The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 34, Issue No. 8 (AUGUST 2020)

CC C

arolina attle onnection AUGUST 2020 •

Vol. 34, Issue No. 8

Spotlight on

SIMMENTAL

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ONNECTION A Message from the CEO — Like a Rock…Since 1898, by Colin Woodall …... page 44 Agriculture and Agribusiness Contribute Record Setting $92.7B

to North Carolina’s Economy ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…......…..... page 40 AgriThority Launches New Website …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…..…..... page 46 Alltech News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…..…...... page 41 Amazing Grazing — Bits and Pieces of My COVID-19 Experience,

by Dr. Matt Poore …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..... page 16 American Angus Association News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 23 American Hereford Association News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 26 Animal Agriculture Alliance News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 31 Ashley’s Beef Corner — United We Steak, by Ashley W. Herring …............... page 14 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods …......................................... page 50 BioZyme Incorporated News ............................................................................... page 46 Boehringer Ingelheim News ….............................................................................. page 32 Carolina Cooking — Grilled Beef Tostadas …..................................................... page 49 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary ….......................................... page 37 CoBank News …....................................................................................................... page 34 Consider Pregnancy Testing Beef Cattle Early ….............................................. page 47 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture

— Thinking Out in Front, by E.B. Harris …........................................... page 20 Elanco Animal Health News ….............................................................................. page 36 Forage Myths Are Costly — Forage Quality Impacts Your Bottom Line ….. page 49 July 4th Meat Sales Produce Fireworks …............................................................. page 41 Make Plans to Attend Farm Journal Field Days …............................................. page 24 Merck Animal Health News …............................................................................... page 52 More Prime Beef, Softer Demand ….................................................................... page 38 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report ….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…...... page 48 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Myth of the Month …….….….….….... page 44 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ….….….….….….….….….….….….. page 52 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report,

by Marty Smith ….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….... page 43 National Institute for Animal Agriculture News …..….….….….….….….….….... page 46 New NCCA Members for 2020 ….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….....….. page 40 North Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices …….….….….….….…......... page 40 On the Edge of Common Sense — The Herd Sire, by Baxter Black …............ page 30 Performance Livestock Analytics News

— Remote Control Grazing Management, by Justin Sexten ….…..... page 50 Pinkeye Can Be Costly for Cattle Producers ….….….….….….….….….….….….... page 35 S.C. Beef Council News, by Roy Copelan ….….….….….….….….….….….….….…... page 38 South Carolina Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices ……..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 38 The 44 Farms International Beef Cattle Academy

Offers New Scholarships …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 46 Vytelle, GrowSafe Combine to Accelerate Bovine Biotechnology …............ page 51 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 18

SIMMENTAL The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker ..... page 10 Silver Springs Angus — And Simmental, Too!,

by Jennie Rucker ….. page 4 Steeple Creek Farm — A Strong Family Farm,

by Jennie Rucker ….. page 6 TX Enterprises — One Heck of a Team,

by Jennie Rucker ….. page 8 Women of ASA — Jennie Rucker, by Lilly Platts ….. page 3

North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association President JEREMY LEE 5153 Battle Run Drive • Catawba, NC 28609 Vice Presidents KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734 BURON LANIER 2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425 SCOTT WEST 489 Panacea Springs Road • Littleton, NC 27850 Immediate Past President MIKE COX P.O. 1317 • Elon, NC 27244 NCBA Policy Division Director - FRED SMITH, JR. NCBA Federation Division Director RALPH BLALOCK, JR. Beef Board Director - ROBERT CRABB Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON Directors At Large MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE

The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 34, No. 8 AUGUST 2020 Sales and Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Phone: 919-552-9111 or 919-552-9112 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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Manager, N.C.

STAFF

BRYAN BLINSON

Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL

Editor and Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT

Executive Director BRYAN K. BLINSON Assistant Editor and Proofreader 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

KIM BURDGE

N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information ASHLEY W. HERRING

N.C. Circulation

KIM BURDGE

Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE

S.C. Circulation

To Be Announced

South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director TRAVIS MITCHELL Phone: 864-803-1126 Email: twmitch@clemson.edu S.C. Beef Council ROY COPELAN Phone: 803-917-1119 Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov Website: www.sccattle.org Executive Committee President - Thomas Legare 1st Vice President - Roscoe Kyle Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Cecil Eaddy

William Brigman, Latta • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg Eddie Evans, Easley • Cecil Eaddy, Manning Thomas Legare, Johns Island • Richard Sox, Lexington Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Clay Alexander, Starr Timmy Benton, Walterboro • Michael Bailey, Lancaster Dale Wilson, Abbeville • Thomas Jones, Marion Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Jack Ferguson, York Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews

Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All submissions becom property of The Carolina Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to return items such as photographs and artwork as requested.

The Carolina Cattle Connection, the official publication of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association is published monthly by the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

A complementary subscription is included with membership to each state’s association. Nonmember subscriptions are $25 per year.

All address changes for NCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.

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Our

breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to r e ac h p r o d u c e r s a n d cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the S outheast . A dvertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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Spotlight on

SIMMENTAL

Section f

Women of ASA — Jennie Rucker

By LILLY PLATTS American Simmental Association NCSA Executive Secretary Jennie Rucker is one of many influential women in the Simmental community.

Jennie Rucker has served as the North Carolina Simmental Association’s (NCSA) Executive Secretary for 26 years, seeing the organization and group through decades of success and challenge. She is a lifelong advocate for the Simmental breed and has helped facilitate numerous events, sales, and youth programs over the years.

The South Carolina native first became involved with the breed during her studies at Clemson University. “I majored in animal science and also met my future husband, Phil Rucker, there.

Phil came from a Charolais farm and with him, I learned about exhibiting cattle and the purebred cattle business.

I also worked for Dr. Carl Thompson at Clemson and through him, I learned about the Simmental breed since he also raised them (and still does!). I was on the Clemson Livestock Judging Team in 1983 and really enjoyed seeing good cattle operations as the team traveled and practiced at many places.”

She and Phil moved throughout the south, working various jobs in agriculture before settling back in North Carolina on a Hereford operation. Here, they began a family, and Rucker was approached about

leading the NCSA. “After my second child was born, a Simmental breeder asked if I would be interested in working for the N.C. Simmental Association. This was a part time job that I could do at home without leaving my kids.”

The family was also able to start their own herd of cows. “Phil and I were able to purchase our own Simmental cattle after he went to work for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and raise our herd with the Rucker Family Farm (RFF) prefix. We have had some great times in the breed with all four of our children showing Simmental cattle and even managed to have some grand champions at the State Fair, which was definitely a high point for us. Our oldest daughter, Erin, also had the third top purebred Simmental heifer at the 2007 AJSA Eastern Regional, which definitely is a great memory for us. Now, since most of our children are grown, we don’t show cattle anymore but have had success by sending our bulls to the state bull test stations where they have been some of the top gaining bulls.”

Through the NCSA, Rucker has helped host and co-hosted two AJSA Regional Classics, been a part of one of the longest running state consignment sales, Fall Harvest, and much more. She has also seen the Association through

some difficult times. “Our North Carolina Simmental Association has been through some very good times but also some very hard times as most organizations invariably do over time. We were once in bad shape financially but our fellow Simmental producer, Jim Hunt, and his wife, Carolyn, stepped up to help our organization in a way that only he could. He just happened to be Governor at the time and came up with the idea that he would hold a fundraiser at the Governor’s Mansion to raise money for our organization and establish a junior Simmental scholarship.”

Jennie, Rae, Christy, Phil, and Erin Rucker after winning Premier Simmental Exhibitor at the Dixie Classic Fair.

Rucker is also thankful for the community the Simmental breed has brought into her life. “In my job as Executive Secretary, I have been very lucky to come to know Dr. Jerry Lipsey, Paulette Cochenour, Nancy Chesterfield, Doug and Debbie Parke, Gordon Hodges, Jim and Carolyn Hunt, and so many other great Simmental producers from our state and also the surrounding states. In my job every year, I also get to go to a producer’s farm and interview them to write an

article for our Simmental spotlight issue of The Carolina Cattle Connection. This is one of the favorite parts of my job, as I love to visit cattle people and I also love to write! I would like to give a lot of credit to our sale manager, Doug Parke, and his family for really helping us to turn our sale into one that is well-respected and people really look forward to both consigning to our sale and to buying quality genetics from our sale.”

Advocating for the larger beef industry is also important to Rucker.

“We need to work together to promote that beef is a safe, healthy option and our cattle are very well cared for. One thing our children learned very quickly on the show road was that the cattle get fed and cared for before the family did. Our children grew up eating the cattle that we raised and knowing that was just a part of life. I am very proud to say that all four of my children, Erin, Rae, Jacob, and Christy, do their own part in talking with their peers about the beef industry and explaining the facts since so many of their friends know nothing about farm life or how our food is raised and grown. I also teach second graders every year about beef cattle during the Farm Animal Days of Yadkin and Davie County.”

She encourages those interested in updates on the NCSA to like their Facebook page or call her at their office.

“I am very blessed to be able to have my job as NCSA Executive Secretary and I hope to be able to continue this job as long as I am able.”

Reprinted with permission from The Register

Regular copy deadline is AUGUST 5 for the SEPTEMBER issue

Jennie Rucker mans the N.C. Simmental Association booth at the N.C. Cattlemen’s Conference.

Spotlight material is due AUGUST 1 for the SEPTEMBER issue The Carolina Cattle Connection

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Silver Springs Angus — And Simmental, Too!

By JENNIE RUCKER Erin Beth Pinkston loves to watch cattle graze, and all her favorites are in the pastures near the home she shares with her husband, Preston, and sons Preston, Jr., 13, Isaac, 10, and Jace, 7, in Norwood. Preston and Erin Beth built their home on 30 acres of generational land in 2012 and then began raising Angus cattle. Dr. Jeff Broadaway was their veterinarian and friend, and he talked them into trying Simmental cattle.

Some of the first Simmental they bought were some SimAngus from Blue Q Ranch.

They worked well in their herd, so they continued to purchase Simmental genetics.

They really appreciate the Simmental producers they have met. “They are so nice and accepting of everyone and don’t seem to be cliquish,” states Erin Beth.

Erin Beth serves as a director for the N.C. Simmental Association and they have been consignors to the Fall Harvest Sale for years. This year they intend to consign a Kenco Miley Cottontail daughter, which will be bred to Mo Better. They purchased her from Fenton Farms Simmentals in Missouri. In 2018 they purchased a top selling lot at the Fall Harvest Sale consigned by Steeple Creek Farms that was an embryo daughter out of SFI/MidAm Classy Lady. This heifer has now just weaned her first calf and did an amazing job and bred back. This heifer has quite a bit of white on her, but that doesn’t bother the Pinkstons at all. “I like it when they aren’t all black,” says Erin Beth.

Their most recent purchases include a red half blood from Edenhurst Farm in

Another solid female that just weaned a heavy calf and kept in good shape for the Pinkstons.

Virginia and a ¾ blood sired by Remington Lock N Load 54U. But the one that really stands out on the farm is a Fleckvieh heifer, FSS Kennedy sired by FSS Maximus that is red and white “flowered” like the old style Simmental. Erin Beth says her color is one reason they bought her. This heifer has already had her Fleckvieh bull calf and is pouring the milk to him, and he is growing! Erin Beth plans to breed her back to a black Fleckvieh bull, OCC Blaze Jetfleck 279Z. One of the owners of this bull is Derek Goddard of West Jefferson, North Carolina. The Pinkstons believe in supporting local producers, and although they will go to other states to purchase cattle, they still like to purchase from local North Carolina producers such as Bruce Cuddy, Bruce Shankle, and Jeff Broadaway and, of course, other consignors to the NCSA Fall Harvest Sale.

Erin Beth laughs as she says that one of their problems when they attend a big sale is, “Preston really likes to buy donor cows, which can get expensive.”

Erin Beth and Preston Pinkston enjoy raising Simmental cattle.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

They bought their first donor cow, an Express Ranch Angus, at a much lower price than her original selling price of $50,000. This cow has some age on her now, but they still flush her and usually to Simmental bulls. They were so successful with their embryo program last year that they decided to hold off on flushing for two years and to try to get the donor cows back into synch with the rest of the herd. Preston does the A.I. work on their cows, and they usually synchronize with C-IDRs. Their embryo work is done by Dr. Randall Hinshaw with Ashby Genetics out of Harrisonburg, Virginia. They expect to put more embryos in this fall. When they are breeding cattle, Erin Beth says that they like to breed the purebred Simmental to Simmental bulls, and they breed the Angus cows to Simmental bulls for their SimAngus genetics. Some of the bulls they are flushing to include Mo Better and Remington Lock N Load.

home, they pay Mitchell Scheer to care for their cattle. “He is meticulous in his work, so I know our cattle are well taken care of,” says Erin Beth.

The 100 acres they purchased had a lot of trees on it, so they are clearing the acreage themselves, and it is slow going.

They are also taking this time to give their pastures at home a break and taking time to reseed it while their cattle are grazing at Blue Q. They are trying to get their cattle’s calving seasons all in synch, too.

They like to calve from the end of August to November. As they will be putting in embryos this fall, they like to do that twice, once in November and then the first of January. The clean up bulls go in with the recips after that.

Their cattle graze all summer, but in the winter they are fed hay and corn silage.

In some of the smaller pastures they feed haylage. Neither Preston nor Erin Beth have the time to do their own hay or silage, so they were actually buying it from Blue Q in the past. This time, the cattle are right where they need to be so the Pinkstons don’t have to pay to have it hauled to Norwood. It’s a win-win situation for all.

This is the Miley Cottontail daughter that will be consigned to the Fall Harvest Sale on September 5.

Not long ago, the Pinkstons went through a difficult time when two different pastures they were leasing became unavailable to them. They had too many cattle and needed a place to go with them.

They sold some through the Stanley Select Sale and some at the Gordon Brothers Dispersal but still needed more pasture.

Their friends Kerry Collins and Mitchell Scheer of Blue Q Ranch just happened to be going through a major herd reduction at that time. They purchased 100 acres from Kerry and also were able to lease the pastures that were opening up at Blue Q. “We were really thrown for a loop when we lost the lease on the land but Kerry helped us out so much, and we really appreciate his help,” says Erin Beth.

Since Blue Q is 45 minutes from their

Have you forgotten something?

Make sure your cattlemen friends are members of your state association!

e Special

These two heifers were recently purchased by Erin Beth and Preston Pinkston.

The Pinkstons would love to make a living from their cattle, but since that isn’t happening, they run the family business, which is lawn mowers. “The lawn mowers feed the cows,” says Erin Beth with a smile. Pinkston’s, Inc. is a lawn mower dealer that was started by Preston’s grandfather in 1955 in Wadesboro.

Preston’s father eventually bought his grandfather out, and Preston and Erin Beth purchased the dealership in 2014. It is more than a full time job, working six days a week during their busy seasons, which is spring and summer. Their business has been especially good during the quarantine, as more people were home and wanted new lawn equipment, apparently. They both say it has been hard finding workers who want to work and not just receive “unemployment” wages due to this pandemic. Regardless of the long hours, both Preston and Erin Beth work extremely hard at Pinkstons and enjoy their cattle when they can. The brands they carry at their shop are Hustler, Graveley, Walker, and Toro.

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The dream of Erin Beth and Preston is to work with their cows full time because they both love the cattle. Maybe in the future, when the kids are older, one of them will take over Pinkstons, Inc., and then they can spend all day on the farm.

Their boys really enjoy riding dirt bikes and spending time at the lake, but they also really love animals. In the pastures at their home in Norwood, there are donkeys, goats, some pet pigs, and a zebra. Yes, you read correctly, a zebra. Last fall, their friend Colton Morris, who runs Circle M Livestock & Hauling, was selling a zebra at one of the horse sales in Troutman.

Their son, Preston, really wanted that zebra, so they went to the sale. “We got there at 4:30 and the zebra wasn’t sold until 9:30 but Preston told us we weren’t leaving without that zebra,” says Preston.

So now, a zebra grazes right alongside the cattle. “She’s really a sweet girl, but she does nip a little,” says Erin Beth.

Through their cattle, the Pinkstons have become friends with some really great people, and they are thankful to everyone who has helped them, like Kerry Collins and Mitchell Scheer. The late Steve Gordon also helped with their breeding when they were out of town and needed some cattle bred. They said that Dr. Parker and all his staff at Rocky River Large Animal Vet have always gone above and beyond when they needed their services.

Dr. Jeff Broadaway has become a really good friend and also a trusted advisor.

“Jeff always tells me the truth about cattle.

If we are at a sale and I have my eye on a certain lot, Jeff will tell me whether it

Section f

This is the zebra that grazes the pasture with the cows and is a family pet.

would make a good one or not. He always tells me the truth and I appreciate that,” says Preston. The only time he didn’t take Jeff’s advice was when Jeff told him not to buy the zebra. “But we had to get that zebra for Preston,” laughs Erin Beth.

Preston and Erin Beth have stepped

up this year and donated from Pinkstons, Inc., the item for the annual N.C. Simmental Association raffle. This year it will be a Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss Chain Saw. Preston says that it is the best saw around, and they almost cannot keep it in stock since it is so popular. This raffle will be held at the annual meeting of the N.C. Simmental Association on September 4 at Shuffler Sale Facility, the day before the Fall Harvest Sale.

The Simmental aspect of the Silver Springs herd is growing, and the Pinkstons plan to continue to develop that part of their herd. They now have 80 mamma cows, and probably 75 percent of them are registered.

A good many of those are registered half bloods. If you are interested in some good quality SimAngus or want more information on their Fall Harvest Sale consignment, please give Erin Beth or Preston a call at 704-985-3713. They can also set you up with a really great lawn mower, too!

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This daughter of FSS Maximus and her bull calf really stand out in the Pinkston herd because of their old style color pattern.

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Section f

Steeple Creek Farm — A Strong Family Farm

By JENNIE RUCKER The Smith family of Pleasant Garden, N.C., is building a strong Simmental and SimAngus herd on land that has been in the family four generations. The land has always had cattle grazing in the pastures, but, over the years, there have been many other farming ventures, including chicken processing, growing produce, and raising hogs and horses. It is still a family operation which includes Craig and his father, Jim Smith, along with Craig’s wife, Elaine, and their children Cara, 21, and Thomas, 19.

Cara and Thomas brought the farm into the spotlight when they began showing cattle and winning with those cattle. They started out in the show ring in 2011 at the Central Piedmont Junior Livestock Show exhibiting cattle and goats through 4-H. After their second year showing, they chose to stick with just showing cattle.

They sold all their goats and concentrated on building their purebred cattle herd.

The first registered cattle they purchased were some Angus heifers from Bruce Shankle in 2011. These cows are still in the herd and producing well. After much family deliberation, they decided adding Simmental genetics would be a beneficial next step to improve both their purebred and commercial herds. In 2013 Cara purchased two SimAngus heifers from Blue Q in Troy. Cara had much success with the heifers in the show ring, and they have worked well in production for the Smiths.

To start their purebred Simmental herd, the family wanted to find some different genetics than what was available

in this area. Cara found a post on Facebook for the Schaake Farm Heritage Sale. In November 2014, they purchased SFI/ MID-AM Classy Lady sired by SFI Classic Z251. Since that time, they have returned to buy other heifers from this annual sale.

