. A joint research project over the past 18 months between the AGA and Colorado State University’s Dr. Mark Enns and Brian Brigham focused on development of Carcass EPDs from a constant fat endpoint.

“Feedlots routinely use a fat endpoint to determine harvest timeframes,” states Wayne Vanderwert, AGA’s Executive Director, “Providing tools that are consistent with industry practices seems to just make the most sense.”

FULL STORY

Farmers: Don’t try this at home

Farmers: Don’t try this at home

By: Susan McCorkindale

Fauquier Times Democrat

In honor of National Farm Safety and Health Week, I’ve developed a list of the top 10 things you should never do on a farm.

This may seem a little odd coming from a Jersey girl who wasn’t raised among beef cattle and bushhogs, and whose closest contact with a farm animal was the rooster on the cover of a Corn Flakes box.

But I think my spectacular lack of experience makes me the perfect person to expound on this subject. Particularly since I’ve done almost all the dumb things described here and can tell you in no uncertain terms: Don’t try this at home.

FULL STORY

Bunk Management Can Improve Daily Gains

Bunk Management Can Improve Daily Gains

Cattlenetwork.com

Research has shown that using a bunk management system can reduce waste and dramatically improve daily gains and feed efficiency when calves are fed a feedlot type (80 to 100 percent grain) ration. Calves need a minimum of 14 inches of feed bunk per calf and a minimum of 200 square feet of feedlot space per calf.

Following two simple rules should keep cattle eating a consistent amount each day. The first rule is to not increase feed until two consecutive days pass where no feed is left in the bunk.

Also, do not decrease feed unless 25 percent or more of the feed is remaining. The second rule is to never increase or decrease the feeding amount by more than 10 percent at one time. Observe the bunks at the same time each day.

FULL STORY

Animal ID will be demonstrated every day at WFTD

Animal ID will be demonstrated every day at WFTD

Brownfield Network

by Bob Meyer

One of the features in the beef tent at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days this year will be an actual demonstration of how RFID tags work on cattle. Robert Fourdraine with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium says they will tag animals and then show attendees how simple it is to read the ID.

FULL STORY

Strong calf prices not enough to overcome high prices; expansion held at bay

Strong calf prices not enough to overcome high prices; expansion held at bay

AG Professional

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Historically high calf prices and improved forage conditions in some key production areas sound like the right ingredients for an expanded U.S. cattle herd, but producers so far have resisted.

“We’ve had nine years of positive returns for cow-calf producers,” said Kansas State University agricultural economist James Mintert. “That suggests we should be expanding beef cow herds, but economic incentives are not as strong as you’d think.”

Mintert, who is the K-State Research and Extension state leader in agricultural economics, said rising costs of production are curbing producers’ interest in growing their herds.

He, along with K-State agricultural economist Rodney Jones, spoke at K-State’s Risk and Profit Conference Aug. 16-17. They cited recent survey information that indicated that lease rates on summer pasture in Kansas have climbed 16 percent in the past five years. Interaction with producers shows that in many cases, rates have increased faster than that, the economists said.

FULL STORY

Organics’ time has arrived

Organics’ time has arrived

By John Henderson

Denver Post

Tempe, Ariz. – My favorite image of organic food is an old “Doonesbury” cartoon. Zonker Harris, the resident hippie at Walden Puddle, prepares an organic meal from his little plot of land. He walks to the neatly set table, and onto the plates of friends Mike Doonesbury and Mark Slackmeyer he proudly places big piles of wheat. That’s it. Wheat. Nothing else.

“Dig in!” Harris says.

Doonesbury looks down, disgusted, and says to Slackmeyer, “McDonald’s?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Organic food has come a long way since Walden Puddle, not all of it good, in my opinion. I still look at the ingredients of some organic dishes and wonder if the chef is cooking more incense than ingredients. To me, organic food usually has all the flavor of fresh sawdust.

FULL STORY

Livestock disaster programs

Livestock disaster programs

by Ernie R. Bures, CED

Bon Homme County FSA

Tyndall Tribune & Register

The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery and Iraq Accountability Appropriation Act of 2007 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to implement the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Compensation Program for 2005-2006 for Bon Homme County.

Because of weather related disaster declarations in both 2005 and 2006, Bon Homme County producers will have the opportunity to apply for losses for either 2005 or 2006. To be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program, producers must have owned livestock that died due to a disaster event in 2005 or 2006 in the county that eventually received a disaster declaration. Eligible livestock are any beef cattle, dairy cattle, beefalo, buffalo, sheep, goats, equine animals, deer, reindeer or poultry. Producers must provide proof that the death of livestock were a result of the declared disaster event. I would expect that Bon Homme County would have a very limited amount of losses under this program.

FULL STORY