More than 200 young people from 25 states participated in the youth cattle judging contest held in conjunction with the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee last week. The youth competed for honors and cash prizes in the fourth annual competition. The contest is sponsored by Farm Credit, and livestock panels …
NCBA Says Egg Deal Opens Pandora’s Box
If there was one issue that was most talked about at the Cattle Industry Convention, it was probably eggs – and producers are definitely not sunny-side up on the proposed agreement between the United Egg Producers (UEP) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that would require larger cages for egg-laying hens. “You might ask why we as …
ANCW President Addresses Cattle Industry Convention
Jill Ginn of Texas addressed the general session of the Cattle Industry Convention last week as one of her last acts as the 60th president of the American National Cattlewomen (ANCW). “I’m proud to say that this national voice has had a major impact with consumers, politicians and other cattle producers for 60 amazing years,” Jill said. “In 2011, nearly …
Top Environmental Stewardship Award Goes to PA Farm
The Masonic Village Farm of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania was named the top winner of the 21st annual National Cattlemen’s Foundation Environmental Stewardship Awards at the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Nashville this week. The Masonic Village Farm, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, raises 180 cow/calf pairs, maintains a …
NCBA Presidential Segue
It’s that weird transition time of the year for the leadership of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association when one president is moving in while the other is moving out. These two guys – still current president Bill Donald of Montana and soon-to-be president J.D. Alexander of Nebraska – are just about as different as night and day. For example, while …
Cattlemen Want Livestock Out of Farm Bill
As Congress considers a 2012 Farm Bill, the top priority for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is to eliminate the livestock title, according to NCBA Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts. “The livestock title was new to the farm bill in 2008 and it brought us things like Country-of-Origin-Labeling, a national animal ID system and the GIPSA proposed rule …
Amazing Attendance at Cattle Industry Convention
At about 9:00 this morning, Jesse Womack from San Antonio, Texas was filling out an on-site registration form to attend his very first Cattle Industry Convention. Little did he know that he would become the 6,836th registrant for the convention – a new attendance record that will be beat many more times over today as the line for on-site registration …
NCBA Applauds Child Labor Rule Decision
Just prior to the opening general session of the Cattle Industry Convention, the U.S. Labor Department announced that a proposal which would have barred children from many on-farm tasks will be revised to allow broader exemptions for parents who own or run agricultural operations. “I have got a news flash for all of you,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) …
Better Beef Sales Launched at Cattle Convention
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff have partnered with Merck Animal Health to launch new online retail-training program for Better Beef Sales. The need for more training of meat-counter employees became evident after Merck Animal Health conducted a series of consumer panels that revealed consumers identify the staff behind the counter as experts. “The consumer that goes …
NCBA Hoping for Permanent Dust Fix
Agriculture won a few battles in the dust-up over farm dust regulation last year, but it remains to be seen who will win the war. Farm dust regulation ranks high on the list of policy priorities for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in 2012, with the goal of getting the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act that was introduced last year …