SFI Miss Flick N Tick, a heifer that won grand champion many times for Cara and also cow/calf pair, is one of their most successful purchases. They also purchased

Thomas and TX Mercy Me, his favorite cow.

an MR CCRF Vision son, SFI Perception E11Z, that they use as a clean up bull.

Not to be left out in the Simmental area, Thomas bought his first Simmental heifer in 2015, TX Mercy Me, from TX Enterprises in Wallburg. She gave Thomas winning banners almost everywhere he showed her. She was often grand or reserve champion heifer at the state level and was second or third in class at the AJSA Regionals that they attended. TX Mercy Me and her bull calf, SC5 Mad Max E09,

The Smith family, Thomas, Craig, Jim, Cara, and Elaine.

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won reserve champion purebred cow/calf pair at the National Classic in 2018, and Mad Max also won fourth overall bredand-owned purebred bull at the same Nationals. TX Mercy Me is still probably Thomas’s favorite cow in the herd.

Both of the Smith kids were involved in the Farm Credit Showmanship Circuit, which was popular in their area. They showed in that circuit until they aged out at 19. They both have great memories of traveling to different counties every Saturday for a day show. They both say they learned so much from these shows but also cherish all the friendships they made with the other show families. Cara felt that, “We may not always have the best cattle, but we can always work hard at showmanship.” Their hard work paid off because Cara won the showmanship crcuit three times, and Thomas won it once. They were also competitive at the state level.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

Cara Smith is very active since she serves as the first AJSA Trustee from North Carolina.

At the 2014 N.C. State Fair, Cara was awarded reserve intermediate showman, was reserve senior showman in 2018, and last year was grand senior plus showman. Thomas has also done well in showmanship, winning grand senior showman at the 2019 N.C. Junior Beef Round-Up and was reserve intermediate showman at the 2016 N.C. State Fair.

Their showmanship success has not been limited to this state. Last year at the National Junior Angus Show in Kentucky, Cara placed third in showmanship in the nation! This is a huge feat because you are only able to compete in showmanship once

in your junior Angus career, and they only allow two youth per state to compete. Cara also placed eleventh overall senior, and Thomas placed sixteenth overall senior at the AJSA National Classic last year.

Thomas and Cara Smith weigh the newest calf.

Cara’s interest in Simmental cattle has allowed her to become the first American Junior Simmental Association Trustee from the state of North Carolina. Last year, Cara decided to apply for this position, which is an elected position that is voted upon at the Regionals. The new Trustees are announced at the AJSA National Classic, and Cara was so excited when her name was announced last summer in Louisville! She will serve a two year term, and unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her first year serving has been turned upside down with the Regionals being cancelled. She was able to begin fulfilling her duties last fall in Louisville when she helped the NAILE staff check in cattle. She also worked the ring for the purebred, percentage, and Simbrah shows and also helped out at the two Simmental sales that are held in Louisville. The venue for the National Classic has been changed (due to the pandemic) from Nebraska to Brookings, South Dakota, but Cara is looking forward to working with the other Trustees at one of the largest National Classics in years. There have been 845 head of cattle entered, and 450 exhibitors plan to be at the show in July.

Most of Craig and Elaine’s vacation days are spent with Cara and Thomas at regional and national cattle shows. Craig and Elaine both work for the City

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of Greensboro. They have been with the kids to shows in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, and, of course, Kentucky last year. They showed in back-to-back Angus and Simmental Nationals in one trip. They have made many friends in both breeds all across the United States.

One thing that the Smiths have done is try to show their appreciation to sponsors of youth shows. Each year at the N.C. State Fair, Cara and Thomas would show steers and earned money from the truckload sponsors. The Smiths were grateful for the support and felt like a good way to thank these sponsors was to support their businesses and farms, which they have tried to do over the years.

One year, the Smiths had so many cattle in their show string that Thomas says with a smile, “We filled up an entire row at the State Fair with 19 head.” Elaine says, “It was a good experience but I wouldn’t want to do it every year.” Both Cara and Thomas do most of the work and have purchased all their show cattle from premiums they earned from the previous year. They also work with their parents to put up all the hay needed for their cattle.

At the time of this interview, they had already made 1,000 round bales and put up 500 square bales. What square bales they don’t use at the shows are ground up to use in the stocker feed that consists of corn gluten, soy hulls, and a 16% CBC feed.

Thomas really likes growing the stockers and hopes to do more of that in his future.

As their registered herd grew, they wanted to use more of the genetically superior cattle, so they began embryo work in 2017. Right now, they have three of the

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Schaake Farm Simmentals and one Bruce Shankle Angus in their donor program.

Dr. Brent Scarlett does their embryo work.

They flushed SFI/MID-AM Classy Lady to T.L. Bottomline and were very pleased with the resulting five heifers and one bull.

They offered a choice of heifers at the N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale in 2018, and this sale offering was one of the top selling lots.

Cara does the majority of the paperwork, recording breeding and calving information, and taking care of all the registrations. When it comes time to make breeding choices, they all sit around the table as a family and decide which bull to use on each cow. This is a true family business as they all participate in every aspect as much as possible. Jim is at the farm every day, maintaining pastures, working on equipment, and doing whatever needs to be done. Even though Jim has been able to watch the Regional and National Shows online, Craig says they would love for him to be able to attend a Junior National one day. Jim is always the one left at home to take care of the farm while they are gone.

The Steeple Creek Farm herd numbers around 100 head, with 30 commercial cattle and the others registered either Angus, Simmental, or SimAngus. Thomas prefers ¾ Simmental and ¼ Angus, while Cara really likes the purebred Simmental.

They plan to increase the number of Simmental in their herd. For more information on visiting with this hard working farm family, give them a call at 336-451-4467. They would love to show you how their cattle work just as hard in the pasture as they do in the show ring!

Cara Smith and her reserve champion cow/calf pair with SFI Miss Flick N Tick at the 2019 AJSA Eastern Regionals.

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e Special

Spotlight on

SIMMENTAL

Section f

TX Enterprises — One Heck of a Team

By JENNIE RUCKER Charlie Thomas has been farming the same land his entire life, but when he married Amy Campbell from Virginia in 1999, she brought her own ideas and ways of doing things, so together, they have created a well known and well respected Simmental operation. Their farm is south of Winston-Salem on Gumtree Road, actually in Davidson County. This has become a highly traveled road because so many people use it as a shortcut to other places. “We try our best to be good animal advocates and sometimes have to make some tough decisions just because our cattle are so visible to people driving by,” says Amy. She has even figured out that many people like to honk their horns daily as they drive by. “It’s their way of saying hi to the cows,” she says.

Charlie and Amy Thomas of TX Enterprises.

Well, their way of management and the care they take of their cattle have earned them accolades, both in the show ring and among producers across the southeast.

The Thomases have exhibited the supreme overall female once at the N.C. State Fair with TX Rhianna, a purebred Simmental and have had supreme overall bull with TX Justified, a percentage Simmental, and reserve supreme overall bull with TX Crossfire, another percentage Simmental.

They had a large show string planned for this year, but the pandemic has caused their plans to change. They are taking cattle to the Simmental Breeders Sweepstakes for the very first time. This year it is being held in Lebanon, Indiana, and they are taking TX Edge of Glory, a red W/C Executive Order daughter that did so well for them last year and looks even better as a bred heifer this year. They also hope to take TX Nightingale, a black W/C Relentless

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daughter out of their donor cow, STF Adamant AS45.

The embryo transfer program at TX Enterprises is top notch, with many of their donor cows being cattle they have raised. STF Adamant AS45 is one they did purchase from Silver Towne Farms in Indiana, and she was sold last year as a donor cow at the Fall Harvest Sale to Kevin and Rachel Barron of Kentucky and was the top selling lot at last year’s sale for $3,700. Charlie says, “Embryo transfer and buying eggs from proven donor cows got our registered herd farther and quicker than anything else we have done.”

Their next donor cow will probably be TX Edge of Glory. They tried to purchase her dam, BWL Tinley 933D, but could not get that done, so they have purchased some eggs out of her instead.

This year they plan to consign some bred cows to the N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale. Charlie is currently serving as President, and Amy has served as the Junior Advisor for many years.

The N.C. Junior Association is small, and Amy wishes it could become more active, but it is so hard to get kids to gather for a meeting unless it is tied in with another event. Both Charlie and Amy have helped many kids walk into the show ring by lending them TX heifers to show. They hope to have some heifers at the N.C. Junior Beef Round-Up in August.

Amy started showing cattle at the

age of 11, but Charlie didn’t start until he was 21. They both truly enjoy it, and much of Amy’s day still involves halter breaking and working with cattle for the possibility of future shows. Amy always starts out slow, haltering and then tying cattle in the barn overnight. She believes in feeding them on halter. “I want them to associate the halter with good things happening to them,” she says. If they eat from the feed pan on halter, then she turns them loose. The next day she halters them again and feeds them. Then she works on leading them a little bit to feed or to water. She works them over and over again, always feeding them on halter.

This method usually works well as most of the TX heifers are awesome heifers for showmanship, standing quietly in the show ring.

Once the heifers are older and wiser about the show life, that is when they sometimes get lazy and stubborn. Amy and Charlie have an answer to that problem also. They raise stock dogs, and just one command gets the current dog to nip at the big heifer’s heels to prod them into walking wherever Amy or Charlie wants them to go. Since Amy is usually working these cattle by herself, the dog is another indispensable helper. Charlie says that one time he was by himself in Louisville, and he was leading a heifer in each hand along with their paperwork to check them in. One of the heifers invariably balked,

This is a TX Rhianna daughter out of Cadillac with her Red Answer heifer calf.

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and Charlie just gave a quick command to his dog, Suede, and no more stubborn heifer. Charlie says when people saw how efficient Suede was at helping, he said they had a list of people wanting to buy the next puppies out of her. Charlie says, “That dog was priceless.” The combination stock dog they prefer is an Australian Shepherd/ Heeler cross.

Charlie and Amy Thomas with TX Edge of Glory in Louisville last year.

The TX herd calves from September until April with a small gap in December.

Of course, this helps with the different ages for showing, but the main reason for this long calving season is to keep the feedlot full of steers finishing at different times all year long. “There have been steers in that feedlot for as long as I can remember,” says Charlie. Since his father bought the land in 1945, that feedlot has been finishing steers for quite a long time.

They usually kill around 25-30 a year, and most are sold by hanging weight on the rail. They do have a meat handler’s license, but most customers just pick the beef up at the abattoir. This pandemic has caused the local slaughterhouses to book up, but luckily Charlie had kill dates set for August and September already, but then his next one isn’t until January of 2021. Charlie went ahead and booked dates to kill two steers a month for the whole of 2021 so he will have somewhere to market his finished steers. “I just put a notice on Facebook about selling beef and within seven days I had sold seven steers and they have all been killed and placed with these new customers,” says Charlie.

Charlie grows all the feed that is used in the feedlot since he grows 125 acres of corn and 125 acres of small grain. In

e Special addition to farming, Charlie also works as a seed salesman for Seed Consultants, mainly selling corn and soybean seed, where he works off commission. Amy works part time for a monument company in Kernersville, where she does the bookkeeping and works with the computer software for the business. Amy keeps the records for TX Enterprises on a cattle software system called CattleMax that they have used for about a year now.

She highly recommends this software. It can be based on either a commercial or a registered herd and you are charged by the number of head of cattle you have.

“When we started using this software, it was a real eye opener for Charlie about the number of cattle we actually had,” says Amy. “This has been the best thing I’ve seen for keeping records.” Both of them can keep up with necessary information on their phones with this software. It even has a file where they can keep up with their semen inventory and also their inventory of embryos. They put in about 25 embryos a year.

The total tally of their cattle numbers were about 225 total head, with 125 of them being mamma cows and the rest being the feedlot steers, heifers, and calves.

Probably half of that number is registered Simmental, some being purebred, but also many are percentage Simmental. “In our crossbred herd, we like to put Red Angus on our cattle and then with the resulting cattle, we will breed to Simmental to keep them half bloods or ¾ or ⅝ cross Simmental,” says Charlie. “We still like the red Simmental and still breed many of them red.”

The three main points that Charlie looks at when he selects a bull or a cow are calving ease, growth, and the Look.

The Look is very important in the show

Spotlight on

SIMMENTAL

ring, and one thing Charlie heard a judge say, and he has found it to be true, is that the higher an animal’s neck comes out of their shoulder, the freer moving they are.

When he mates bulls to his cows, he really doesn’t worry about calving ease. “There really is no calving problem anymore. You need to challenge your cows a little,” says

Section f

bred while they are still on the side of their dams. They tag bull calves with blue ear tags and heifers with white tags. They put the month and the year calved along with sire and dam on their ear tags.

Charlie and Amy are big believers in steering most bull calves. “We probably only keep five percent of our bull calves as bulls. I’m looking for a reason to put a band on bull calves,” says Amy. “The bulls we keep are bulls that we wouldn’t

mind using ourselves.” They usually keep around four to five breeding age bulls.

Hopefully, the Thomas cattle will get to walk around a show ring somewhere this fall. They will be offering some of their genetics at the Fall Harvest Sale on September 5 in Union Grove, and they always have cattle for sale. For more information on TX Enterprises, give Charlie a call at 336-575-5461 and follow them at TX Enterprises on Facebook.

BE A WINNER!

This bull is a Rushmore X Red Jewel bloodline.

Charlie.

“We also select by the cow power behind the bull,” says Amy. They have found that if you like what the cow is on the bull side, then you will like his calves. They believe the bull’s maternal background plays a huge part in their bull selection. They have only used one bull where they haven’t paid attention to his dam, and that was Leachman Cadillac, a red SimAngus bull. “He is an outcross to everything we have and his calves have been consistent and they get up and grow!” says Charlie. He says they are so consistent you can pick those calves out, and you can even breed him to heifers, and they will calve easy and then grow!

One of their management practices that works for them is they wean the calves off the first calf heifers at five months of age so those heifers won’t fall off so much during that hard time of their life.

They also wean the heifer calves earlier than bull calves to ensure they won’t get

Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state or regional breed association.

This is the new barn built by the Amish and finished by the dividing panels and feed gates welded

by Charlie.

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THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association NCSA Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the North Carolina Simmental Association will be held on September 4 at 6:00 p.m. at Shuffler Sale Facility in Union Grove. We will be serving a beef dinner for only $10 a plate. Everyone is welcome to attend. You can come early and view the cattle for the Fall Harvest Sale, then stay for the dinner and meeting.

We will hold a short business meeting, then we really have fun.

This year we are holding a raffle for a Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss Chain Saw. This is a very popular model of chain saw that all the farmers want! Erin Beth and Preston Pinkston of Pinkston’s Lawn Mower in Wadesboro, N.C., are donating this chain saw, so this is a chance to really help out the N.C. Simmental Association and Junior Association! Your chance to own this chain saw is only a $2 raffle ticket or buy three chances for $5. You can contact any N.C. Simmental Association member or send a check for any amount

of tickets to N.C. Simmental Association, 1341 Highway 21, Hamptonville, NC 27020. You do not have to be present to win this great chain saw. We will make sure that the winner receives their chain saw.

We also have our famous fundraising auction. Members bring items to donate to this auction, which helps build up our general treasury and the Jim Graham Scholarship Fund. Many great things have been sold in the past, including chickens, puppies, baskets full of handmade goodies, quilts, feed, minerals, and the list could go on and on. There will also be some great homemade cakes for your bidding (and eating!) pleasure. Teresa Swisher of Crescent Angus usually donates one of her wonderful cakes, usually the much requested German Chocolate Cake. It is worth the visit to our annual meeting just to see what cakes are available!

It is always a lot of fun to see what everyone brings and what sells for the

N.C. Simmental Association 1341 US Hwy 21 • Hamptonville, NC 27020 336-468-1679 • www.ncsimmental.com • NCSA@yadtel.net Like us on Facebook!

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most money. Following the auction, we will draw for the winners of the raffle. We will also auction off the back cover ad of the next year’s Simmental Directory and the full page ad in the inside back cover of next year’s Fall Harvest Sale catalog.

Make plans to attend this annual meeting.

Both members and interested people can attend.

NCSA Fall Harvest Sale. This year’s Fall Harvest Sale looks like it will be an excellent opportunity to purchase some quality females and bulls. There should be 70 lots of purebred Simmental and SimAngus cattle. Many of our regular consignors will be showcasing their best, such as Shuffler Farms Simmentals, JBB Simmentals, the Fred Smith Company Ranch, Silver Springs Angus, and TX Enterprises.

We will also have some great out-ofstate consignors such as Smith Reasor, Virginia Tech, and Katie’s Simmentals of Virginia. Jim and Betty Bosley of Buena Vista Simmentals in West Virginia are bringing excellent females, as usual. We will also have several embryo lots from some of the country’s top Simmental producers.

The sale will be held on September 6 at 12:00 noon at Shuffler Sale Facility at 444 Union Grove Road, Union Grove, North Carolina. The N.C. Junior Simmental Association will be selling ribeye steak

sandwiches, hamburgers, and hot dogs for lunch. Due to the COVID-19, there is a chance that the sale will be entirely online at www.DPonlinesales.com. If this happens, please check our Facebook page, the N.C. Cattlemen’s e-blast, and other places where we will try to notify the public. A small group of people can be inside the sale facility, and we can practice social distancing and still have a sale.

For more information on this sale, please visit our Facebook page at N.C. Simmental or call 336-468-1679 for a sale catalog. You can also send an email to ncsa@yadtel.net to request a sale catalog.

Make plans to be there! You can also visit the D.P. Sales Management website at www.parkelivestock.com for information on how to bid on the great cattle in this sale.

NOTICE

Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input.

HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication.

American Simmental Association 1 Genetics Way • Bozeman, MT 59718 406-587-4531 • www.simmental.org

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Ashley’s Beef Corner

T

United We Steak

By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Just before the most popular grilling holiday of the year, July 4, the summer grilling campaign from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner was launched. With a headline of United We Steak, the Independence Day holiday was the perfect backdrop to tie into a country united around the grill, enjoying America’s favorite protein.

United We Steak is the cornerstone of our summer grilling promotion and leverages the uniqueness of each state along with showcasing the importance of beef to each. The campaign comes to life at www.UnitedWeSteak.com with an interactive map of the United States made from 50 hand cut, state shaped steaks. In addition to featuring individual beef recipes for each state, www.UnitedWeSteak.com features a beef producer from every state.

The state and U.S. shaped steaks will also be featured in national advertisements, including still images and videos that will be shared on digital and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. A new series of United We Steak videos will also be running on video platforms, including YouTube and Connected TV, such as Hulu, in an effort to inspire Americans to grill up their favorite beef meal no matter where they live.

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United We Steak will run from now through Labor Day to make sure that beef is the protein of choice for consumers during this grilling season.

