Video Feature: Process Verified Program

Beef cattle producers have an opportunity to increase marketing opportunities for their calves by participating in the Process Verified Program (PVP). The Process Verified Program is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and provides suppliers of agricultural products or services the ability to assure customers of their ability to provide consistent quality products or services. The programs covered by the PVP are limited toprograms where specific process verified points are supported by a documented quality management system.

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When Will “Reality Farming” Air on TV?

When Will “Reality Farming” Air on TV?

Chris Chinn

American Farm Bureau Federation

This week “CSI: Miami” falsely portrayed agriculture to millions of viewers, implying farmers and food-industry professionals don’t care about the health or even the survival of consumers. As Tim Burrack, a farmer from Iowa, put it in a recent blog post, “It was malicious propaganda based on distortions and lies about the common practices of modern agriculture. Call it “un-reality TV.”

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Program designed to motivate, educate women in agriculture

Program designed to motivate, educate women in agriculture

Amanda Nolz

Tri State Livestock News

Women in agriculture are unsung heroes. When a woman vows to marry a farmer, she knows she is also marrying the operation, too, including the cattle, sheep, hogs, crops, hay and all of the work that goes with it. When marrying into farm life, she knows she will have a life full of blessings and a life full of trials.

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Know the USDA Cull Cow Grades Before You Send Them to Market

Know the USDA Cull Cow Grades Before You Send Them to Market

Dr. Glenn Selk, Extension Cattle Specialist, Oklahoma State University

Some culling of beef cows occurs in most herds every year. The Beef Audits have generally shown that cull cows, bulls, and cull dairy cows make up about 20% of the beef available for consumption in the United States. About half of this group (or 10% of the beef supply) comes from cull beef cows.

Whether we are culling because of drought or to improve the productivity of the herd, it is important to understand the values placed on cull cows intended for slaughter

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Marketing via your website

Marketing via your website

Kindra Gordon

The Cattle Business Weekly

In today’s tech savvy world, websites can be an essential ingredient in marketing success for a ranch or ag business. Rich Masoner, web services manager and sales coordinator for the Web Services Department of Angus Productions Inc., calls websites a “24-hour-a-day” communication tool, and says that by having a website for your operation “you are always there, and people always know where to find you.”

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Beef a healthy choice for both diet and economy

Beef a healthy choice for both diet and economy

Kimberly Rossi

Rocky Mountain Collegian

I would like to address this column to Mr. Stephens, the author of Thursday’s article, “Eat less meat to help save the world, environment.”

I am appalled that such an article was published in the newspaper of one of the top agricultural schools in the nation — an article that slams the beef industry and the agricultural industry with misunderstood facts and a lack of knowledge.

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Traceability made easier with RFID tags

Traceability made easier with RFID tags

NICK KUHL

Peace Country Sun

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency’s new tagging requirements begin in less than three months, signalling a new era for beef production in this country.

As of Jan. 1, 2010, all cattle must be tagged with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. Along with mandatory age verification for cattle, beef producers will now be faced with plenty of forward-moving changes as the calendar moves into the new decade.

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U.S. Blocks COOL Case At The WTO

U.S. Blocks COOL Case At The WTO

Western livestock Journal

The U.S. has blocked a World Trade Organization (WTO) dipute panel requested by Canada and Mexico. The two countries had requested that the WTO examine the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling laws on the grounds that they are a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Both Canada and Mexico claim that COOL is reducing their sales of beef and cattle to the U.S. and that packers here are discounting their cattle because they have to be segregated on the packers lines in order to comply with COOL.

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Symposium covers marbling from all angles

Symposium covers marbling from all angles

High Plains Journal

Marbling can be fickle. Everything, from genetics to growth technologies and production systems, affects the way and how much intramuscular fat cattle will express.

This summer an American Society of Animal Science symposium focused on getting the most meat quality with maximum efficiency.

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Livestock care is key in Issue 2 debate

Livestock care is key in Issue 2 debate

Alan Johnson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The ballot initiative could affect how farm animals, such as chickens, pigs and cattle, are raised.

On farms in every corner of Ohio, egg-laying hens spend their lives in crowded cages so small they can’t spread their wings, while pregnant pigs and young calves are raised in crates that prevent them from turning around.

The Humane Society of the United States says it’s cruel and inhumane.

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Young ag producers struggle with lower prices, high costs

Young ag producers struggle with lower prices, high costs

Billings Gazette

TOM LUTEY

The first young heifer ambled across the frozen mud, with icy snot clinging to her nose, and eyed the stock trailer’s dark entrance with dread.

“Go on,” hollered Wallace Blain. With the business end of his rubber-tipped stick, he assured the black Angus that whatever lurked in the trailer was better than five more minutes with a weathered cowhand in a rusty-gated pen.

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Officials: No cow tax planned

Officials: No cow tax planned

Ad Crable

Lancaster Farming

Almost a year ago, farmers here and nationwide were outraged over reports that the federal government was considering a “cow tax” aimed at reducing methane gas produced by their livestock.

The plan to tax cows for burping or flatulence was fodder for late-night talk shows, but it scared local dairy farmers, already struggling in hard times.

In recent weeks, federal officials and Congress have taken action to put the cow tax rumor to rest.

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Russia: 500 million US dollars invested in cattle breeding

Russia: 500 million US dollars invested in cattle breeding

Evegen Vorotnikov

Meat International

One of the largest Russian meat producers and importers, Miratorg Company, is planning to invest over US$ 500 million in the project of cattle breeding development in Russia.

According to the company this will help to raise the Russian beef cattle stock by more than 100,000 heads per year.

Currently, the level of beef production in Russia is extremely low, and the company wants to occupy this market niche, sources in Miratorg have said.

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Point-by-point debate: Farm Bureau vs. Environmental Working Group

Point-by-point debate: Farm Bureau vs. Environmental Working Group

The Daily Republic

Earlier this month, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a report titled “Climate Change Will Cost Farmers Far More than a Climate Bill.”

Soon thereafter, Mike Held, administrative director of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, sent The Daily Republic a Farm Bureau response to some of the claims in the EWG report. The Daily Republic then gave EWG Midwest Vice President Craig Cox a chance to comment on the Farm Bureau’s responses.

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Good bull provides high pregnancy rates

Good bull provides high pregnancy rates

Peter Hull, Clemson University

Southeast Farm Press

Optimizing a bull’s performance is the most effective tool in natural breeding.

The keys to a successful cattle breeding program are pregnancy and calving rates, a leading beef cattle expert said at the recent South Carolina 2009 Cattlemen’s Day.

Optimizing a bull’s performance is the most effective tool in natural breeding.

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