Beef Board Wrap-up

Chuck Zimmerman

Right after the conclusion of the CBB portion of the joint board meeting at the end of the Cattle Industry Convention I spoke with Chairman, Wesley Grau. Wesley says the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention has been “very positive.” The record turnout of 8,217 registered has been a sign of that positive mood in the industry. He says “everyone is moving forward to communicate” and “cattlemen agree on the need to promote beef in the United States and around the world and we’re going to take those steps necessary to do so.”

You can find more reports on Beef Board activities at the convention on the Beef Board Blog, MyBeefCheckoffMeeting.com. They include board meeting financial, evaluation committee and management reports.

You can listen to my closing interview with Wesley here: Closing Interview with Wesley Grau

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Cattle Industry Conference

LPC Meets During Cattle Industry Convention

Chuck Zimmerman

During the Cattle Industry Convention the Livestock Publications Council held a lunch meeting. The meeting was sponsored by Elanco and Heifer International. Their theme was, “The Future We Raise Together.”

Elanco and Heifer International have made a commitment to a better life-for animals and people-by ending world hunger. By identifying small communities in emerging countries that could substantially benefit from the gift of an animal, the partnership’s goal is to help create healthy livelihoods, healthy communities, and healthy futures in countries such as Indonesia, Zambia and China.

At the 2012 LPC Luncheon, Marleen New, director of corporate and foundation relations at Heifer International and Ted McKinney, Elanco public affairs, announced a new initiative and described how beef producers and industry members can help support the efforts to grow a world without hunger. Thanks to Andy Atzenweiler, Missouri Beef Cattlemen, for the photo.

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Cattle Industry Conference, LPC, Media

Cattle Industry Convention Attendence Tops 8,100

Cindy Zimmerman

They were excited yesterday when attendance at the Cattle Industry Convention beat the old record of 6,862. But people just kept coming in and registering on-site after that – adding at least another 1200 to the total by Friday afternoon. The last I checked, attendance was over 8,100.

People were still signing up when I passed through the registration area after noon today. I talked to a few of them and most were from somewhere in Tennessee, like Retha and Johnnie Marlin who drove down from Springfield, which is just about 30 miles due north of Nashville.

“This is our first, we just heard about it,” Retha told me as she was waiting to get their name badges. “Next time, we’re going to Tampa and we’ll go for the whole thing!”

The Marlins own J&J Farms in Springfield where they raise feeder cattle and ship them to Kansas. “My husband’s a banker and we’ve raised cattle for years but hopefully when he retires we can just do this full time,” said Retha.

Listen to or download my interview with Bill here: Cattle Industry Convention Attendee Retha Marlin

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Top Environmental Stewardship Award Goes to PA Farm

Cindy Zimmerman

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 feedlot that finishes approximately 200 steers annually, grows corn, soybeans and hay land. The Village implements rotational grazing to maintain its pastures; uses manure from feedlots to fertilize its fields; and innovative watering systems throughout the farm. Additionally, the farm invites the public to tour the facilities and learn more about the possibilities of stewardship in agriculture.

The Masonic Village Farm was winner for Region 1. The other regional winners who were recognized during the Best of Beef breakfast this week were: Region 2 – Daigle Farms of Ragley, LA; Region 4 – Matador Ranch in Matador TX; Region 5 – M/M Feedlot of Parma, ID; Region 6 – Della Ranches in Grouse Creek, UT; and Region 7 – Center of the Nation Cattle Company of Newell, SD. Region 3 – which includes Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota – did not have a winner for 2011 because there were no applications from that region last year.

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Environment, Livestock, NCBA

Cattle Industry Guess Whose Boots?

Cindy Zimmerman

We haven’t played the Guess Whose Boots? game in a long time here on AgWired, but since I have been taking lots of photos of boots here at the Cattle Industry Convention, we decided it must be time.

I have been taking random boot photos but the owner of the boots in this picture is known to the AgWired audience – otherwise it wouldn’t be very fair, would it? To give you a couple of hints – it is a female and she has been a contributor to AgWired in the past.