For North Carolina, our state website on BIWFD features a great recipe called Sunrise Beef Steak which incorporates sweet potatoes with Flat Iron Steak that I’ll share here: 1 beef Flat Iron Steak (about 1 pound) ¾ cup water, divided ⅓ cup ginger preserves or mango chutney 2 tablespoons rice vinegar ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 cups 2% reduced fat milk ½ cup cornmeal 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes ½ teaspoon salt 6 cups arugula leaves 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine ½ cup water, ginger preserves, vinegar, and red pepper in a small non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer.

Cook 8-10 minutes until sauce is thick and syrupy or reduced to ¼ cup. Keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place beef Flat Iron Steak in skillet; cook 10-14 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.

Remove steaks; keep warm.

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Cook’s Tip: To grill, place steak on grid over medium ash covered coals. Grill, covered, 10-14 minutes (over medium heat on a preheated gas grill, covered 12-16 minutes (for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk and remaining ¼ cup water over medium-high heat to a boil. Add cornmeal, whisking constantly until it starts to thicken.

Reduce heat to low; whisk in sweet potato and salt. Continue cooking 5 minutes or until cornmeal grains are soft throughout, whisking frequently. Keep warm.

Cook’s Tip: You may substitute mashed canned yams for mashed sweet potatoes.

Toss arugula with olive oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper as desired. Divide arugula among four plates. Place cornmeal mixture next to arugula. Carve steak into ½ inch thick slices. Arrange beef slices on arugula.

Garnish with ginger preserves mixture.

Also on the North Carolina landing page is a farm family feature to help consumers become more familiar with those who raise our food. Jason and Natalie Farmer of Louisburg are featured as they are a great example of sharing their love of cattle with the next generation. You can see the webpage by visiting www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/ united-we-steak/north-carolina.

Another way that the Beef Checkoff is reaching nutrition professionals is through virtual “MEAT-UPS,” which are virtual nutrition meetings.

Over the last few weeks, NCBA, as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hosted a series of four virtual “Meat-Ups” with leading nutrition thought leaders and researchers to strengthen existing relationships and discuss how COVID-19 is impacting the future trends in nutrition science, education, and communications.

Nutrition influencers, media experts, and academic researchers offered insights ranging from emerging nutrition trends to new methods for conducting virtual

human clinical research trials.

If you recall the National Hamburger Day, which took place in late May, there was also a neat promotion alongside that

gave us great results. Chef Lamar Moore highlighted the celebration of Americans’ love of burgers. A burger cooking demo with Chef Lamar Moore was shared on www.GoodMorningAmerica.com. In the lesson, Chef Lamar proudly wore a Beef.

It’s What’s For Dinner. apron and showed how to make a restaurant quality burger at home. The video was shared across all Good Morning America social media platforms as well as on the ABC News Website and Yahoo!. In total, the video was posted 11 times to websites and social media channels with a combined reach of 477 million.

I hope that you are all having a great summer of grilling and stay safe!

Don’t get caught napping!

Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!

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By DR. MATT POORE N.C. State University

Bits and Pieces of My COVID-19 Experience The year 2020 will go down as the year everything changed for so many of us. It seems like a long time ago now that what started as news of a new viral disease in China, COVID-19, quickly turned into a pandemic with the cancellation of all in-person events, the suspension of university research, teaching and extension activities, and general stay at home orders. For many citizens, most activities completely stopped, but for me, as the operator of a farm, I was exempt, and could still travel to the farm. We also received a research exemption to continue some of our research projects at the outlying research stations.

My spouse Jeannette Moore and I ended moving to our retirement home we recently bought near Roxboro and only 20 minutes from the farm at Virgilina, Virginia. We had planned to do that about 2024, but we both felt safer away from the city. For the first time in 30 years, I suddenly had the opportunity to live my childhood dream and be a full time farmer. No longer did I have the excuse of being too busy to get things done right at the farm. During these hot days of summer, I have been spending my mornings and late evenings at the farm, and the afternoons doing my NCSU job. This has allowed me to really take the time to troubleshoot my fences, so

our power is the highest it has been in a long time. Also, I am moving my grass finishers twice a day to high quality summer annuals, and the cow groups daily or every other day.

I have rediscovered many of my skills for laying out temporary fencing systems, and have also had time to be creative with some new techniques, and to document many demonstrations of different management approaches. The following are some of the things I have been thinking about recently.

The Amazing Grazing Crabgrass Challenge, Virgilina Style - For many years, we have given out forage seeds at our Amazing Grazing Booth at industry trade shows during the winter. We have found that offering clients an active learning approach like a forage planting exercise results in them changing their minds about practices that seem crazy at first. Ray’s Crazy Mix is probably our best example, and we found that many farmers were willing to try something that was new, novel, and interesting, as opposed to what would usually make the most sense.

In February, at the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Conference trade show, we wondered about how many folks that took the crabgrass seed packets home actually planted them. The goal is really just for them to see the logo again

Grass finishers grazing Quick-n-Big crabgrass near Virgilina, Va., June 26, 2020.

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when they get home and remember what the program stands for, but I have worried that very few seeds get into the ground.

So, we decided to issue a challenge to our followers to do a crabgrass demonstration and document it with video, photos, and records; the “Amazing Grazing Crabgrass Challenge.” A summary video will be uploaded in autumn, and the top three videos will receive some great prizes (Crabgrass Challenge Information). We sent packets of Quick-N-Big (Dalrymple Farms) and Mojo (Barenbrug USA) all over the country, and we hope to get some great videos uploaded.

Three weeks after we issued the challenge, we were swept up in the pandemic, which changed many of our lives forever. For me, it meant I had more quality time at the family farm in Virgilina, Va., than I have had in nearly 40 years. We moved to our retirement home near Roxboro about five years prematurely, putting me only 20 minutes from the farm. We had a terrible year last year in our area with drought in the fall and then a lot of hay feeding in deep mud all winter, so many of our sacrifice/ feeding areas were badly torn up with ruts and a whole lot of bare ground. For two decades, I have used crabgrass to heal these kinds of areas, and on much of our farm, you always see the Red River Crabgrass we have “released” over the years.

This year, after two very wet winters in a row, we decided to till and completely renovate most of the sacrifice pastures.

We have Tifleaf-III Millet planted on one area, Ray’s Crazy Mix on another (life is always more interesting with Ray’s Crazy Mix in the ground). We also have 2.8 acres with Quick-n-Big Crabgrass and 0.7 acre of Mojo. This is not research, but we can do a little comparison of how quick the two grow, etc. Mojo is a mix of Red River (an “early” variety) and Impact (a later variety). Quick-N-Big is very fast growing and earlier than even Red River.

We planted by broadcasting after running a drag harrow and got good stands of each variety after we held our breath a while and finally got several rains. I put 46 lbs/acre nitrogen on to stimulate some growth. What followed was one of the wettest spells we have ever seen in late May and June, so we had to hold off grazing it until the QuickN-Big was bigger than I would like (30 inches!). We finally got dry enough to spray it for weeds and started grazing last week. As I write this on June 30, we are finishing grazing the Quick-N-Big with our grass finishers, and have been using a mob grazing approach, moving three to four times a day, so we are getting good

utilization. Even with over 90°F daytime highs, these 1,000 lb cattle all come out to graze and really don’t seem hot…and on a farm where toxic fescue is the base!

These cattle have been off toxic fescue since March, and you can really see it in their hair coats, their appetite, and their heat tolerance. I am pretty excited to have the time to document all of this, and I will have a pretty good story to tell. I am not eligible for the Crabgrass Challenge prizes, but I am planning on making my video anyway. And, all this would not have been possible except for the pandemic. Grab your bright spots where you find them!

How does your crabgrass look? If you are having your own COVID-19/ Crabgrass experience, there is still time to register and join the challenge! Go to the Amazing Grazing web page to get more details.

The Alliance for Grassland Renewal - NCSU has been a member of the Alliance for Grassland Renewal for three years now, and it has been an interesting new experience for me working with a group that includes members of academia from states in the fescue belt, the seed industry, non-profits that support forage science, and other governmental agencies. I started a four year term as chair of the Alliance on April 1, and have been working hard to help the group negotiate the new environment we are all living in.

Toxic fescue is one of the greatest challenges for cattle producers in the Southeastern U.S., and while there are many ways to mitigate the effects of fescue toxins, the best way by far to deal with it is to kill the toxic fescue and convert it to novel endophyte tall fescue.

Despite the benefits, it has been hard to get farmers to adopt Novel Endophyte technology because of the significant cost of converting, the steps that need to be followed to make sure toxic fescue does not come back, and then the improved management that is needed to keep the novel endophyte tall fescue productive and healthy. Each of those challenges by itself is not that bad, but when you combine them all, it creates a mental barrier many farmers just can’t get past.

This is the draft mission statement of the Alliance. “The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is a national organization focused on enhancing the appropriate adoption of novel endophyte tall fescue technology through education, incentives, self regulation, and promotion.” The Alliance has been very active the last few months, and we are excited to be planning new ways to continue our mission even under continued challenges the pandemic continues to throw at us.

Coming first and second calf heifers grazing an old stand of KY-31 tall fescue near Virgilina, Va., on June 29.

For more resources or to learn more about the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, go to www.grasslandrenewal.org.”

A Spring Break From Toxic Tall Fescue Makes All the Difference! My family has been raising cattle on the Virginia line due north of Raleigh, N.C., for 50 years, where we spent most of our childhood summers. I grew up thinking that it was a miserable life for a cow in N.C. compared to cows I was around out west in Northern Arizona, where we lived during the rest of the year. It always puzzled me as it seemed there was little to eat out there, but the cows looked very healthy and thrifty, while in North Carolina there was always a lot of really good looking grass, but the cows looked terrible. I assumed that the problem was because of the heat and humidity that we are all so aware of each summer, and that our genetics were just sorry. As it turns out that great looking KY-31 tall fescue is toxic and causes impaired blood flow, which makes cattle slow to shed their hair coats and have trouble regulating their body temperature to cope with the heat. The syndrome is known as fescue toxicosis.

Today, after being a professor at N.C. State for 30 years and spending much of my energy working on the fescue toxicosis problem, toxic fescue is still the dominant forage related problem in our area. Even for me knowing all I do, it was very hard for me psychologically to load up the sprayer with glyphosate and kill really good looking grass. About six years ago, we finally set out to convert the front half of our farm to Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue, which has the advantages of toxic fescue without the toxins. We have fields in various stages of the transition with most of the acres we have killed still in annuals, primarily oats and ryegrass in the cool season, and sudangrass or pearl millet during summer.

The cattle shown in the photo are our bred heifers and coming three-yearolds that just weaned their first calves,

and they are grazing an old stand of KY31 tall fescue on a very hot day on June 29. These cattle don’t look like your typical cattle grazing infected tall fescue in summer, but why? Is it because these cattle get a lot of feed? No, they have been on forage only since March 1. Is it because they are getting some kind of feed additive that cures the problem. No, these cattle are on a very standard mineral supplement. These heifers got a break from fescue toxins by grazing ryegrass during the time of year when fescue is making seedheads and is really toxic. The stand of fescue in the photo was cut for hay, which we know helps reduce toxin levels. Also, the vegetative regrowth following spring hay cutting is less toxic.

Putting the heifers on non-toxic forage for the months of March, April, and May also allows them to shed their haircoats normally, adapt metabolically to the heat, and to gain some body condition.

There is research from the University of Arkansas that showed that converting only 25 percent of the toxic tall fescue to novel endophyte tall fescue dramatically improved breeding rate in spring calving cows. Unfortunately, there are no studies with the same strategy for fall calving cows, and in our area, most farmers, including us, calve in the fall. Fescue is not as hard on fall calving cows as it is on spring calving cows, and that is why many use fall calving. However, my observations at home confirm the value of the “toxin spring break,” even with fall calving. You might have a tolerable breeding rate with fall calving, but there are still many fescue related problems plaguing the cows. Being able to give developing heifers and young cows a break from the fescue toxins during the spring works wonders for the rest of their lives. If you have never seen your cattle when they have had a significant break from fescue toxins, you would not believe the difference. If you have a mostly tall fescue base and would love to get more out of your cattle, start by killing a field

of old KY-31 and plant it to annuals.

Then, talk to your advisor and develop a plan to convert as much of your fescue acreage to novel endophyte tall fescue as is practical.

Current novel endophyte tall fescue Varieties being compared at NCSU and other universities. Most member states of the Alliance for Grassland Renewal have planted most or all of the available varieties of novel endophyte tall fescue to use in research and extension programs. Most of these plantings have been used only for demonstration, but more detailed research has also been conducted. For example, the University of Kentucky has a lot of data on many of the varieties out of their official variety test program. That work shows that the varieties tested are quite similar in their environment.

In North Carolina, we have many environments we work with, including the Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. While fescue is not adapted to most soils in the Coastal Plain, it is broadly adapted to the other two regions. While we know tall fescue is widely adapted, we don’t know if the different varieties grow differently in diverse environments.

So, in the autumn of 2019, we established a study at three locations,

including the Mountains (Waynesville), South Central Piedmont (Salisbury), and the Northwest Piedmont (Bahama) under the leadership of Dr. Deidre Harmon.

There are four replicates of nine varieties in the study including Martin 2 + Protek and Tower + Protek (DLF PickSeed), Bar Optima plus E34 (Barenbrug USA), Estancia (Mountain View Seeds), and Jesup MaxQ II, Texoma MaxQ II, and Lacefield MaxQ II (Pennington Seed and Ag Research USA). In each case (except Estancia), the endophyte name follows the variety name...for example, Martin 2 is the tall fescue variety, and Protek is the endophyte. This is an important point because several of these are also sold as endophyte free varieties targeted north of the “Fescue Belt.” These varieties are those currently screened by the Alliance for Grassland Renewal for their compliance with our internal quality control standards. Look for the Alliance label when you purchase these products.

The study also includes a good endophyte free tall fescue, Cajun 2, and Kentucky-31 with wild type endophyte (toxic). We just completed our first harvest, and the stands of all varieties look very strong at all the locations, so we

Continued on the next page

Wilkes Livestock Exchange 106 Armory Road • PO Box 2146 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 Phone: 336-838-3442 • Fax: 336-838-3591 Weekly Sales - Wednesdays - 1:30 p.m.

Take-up Tuesday Evenings

Catching and Hauling Services Available

Shelmer Blackburn, Jr.

919-270-1522 • shelmerblackburn@hotmail.com

Seth Church

336-927-5370 • sethchurch@charter.net The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 17

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics N.C. State University You Decide: Are We In For a Strong Economic Recovery? My best friend at N.C. State University was a physicist. We had much in common. We were both transplants from the North. Our spouses taught elementary school. We were passionate baseball fans. He grew up in New England, so he rooted for the Boston Red Sox, while I cheered for the team of my birthplace, the Cincinnati Reds. We also enjoyed weightlifting at the Hillsborough Street YMCA in Raleigh.

My friend has been retired for over a decade. He’s amazed I’m still working, soon starting year 43. Before he retired, my friend – whose specialty was water dynamics – developed models for predicting the number and severity of hurricanes each season. Around this time, each year, he’d be receiving a lot of media attention.

We used to tease each other about who had the better track record for their forecasts – he for the number of hurricanes, or me for predicting the direction of the economy. After a couple of years of poor forecasts by my friend, I told him I was now going to expect the opposite of what he said; that is, if he expected an active hurricane season, I would assume a mild season, and if he said mild, I would anticipate active!

My friend is probably laughing now about the latest big missed forecast by economists, including from yours truly.

As most know, the economy has been weighed down by government orders closing businesses and restricting travel in order to limit infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from the coronavirus.

As a result, national and state economies have suffered, with millions losing their jobs and signing up for unemployment compensation. In April, unemployment rates hit the mid-teens.

When the May job numbers for the nation were released a couple of weeks ago, almost all economic forecasters saw millions of more lost jobs and an unemployment rate reaching 20 percent.

These predictions made sense, given that most states didn’t begin softening restrictions on businesses and workers until late May. And even once some businesses reopened, it was widely thought people would be cautious and only slowly return to visiting stores and restaurants.

PAGE 18

Well, economists were wrong – indeed, very wrong. Instead of millions – some economists thought as many as eight million – of additional jobs being cut in May and the jobless rate soaring to 20 percent or above, the exact opposite happened. Nationally, 2.5 million jobs were added, and the unemployment rate went down, not up.

The good news continued in our state. Although the unemployment rate was the same in May as in April in North Carolina, during May, almost 120,000 more individuals were employed than in the previous month.

First, let me say – and I think I speak for most economists – if I have to be wrong, I’d rather be wrong predicting a bad outcome and be surprised by a good outcome. Still, this mistaken forecast was a doozy. Why were most economists so off with their predictions?

First, we may have underestimated how anxious consumers were to get out and spend when they could. They had – what economists call – pent up demand – meaning consumers were just itching to spend.

In addition, consumers had the ability to spend. Although unemployment has been high, the federal government supplemented state unemployment checks to make them comparable to – and sometimes better than – the income that many were receiving from working.

Add to this the stimulus checks that most people received, and the situation is that many households have been flush with cash. When the opportunity came to spend some of it, they did.

Actually, the strong rebound in the economy during May is in line with the predictions of a few economists, one of them being Jason Furman, who was President Obama’s chief economic adviser for several years. Furman thinks there will be a rapid snap back during the initial months of the economic recovery from the virus but then followed by much slower growth.

So, what are we to think? Will the economy shoot upward like a rocket during the next several months? The problem for economists is we don’t have a previous playbook to follow. We’ve never had a recession that was mandated by the government in order to control a pandemic.

Plus, there are many balls in the air,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

and we just don’t know where they’ll land.

How will cases and hospitalizations change as the economy opens and more people interact? If the answer is “badly,” will states have to reinstitute some restrictions?

Also, will the virus return in the winter, and if so, how strongly? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, when will there first be a treatment available, and then – ultimately – when will a vaccine be perfected and ready to be used?

One factor is for sure. The coronavirus has caused permanent losses to the economy. We can’t recover all the sales, revenues, and incomes that have been lost since February. Sure, the government has tried to fill the gap, but those funds were either borrowed from the future or created without any real substantive backing.

But a faster economic recovery will

help. If everything works in the best way, the virus will soon subside and then vanish, allowing buying, jobs, and incomes to come back. Then, a year from now, the coronavirus will be a bad memory.

Is his wishful thinking? You decide.

You Decide: How Long Will North Carolina’s Recovery Take? I usually pepper my public presentations with some humor. After all, even I know economics can be a rather dull and dry subject.

Injecting some jokes and laughter lightens the mood and makes me – a professional economist – seem to be just a “regular person,” which I really am.

One of my go-to attempts at humor has been a reply to a typical question about the economic future. When asked, I would say I have an airtight, 100 percent accurate forecast for the economic outlook. “The economy will definitely” – here I would

Amazing Grazing continued from the previous page are off to a good start. We anticipate this study going on for at least three years, and similar efforts are in the ground in other states. The team of students working on this project (Kendra Phipps, Charlotte Talbot, and Madeline Newsome) is also writing the history and description of each of the novel endophyte tall fescue products on the market so stay in tune for that information.

We wish to thank the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association for their generous support of this project.

If there ever was a time for adaptive management, this is it.

