Front Page

What I Learned From Pigs

Failing to respond to important industry indicators is an example beef producers don’t want to follow.

He was 15 years old and thriving in the hog seedstock industry, with “almost no idea” what he was doing. Marty Ropp from Allied Genetic Resources shared the dreadful timeline that led the hog industry down a path of destruction. An industry once boasting 650,000 operations in 1974 today has only 50,000.

“I am just here to tell the story. Any resemblance to current status or circumstances in the beef genetics business is not coincidental,” Ropp said. “It is far less painful to learn from the mistakes of others than to repeat them.”

Almost every hog producer Ropp knew in 1974 is now out of business. Some were lucky to only lose their business. Others lost their entire farm because of the decisions made collectively by the industry Ropp outlined. Read more.

Drew Feller

Association Perspective

Develop a marketing plan ahead of time.

As the fall weather changes and weaning begins on most ranches, it is important to have the best plan for your program ahead of marketing your cattle. Each ranch varies in production methods and products offered on different sale days throughout the year. However, at weaning time, it may already be too late to implement the marketing plan you want.

Value-added programs, such as the new Angus Link^SM program, have become an integral part of the premium beef market within the last decade. Keep in mind, these programs and opportunities require diligent records with adequate planning ahead of sale day.

As a rancher, you have put in the money to invest in quality Angus bulls, and now you have a premium calf crop. How does a rancher take advantage of value-added markets? Read more.

Focus on Sustainability

Beef industry should communicate beef’s underlying value proposition — transforming lower-value resources into high-quality proteins.

Cattle are the original plant-based protein, shared Sara Place, the senior director of sustainable beef production research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a point to keep in mind as she handed out some heartburn discussing sustainability in beef production. Place spoke during the opening general session of the 2018 Beef Improvement Federation Research Symposium and Convention hosted June 20-23 in Loveland, Colo.

By the end of her presentation, Place made the point that beef production essentially makes plant-based protein (veggie burgers) sustainable. These burgers are made out of peas, wheat, etc., and they produce byproducts that cattle eat to make the real, original burger. Read more.

Register for the 2018 Angus Convention

An exciting and bustling city located in the heart of Ohio will play host to the 2018 National Angus Convention and Trade Show this fall.

The Angus Convention is headed to the Buckeye State for the first time ever. It is a gathering place for quality-minded cattle producers and friends from every sector of the cattle business and offers industry-leading education, networking and entertainment.

Whether visiting the many Angus breeders in the area or taking a short trip to visit the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand headquarters — it’s a location that embodies the heart of the grain industry and the rich history of the world’s most recognizable branded-beef program. CAB’s 40th anniversary will be at the core of the “celebration”-themed event. Read more.

What’s Inside …

In this September 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 available in the API Virtual Library.

Tool Helps Families Prepare for Disasters

Life-saving measures could start with talk around the dinner table.

Kansans were reminded yet again how natural disasters can come with little or no warning when up to 9 inches of rain resulted in flooding across several counties Labor Day weekend.

The flooding underscores the importance of planning in advance to help lessen damage to lives and property in the event of a disaster, said Elizabeth Kiss, a family resource management associate professor at Kansas State University (K-State).

Kiss and a team of K-State Research and Extension educators and specialists across the state encourage everyone to plan in advance through an online challenge designed to help individuals and families prepare in order to ease recovery and potentially save lives when disasters strike. Read more.

Medical Debt Can Wipe You Out

Medical debt is causing more people to work longer or return to work during retirement.

Medical debt is not something we want to think about, much less plan for. However consider a few facts.

As of 2012, about half of all adults — 117 million people — had one or more chronic health conditions. One in four adults had two or more chronic health conditions, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The likelihood of having a disability increases with age, with 69% of adults over 60 having a diagnosed physical or mental disability, according to the National Disability Institute.
More than one-quarter of U.S. adults struggle to pay their medical bills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). This includes 62% of those with insurance, whether independently or through an employer.
Medical debt is the No. 1 source of personal bankruptcy filings in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 40% of Americans racked up debt resulting from a medical issue.
Medical costs are increasing faster than the cost of living rate, and projections are that this will continue.

Use this keyword search to find more articles like this one:

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