Tracey Erickson SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist Lots of conversations in agriculture lately focuses around labor or the lack of a labor pool of employees. This is the case not only for dairy farms, but also within the entire agriculture industry. In self-reflection, it does raise the question, “Is it me or my operation, is there simply a lack of employees, or is it both?” To examine these questions, we first need to…
Year-end report shows continued success across entities and departments. The American Angus Association® closed out another successful year, confirmed in the fiscal year-end report. The 2019 fiscal year, which spanned from Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019, recorded the fifth consecutive year of at least 300,000 registrations at 304,577 total head registered. “The American Angus Association and all its entities have made significant strides in the past year to deliver more value…
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Transportation is the latest certification needed for beef cattle haulers and producers who deliver cattle to major packing plants. The BQA Transportation program focuses on transporter safety, delivering cattle in a timely manner, cattle fitness of transport, cattle handling, and emergency preparedness just to name a few topics. “This certification program will be a required part of business for any cattle hauler or producer who directly…
Thousands of producers traveled west to celebrate the Business Breed. More than 1,700 attendees made the 2019 Angus Convention an overwhelming success Nov. 2-4 in Reno, Nevada. The American Angus Association® met its goal of providing top-notch education, networking and entertainment to those who made the trip west. During the opening general session on Saturday, Nov. 2, Association CEO Mark McCully reflected on the past success of the Business Breed and provided a…
(Muse, Oklahoma, Nov. 5, 2019) – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey today announced USDA has invested over $4.2 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for rural households and farms in Oklahoma. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. “Broadband is pivotal for access to services and information, whether…
Four finalists have been announced for the NCBA seventh annual National Anthem Singing Contest. The winner will receive a trip to the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Feb. 5-7 to perform the Star Spangled Banner at the event’s Opening General Session Feb. 5, as well as the Friday Night NCBA PBR Invitational Event Feb. 7. The contest is sponsored by Norbrook. The four finalists are: Courtney Stefan, Hallettsville, Texas;Anna Kelsey,…
K-State to host seven events around Kansas. MANHATTAN, Kan. –In anticipation of calving season, Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry and K-State Research and Extension are planning a series of calving schools beginning in November and finishing up in January. The program will outline overall calving management that includes stages of the normal calving process as well as tips to handle difficult calving situations. A.J. Tarpoff, K-State extension beef veterinarian, explains the…
Applications are being accepted for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award. Deadline for applications is March 6, 2020. Established in 1991 by NCBA to recognize the nation’s best cattle and livestock operations and their stewardship and conservation efforts, the Environmental Stewardship Awards Program (ESAP) is generously sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, McDonald’s, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Winner of…
Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems SpecialistKarla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management Taking steps to improve body condition score before cold weather hits can help reduce the impacts of cold weather on the cows. Photo credit Karla Wilkie. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app.…
Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Employee and family business working relationships are often one of the greatest challenges for those working in agricultural operations. Frequently those in leadership or management positions have had little or no training related to guiding and communicating with those they work with. This lack of education can also impact recruiting and hiring of people to fit into available positions. Finding and hiring the right person for a…