Adaptive management is a process of applying well known management principles to make decisions, using critical thinking to evaluate those decisions, and then fine tuning what you do based on continuous observation. At some point, we will look back on this pandemic as one of the biggest events of our lives. So many things have changed, and we are, in general, doing a good job of adapting and creating new approaches and opportunities.

I don’t have a crystal ball to know what will happen in the future. However, now that I have seen what careful, daily management of a pasture based farm using all the tools we have available to us can do, I will never be satisfied with the status quo of keeping the fences up and letting the cows pretty much take care of themselves. I know I will never again be able to leave the farm to someone else’s care while I am off doing the many things I have always viewed as more important.

When my friends and clients frequently ask me when I plan on retiring, I have been telling them within five years because I want to farm right for a change before I am too old to enjoy it. That plan to farm right has been moved up, and now I see that I can have it both ways if I work hard and am adaptable. If I can “farm right” and continue to do my job at NCSU, why would I want to retire?

Until we have a chance to catch up face to face again, spend a little quality time focusing on fine tuning your adaptive management skills, and get yourself one step closer to “Amazing Grazing.”

Harvesting novel endophyte tall fescue plots planted Autumn of 2019 at the Butner Beef Cattle Field Lab. From left to right: Charlotte Talbot, Dr. Deidre Harmon, and Kendra Phipps.

pause for effect - “fluctuate.” My joke would generally receive a round of laughs.

I’m not using that joke or really many jokes at all today. People are very serious about the current economy; indeed, many are scared. It’s easy to understand why.

The coronavirus is still at large, and most of us won’t stop worrying about it until a vaccine is available. And, of course, to contain the spread of the virus, the country has endured months of major parts of the economy being shut down.

Furthermore, even as we gradually reopen the economy, we have to worry about the virus returning and possibly overwhelming the health care system.

Still, if reopening were to proceed perfectly, we know the economy will likely never be the same. Maybe as high as 20 percent of businesses will have failed, and many kinds of jobs won’t come back, or – if they do – they’ll be dramatically changed.

I have two goals in this article. The first is to show how North Carolina’s economy has already been impacted by the virus, mainly in terms of jobs. I’ll show what industries have most been affected, as well as what regions of the state have suffered more or less damage.

My second goal is to look into the economic future. What are economists predicting about the pace of future growth and job creation? When – if ever – will we return to the kind of economy we had prior to the virus?

So far, the worst part of the economic damage from the virus occurred from February to April. Total employment in the country fell a whopping 14.5 percent during that period. North Carolina fared a little better with a drop of 13.5 percent in jobs.

However, the job losses weren’t equally distributed across sectors of the economy. The leisure/hospitality sector – which includes restaurants, hotels, and tourism – lost half – that’s right – 50 percent - of its jobs from February through April. The personal services sector was the second biggest loser, with over 1 in 5 jobs cut, and retail trade and business services also suffered big losses.

In North Carolina, construction, financial services, and government had the smallest losses at under six percent in each.

The virus also didn’t affect geographic areas of North Carolina equally. Asheville, Hickory, Burlington, and Wilmington all lost almost 20 percent of their jobs from February through April. Asheville and Wilmington were slammed by the virus because they rely heavily on the hospitality and tourism industries, and people were just not travelling between February and April. Hickory and Burlington are major stops on I-40 for commercial and interstate traffic, so with this kind of traffic

interrupted during the virus shut down, their economies were hit hard.

In contrast, Durham-Chapel Hill, New Bern, and Rocky Mount had much milder job losses, at near ten percent. But the prize for the smallest job losses during the peak of the virus goes to rural North Carolina. Here jobs dropped “only” five percent during February to April.

Several reasons accounted for this relatively good news. Rural North Carolina depends more on agriculture, and agriculture was designated an “essential” business and therefore was not curtailed. Industries that suffered big losses, like leisure/hospitality and personal services, are less important in many rural areas. Also, since the virus typically spreads at a slower rate in less dense areas, local governments in rural regions were more likely to impose less restrictive shut down rules.

The bottom line of this discussion is clearly the virus has been bad for the North Carolina economy. Everyone knows this – I’ve just put numbers on it. Now, the next questions are, when and how fast will the state economy get better?

Although economists are not known for agreeing with each other, in the case of the economic recovery from the coronavirus, they appear to be quite agreeable. I’ve looked at numerous economic forecasts from both public and private sources, and they show a remarkable amount of consistency.

The forecasts suggest we’ve already been through the worst of the economic damage. The economic recovery will begin in July – actually, some say it’s already begun – and it will be relatively strong through the remainder of 2020.

Economic growth will continue in 2021 and 2022, although at a much slower pace.

In terms of North Carolina, these forecasts suggest the state’s aggregate production (the sum of all economic activity, including products and services) has already bottomed out and is on the way up. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the forecasts suggest it will not be until 2023 before the size of the North Carolina economy returns to its pre-virus levels. Also, the state’s unemployment rate in 2023 will still be 1.5 percentage points higher than it was this past January.

Should you frown and cry or smile and yell “yippie” at these forecasts? I really don’t know, but – as always – you decide.

You Decide: Can Good Things Come From Bad Times? My mother died twenty years ago. Although she didn’t have much formal education – she dropped out of high school after two years – she was still a wise person.

When my father, a carpenter, was usually

laid off during winter months, she still maintained an optimistic attitude. She knew he would be back to work when the weather warmed. In order to get her family through the tight times, she would find temporary work. She would say, “It will all work out.”

Collectively, our country and state are still dealing with the economic challenges created by the coronavirus. Hopefully, eventually, “it will all work out,” but right now, many aren’t convinced. We still see unemployed workers, struggling businesses, and scared people.

We’d all like some good news. Maybe I can give it to you. Maybe there is some good news that comes from a struggling economy. Maybe there are some good things that result from bad times.

One idea is that bad times can motivate our survival instincts. A business on the edge of closing will look for ways to revive their sales by offering new products, services, or experiences.

Some businesses will totally remake themselves. Sometimes these changes work; other times, they don’t. The important point is that many businesses will attempt to innovate and adapt to the new circumstances.

The same often happens for workers.

Workers losing their jobs or having their hours curtailed will often rethink their jobs and skillset and decide to also remake themselves.

Indeed, economic challenges prompted both my grandfathers to change occupations. Originally, they were farmers. The Great Depression of the 1930s hit farmers – especially small farmers like my grandfathers – extremely hard, and my grandfathers decided they couldn’t continue. One of them sold his farm and retrained as an electrician.

My other grandfather kept his farm as a hobby and studied to be an embalmer as his main source of income.

Economic history confirms that hard times are periods of great innovation.

More than half of today’s Fortune 500 companies were founded during a recession or a period of economic decline.

Microsoft started during a recession, and Apple reinvented itself with the iPod – the forerunner to the iPhone – in the “dot-com” bust of the early 2000s. Airbnb began in the middle of the 2008-2009 recession when travelers were looking for an alternative to pricey hotels.

The data also confirm economic bad times are periods when more people – both young and old – choose to retrain themselves just like my grandfathers did. During the last recession, some community colleges and four-year colleges saw their enrollments surge by 20 percent.

The retooling and retraining typically

seen during recessions have three long run benefits for the economy. First, the efforts reduce the number of businesses that are lost and make it easier for unemployed workers to find new jobs.

Second, with economic circumstances now different, the remaking of firms and workers help them reshape the economy to what is now possible and desired.

And third, innovations often make the economy more efficient – meaning more can be produced with less – thereby improving our standard of living.

Will we see these same kinds of business revival and worker retraining as a result of the current coronavirus recession?

Many futurists say yes, and argue the new economy is already occurring.

For example, restaurants are putting more resources into pickup and delivery.

Retailers are expanding their cyber presence at the same time physical outlets are closing. Remote working has surged and – some forecast – could approach 1/3 of the workforce in a few years. These are big changes that, if realized, would change how and where we live, work, and shop. Collectively they have the potential to alter our spending and reconfigure our economic world.

Moreover, some see broader positives from these moves. With more remote working and cyber buying, energy use could be saved from less commuting and traveling, work-life balances could be better managed, and environmental damage could be curtailed.

Yet we shouldn’t forget that every innovation and remixing of our economy has both benefits and costs. While the benefits described above could be a more sustainable and less stressful economy, the costs will be those businesses and workers who made the old economy work and the consumers who liked the “old way” of doing things.

A famous economist – Joseph Schumpeter – prophetically described what we are coping with today. He said economies move forward using a process he described as “creative destructionism.”

To create something new often means to destroy what’s old.

Schumpeter’s insight leaves us with numerous questions. Will our response to the coronavirus restructure our economy?

If so, will it be an improved economy?

And even if both answers are “yes,” can we make sure no one is left behind? For each question, you decide!

About the author. Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at N.C. State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 19

E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture

By E.B. HARRIS

Thinking Out in Front This past month we had an equipment auction for the Carver Brothers just north of Roxboro, N.C., not too far south of Danville, Virginia. The Carver Brothers had a farming operation that they had decided to discontinue after one generation. H.R., the younger Carver, was going to continue on in the turfgrass business that was well established and going good for him.

Customers were calling him right along, and he wanted to get out of producing agriculture commodities like tobacco.

We set the date and time, but the COVID-19 caused some changes to be made. We were going to have it on-site as well as online for people who wanted to stay home and participate. They could come view the equipment prior to sale day, and if they were the successful bidder, could come after the sale to pick it up.

Shane and Larry do the bulk of setting up the auctions as far as the sale line up. When you have an auction, it is lined up in a manner where everything

is placed at a specific spot in the area we have to work in that we think is the best for that piece of equipment. Then again, you have to look at the perimeter, barnyard, or field. They had plenty of areas that had grown the turfgrass, a spot of several acres in front of the shop, and a two acre pond of water off to one side.

It was a good looking and well manicured setting. If I could build one, I don’t think I could have built one much better.

We were in and out several days prior to the sale. On the day we were going to place the equipment for the auction, H.R.’s Uncle Bob was there with us, but H.R. had to be out delivering sod. If you give Shane the lay of the land and about 15-30 minutes, he will come up with a plan. He knows how to lay it out. Shane walked it, looked at it, got his brochure out, and went through each piece of equipment. He had a space in his mind and knew where the beginning and ending was going to be.

About ten pieces would be lined

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up adjacent to the pond. This would fall in line after the tractors and trucks and before we got to the bulk barns and irrigation equipment. Near the pond would be an Athens 20-blade offset disc harrow. During its day, it was a very popular harrow, and it still is. Every tobacco farmer in the country had an offset disc. When they got finished with the crop, they could turn the stalks under and turn the ball of the root up.

Shane put the Ford disc harrow down and then went to get the Athens 20-blade offset disc. He put it down, then went on with the tillage equipment. He set the tobacco trailers in sideways, working around to the irrigation. We finished up that day getting everything tagged and cataloged for the internet. I told Bob I would be back on Friday if anything needed to be checked on.

On Friday, I went back to check on any loose ends. I made phone calls to some people who were interested in certain items on the sale. I had several calls about the Athens disc harrow. When I got to the sale site, I went through the line up looking at the equipment. I got to where the disc harrow had been sitting, and it was not there. I thought maybe Bob had something he wanted to do with it, and they would bring it back that afternoon and put in back in line. I did not think much more about it.

When I got home that evening, I said to Shane, “That Athens offset disc harrow is not in line. I know I saw Larry chock the wheels on the Ford disc, but did he chock the wheels on the Athens disc since there was just a little bit of a grade there. I did not see you when you moved the Athens disc, but you did put it in line, didn’t you?” He said, “Yes, we did.” I asked him if Larry chocked the wheels. He said, “No, I picked the disc up with the loader and put it there, and it was not locked in transport position. We were going to lock it in transport, but one of the hydraulic ends on the hose was missing.

We just left it down on the gangs when we placed it.” I said, “Ok, maybe they got it and are going to bring it back.”

We got to the sale site on Saturday morning, turned the air on in the office, and put out some hand sanitizer for customers to use. The caterer was there, H. R. and Bob were there, and H.R.’s two boys who were going to take the clerking sheets back to the office to Anne were there.

I was walking around the line up and got to the spot where the Athens 20-blade offset was supposed to be, and it was not there. I went and found Bob and said, “Bob, the Athens 20-blade disc is not in the spot where it’s supposed to be, and I have gotten several calls on it.”

He said, “Let me get up with H.R. and see if someone did a job with it and has not brought it back.” Bob got up with H.R., and he immediately came out there and said he had not moved it. He said someone put a hydraulic end on it after Shane and Larry had moved it to the spot.

We walked over there, and if you looked very carefully, you could see some tire tracks at the edge of the pond and see where the tongue dragged the edge of the bank when it went over in the pond.

H.R. said, “There’s not but one thing to do. Go out there and see if we can find it.” H.R. took his shoes and socks off. He took his goodies out of his pocket and left them up on the bank. He went out in the pond about chest deep, wading back and forth. Finally, he said, “I think I had stepped on something.” Sure enough, it was the tongue of the disc.

We got the tele-handler, ran the boom out, and H.R. went under the water and hooked the chain to the disc tongue, and the tele-handler brought it back up to dry ground. Always a new experience – just don’t have to look far to find it. People usually clean their equipment for the sale, but I have never had anyone put one in the pond and soak it. I got a video from the buyer of the Athens disc working on new ground, and it’s working great.

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Water Troughs • Pads • Silo Sides Septic Tanks • Reservoirs PAGE 20

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

Some discs are used to hill up catfish spawning beds.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

ANGUS NEWS Take it Up a Notch on the National Angus Tour. Angus tour makes stops at diverse operations in the Kansas City area. In the center of America’s heartland lies Kansas City, a metropolitan area that boasts a rich agricultural history.

Kansas City’s roots can be traced to the establishment of the Kansas City Stockyards in 1871 and the American Royal Stock Show in 1899. Most know that tradition and agriculture have long been linked. In the modern era, livestock families have adopted new and creative approaches to bring the next generation into the operation to maintain their family enterprise. The 2020 National Angus Tour, hosted by the Missouri Angus Association, will shine the spotlight on several innovative farming families.

The first stop on the tour is Valley Oaks Feedlot, located approximately 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City. Owned and operated by the David Ward family, the feedlot is housed in Lone Jack, Mo., and has a 4,500 head capacity. The state-of-the-art Valley Oaks Feedlot was custom designed to provide cattle with optimal ventilation and temperature control in a low stress environment. The safe atmosphere and feeding program, combined with a superior genetic platform, elevates their cattle to be highly sought after by packers and local butcher shops alike. The operation typically produces 25 percent Prime and 98 percent Choice or higher premiums and is home to the 2019 American Royal Grand Champion Steak Competition.

Highlights of the Valley Oaks tour stop include animal health and nutrition, a stress free building tour, manure management, and direct consumer marketing. Additionally, the Wards will share personal experiences in agri-tourism along with challenges from animal and environmental activists.

“We look forward to hosting the National Angus Tour every year, and this year’s tour stops are second to none,” Caitlyn Brandt, American Angus Association events coordinator, said, “Attendees can look forward to an educational tour that highlights many facets of the beef business, especially in the Midwest.”

The second stop on the tour is Mershon Cattle in Buckner, Missouri. Mershon Cattle is an award winning commercial cattle operation owned by Bruce and Tracey Mershon. The couple have been honored as recipients of the 2019 Beef Improvement

Federation’s Commercial Producer of the Year, the 2018 Missouri Hereford Association Commercial Breeder of the Year, and the 2013 Missouri Angus Association Commercial Producer of the Year. This data driven operation is backed by an Angus based crossbred cow herd. They utilize Angus, Hereford, Simmental, and Charolais A.I. and natural service sires that excel in carcass quality, feed efficiency, docility, and fescue tolerance. Through careful genetic selection over the past 15 years, they have seen harvest data steadily improve and are now consistently running 95 percent Choice or better and 5 percent Prime.

During the farm tour, visitors will see their multi-faceted operation up close and hear from experts who work closely with the Mershon family as advisors on research trials. Attendees will learn about sexed semen and split time A.I. trials, as well as hair shedding, use of commodity byproduct feed blends; the use of new technology in database management of herd performance; and the symbiotic relationship with their row crop and seed business. Additionally, on display will be cows, yearlings, and calves, as well as their A.I. and natural service sires.

Lunch will be served at the beautiful Lone Summit Ranch, near Lees Summit, Missouri. Established in the early 1900s, the property has been home to outstanding pedigreed livestock of several species.

Purchased in 2015, Linda Sallee and her husband have worked tirelessly to restore the historic buildings and barns to their original grandeur. Today, the facilities are available as a special event venue and host a variety of weddings, corporate meetings, dinners, and photo shoots.

“Missouri is the Show-Me State, and the Missouri Angus Association is excited to show attendees these progressive operations,” Julie Conover, Missouri Angus Association general manager, said.

“We hope you join us on November 6 for this great Angus activity.”

The tour is limited to 200 guests, and spaces often fill up quickly. Registration and hotel reservations are open, and more information will be available online at www.angusconvention.com.

American Angus Association ® Names Troy Marshall as Director of Commercial Industry Relations.

Marshall to play an integral role in

Continued on the next page

North Carolina Angus Association ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS Backed by the world’s largest and most reliable genetic evaluation program.

Registered Angus genetics deliver better calving ease, more growth, and superior marbling.

Contact one of these N.C. Angus breeders today for your next genetic selection: 4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 email: info@tarheelangus.com

MESSICK ANGUS Kathleen Messick Madison 336-937-1956 email: messickangus@yahoo.com

BACK CREEK Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) email: robinbackcreek@att.net

PANTHER CREEK FARMS John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 email: JohnSmith3982@embarqmail.com

BB ORGANIC FARM NC, LLC R. & E. Miller Wake Forest 919-570-2816 email: bborganicfarmnc@gmail.com

PROPST FARMS James L. Propst Zach Moffitt - Manager Concord 336-736-6340 email: zmoffitt19@gmail.com

BILTMORE ESTATE Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 email: livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com BRIDGES BEEF CATTLE Eddie, Cindy, John & Crystal Bridges Shelby 704-692-2978 email: bridgesbeefcattle@gmail.com BRITT FAMILY FARMS James Britt Calypso 919-738-6331 jrb4070@hotmail.com C-CROSS CATTLE COMPANY Duane Strider Asheboro 336-964-6277 email: ccrosscattle@yahoo.com www.ccrosscattle.com FOUR S FARMS Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 email: kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 whgentry@windstream.net H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 email: jennham@bellsouth.net HILL ANGUS FARM Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 email: gmhill@uga.edu JACK KNOB FARMS Karl, Janet, & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 email: karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 email: mrooker@mrookerlaw.com SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Phil Goodson Rick Kern - Manager Louisburg 919-880-9062 (Phil); 919-272-6124 (Rick) email: jpgoodson@bellsouth.net www.springfieldangus.com TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 email: greg.little@ATImetals.com UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-953-0521 email: uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.com VANDEMARK ANGUS Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 email: keaton@vandemarkfarms.com WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-549-0070 email: michaelmoss@rtmc.net WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 email: rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

Sharon Rogers

N.C. Angus Association Executive Secretary

336-583-9630 Email: ncaa.sec@gmail.com Website: www.ncangus.org

LANE ANGUS Roger Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7711 email: ritalane@embarqmail.com

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Angus News continued from the previous page building relationships with commercial producers. The American Angus Association recently named Troy Marshall, the Director of Commercial Industry Relations. Marshall’s rich experience in the beef industry, combined with his industry knowledge, makes him a natural fit to connect with commercial producers who utilize Angus genetics targeting the cow/ calf, stocker, and feeder segments.

