Western ranchers welcomed a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Notice of Intent (NOI), which appeared in today’s Public Inspection and will publish in the Federal Register on January 21st, announcing that the agency is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on new grazing regulations. The NOI opened a public comment period and announced that in-person scoping meetings will be held across the West. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for BLM permittees to set…

Perdue will share insight on issues of concern to cattlemen and women at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 5, 2020. Perdue will participate in the Opening General Session of the event, being hosted Feb. 5-7, 2020 at the San Antonio Convention Center. Among topics he is expected to address will be recent trade developments, markets, farm bill implementation and other issues affecting the state…

K-State beef experts weigh factors in breeding decisions MANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the most exciting times of the year on cow/calf operations is when the calves are born and producers can see the results of their breeding decisions. Experts from the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University say it can also be stressful and costly if those mating decisions lead to calving difficulties, which is why much care needs to be…

K-State bringing risk management experts to Manhattan April 14-16 MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University has set the dates for a conference that organizers say will arm food companies and others in the industry to better manage the challenges of producing their products. The conference, ‘Managing Commodity Market and Financial Risk,’ is set for April 14-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. It…

The Beef Quality Assurance program continues to grow significantly, with more than 100,000 cattle producers now certified through its online learning system. The online option was introduced by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in early 2017. Since the BQA program was initiated in the early 1990s hundreds of thousands have become BQA-certified through in-person and online training, with an estimated 85 percent of the U.S. fed beef…

Kansas 4-H and FFA youth are invited to Junior Beef and Junior Sheep Days at Kansas State University to learn more about production and management of both species. MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State University Youth Livestock Program, K-State Research & Extension, and the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry will be hosting two junior producer days in the spring of 2020.  Junior Beef Producer Day will be Saturday, February 29, and Junior Sheep…

Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County, OSU Extension (originally published in the Ohio Farmer) This hairball came from a beef that was processed in Noble County by Pernell Saling. He estimates 5% of the cattle they process have blockage in the rumen resulting from twine, hair, plastic, etc.. The stomach is a fascinating part of the body, regardless of what species you study. Digestion is an active and noisy process,…

New website places up-to-date resources in the hands of farmers and ag advocates January 8, 2020 – Today, the Animal Agriculture Alliance announced its new website and updated resources to celebrate the beginning of a new decade. With the mission of the Alliance being to bridge the communication gap between farm and fork, its website features resources to help farmers, ranchers, veterinarians and supporters of the industry engage in any and all conversations about…

(Washington, D.C., January 9, 2020) – Today, in recognition of January 2020 as National Biotechnology Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation. The Website streamlines information about the three regulatory agencies charged with overseeing agriculture biotechnology products and is part President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology…

Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Morgan Co. (originally published in The Ohio Cattleman) I now have been writing articles in this column for around 25 years and I am always trying to come up with something different and beneficial for beef producers around the state. As I thought about a topic, with age and experience, we also gain perspective. For those of us that have been in the beef business…