NCBA Addresses Checkoff Referendum Petition

DENVER (July 27, 2020) - Today, NCBA President Marty Smith, a Florida cattle producer, released the following statement about the Beef Checkoff referendum petition launched in July.  “In the 1980s, NCBA was instrumental in the initial passage of the Beef Promotion and Research Act and the resulting referendum that established the Beef Checkoff as we know it today. The Act makes it very clear that cattle producers have a say in the continuation…

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Adding Value to Cull Cows

Stephen Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the returns to a cow-calf operation are from selling cull cows in the fall. There are four factors that need to be considered to obtain profit from feeding cull cows. First, the cows have to be thin but healthy. Second, the buy/sell margin should be positive. Third, cost of gain should be relatively cheap. The odds of a profit are increased…

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K-State vets: Watch for summer respiratory condition in calves

A close grouping of calves is one of the risk factors for pre-weaning pneumonia. K-State vets: Watch for summer respiratory condition in calves Experts discuss risk factors and treatment options for pre-weaning pneumonia MANHATTAN, Kan. — When talking to ranchers about cattle health concerns in the summer, fly control and pinkeye will often come to mind, but one condition that can lead to calf death is pre-weaning pneumonia. “Research has shown that pre-weaning…

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USDA Launches New Farmers.gov Features to Help Farmers Hire Workers

(Washington, D.C., July 27, 2020) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced new features on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers.gov website designed to help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers. “My mission from the beginning of my time as Secretary was to make USDA the most effective, most efficient, most customer-focused department in the entire federal government – these changes to Farmers.gov are doing just that. USDA’s goal is to help farmers navigate the complex…

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USDA Announces a Third Round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program Purchases

Washington, D.C., July 27, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will launch a third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases with distributions to occur beginning by September 1 with completion by October 31, 2020. The purchases will spend the balance of $3 billion authorized for the program. So far, over 46 million Farmers to Families Food Boxes have been invoiced and delivered.“This third…

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NCBA Kicks Off Campaign to Generate Dietary Guidelines Comments

WASHINGTON (July 22, 2020) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today launched a nationwide grassroots campaign to highlight the #BenefitsofBeef and is calling on cattle producers to submit public comments in support of federal dietary guidelines that recognize beef’s role in a healthy diet.The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) last week released its Scientific Report, laying the groundwork for five years of federal nutrition guidance. Americans now have until Aug. 13 to…

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Short-Season Forages for Late Summer Planting

Mark Sulc, Extension Forage Agronomist and Bill Weiss, Extension Dairy Nutritionist Early November growth of Italian ryegrass (left) and oat+winter rye (right) after mid-September planting in Ohio Short-season forages planted in late summer can be sources of highly digestible fiber in ruminant livestock rations. There are several excellent forage options that can be considered for no-till or conventional tillage plantings in the late summer or early fall planting window. These forages can be a…

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Replacing “Junk” Forage with “Quality” Forage

 Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension (originally published in the Ohio Cattleman summer issue) Do these comments sound familiar to you? “I really need to do something with that junk pasture this year.”“The bales off that hay field are junk. I’m going to reseed it.” If stand decline is limiting production, perhaps it’s time to reseed. Issues with “junk forage” can include low yields, weed encroachment, and low-quality feed value.…

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Fly Population Management on Dairies

Tracey Erickson SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist Fly control in dairies is a challenge, due to abundant moisture and organic matter available for fly breeding grounds. Flies not only are a pest, but they also decrease production efficiency. Flies cause livestock to expend extra energy fending them off instead of resting, feeding and milking. Other issues directly associated with fly pest problems on dairies include increased medication costs, veterinary costs, increased potential for…

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