“I am incredibly excited to have Troy joining our team,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO. “Troy has such a unique background in multiple facets of the cattle industry and is a real thought leader for our business. His creativity, experience, and credibility will be enormous assets to our organization and will advance our efforts with commercial cattlemen to the next level.”

Marshall comes to the Angus Association with a wealth of cattle industry knowledge. For over 25 years, Marshall has been the owner of Marshall Cattle Company, where he has placed emphasis on servicing cattlemen with superior Angus and SimAngus genetics. In addition to his time on the ranch, he shared his knowledge as a contributing editor for over ten years at BEEF Magazine, and he was the editor and publisher of The Seedstock Digest, the nation’s first weekly

publication aimed at seedstock producers.

“The commercial cattlemen has and always will be the primary focus of the American Angus Association, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be part of the team that is focused on creating value for Angus genetics within the commercial industry,” said Marshall.

“The commercial industry has done a great job of improving the quality of the product we produce, but they have not always been able to capture the value of the superior genetics and management that they are putting into their cattle. Our goal is to provide the opportunities to help capture that value.”

Marshall has also served as the Director of Commercial Programs for the American Maine-Anjou Association and the North American Limousin Foundation and has been a market analyst for CattleFax. These positions have allowed Marshall to develop a trend of commitment to creating opportunities for producers.

For more information about the American Angus Association, please visit www.angus.org.

Angus Means Business. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other

countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus

to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.

BFR Primo 1910 won reserve grand champion steer at the 2020 Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show, June 26-28 in Lebanon, Tennessee. Greyson Peeler, Lawndale, N.C., owns the April 2019 son of Colburn Primo 5153. Mark Hoge, Macomb, Ill., evaluated the 448 entries. Photo by Next Level Imaging, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

Make Plans to Attend Farm Journal Field Days Farm Journal Field Days is a combination of virtual and live programming to take place on August 25–27. The more than 100 informational sessions align with key interests and needs of the crop and livestock sectors.

The exciting #FJFieldDays agenda, designed to incorporate all the elements important to you, make this event a must-attend. Here are just a few reasons to register now: Powerful and Insightful Speakers - Hear from leading experts such as Meteorologist Eric Snodgrass, Ag Economist David Kohl, Machinery Expert Greg Peterson, Farm Journal Columnist John Phipps, and more!

Easily Accessible - Since it is online, you are not limited by geography or time restraints. This type of programming is more convenient in every way.

On Demand Learning: Even though the virtual event spans three days, you can learn at your own pace. Log on at certain times to hear your favorite speakers, and then you can revisit other topics when you have the time.

Interactive Farm Tours - Take a behind the scenes look at our two host farms — Blue Diamond Farming Company in Jesup, Iowa, and Newcomer Farms in Bryan, Ohio.

Direct Access to Exhibitors - You probably haven’t seen or interacted with your suppliers in the past few months. Visit their virtual booths, ask questions, and learn about their latest offerings. You’ll also receive an event “swag bag” with materials from sponsors.

All this in a #CovidSafe, #Virtual, and #OnDemand format. Whatever your biggest challenges are, our extensive agenda has got you covered across three days of virtual sessions on the latest trends, developments, and opportunities for your farming operation.

Join us live online and let us bring these compelling experiences to you from the comfort of your own farm.

Register for Farm Journal Field Days at www.farmjournalfielddays.com/register/.

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Caldwell Joins CHB Staff. Kyle Caldwell of Midlothian, Tex., joined the Certified Hereford Beef® team on June 30 as an account manager. In this position, he will represent Hereford farm and ranch families across the country and will aid in serving retail and foodservice locations throughout the nation.

Caldwell brings years of cattle industry experience stemmed from growing up on a family commercial cow/ calf operation and five years of meat industry experience to the brand. He has a passion for service, education, and desire to further the reach and influence of the values that the American Hereford Association has represented for nearly 140 years.

“I am excited to be working with foodservice and retail professionals across the nation to enhance their product offerings by promoting Hereford beef products,” Caldwell says. “I look forward to meeting and working with people on all sides of the industry, from producer to consumer.”

Caldwell completed his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in animal science while concentrating in meat science. Most recently, Caldwell graduated from Texas A&M with a master’s degree specializing

News

in meat science and food safety. During his graduate research, he also coached the 2019 meat judging team.

“Kyle’s unique perspective on the beef industry will be an asset not only in the marketing of meat products to restaurants and retailers but also in the development of educational materials for programs such as the CHB University Meat Labs,” says Amari Seiferman, Certified Hereford Beef president and CEO. “We are excited to have him help further advance the brand.”

PACE Genetic Evaluation Updates.

The Pan-American Cattle Evaluation (PACE) genetic evaluation was updated on July 6, with the addition of the South American data from the past year from partnering countries Uruguay and Argentina. Data from these two countries is only included annually into the genetic evaluation, which may impact those animals used across continents. As a whole, breeders should expect minimal changes from the additional data.

Conducting a global evaluation like PACE speaks volumes to the technological advancements and the opportunities of extended commerce between all countries involved.

The American Hereford Association is thankful for the great relationships

with our PACE partners, and we look forward to making genetic evaluation advancements in the future.

Genetic Evaluation Improvements Implemented July 12. Many of you participated in the Whole Cow Herd DNA project, which netted over 10,000 genotypes. This project allowed our science team to better understand the genomic contributions and relationships of the markers impacting maternal traits such as Sustained Cow Fertility (SCF), Calving Ease Maternal (CEM), and Milk (M). Currently, when an animal is genotyped, there is no genomic contribution to the aforementioned traits and, thus, no improvement in accuracy.

With the submission of female genotypes, the American Hereford Association (AHA) now has the data to take this needed step.

As of July 12, the genomic component was added for SCF, CEM, and M. As a result, animals will receive increased accuracies as well as improved predictions for each of these traits. Some changes for these specific expected progeny differences (EPDs) will be noted, particularly for nonparent animals without production data in regard to maternal traits. Adding the genomic component to SCF, CEM, and M is a great step forward in determining a sire’s maternal ability earlier in life, as opposed to waiting until he has daughters in production for results.

Beyond adding the genomic component to the SCF model, the handling of contemporary groups in that model will be restructured. In the

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current model, all daughters of a sire are compared across the breed to one another.

In the new SCF model, the herd will be fit for comparison and, consequently, the new analysis will factor in environment more suitably.

Because of this improvement, you may see changes in SCF values for some proven sires, although the correlation to the current and new SCF models is 0.70.

Given SCF is a significant driver for the Baldy Maternal Index and the Brahman Influence Index, some animals will move ranks in their respective indices.

In regard to the model updates for CEM and M, breeders should note minimal changes as a whole with the genomic component being added. In fact, the overall correlations comparing the current production run to the updated run with the genomic component added is 0.98 for both models.

2020 AHA Voting Delegate Elections. Each year at the American Hereford Association’s Annual Meeting, three new members are elected to the Board of Directors to replace outgoing board members. Voting delegates representing each state or state group elect the new board members. In early May, nomination cards for voting delegates were sent to eligible AHA members so they could nominate themselves or their peers from their respective states to be a voting delegate at the Annual Meeting.

The AHA has processed all of the nominations, and ballots are ready to go out to each state where there were more nominations than delegates allocated for the state. Be sure to complete your voting delegate election ballot and return it by August 1.

Each year we have a few states and state groups which have exactly as many nominations as delegates allocated. For those states, nominated members are determined by acclamation and will represent their state.

We also have some states which do not have as many nominations as there are delegates allocated. In this circumstance, we seek help from state association secretaries and/or state association presidents to help identify eligible members who are willing to serve as a voting delegate for their state.

The list below shows which states will have ballots for the “Voting Delegate Election” sent out as well as those that will not. If your state has fewer nominations than delegates allocated, please let your state president or secretary know so we can work to get your state adequately represented at the Board election in October. State presidents or secretaries should contact Jack Ward or Stacy Sanders at the AHA headquarters

in Kansas City, Mo., at 816-842-3757 to identify additional voting delegates.

Year Round Marketing Yields Results. Marketing strategies through the year set ranches up for success. Cattle producers who work year round to set their animals up for success — through nutrition management, for example — strive for the best possible outcome. The same is true when it comes to marketing.

The American Hereford Association is equipping members with knowledge and tools they need to be impactful marketers in all market conditions. Mark Johnson, Hereford breeder and livestock marketing agent, shared advice during The Brand Marketing Summit last summer. Step one, he says, is knowing your operation and what sets it apart.

“One important thing is trying to define who you are as an organization,” Johnson said. “What are your strengths, and once you identify that, how to tell people about it.”

Each operation runs differently.

Finding and employing the best marketing strategies can change the way an operation performs in a very competitive industry.

“There is never ‘one size fits all,’ in my opinion, and there are so many different segments within the Hereford industry on how you can market cattle,”

said Jason Barber of Superior Livestock.

“Some people can sell horned and polled bulls for a lot of money and volume.

Some people have just a handful of cows, and they need to market some calves or some show heifers. Just try to offer [your customers] a marketing product that might fit their business models and help them on sale day.”

Building relationships, providing top quality customer service, and keeping the genetic program top-of-mind should all be year round goals for today’s seedstock producer – along with seeking marketing support.

“Consistent effort yields consistent results, in my opinion,” Barber said.

“There’s all kinds of ways to promote sales, and there’s a lot of people that are professionals in this industry that have dedicated their lives and their professionalism to help other people be successful.”

At the end of the day, it’s about relationships.

“No matter what you are marketing — whether it is fed cattle or feeder cattle or purebred livestock or whatever widget you might be selling — when you’re working with someone, just treat them fairly,” Johnson said. “Develop relationships that you can fall back on when times get tough. If you have a strong

Regular copy deadline is AUGUST 5 for the SEPTEMBER issue Spotlight material is due AUGUST 1 for the SEPTEMBER issue brand, you can have a few setbacks, and people will still rally around you rather than just focusing on your product.”

The American Hereford Association provides a variety of year-round marketing opportunities and resources for marketing beef cattle genetics.

Learn more at www.hereford.org.

About the American Hereford Association. The American Hereford Association, with headquarters in Kansas

City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization, along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth, and research.

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Baxter Black

On the edge of

common sense The Herd Sire

This is one of those stories that sound so unbelievable that you’ll know I didn’t make it up!

Mike studied the bloodlines. He checked performance records. He knew his herd like the top two layers of his toolbox! He was a good young cattleman.

When he decided on the course of action to improve his herd’s genetics, he called the breed association rep. They discussed his needs. Plans were made for the fieldman to attend a bull sale in Texas with the express instructions to buy exactly the right bull.

The call from Texas delighted Mike.

The fieldman had bought in the perfect yearlin’ bull that would carry Mike’s cows into the 21st century. $10,000...for half interest. He agreed that the co-owner, a purebred breeder from Oklahoma, could use the bull that fall. Then he would ship him to Pine Ridge country of northwestern Nebraska in time for Mike’s spring breeding.

In February, arrangements were made to put the bull on the back of a load going as far as Sterling, Colorado. The trucker would call Mike on arrival. Mike waited anxiously. Several days passed

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and nobody called. He called his partner only to find they’d left Oklahoma territory a week before! Feeling uneasy, Mike called the Sterling sale barn. “No?” “No,” they didn’t remember any bull. “Let us check.”

They suggested possibly the bull Mike was lookin’ for had been bought by a trader!

“What’d he pay?” asked Mike.

“Fifty-six cents a pound.”

In a panic, he tracked down the trader.

He’d run the bull through the Brush sale.

The trader said he broke even. Packerland had bought him as a baloney bull! Mike drove all night to Packerland in a desperate effort to save his bull! “No,” they said, “he was too thin to kill,” so they’d sent him to a feedlot in Rocky Ford!

Mike smelled like burnin’ rubber and was chewin’ the upholstery when he boiled into the feedlot in a cloud of dust!

The foreman was surprised but led him over to the receiving pens. There stood Mike’s future; road weary, coughin’ and covered with sale barn tags! Mike’s knees were shakin’!

“Nice bull,” said the foreman, “But ya cut’er close, sonny. Tomorrow evenin’ he’da looked a lot different without his horns and cajones!”

NEWS

Animal Agriculture Alliance launches Animal Ag Allies development program. Farmers, ranchers, practicing veterinarians, industry professionals encouraged to enroll. Recently, the Animal Agriculture Alliance announced the launch of the Animal Ag Allies program to empower farmers, ranchers, and practicing veterinarians to be outspoken advocates for agriculture online and within their communities. The Alliance is currently seeking participants to enroll by August 7. The Animal Ag Allies program provides opportunities for networking, training, and continuous development of issue expertise and communication skills. Allies will be on the front lines of responding to emerging issues and sharing positive content about animal agriculture.

“The Animal Ag Allies program was created to connect agriculture advocates and arm them with the issue expertise and communications skills they need to engage with influencers and consumers online and in their communities,” said

Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance vice president of communications. “Our goal for this program is to make sure the voices of farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians are being heard when it comes to important issues related to animal agriculture.”

The program consists of two phases: online training and a private forum to discuss engagement strategies and emerging issues. The training modules are available online and may be completed at the participant’s own pace. Modules include overviews of each sector of animal agriculture, hot topics and emerging issues facing animal agriculture, how to address contentious issues, growing your social following and reaching outside the choir, and public outreach. Following the completion of the training modules, participants will be invited to a private online group where they will have the ability to interact with one another as well as industry professionals.

“I am so thankful for this opportunity,” said Markie Hageman, a California beef

advocate who completed the training modules during the program development process. “Everything was useful! I love learning new things and being able to recap things I have learned before, so all of the information was very valuable to me.”

Farmers, ranchers, practicing veterinarians, and industry professionals who want to make a difference in public understanding and perception of animal agriculture are encouraged to indicate their interest in enrolling in the program. The ideal participant has already demonstrated their commitment to engaging in relevant issues and is ready to take their efforts to the next level.

For more information on the program and participant guidelines, visit www. animalagalliance.org/initiatives/animalag-allies/.

The deadline to indicate your interest in enrolling in the next round of the program is August 7. Interested individuals are encouraged to complete the program interest form available at www.animalagalliance.org/initiatives/ animal-ag-allies/.

The Animal Ag Allies program would not be possible without the generous support of our founding sponsor, Zoetis, and program sponsors Animal Health Institute, Seaboard Foods, National

Turkey Federation, Merck Animal Health, Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), and Professional Dairy Producers Foundation.

“Zoetis is proud to be the founding sponsor of the Animal Ag Allies program, helping to equip people who care for animals with communications resources,” said Christina Lood, Zoetis senior director of external communications.

“We look forward to seeing the growth and development of each Ally as they continue to share their personal stories and engage with their communities in conversations about livestock’s role in our sustainable food supply.”

To become a sponsor of the program, contact Casey Kinler, director of membership and marketing, at ckinler@ animalagalliance.org.

About the Alliance. The Animal Agriculture Alliance is an industry-united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

Contact these RAAC members to learn more about Red Angus genetics and how they can fit into your herd.

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE Ronnie & Donna Holman 4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659 ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com JK RED ANGUS Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-281-3821 jkredangus@gmail.com LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010 johnlangdon5@gmail.com ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY Johnny & Sharon Rogers 945 Woodsdale Road • Roxboro, NC 336-504-7268 rccbeef@gmail.com PRESNELL RED ANGUS Jonathan & Jacob Presnell 368 Whitaker Road • Shelby, NC 704-473-2627 (Jonathan) • 704-616-8775 (Jacob) BULL HILL RANCH Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828 bullhill2@mindspring.com

Jerry Simpson, President - 704-302-2940 • simpson_jerry@msn.com

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COUNTRY BOY FARMS David Miller 316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709

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BRD: Know Your Bacteria to Protect Against the No. 1 Cause of Mortality in Weaned Calves. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), also known as shipping fever or pneumonia, is one of the most devastating and prevalent diseases in calves. In fact, it’s the No. 1 cause of mortality in weaned animals.1 “Morbidity and mortality associated with BRD can be detrimental in many ways,” said Whitney Knauer, VMD, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Minnesota. “Young animals diagnosed with BRD have been associated with a higher risk of death, reduced growth rates, an increased age at first calving, and lower milk production during the first and second lactations.”2,3 So, what are some ways producers can avoid disease and efficiently raise high performing animals? Dr. Knauer explains that it’s valuable for producers to know the type(s) of bacteria causing the pneumonia outbreak because it can help guide treatment and prevention strategies.

The four BRD causing bacteria are Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis: • Mannheimia haemolytica is the most common bacteria found in the lungs of calves with BRD. While other bacteria require more than one agent to break down the calves’ respiratory defense mechanisms, M. haemolytica can act alone.4 • Pasteurella multocida is a normal inhabitant of the upper airway of cattle and is also one of the most common bacteria found in the lungs of calves with BRD. • Histophilus somni may be involved in cases of pneumonia and can cause severe damage to the heart muscles and nervous system. 4 Stress can activate H. somni residing in the upper airway, resulting in an invasion of the bacteria into the lower airway.

• Mycoplasma bovis has been discovered more often in the past few years. It is usually found in combination with other bacteria and causes not only severe pneumonia in both calves and cows but also swollen painful joints.4 Dr. Knauer explained that some spread of this bacteria can be attributed to feeding non-pasteurized milk in infected herds, and even in herds that pasteurize milk but do not monitor the effectiveness of the pasteurization.

“It’s important to work with your

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NEWS

veterinarian to diagnose types of bacteria early in the disease process to choose the most appropriate treatment,” explained Dr. Knauer. “Waiting too long, treating with multiple classes of antibiotics, and inappropriate dosing can all contribute to treatment failure and mortality, as well as increase the risk of antibiotic resistance development.”

Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim, echoes Dr. Knauer. “They’re quite the mouthful, but identifying these types of bacteria can help producers choose a product that provides the correct coverage,” he said. “If we don’t know what type(s) of bacteria we’re dealing with, we have to make assumptions, and may or may not be addressing the cause of the problem. I recommend using an antibiotic labeled to cover all BRD, causing bacteria to treat calves quickly and minimize the negative impact of BRD.” Drs. Knauer and Vlietstra encourage producers to not only know the major bacteria and use effective treatment products, but also follow these strategies to avoid production losses associated with BRD: Start with Vaccination - Timely vaccination plays a key role in preventing BRD. “We know there are vaccines that work well for Mannheimia haemolytica, but not necessarily for the other three types of bacteria,” asserted Dr. Vlietstra.

“My recommendation is to vaccinate for the respiratory challenges that we know vaccines are effective for, such as bovine viral diarrhea virus [BVDV]. Type 1b has been identified as the most common subtype of BVDV, so make sure the vaccine you choose offers solid protection against it.5 Other diseases that vaccination can help prevent are infectious bovine rhinotracheitis [IBR], bovine respiratory syncytial virus [BRSV], and parainfluenza 3 [PI3]. Modified live virus vaccines do a great job of stimulating calves’ immune systems to work at optimum levels and prepare them for future challenges.”