Use the comment feature to guess and the winner will get an AgWired hat!

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Cattle Industry Conference

NCBA Presidential Segue

Cindy Zimmerman

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 pony-tailed Bill is most at home riding the range on horseback, J.D. prefers taking to the highway on a Harley. But the two have become fast friends over the past year serving together on behalf of all cattle producers.

“It was a proverbial whirlwind,” Bill says about his year as president. “I have traveled 120-some thousand miles and been gone about 250 days from home, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

Bill is happy to have served as president during a great year for the cattle industry, with good prices and record exports, and the passage of three new free trade agreements to help increase exports even more.

Listen to or download my interview with Bill here: NCBA president Bill Donald

J.D. is just as happy to be riding an optimistic industry wave in this year and he is excited. “It’s hard to fathom that we are seeing the lowest herd numbers in my lifetime and at the same time we’re seeing some of the best prices,” he said, noting that one of the challenges for the industry will be keeping demand up.

He says among the biggest issues that NCBA will be working on in 2012 is permanent death tax relief. “In our industry, we build up a business but we don’t ever sell out. We always try and turn it over to our next generation,” J.D. says. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t have a government tax situation that doesn’t make that possible.”

Listen to or download my interview with J.D. here: NCBA president-elect J.D. Alexander

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, NCBA

Media Reception Features Joey+Rory

Chuck Zimmerman

The Cattle Industry Summer Convention Media Reception had a special appearance this year. Joey+Rory performed for us and then stayed around to visit. They’re sponsored by Roper Boots and are pictured with Cindy and yours truly.

I visited with them briefly after they were done and learned just how much they love farming and beef! I also shot a video clip of their song, Cheater Cheater.

Listen to some farm and beef advocates here: Interview with Joey+Rory

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Cattlemen Want Livestock Out of Farm Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

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 that we’ve been working on for the last few years,” Kristina said during the NCBA Policy Division meeting at the Cattle Industry Convention this week. “Our membership felt pretty strongly that this portion should be removed entirely from the farm bill.” After discussions with agriculture committee leadership, Kristina says they do feel pretty confident that will be accomplished.

At the same time, Kristina says NCBA is advocating a strong conservation title with adequate funding.

Listen to or download Kristina’s update here: Kristina Butts - NCBA Legislative Affairs

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, NCBA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Jon M. “Mike” Garnett of Spearman, Texas, was re-elected on Jan. 26 to serve as chairman of The Farm Credit Council Board of Directors.
  • Farm Progress Companies has been selected by the Illinois Soybean Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association and South Dakota Soybean Association to publish their official magazines.
  • Alltech has promoted Patrick Charlton to the position of Vice President, Europe.
  • Church & Dwight Co., Inc. announced several upcoming organization changes within the company’s Specialty Products Division.
Zimfo Bytes

Important Year for NCBA PAC

Cindy Zimmerman

According to NCBA-PAC Chairman Phil Hardee of Alabama, the 2012 presidential election may very well be the most important election of our time.

“If we believe in less government, lower taxes and the free market system, we need to do all we can to maintain a conservative majority in the House and get a majority of conservatives in the Senate,” Phil said during an update of the NCBA Policy Division, noting that right now only about 5% of NCBA’s membership contributes to the organization’s political action committee. “In an ideal world, everyone would be chipping in to the PAC.”

The goal of NCBA is to raise $1 million per election cycle – every two years – and they need to step up donations to meet that goal this year. The live auction raised over $60,000 and the silent auction at the trade show will help as well, but a guy named Jack Daniels is also helping to put some money in the pot during the Cattle Industry Convention.

“For $100 donation you get a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey with an NCBA medallion on it,” Phil said. Cases of the special edition Jack Daniels and other special NCBA-branded whiskey items were also sold during the live auction.

Listen to or download Phil’s PAC update here: Phil Hardee, NCBA PAC Chairman

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA