http://www.bifconference.com/bif2015/newsroom.html


Quick links:

Share the EXTRA

Connect with
our community:

Follow us on twitterJoin us on Twitter































Bookmark and Share

LPC Award-winning newsletter 1214fp-ncnts-overview

Angus Means Business

The Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show
provided a fun-filled week.

More than 2,000 cattlemen gathered in Kansas City, Mo., to attend four days of education, fellowship, networking, entertainment and Angus business at the Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show Nov. 4-6. The event was launched a day early as hundreds of cattlemen visited the American Angus Association and Angus Productions Inc. building in Saint Joseph, Mo., for the Angus Homecoming event, many visiting the headquarters for the first time. Excitement and curiosity were high as participants guessed what was in store for the convention. Read more.


Tolbert_Alex

Alex Tolbert

Association Perspective

How to take advantage of these tides of change.

The price of gas, tuition, political leaders and, sadly, even the color of my hair (at least some of them) over time has changed. Each wave of change brings difficulties and hardships, yet inevitably yields opportunity, and through opportunity comes triumph. John C. Maxwell, famed author and leadership expert, asserts, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.”

In today’s cattle market, it’s not hard to find smiling faces and good spirits. Whether you are in a sale barn in Fort Pierre, S.D., or at a production sale in Fayetteville, Tenn., people are happy to be in the business because business is good. In these times of historical prices and favorable margins, how do we harness this change to produce growth? Read more.


Leading the Business Breed

The American Angus Association elects new Board members, officers.

American Angus Association’s 131st Annual Convention of Delegates in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 6, elected five new directors, a president and a vice president to help lead the organization in the coming year. Elected to serve the Association as directors for three-year terms are Jerry Connealy, Whitman, Neb.; David Dal Porto, Brentwood, Calif.; John Grimes, Hillsboro, Ohio; James Henderson, Memphis, Texas; and Dave Nichols, Bridgewater, Iowa. Read more.


Note to Youth: Start with End in Mind

When consumers pay more for a high-quality product, they expect
a high-quality eating experience, as well.

The ultimate goal for any cow-calf operation is to supply beef to the market. Consumers drive that market, and they’re signaling demand for high quality.

Mark McCully, vice president of production for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand, talked about consumers and production systems at the National Block & Bridle Convention in Lubbock, Texas, earlier this month.

“As beef prices have increased and consumers pay more for our product, their expectations are going with that,” McCully said. “So, we really have to deliver. There’s more pressure than ever to deliver a great eating experience, and remember why consumers are buying beef.” Read more.


Farm Credit CFOs See Interest Rates Rising, Borrowers Locking In Fixed Rates

Investments in employees, new equipment and farmland
expected to hold steady.

A poll of chief financial officers for Farm Credit lenders in America’s heartland found that, after several years of low interest rates, the cost of borrowing is expected to rise as the Federal Reserve contemplates tightening monetary policy.

“The poll reflects the consensus among economists and market participants that the Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates by the middle of 2015 or early 2016,” said Brian O’Keane, executive vice president of banking and finance and CFO of AgriBank. “The Fed has kept interest rates low to encourage economic activity, remove slack from the labor force and keep inflation from falling too far, or turning into deflation. Now that the economy is slowly but steadily growing, the Fed is expected to increase interest rates to help keep inflation in check.” Read more.


What’s Inside …

In this November edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month's entire offering by category. A few select features include:


News Briefs …

The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive recently made available in the API Virtual Library.


Farmers, Ag Tech Providers Agree on Big Data Deal

Security principles released provide more certainty for farmers working with ag technology providers concerning data privacy.

A coalition of major farm organizations and agriculture technology providers (ATPs) announced Nov. 13 an agreement on data privacy and security principles that will encourage the use and development of a full range of innovative, technology-driven tools and services to boost the productivity, efficiency and profitability of American agriculture.

The coalition supporting the principles includes the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the American Soybean Association, Beck’s Hybrids, Dow AgroSciences LLC, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Farmers Union, Raven Industries, and The Climate Corp. — a division of Monsanto and USA Rice Federation. Read more.


Your Health

 

National Diabetes Education Program Releases Guiding Principles for Diabetes Care

Guiding principles are aimed at clarifying the myriad of existing diabetes guidelines.

A newly published set of 10 guiding principles highlights areas of agreement for diabetes care that could be clinically useful in diabetes management and prevention. Presented by the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), Guiding Principles for the Care of People With or at Risk for Diabetes is aimed at assisting with identification and management of the disease, self-management support for patients, physical activity and blood glucose control, among other topics. More than a dozen federal agencies and professional organizations support the document. Read more.


 

[Click here to go to the top of the page.]