Drs. Knauer and Vlietstra agree that it takes more than vaccination to keep calves healthy. Good management practices, including cow nutrition during pregnancy and ensuring the calf immediately receives quality colostrum, are also critical in supporting calf health and successful response to a vaccination program.

Minimize Stressors - Even with the best health practices in place, calves can

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become infected with respiratory disease.

BRD is often called a “disease complex” because many factors can contribute to its development and progression, including stress from weaning, castration, dehorning, transport, commingling, poor ventilation, and overcrowding.

“It’s important to keep a closer eye on animals during these times because they are extra vulnerable to viruses and bacteria,” said Dr. Vlietstra. “When calves are faced with an upcoming stressful situation that may overwhelm the immune system, using a broad spectrum, long lasting antibiotic may help prevent disease outbreaks.”

It also helps to investigate all possible causes of stress on an operation and to determine which ones can be reasonably eliminated or reduced.

Ensuring proper ventilation, adequate stocking density, and adjusting the timing of processing and vaccine administration are all ways producers can help reduce stress on calves.

Recognize the Signs and Act Quickly - Signs of BRD may include reduced appetite, coughing, nasal discharge, depression, eye discharge, droopy ears or head tilt, and fever. Once a calf is displaying one or more signs of disease, it is time to evaluate whether or not it needs an antibiotic.

“BRD is a fast acting disease, and we need to detect it early so sick animals can be treated and isolated,” remarked Dr. Vlietstra. “Calves with a majority of lung tissue damaged before treatment is initiated will have a poorer response, more relapses, and a higher mortality rate.”

If you’re losing calves to BRD, it’s important to perform a necropsy to confirm the diagnosis and find out which viruses and bacteria are involved.

Necropsy can also provide answers to which antibiotics might be most appropriate for treatment.

Finally, producers are encouraged to work with their local veterinarian to create an effective BRD prevention-andtreatment plan that includes appropriate vaccinations, rapid disease diagnosis, thorough herd monitoring, and judicious antibiotic use.

References 1 U S D A A P H I S , Ve t e r i n a r y Services. NAHMS. Heifer calf health and management practices on U.S. dairy operations, 2007. January 2010.

Available at www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_ health/nahms/dairy/downloads/dairy07/ Dairy07_ir_CalfHealth.pdf. Accessed April 4, 2019.

2 Correa M.T., Curtis C.R., Erb H.N., and White M.E. Effect of calfhood morbidity on age at first calving in

New York Holstein herds. Prev Vet Med 1988;6(4):253–262.

3 Heinrichs A.J. and Heinrichs B.S. A prospective study of calf factors affecting first lactation and lifetime milk production and age of cows when removed from the herd. J Dairy Sci 2011;94(1):336–341.

Available at www.journalofdairyscience. org/article/S0022-0302(10)00700-9/pdf.

Accessed April 18, 2019.

4 Kasimanickam R. Bovine respiratory disease (shipping fever) in cattle. Washington State University Extension and WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. 2010. Available at www.s3.wp. wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2147/2015/03/ BovineRespiratoryDisease_Aug20103. pdf. Accessed April 4, 2019.

5 Fulton R.W., Ridpath J.F., Saliki J.T., et al. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) 1b: predominant BVDV subtype in calves with respiratory disease. Can J Vet Res 2002;66(3):181–190.

Which STD Test Is Right for Your Herd? Test bulls prior to breeding to avoid a trich wreck down the road.

The long term effects of spreading trichomoniasis, commonly referred to as trich, in your cattle herd can be much more devastating than simply having a number of cows open at the end of the breeding season.

“A small percentage of pregnancies will be affected the first year, but it’s typically the second or third year of a trich infection that really causes the economic losses,” said Joe Gillespie, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “With multiple infected bulls breeding cows, you can see more than 50 percent of your cows open, which results in a huge reduction in production and profitability for a cow/calf producer.”

Cattle infected with trich continue to appear and act normally, so testing is the only way to confirm the presence or absence of this sexually transmitted disease in your herd. To diagnose the disease, a preputial fluid sample is taken from the sheath of the bull’s penis.

Prior to breeding, Dr. Gillespie recommends testing bulls with one or both of the following methods: 1) A pouch culture is considered the “gold standard” of trichomoniasis testing methods, allowing the protozoa collected from preputial or vaginal samples to grow in a special medium.

“If you find a positive result with this test, you can have a great deal of confidence that you have a trichinfected animal,” stressed Dr. Gillespie.

“Advantages of this test include ease of use and quick results, but occasionally, the culturing method will result in a false negative. This happens when the particular sample collected does not

contain Tritrichomonas foetus organisms, but they are, in fact, still present in the animal.”

2) The other testing option uses a polymerase chain reaction, commonly known as the PCR method. This test recognizes RNA or DNA fragments from trich-causing protozoa to confirm if your cattle have been exposed to the disease.

“PCR testing doesn’t tell you if you have an active trich infection, but it can tell you if you have a history of trich infection in your herd,” explained Dr. Gillespie.

Ideally, trich testing will accompany an annual breeding soundness examination and be conducted by a certified veterinarian.

Successful trich management requires a multi-pronged approach - In addition to testing bulls prior to turnout each year, successful management typically requires a combination of protocols, which often include: • Testing bulls for trich three weeks after the breeding season and culling any newly infected bulls; • Maintaining a closed herd or thoroughly evaluating cattle entering the herd for risk of trich; • Administering a vaccine that helps protect against the spread of trich; • Using artificial insemination; and • Practicing strict biosecurity measures.

“The economic impact of trichomoniasis is devastating, but you can prevent or overcome an outbreak by adhering to strategic management and prevention practices,” said Dr. Gillespie.

“I’ve seen a producer with a 50 percent herd pregnancy rate get back to 90 percent by implementing a management plan that included a vaccination program, and strictly using new, clean bulls or artificial insemination.”

It’s important to note that the risk of developing a trich infection varies among herds, so effective prevention and management protocols do not look the same for every operation. Furthermore, trich testing regulations vary by state. Dr. Gillespie strongly encourages producers to work with their local veterinarian to design a comprehensive trich testing and management plan unique to their herd.

Don’t Doubt Your Dewormer: Five Tips to Ensure Accurate FECRT Results. A fecal egg count reduction test, or FECRT, is a standardized diagnostic tool that can help evaluate the efficacy of your deworming products. While this tool offers valuable insights for producers, test results may be misleading if samples are not properly collected, and results interpreted carefully.

“Fecal egg count reduction tests

are a way to monitor if your deworming products are working correctly,” said D.L. Step, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

“Typically, a 90 percent or greater reduction in the fecal egg count indicates that your dewormer is performing the way it’s supposed to.”

Using accurate data makes it easier to evaluate the efficacy of products and adjust your deworming protocols effectively. To collect samples that are most indicative of your herd’s parasite load and ensure conclusive test results, Dr. Step provides five recommendations: 1) Identify individual animals and collect samples per rectum. Evaluation of fecal samples collected off the ground may not accurately indicate the prevalence of certain parasites.1 Ideally, animals should be restrained and samples taken via the rectum.

“Collecting samples per rectum prevents producers from grabbing eggs that may not accurately represent the parasite load or species infecting the group of cattle,” explained Dr. Step.

The class of dewormer you administer will determine how many days after treatment samples should be collected. For best results, collect 15-20 individual fecal samples pre-treatment, and the same number of fecal samples from the same individually identified animals after treatment. Once an individual sample is collected and placed within the bag or specimen container, identify it by clearly marking the date collected, individual identification number, and the animal group it was collected from.

2) Collect samples from similar groups of cattle. It’s important to collect samples from the same age and management group, as parasite species and loads can vary. Remember to keep sample groups separated if testing more than one group of cattle in your herd.

3) Administer deworming products according to label directions.

“It’s difficult to know for sure if the deworming product is doing its job if it’s not administered correctly,” emphasized Dr. Step. “Be certain the product is stored correctly, the dose you’re administering is accurate for the weight of animal you’re treating, and that your equipment is properly functioning prior to treating the animals.”

A common practice is to dose dewormers according to the average weight of the herd. While convenient, this can over- or under-dose a significant number of the cattle, and diminish the effectiveness of the drug. Investing in a scale for your herd and administering a low dose dewormer provide more accurate dosing and reduces product

waste.

4) Perform a coproculture at the same time. Each class of dewormers has its own strengths and weaknesses, and certain classes are more effective against specific parasites. A coproculture can help determine the species of parasites most prevalent within your herd, so you can implement a targeted approach to parasite control.

5) Work with a local veterinarian to find a diagnostic laboratory, review test results, and adjust deworming protocols.

When it comes to deworming, correct dosing, choosing the right animals to deworm, and parasite monitoring will benefit your cattle herd and the future of the industry. No two herds or operations are the same, and neither are their parasite burdens.

Be sure to consult a local veterinarian to determine if using a different class of anthelmintic or implementing concomitant therapy (using two or more dewormers of different classes) could boost the efficacy of your deworming program. Your grazing season time frame, the age, and category of your animals, your operation type, and grazing history of the pasture are all considerations to discuss.

Reference Hoar B.R., Atwill E.R., Elmi C., et al. Comparison of fecal samples collected per rectum and off the ground for estimation of environmental contamination attributable to beef cattle.

Am J Vet Res 1999;60(11):1352–1356.

About Boehringer Ingelheim.

Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company, therefore, concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal well being through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of $4.4 billion and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information, visit www.boehringeringelheim.com/animal-health/overview.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

1

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 33

NEWS Ag Recovering From Coronavirus Disruptions. America’s economy is showing signs of recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but any economic surge is likely over, according to a quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange.

“Economic data prior to the recent resurgence of coronavirus cases has shown a consistent, steady improvement in the U.S. economy, coinciding with business re-openings,” said Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division. “But traditional economic data can go stale remarkably fast in the COVID era, making high frequency economic indicators an essential tool. And those indicators are signaling a plateau,

followed by a possible downshift in the economy.”

One bright spot created by the coronavirus is that economic recovery may now favor rural communities, CoBank says.

“Unlike previous recessions, low population density is now vital for economic resilience in the face of COVID-19.”

Kowalski said that while the recent bounceback in the U.S. economy is real, “It is also fragile and likely to moderate.”

Collective job growth in May and June of 7.45 million jobs points to a consistent, steady improvement in the economy. But, Kowalski warns, “all of this data also reflects conditions prior to the late June early July resurgence of coronavirus cases.”

In specific comments about grains, CoBank’s Kenneth Scott Zuckerberg

said grain has been moving, and basis has generally tightened since April 1.

With both positive and negative volatility depending on the month and specific grain, he called the second quarter, “eventful for the U.S. complex.”

“While futures prices for corn, soybeans, and wheat are lower yearto-date, basis is generally stable or improving,” Zuckerberg said. “Corn basis has tightened as U.S. fuel ethanol production began to recover following the demand shock of COVID-19 in mid-March. Interestingly, corn basis is somewhat disconnected across certain regions of the Midwest Corn Belt as more corn purchases are cost effectively transported by barge.”

CoBank’s report says the meat and

poultry industries also continue to recover from this spring’s disruptions, though chicken plants endured far less COVID-19 disruption in the second quarter than either beef or pork. CoBank estimates chicken production down just 1 percent during the second quarter, while red meat production is estimated down 10 percent.

Beef processing, CoBank said, is now operating at 95 percent of capacity with all facilities back online. The beef sector is now focused on demand, with traffic at foodservice establishments continuing to improve, but social distancing restrictions and consumers’ reluctance to venture out of their home for non-essential trips have hampered a full recovery.

“This means ongoing challenges for the dine-in, full service sector, which especially hurts the beef complex,” CoBank said. “With tens of millions of Americans losing jobs during COVID-19 and government payments appearing to decline in the coming months, beef prices will likely be further tested this summer.”

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Despite the disruption, CoBank projects beef production to increase over the prior year.

“Fed cattle weights have hovered 5-6 percent above prior year levels in May and June and will likely continue well above normal through the summer,” CoBank said. “We now expect US beef production to grow 1 percent in 2020, down from previous estimates of 2 percent growth.”

About CoBank. CoBank is a $128 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing, and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale

loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure, and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colo., CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank’s website at www.cobank. com.

Pinkeye Can Be Costly for Cattle Producers Pinkeye, or keratoconjunctivitis, is an infectious disease of cattle that costs producers money in several ways.

“These include increased labor, cost of antibiotics, decreased weaning weights and decreased price paid at market for animals with scarred eyes,” says Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist.

One study shows that calves affected with pinkeye weighed 35 pounds less 260 days after they were weaned than noninfected calves in the same herd. Calves that were affected in both eyes weighed 47 pounds less.

“The bacteria Moraxella bovis is one of the primary known agents found in cases of pinkeye,” says Neil Dyer, NDSU’s institutional attending veterinarian.

“However, other bacterial agents such as Moraxella ovis and Moraxella bovoculi have also been isolated from cases of pinkeye. Younger cattle are usually most often affected.”

Herds in which adult cattle develop clinical signs suggest that the herds have not been exposed previously and do not have immunity to pinkeye, Stokka says.

The spread of the organism can occur when cattle bunch tightly together, such as during high heat and humidity and when fly pressure is present.

Other risk factors contribute significantly to outbreaks of pinkeye. They include ultraviolet light, environmental factors (dust, wind, tall grass, weeds, pollen), co-infections with bacteria and viruses, close confinement of animals and animals without pigment around their eyes. Nutrition also may play a role because inadequate vitamin A levels have been shown to contribute to the disease.

“Affected animals present with teary eyes, inflamed conjunctiva (reddened white appearing area around the iris), squinting and aversion to bright light, ulcerated cornea and excessive tearing from the eyes affected,” says Brett Webb, director of the NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “The disease usually lasts for several weeks, but it may last a month or longer.”

Healing leaves a scar on the cornea, which eventually may clear. Severe cases with ulcerated corneas, or corneas with holes in them, may result in partial or total blindness of the affected eye.

“Commercial vaccines provide protection against only a few pathogenic strains; therefore, they will not be 100 percent effective against disease,” Stokka says. “Autogenous vaccines can be made against these bacteria if isolated, but consulting with your veterinarian is advised when considering the efficacy and administration of such vaccines. Fly control, pasture rotation and proper mineral supplementation also must be considered when managing outbreaks of pinkeye.”

Individual antibiotic treatment of bacterial pinkeye usually is successful, he adds. Longer acting antibiotics commonly are used systemically to achieve antibiotic concentrations in the tear film. In severe herd outbreaks, the entire herd may need antibiotic therapy, but all risk factors must be addressed to curtail new cases.

“Consult with your veterinarian regarding antibiotic therapy, vaccination and management of this disease,” Stokka advises.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 35

NEWS

Elanco Receives U.S. Federal Trade Commission Approval for Acquisition of Bayer Animal Health. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated recently announced that the company has received unanimous approval from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its acquisition of Bayer Animal Health, a division of Bayer AG (ETR: BAYN). The FTC decision represents the final antitrust clearance needed to complete the trans action, which continues on track for closing at the beginning of August.

“This approval marks the near final step in fulfilling our vision of bringing together two dedicated animal health companies focused on delivering innovation and an expanded portfolio of solutions to farmers, veterinarians and pet owners around the globe,” said Jeff Simmons, president, and CEO of Elanco.

“As we approach closing and look toward putting our integration plans into action, I want to thank everyone who has worked so tirelessly on this transaction, especially during these challenging times. Their hard work has positioned the combined company for success, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to Elanco in the very near future.”

The complementary transaction strengthens Elanco’s Innovation, Portfolio, and Productivity strategy by combining Elanco’s long standing focus on the veterinarian with Bayer’s direct to consumer expertise, proven even more important as a result of the COVID-19

pandemic. In addition, the transaction will advance Elanco’s intentional portfolio transformation, creating a balance between the farm animal and pet health businesses.

It also expands Elanco’s omnichannel approach, substantially diversifying its pet health business into the retail and e-commerce channels allowing Elanco to reach pet owners and serve veterinarians with a multi-faceted approach.

Elanco continues to expect necessary worldwide divestitures to be in the previously announced range of $120 million to $140 million of annual revenue to help advance regulatory reviews. The FTC’s approval is conditional on the following proposed divestitures: • Worldwide rights for Elanco’s Osurnia ® , a treatment for otitis externa in dogs, being sold to Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. • U.S. rights for Elanco’s Capstar®, an oral tablet that kills fleas in dogs and cats, being sold to PetIQ, Inc. • U.S. rights for Elanco’s StandGuard®, a pour on treatment for horn fly and lice control in beef cattle, being sold to Neogen Corporation.

In addition to FTC approval, Elanco has received antitrust clearance for the transaction from the European Commission (EC), as well as in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Further, Elanco fully secured financing in the first quarter of 2020 through its equity issuance and

pricing of its Term Loan B, which will fund at deal close. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions.

Manage Heat Stress and Mobility in Cattle. As a cattle producer, you work every day — often in extreme temperatures — to ensure cattle are comfortable, safe, properly hydrated and fed, and in good overall health. But we all know this summer is different.

The hot summer temperatures we can count on have arrived, but a new complication has been added: COVID-19.

This new factor drove animals to live on the farm longer and, as a result, to reach higher body weights than usual.

Here are some ways to help manage stress in cattle during the summer and how to help their caregivers manage their own stress to enable them to be successful.

Managing mobility conditions is crucial - With hot weather, heavier finished cattle fatigue easily. Because of this, they can often have poor mobility.

Producers want to know what they can do to equip themselves and their employees to mitigate the unwanted conditions of fatigue, mobility problems, and heat stress, all of which can make it difficult for cattle to make the journey from their home pen to the slaughter plant. Planning ahead and having good communication between farm and feedlot staff, truck drivers, and packer partners can help make this time in the animal’s life less stressful.

There are also tools available to evaluate how a particular feedlot is doing, one of which is Elanco’s Cattle Mobility Assessment (CMA) Program, where trained scorers evaluate the mobility of fed cattle in packing plants across the U.S. and identify mobility risk factors, which includes the factor of summer heat. The program uses five years of historical data to

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

monitor trends and run analytics on them.

Our CMA database does confirm heavier cattle weights today due to COVID-19 market disruptions, and that heavier animals were at risk for poor mobility in a pre-COVID world. Long haul distances and mixed pens of steers and heifers also tend to be mobility risk factors.

Elanco is able to share learnings with the industry to provide insight and recommendations. We look forward to getting back to monitoring cattle mobility in packing plants once the pandemic conditions have subsided because poor mobility is a disease state that is important for the fed cattle industry to understand and manage.

Tips for making shipping day easier on cattle - There are four things that cattle handlers and transporters can focus on to help keep cattle as calm as possible in preparation for the day of shipment for harvest.

1. Always move cattle with a lead rider. Using a lead rider in front of groups of cattle can effectively slow cattle down when moving them, even for short distances. Cattle reach their heavier finishing phases while being comfortably fed and cared for in their pens for many months. Just as humans who have been quarantined and snacking too much shouldn’t immediately run a 5K race, we shouldn’t expect cattle to run a mile to the loading facilities or a barn for medical treatment. Handlers shouldn’t yell or use the hot shot as a first resort; rather, they should do everything possible to use low stress handling techniques to keep cattle calm while moving and handling them.

2. Stage heavier cattle closer to the loading facilities. As cattle go through their time at the feedlot, they should be staged at re-implanting into pens that are closer to the loadout facilities. This will help minimize the distance cattle have to walk when they’re moved on the day of shipment for harvest.

3. Identify cattle that are unfit for transport. If cattle have severe mobility issues that handlers believe will prohibit them from standing properly after getting off a truck, they shouldn’t be put on the truck in the first place. Producers should work with their veterinarians to find another solution for cattle that are unfit for transport, such as letting them rest for an additional period of time. In some cases, mobility may be so severely impacted that euthanasia may be necessary to avoid needless stress and suffering during transport. Ensuring that cattle are loaded when they are in good condition also helps handlers on the receiving end avoid having to manage animals that are in dire shape.

Loading cattle that are fit for transport is critical for cattle welfare, but it’s also

important to note that there are significant costs that can come from shipping severely fatigued or non-ambulatory animals, from both the producers’ and packers’ ends.

4. Minimize time in transport and lairage. It’s important for cattle not to remain on a truck any longer than necessary, particularly during extreme weather conditions. It’s the responsibility of truck drivers to ensure that their trailers are in proper condition to haul cattle and that routes are direct with no unnecessary stops. During times of hot weather conditions, stopping allows heat to build up within the trailer, which can cause heat stress, especially in very heavy animals. It’s also important to minimize the time spent in lairage at the plant. Heat stress mitigation measures and low stress handling at the plant helps cattle cope with the stress of the climate, as well as any stress experienced from transport and

leaving their familiar home environment.

Empower people for success - Just as hot weather and the effects of COVID-19 are tough on cattle, they’re also tough on the caretakers that interact with cattle on a daily basis. Owners of farm, feedlot, transport, and packing operations need healthy employees to ensure cattle are cared for properly every day.

Simply put, if people aren’t taken care of, animal welfare cannot be taken care of. Producers need to focus on both people and animals to help ensure that the cycle of care doesn’t break down.

New hires should be adequately trained on and familiar with all animal handling protocols for the operation. Everyone on the farm needs to know not only about cattle treatment, management, feeding, and care but also why these best management practices are in place. Managers should explain and emphasize, both verbally and

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Week ending JULY 9, 2020)

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of all markets ending Thursday, JULY 9, 2020. All cattle in this report are located in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Prices FOB the farm or local scale and many weighed with a 0-2 percent shrink and sold with a 5-10¢ per pound slide on the heavy side only. Many all natural lots.

Cattle Receipts: 3,717 Last Month: 1,977

Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 64 percent steers and 36 percent heifers. Nearly 81 percent of the run weighed over 600 pounds. Head totals are based on load lot estimate of 49,500 pounds.

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1) Avg. Wt. Price Range 740

$135.00

Head 66

Wt. Range 740-740

Head 49 55

Wt. Range 650-650 890-890

Head 127 137 152 156 509 218 200 70 64 208 301 56

Wt. Range 575-585 560-575 600-640 625-630 650-695 650-690 730-740 700-700 765-765 750-775 800-825 880-880

Head 28

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 600-600 600 $121.00 $121.00

Head 242 208 310 103 218 35 135 70

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 579 $129.00 - $133.00 $130.29 582 $126.25 - $139.75 $133.62 636 $124.00 - $130.25 $128.56 632 $130.00 - $136.25 $131.54 676 $124.50 - $126.25 $125.59 690

$141.75 $141.75 730 $118.50 - $122.75 $120.63 700

$139.25 $139.25

Wt. Range 560-590 575-590 625-645 630-640 665-690 690-690 715-745 700-700

Avg. Price $135.00

Delivery Value Added

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 650 $136.00 $136.00 890 $123.00 $123.00

Delivery Split Loads

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range 578 $134.00 - $147.75 564 $140.25 - $151.75 620 $142.50 - $144.50 628 $149.00 - $151.75 678 $135.00 - $145.00 673 $145.00 - $152.00 735 $131.00 - $134.00 700

$135.25 765

$126.00 759 $133.00 - $147.75 820 $125.50 - $127.00 880

$123.75

Avg. Price $143.15 $148.46 $143.45 $150.37 $139.53 $148.92 $132.50 $135.25 $126.00 $137.67 $126.70 $123.75

Delivery Value Added

also through their own actions, how to use low stress techniques to handle cattle and why employees need to carefully monitor cattle behavior to ensure issues like heat stress or poor mobility are detected and managed according to protocol.

Empower employees to realize that they are the experts on the animals in their care, that they are valued staff members, and that without them, animals cannot be cared for properly. There is a huge “people” aspect to animal welfare.

It starts at the top with owners, managers, veterinarians, and nutritionists, and extends out to every single person who is responsible for animals on an operation.

In addition to empowering employees with responsibility, it’s important to ensure they have the physical tools they need to do their jobs well, including the proper equipment, software, and applications to monitor animal health and maintain comprehensive, up-todate records. Make sure employees have access to these well maintained tools and are properly trained on using them.

Creating a holistic experience Producers who recognize that they need to keep employees safe and happy in their workplace know that this will ultimately translate to enhancing the animal’s positive experience, comfort level, and health status.

As an industry, we need to think holistically about how every segment works together, fill gaps, and fix broken systems. We need to heighten communication across the farm and the industry, as well as with consumers and retailers. Together, we can overcome the intense stressors that we’re

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About Elanco Animal Health.

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Value Added Value Added Value Added Value Added

Delivery Split Loads Delivery Value Added Value Added Value Added Value Added

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 37

S.C. Beef Council News

By ROY COPELAN August is here, and the summer continues to fly by. Before too long, schools will hopefully be back in sessions, the days will become shorter, and our schedules will be busy with shows, sales, fairs, and maybe a little high school and college football.

June and July were a lot different this year. We have begun our in-store beef promotions but at a lot slower pace. Beef promotions will continue through November (usually on Thursday,

Fridays, and Saturdays). Do you know of food retailers or foodservice operators requesting a beef promotion? Let me know in order to schedule a visit.

The S.C. Beef Council has a new and refreshed website. Visit us at www. sccattle.org. Also, we are featured on Facebook and Twitter. These pages have the latest beef promotions, beef recipes, and industry updates. Let’s promote and use these tools. Pass the word around.

Also, “McGill” the traveling cow continues to keep the roads hot. You can reserve this promotional item and use it at

More Prime Beef, Softer Demand One significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the beef industry has been an increase in the number of carcasses grading Prime.

COVID-19 infections at packing facilities caused a significant reduction in slaughter this spring, delaying the harvest of many market ready cattle. That months long bottleneck led to an increase in average carcass weights and higher grading cattle.

The shuttering of most high end restaurants that sell Prime beef, however, softened demand for Prime.

USDA reported cattle grading Prime during March and April were just more than 10 percent of steer and heifer slaughter.

May data show the Prime number at just over 12 percent, which compares with just 8 percent during May of 2019.

June’s weekly average of steer and heifer carcasses grading Prime was 10.62 percent compared to 7.04 percent last year. This year has not had a single week where the national percentage of Prime has dipped below 9 percent. Over the 26 weeks of data, the average has been over 10 percent, compared to 2019’s 8.55 percent.

“The large increase in available Prime and the lack of traffic through white tablecloth restaurants has greatly affected the premium of prime product relative to other

PAGE 38

grades,” according to the Daily Livestock Report. “Rib and loin primal values are where Prime graded beef receives the most value. In 2019, the premium for Prime beef soared in the summer due to lower grading overall brought on by the lighter dress weights. This year, more carcasses are grading Prime, but the pinch in the supply chain has raised all carcass grade premiums to reflect the tighter supply of beef.”

The backlog of cattle and the increasing number of high grading carcasses has led to a narrowing of the price gap between Prime and Choice. In June, the premium for Prime loin values was 2 percent higher than last year, but branded, Choice and Select premiums rose by 20 percent, amounting to a $60 per cwt. increase.

“Prime graded beef has been making more inroads to into the retail space, but the generally higher price point can limit consumer accessibility,” according to the Daily Livestock Report. “The last couple of years have shown fourth quarter holiday demand to be strong and could be an opportunity to move Prime graded beef this year. Prime graded beef lends itself to special occasions especially if gatherings are focused around smaller group sizes, where whole turkey and ham are not as well suited.”

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

your community events, shows, sales, and other ways. Just give me a call and pick up in Columbia.

The Annual NCBA Convention and Trade Show will be held next February 3-5 in Nashville. What a great opportunity to participate in the largest cattle industry meeting and, especially, with its close distance from our state. Mark your 2021 calendar.

Have you joined NCBA this year?

This is your grassroots cattle industry organization. What great works and assistance from their staff in Denver and Washington on behave of all cattle producers. You are needed in this group!

The next S.C. Beef Council Board of Directors meeting will be a telephone

conference call on August 20 at 10:00 a.m.

Stay cool, safe, and healthy. Look after one another.

Until next month…

S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of JUNE 2020 Cattle Receipts: 10,770

•

Previous Month: 7,536

Feeder supply - 31% steers • 41% heifers • 28% bulls SLAUGHTER CLASSES

Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,472 $67.18

Boner 1,210 $68.86

Lean 985 $63.38

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,616

$100.49

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 420 $147.16 $618.07 450-500 473 $142.85 $675.68 500-550 522 $138.54 $723.18 550-600 572 $134.57 $769.74 600-650 621 $127.01 $788.73 650-700 673 $123.43 $830.68

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 421 $142.23 $598.79 450-500 471 $139.26 $655.91 500-550 519 $132.85 $689.49 550-600 570 $128.22 $730.85 600-650 615 $119.95 $737.69 650-700 665 $115.44 $767.68

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 426 $126.47 $538.76 450-500 470 $123.62 $581.01 500-550 522 $121.82 $635.90 550-600 570 $119.17 $679.27 600-650 618 $112.56 $695.62 650-700 660 $110.15 $726.99

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

Beef Promotion and Research Program

PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine.

Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).

Today’s Date: ________________ Seller’s Name: ____________________________

Buyer’s Name: ____________________________

Address: _________________________________

Address: _________________________________

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

Seller’s Signature: _________________________

Buyer’s Signature: _________________________

Both the seller & the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1.50 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Beef Promotion & Research Board.

Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $ _______________________ Date of Sale: __________________

Person remitting assessment form:

Seller

o

Buyer

o

* State of Origin of Cattle: ______________________

* If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.

Send Report and Remittance to:

SOUTH CAROLINA BEEF COUNCIL P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211 According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.8 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disbility, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, or protected genetic information. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 39

New NCCA Members for 2020

In 2007, members of the Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection at the NCCA Annual Conference in Hickory. A new member is defined as someone who has never been a member or someone who has rejoined after a brief break in membership. The new members are identified in this new members section by name and county of residence.

Below is a list of NCCA’s new members for the last month: Alexander County Debra M. Miller Anson County Thomas W. Rice, Jr. Ashe County Jeffrey Banks – Banks Farms Burke County Timothy G. Smith – Smith Farms Caldwell County Zachary Clark – B&K Farm LLC Catawba County Lane Fulbright – Fulbright Farms Andrew Rector – Naked Creek Cattle Co.

Chatham County Dennis Lee – Rocking L Farm Columbus County William Stanaland– Northwest Land & Cattle Davidson County Spencer Shoaf – Shoaf Land & Cattle Davie County Tim Barnes – Crump Creek Farm Lincoln County Chance Williamson – Williamson Farms Moore County Lisa George – Hilltop Farm Orange County Noah Ranells – Fickle Creek Farm

Agriculture and Agribusiness Contribute Record Setting $92.7B to North Carolina’s Economy The latest figures from N.C. State University economist Mike Walden show the industry generates one-sixth of the state’s income and jobs. However, those numbers will likely fall when it comes time to compile his report for 2020.

North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness industry remains a powerhouse, generating about one-sixth of the state’s income and jobs. It recently set a record in terms of its contributions to the state’s gross domestic product.

A new industry snapshot – the latest in an annual series that North Carolina State University economist Mike Walden began compiling in the 1980s – shows that over

N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of JUNE 2020

Rowan County Justin Holt – American Patriot Cattle Co. Sampson County Larry Sessoms – Lilawandee

Cattle Receipts: 15,883

•

Previous Month: 13,561

Feeder supply - 33% steers • 39% heifers • 28% bulls

Wake County Christopher Leith – Post Drivers USA Yadkin County Eric Bray – Stars Peak Farm

16 percent or $92.7 billion of the $564 billion gross state product was contributed by value added income from food, natural fiber, and forestry industries in 2018.

That’s up from $91.8 billion in 2017.

Walden said that agriculture and agribusiness also provided jobs for over 772,000 of the state’s 4.4 million employees.

The report reflects not just jobs and income from farming but also for manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing.

“This does include what farmers do, but it also then follows what is popularly called the supply chain of food, natural fiber, and forestry products,” he said. “These numbers

SLAUGHTER CLASSES Avg. Wt. Price

Cows - % Lean

Breaker 1,410 $67.25

Boner 1,159 $65.15

Lean 982 $55.74

Bulls - Yield Grade 1-2

1,585

$95.11

FEEDER CLASSES

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $141.07 $596.73 450-500 474 $141.29 $669.71 500-550 525 $137.38 $721.25 550-600 572 $135.59 $775.57 600-650 626 $129.88 $813.05 650-700 670 $125.18 $838.71

FEEDER BULLS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 424 $141.04 $598.01 450-500 473 $136.05 $643.52 500-550 522 $131.54 $686.64 550-600 570 $126.98 $723.79 600-650 620 $118.43 $734.27 650-700 670 $113.08 $757.64

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Wt. Range Avg. Wt. CWT Avg. Price 400-450 423 $127.00 $537.21 450-500 471 $125.07 $589.08 500-550 522 $118.57 $618.94 550-600 570 $117.33 $668.78 600-650 619 $110.46 $683.75 650-700 673 $106.36 $715.80

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

capture all of that economic activity.”

In 2018, farming constituted a $17 billion endeavor in North Carolina and served as the backbone for a much larger agriculture and agribusiness enterprise that Walden calls the state’s Number One industry.

Manufacturing and processing of food, natural fiber, and forest products generated $37.8 billion, wholesaling $12.7 billion and retailing $25.2 billion. Retailing includes restaurants and food, apparel, and furniture stores.

Walden’s figures reflect value added incomes: At the farm level, value added is sales. At the manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing levels, it does not include the value of inputs produced outside of North Carolina, and it avoids overcounting of products used several times in the production chain, Walden explained.

Over the years that Walden has prepared his analysis, he’s seen agriculture and agribusiness continue to grow and yet still decline in terms of its percentage of the larger economy.

“That shouldn’t be necessarily concerning because what’s happening is we have modernized our economy, and more people have moved here, and we have become a richer state,” Walden said. “People spend their money on other things other than food and natural fiber and forestry products.

They buy technology, they buy vehicles, etc.”

Because Walden’s data come from multiple state and federal sources, it’ll be two years before the economist will have the figures he needs to complete his analysis for the 2020 calendar year. Still, based on what he’s seeing, he expects the economic contributions from food, natural fiber, and forestry industries to fall significantly because of COVID-19.

The food processing sector – particularly for meat and poultry products – was hit hard early on by social distancing measures and outbreaks that forced shutdowns and slowdowns at processing plants across the country.

While the situation has improved, it did create challenges for poultry and hog producers, who generate about ⅔ of North Carolina’s annual farm sales.

These farmers had been expecting strong demand that dropped significantly because of the decreased processing capacity.

“I suspect the 2022 report will probably show a very substantial drop, particularly in the processing sector and the farm sector,” Walden said.

Hear more about the state of North Carolina agriculture in the latest episode of N.C. State University’s Farms, Food, and You podcast at go.ncsu.edu/farms.

July 4th Meat Sales Produce Fireworks July 4th meat sales in America saw a 4.1 percent increase over 2019. Analysts think that’s a remarkable achievement, not just because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but also because Independence Day sets a high bar given the holiday’s traditional focus of grilling at home versus eating out.

Meat sales for the week leading up to July 4 recorded a 17.9 percent increase in dollar sales to accompany the increase in volume, according to Anne-Marie Roerink, 210 Analytics, and IRI, a data analytics company that tracks sales. The Independence Day performance continues a trend of strong meat sales for 2020 pandemic affected holidays.

“Without exception, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Memorial Day boosted the elevated everyday demand even higher to achieve astounding gains versus year ago,” Roerink said. “Independence Day was no exception. Meat prices were still elevated and several states rolled back their relaxation of pandemic social distancing measures. In many cases, this involved stricter in-restaurant dining capacity limits.

This could have prompted everyday demand to increase for the week ending July 5 along with the holiday demand.”

It was the 17th week of double digit gains since the onset of the pandemic. And while higher prices drove much of this

gain, the holiday brought meat volume growth too, at +4.1 percent, Roerink said.

“The dollar/volume gap continued to improve to 13.8 points. Expectations for the holidays were smaller gatherings and unit sales support this assumption. Unit purchases in fresh meat increased by 8.4 million, or 5.2 percent, over the Fourth of July week versus last year, while volume increased 4.1 percent. This points to more, but smaller, packages sold,” she said.

So far, during the pandemic, starting March 15 - July 5, dollar sales are up 36.4 percent, and volume sales have increased 23 percent versus the same period last year.

Overall, Roerink says, price increases year over year were noticed with the fresh promoted price for the holiday week this year at $3.77 versus $2.96 last year.

“IRI’s insights on the average retail price per volume show double digit increases when comparing to Independence Day week in 2019,” she said. “However, the big three (proteins) showed significant declines in price per volume versus the preceding 2020 week. Compared to the week ending June 28, beef prices were down 7.6 percent during the holiday week, chicken prices decreased 3.2 percent and pork 5.0 percent. Across all meats, prices were down nearly 4 percent compared with the prior week ending June 2020.”

Alltech releases 2020 Sustainability Report reaffirming its commitment to supporting a Planet of Plenty™. On the one year anniversary of committing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations Global Compact and the Science Based Targets initiative, Alltech has released its 2020 Sustainability Report.

In addition to reflecting Alltech’s vision for a Planet of Plenty™, the submission reaffirms the company’s alignment with a growing global network of organizations around the world that are united by their mission to build a more sustainable future.

“As a global company spanning the entire food supply chain, we are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact on a diverse range of sectors,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president, and CEO of Alltech. “The Global Compact has helped give direction, value, and alignment to existing projects and inspiration for new ones. The pages of this report reflect our call to customers and partners to join us in a collaborative effort to adopt new technologies, improve business practices, and embrace innovation in order to create a world of abundance.”

As part of its pledge to the U.N., signed on July 12, 2019, Alltech announced its focus specifically on nine of the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on which the company felt it could have the greatest impact due to their alignment with its core business.

Selected SDGs include zero hunger, good health and well being, quality education, gender equality, decent work, and economic growth, climate action, life below the water, life on land, and partnership for the goals.

Alltech’s 2020 Sustainability Report outlines the key efforts that impact these chosen SDGs, including product validation by the Carbon Trust, education initiatives, support for women in agriculture, and applying 40 years of research in animal nutrition to advance human health.

The report also reaffirms Alltech’s commitment to the U.N. Global Compact (UNGC). The UNGC provides organizations with a value system and principle based approach to conducting business. Alltech strives to operate in a way that meets fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. The company continues to incorporate the Ten Principles of the U.N. Global Compact into its strategies, policies, and procedures.

In conjunction with signing the U.N. Global Compact, Alltech also committed to the Science Based Targets initiative, which is designed to help companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and

NEWS

share their progress through transparent documentation and reporting. Alltech has initiated data collection for the first year, then goals will be set to benchmark its work to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy and water consumption.

In December 2019, Alltech had the extraordinary honor of welcoming the United Nations Security Council to its headquarters in Nicholasville, Kentucky. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft, originally from Kentucky, selected Alltech to host their meeting, in part because of the company’s commitment to the U.N. Global Compact and focus on nine Sustainable Development Goals. The 13 members in attendance represented the U.S., China, Poland, Peru, Russia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Vietnam, Belgium, Kuwait, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, and Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines.

The U.N. Security Council’s enthusiastic interest in the company’s Planet of Plenty vision and SDG commitments represent a significant opportunity for Alltech to lead positive change within the agri-food industry.

“We are excited to reach this milestone in a journey that began in 1980,” said Deirdre Lyons, co-founder, and director of corporate image and design at Alltech. “Our purpose driven mission to benefit animals, consumers, and the environment — and to make a difference in the world around us — has a new framework for success that will help guide us into the future.”

About Alltech. Founded in 1980

by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech delivers smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture.

Our products improve the health and performance of plants and animals, resulting in better nutrition for consumers and a decreased environmental impact.

We are a global leader in the animal health industry, producing additives, premix, self fed supplements, and feed. Celebrating 40 years in 2020, we carry forward a legacy of innovation and a unique culture that views challenges through an entrepreneurial lens.

Our more than 5,000 talented team members worldwide share our vision for a Planet of Plenty™. We believe agriculture has the greatest potential to shape the future of our planet, but it will take all of us working together, led by science, technology, and a shared will to make a difference.

Alltech is a private, family owned company, which allows us to adapt quickly to our customers’ needs and maintain focus on advanced innovation. Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Ken., Alltech has a strong presence in all regions of the world.

For more information, visit www.alltech.com.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

NCBA

President’s Report

By MARTY SMITH

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Over the past few months, NCBA, like the rest of the world, has been very focused on the Coronavirus pandemic and the personal and economic devastation it left at its wake. Until a vaccine or an effective treatment is developed, we will all continue to focus on the virus — and on rebuilding our economy. But as our states and businesses continue to reopen and we all develop a “new normal” in the way we live our lives and run our operations, it’s a good time to step back and look at some of the policy work that NCBA has done and some issues not directly related to COVID. • In mid-June, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee held its Draft Advisory Report Meeting to review the DGAC draft conclusion statements posted online and discuss the committee’s overall deliberations and decisions regarding their draft advisory report. This was one of the final important steps in a 2½ year long process that NCBA has been involved in since day one.

Throughout this process, NCBA has provided extensive written and oral commentary through both the Center for Public Policy and the Beef Checkoff.

NCBA, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, submitted 21 sets of unique comments, providing over 100 research studies that comprehensively review the scientific evidence supporting the critical role beef plays in a healthy diet at every life stage.

Stay tuned for your opportunity to make your voice heard: on July 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services posted their final report online and opened up a 30 day public comment period. Following the release of the report, NCBA will be calling on our affiliates and members to submit comments based on the findings in the final DGAC report.

• Also, in mid-June, NCBA led the fight to make sure that the voice of cattle producers was heard in the Capitol Hill debate over the so called “Great American Outdoors Act.” We think a more appropriate name for the legislation

would be the “Great American Land Grab Act,” since a federal land grab is exactly what it will promote.

Whatever you call the bill, it would permanently remove Congressional oversight of funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) by making the fund mandatory spending at a level of $900 million per year. It’s beyond me why any Member of Congress would voluntarily surrender his or her ability to exercise oversight into how the Executive Branch spends billions of taxpayer dollars, but the bottom line is this legislation would reduce federal accountability when it comes to Washington buying up more and more private lands. The U.S. Senate approved the bill on June 17, but NCBA is going to continue to lead the fight against this ill advised legislation every step of the way.

• NCBA has continued to work with U.S. trade negotiators in support of a bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom that will improve access for American beef producers. Britain is still working its way through the Brexit process with the European Union, but the goal remains to have a U.S.-U.K. deal that includes agriculture by the end of this year.

• NCBA, joining other regulated industries, recently filed motions to intervene in California, South Carolina, and Colorado litigation on the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. The Trump Administration’s rewrite of the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition provides much needed clarity for agricultural producers and maintains important agricultural exemptions. The 2015 WOTUS Rule represented a massive overreach by the Federal government, unnecessarily burdening livestock producers. NCBA will continue working to defend the Trump Administration’s deregulatory agenda, including the Navigable Waters Protection Rule.

• In June, NCBA Chief Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Simmons was named to a Task Force on Gene Editing in Animal Agriculture led by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

(APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).

Recognizing the potential for gene editing to increase food security and safety, the 11 person panel is comprised of scientists and industry leaders who will map out recommendations for regulating this emerging genomic technology in animal agriculture with appropriate safeguards and procedures.

• EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler also recently announced the appointment of 33 members to the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). Established in 2008, the FRRCC provides independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities.

NCBA was very pleased with the strong representation of the beef cattle industry. Tom McDonald, of Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, has a long history and deep expertise in environmental and agricultural issues. Tom will provide

resolute leadership to the committee as its new Chairman. Farmers and ranchers now have a seat at the table with our federal regulators thanks to President Trump and Administrator Wheeler.

Of course, we all understand that the Coronavirus hasn’t gone away and that our economy and our industry still face a long road back to recovery.

NCBA will continue to fight on that front. We’ll continue to build support for the PASTURE Act, which will provide grazing flexibility to cattle producers during the pandemic. We’ll push for additional and better targeted relief under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and our Working Group on cattle markets will continue working to improve price discovery and reduce the market volatility we saw after the onslaught of the virus and after events like last year’s fire in Holcomb, Kansas.

We’re a producer led organization, and like all cattle producers, we’re used to doing more than one thing at a time. And with your ongoing support, that’s exactly what we’re going to continue to do.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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A Message from the CEO

By COLIN WOODALL

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Like A Rock …Since 1898 In the early 1990s, Chevy had an advertising campaign touting the dependability of their trucks by using the tag line “Like a Rock.” To this day, I still drive a 1994 Chevy pickup. I change my own oil, rotate the tires, gap my spark plugs, and do everything to keep that truck running. It has covered most of Texas, western Kansas, and the panhandle of Oklahoma. It took my wife and me on our honeymoon as we traveled from Texas to Washington, D.C., and it has gone up and down Pennsylvania Avenue more times than I can count.

In the 26 years I have owned that truck, it has never left me stranded or put me in a dangerous position. It has been truly dependable.

I have thought about my truck numerous times as I look at how NCBA has responded to the COVID-19 crisis on behalf of our members and stakeholders. I

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can count on that truck cranking every time I turn the key. It is always there for me. Much like my truck, we have been there for you by engaging on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight since the early days of the pandemic.

For more than three months, members of your staff were working every day of the week to ensure we were advocating for you and your family during our engagement with consumers, legislators, regulators, and the President of the United States. If you were working during this battle, we knew we needed to be, too. We were there to take calls and input from concerned members and state partners while updating our stakeholders with nightly emails highlighting our efforts. Effective communication has been key in letting you know that we were always on the offensive.

A half ton, two-wheel-drive truck doesn’t always give you a smooth ride on bumpy

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

roads. This pandemic has been nothing but a bumpy road, and it definitely hasn’t been a smooth ride for our association. The anger and the emotion you have felt has been warranted, and one of the reasons we exist is to provide an outlet for that frustration.

Every day, dealing with COVID-19 brought new challenges, and in most cases, challenges we hadn’t anticipated. Who would have expected that stay-at-home orders and the resulting lack of driving and fuel demand would lead to ethanol plants shutting down and leaving our industry with a shortage of carbon dioxide needed to keep carcasses and beef cool during processing and shipping? It was just another section of that bumpy road, but we kept both hands on the wheel and kept us out of the ditch.

While dependable, that truck has also disappointed me. Most of last year, the air conditioner didn’t work. No A/C while driving during a sweltering D.C. summer is not pleasant. We know we haven’t been perfect, and in some cases, have disappointed you. We were always open to the criticism and found ways throughout the crisis to adjust our efforts and messaging in order to do a better job. We didn’t start our response by advocating for relief from Congress, but with the feedback we received through our grassroots policy process, we adjusted course and delivered on getting money appropriated for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Even Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue gave us the primary credit for securing the funding for all of agriculture.

Now we know CFAP isn’t perfect, but as you read this, we are working to address the shortcomings, most notably by getting the arbitrary April 15 date extended to cover the losses we are still seeing.

Twenty-six years on the road can be hard on a truck, but it is amazing what a new set of tires and a fresh wax will do. Given all we have come through, we felt it was important to look at how we can improve. This led to a review of our NCBA Vision and the need to make a few improvements. Our improved vision is “to be the trusted leader and definitive voice of the U.S. cattle and beef industry.” We added “U.S. cattle” to the vision to make it clear that we are here for the producers.

Our volunteer leaders are cattle producers, our committee members are cattle producers, and we are here to serve cattle producers. This vision makes that clear.

The NCBA Officer Team and Executive Committee made the decision to adopt these improvements, and I believe it will help us as we continue to find ways to improve.

Now, I often look at the new truck models and think that it might be time to try something else. Maybe even one that allows me to play a cattle market report podcast or two. But I know my truck is dependable and will always provide the steady ride I need to get the job done. Like a rock, since 1898, NCBA has been that steady and dependable voice that provides leadership in times of crisis. This fight is not over, so I hope you’ll jump in the cab with me and help us stay the course.

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NEWS NIAA elects officer team and new board members. Selects firm for ongoing management. The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) recently elected officers and executive committee members who will guide the organization over the next two years. In addition, three new board members were elected, and three current board members were re-elected.

The officer team includes Kevin Maher of VetMeasure, Inc., Board Chair; Eric Moore, DVM of Norbrook, Inc., Vice Chair; Chelsea Good of Livestock Marketing Association, Treasurer; and Michael Short, DVM of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Secretary.

In addition to the officer team, the board of directors elected three members to serve

at-large on the executive committee. Joining the officers on the executive committee are Todd Low of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture; David McElhaney of Allflex USA; and Lucas Pantaleon, DVM of Engormix/Pantaleon PLLC. Members of NIAA elected three new members and re-elected three existing board members. New board members are Joe Leathers, 6666 Ranches; Justin Smith, DVM of the Kansas Department of Agriculture; and Roger Saltman, DVM of RLS Management Solutions. Reelected board members are Fabian Bernal of DeLaval; Lucas Pantaleon, DVM of Engormix/Pantaleon PLLC; and Leonard Bull, Ph.D. of Logical Solutions Consulting.

“I look forward to working with our board and newly elected officer

AgriThority Launches New Website AgriThority®, a global agricultural product development company, recently launched a new website at www.AgriThority.com. Over the past several years, AgriThority has expanded its global footprint with key hires in Europe and South America, in addition to several experts and industry leaders domestically. With business, market, and product development experts in more than 16 primary agricultural production countries worldwide, the AgriThority website reflects the expanded services and expertise the company provides to the agricultural industry.

“In our new website, we have clearly defined product, business and market development services, and our global team is outlined by geography for our potential and future clients,” says Jerry Duff, AgriThority Founder, and President.

“The innovative design and global focus truly represents AgriThority at its core.”

AgriThority adds more “D” to the Research & Development of major corporations as well as mid-size or start-up agtech and biotech innovators. The website defines what that means to current and prospective clients. It speaks to agricultural start ups and established multinationals through graphics, video, and written content. The services and talent that help bring innovative new products to market are highlighted throughout the site.

“We’ve built our reputation on successfully accelerating the development links between innovators and markets with science ever at the forefront,” Duff says. “Our deep understanding of market and producer dynamics and our global footprint are highlighted throughout our new website.”

The upgrading of the AgriThority website reflects the added talent, including Ph.D. industry leaders in Europe and South America. The mission of providing the agricultural industry with high value knowledge and credible, scientifically based services to accelerate technology development and transfer into markets around the world is the central theme and focus of the website.

For more information, visit www.AgriThority.com.

About AgriThority. Founded in 2008 and with roots dating back to 1985, AgriThority moves agricultural innovations to market. Our seasoned, scientific global network serves as an independent and collaborative resource devoted to accelerating product, business, and market development. We help overcome regulatory challenges, manage product development process, and establish connections for market access.

Learn more at www.AgriThority.com.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

team as we continue advancing the animal agriculture sector of our food and agriculture system forward,” Kevin Maher, Board Chair, VetMeasure, Inc., says. “Animal agriculture has tremendous potential while also facing several obstacles. NIAA will continue to bring animal agriculture leaders together to collaborate while deriving solutions for our sector.”

Additionally, the NIAA Board of Directors has named J.J. Jones with Roots & Legacies Consulting, Inc., as the full time executive director. Jones and his team have led the organization through the interim period for the past six months.

As a member driven non-profit, the National Institute for Animal Agriculture works to unite and advance the aquatic livestock, beef, dairy, equine, poultry,

small ruminant, and swine sectors that, collectively, form animal agriculture.

To learn more about NIAA, visit www.animalagriculture.org.

About the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. NIAA was established to derive solutions on the most current issues in animal agriculture.

Its members include farmers and ranchers, veterinarians, scientists, government officials, and allied industry representatives. NIAA is dedicated to programs that work toward the eradication of diseases that pose a risk to the health of animals, wildlife, and humans. It also promotes a safe and wholesome food supply and best practices for animal health and well being as well as environmental stewardship. More information is available at www.animalagriculture.org.

You shouldn’t have to have a gun held to your head to take advantage of the expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies featured in the Classifieds in this issue!

The 44 Farms International Beef Cattle Academy Offers New Scholarships $100,000 in scholarships are available to cover up to 70 percent of student tuition costs. The 44 Farms International Beef Cattle Academy (IBCA) is now offering scholarships to 2020-2021 program applicants. A total of $100,000 is available to cover up to 70 percent of tuition costs for scholarship recipients. Applications are open now and close on August 15.

“We’re excited to announce IBCA is offering scholarships for the first time to its 2020-2021 class,” says Reinaldo Cooke, program coordinator and associate professor at Texas A&M University. “We hope these new scholarships help extend participation in the academy to a broader audience.”

Scholarships are limited, so early application is encouraged. Scholarships will be awarded based on student merit and potential contribution towards the IBCA goal – to advance knowledge to enhance beef production and quality across the globe.

The scholarship application includes essay questions where candidates explain the goal of their participation in the program and their passion for driving the industry forward.

“All of our students are passionate about advancing the industry, and they leave the program better equipped to

enhance beef production and quality,” says Cooke.

The 44 Farms International Beef Cattle Academy consists of eight courses with 30 learning hours per course. Classes are taught online with pre-recorded lectures and cover topics ranging from cattle welfare and behavior to nutritional management and the safety of beef products.

Class size is limited to offer an exclusive and customized experience tailored to individual student needs. In addition to the pre-recorded lectures, there are weekly one-on-one sessions with each student and instructor.

“This year’s program offers more value than ever before,” says Ky Pohler, program coordinator and assistant professor at Texas A&M University.

“Participants consistently experience a worthwhile return on investment when they take the information they learn back to their operations and roles. These scholarships only increase that benefit.”

The next academy begins in September 2020 and continues through August 2021.

Those interested can register for the program and apply for scholarships at www. animalscience.tamu.edu/ibca/ or email ibca@tamu.edu for more information.

Consider Pregnancy Testing Beef Cattle Early The breeding season for spring calving cow herds could run from March through late summer or early fall, depending on the desired time of calving and length of the breeding season.

“Regardless of the length of the breeding season, reproductive efficiency is a critical factor in maintaining a profitable ranch operation,” says Janna Block, Extension livestock systems specialist based at North Dakota State University’s Hettinger Research Extension Center.

“Pregnancy testing is one method that can be used to monitor reproductive performance and help make appropriate management decisions,” she adds. “For instance, during a drought, late bred or open cows can be identified early and sold to reduce feeding costs.”

Although pregnancy testing typically is carried out in late summer or fall, it can be conducted as early as 30-45 days after the end of the breeding season through ultrasound, rectal palpation, or blood based pregnancy tests. Pregnancy testing cows early provides a number of benefits.

“The ability to identify nonpregnant cows close to the end of the breeding season can help with culling decisions,” says Karl Hoppe, livestock systems specialist based at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center. “If overall pregnancy rates are low in a certain group or pasture, producers can begin the process of determining if problems are related to bull fertility, disease or nutritional issues. Additionally, abnormalities such as cystic ovaries and infections that affect reproductive performance may be identified.”

Typically, ultrasound can be used at around 30 days post breeding, while palpation would be most useful one to two weeks later. The experience level of the technician and the method used will determine the earliest date that tests can be conducted.

Blood based pregnancy tests are another option for pregnancy diagnosis that can be used within 60-90 days post calving and 25-30 days post breeding, depending on the type of test used.

Test kits can be purchased from several commercial sources, and the producer can collect blood samples on the ranch.

Most blood samples have to be sent to a certified laboratory for detection of pregnancy related proteins; however, some blood testing kits that are designed for veterinary practice can be read visually within about 30 minutes with no additional equipment needed. Because the proteins of interest remain in the cow after calving, the previous pregnancy can

cause interference if the recommended sampling period is not followed.

For example, assume a group of heifers was artificially inseminated on April 15 and then exposed to a cleanup bull for 30 days. Because heifers have not had a previous pregnancy, a blood test or ultrasound could be conducted around the middle of June, or palpation could be conducted at the end of June. If mature cows were exposed to the same breeding protocol, the earliest a blood test could be conducted would be the middle of July.

“There are advantages and disadvantages for each method of pregnancy testing,” says Gerald Stokka, NDSU Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. “Costs are typically similar among methods; however, it is important to evaluate options due to variation in prices among veterinarians and laboratories.”

Blood based tests do not require an experienced technician or specialized equipment to collect the samples.

However, some kits require additional time for samples to be shipped and processed at a laboratory.

For quick response blood tests, animals must be put in a holding pen while pregnancy status is determined, and additional sorting may be required. The required interval between calving and blood sampling means that other methods could be used earlier in most cases. In addition, false positives may be seen for several days after a cow has undergone an abortion.

Rectal palpation and ultrasound can determine pregnancy immediately without extra handling. Additionally, these methods can be used to determine the age of the fetus and monitor reproductive organs, while blood tests cannot. Ultrasound also can be used to determine the sex of the fetus and incidence of twins.

The specialists note that the frequency of embryonic mortality typically is highest within the first 42 days of pregnancy. In some cases, producers have attributed abortions to rough handling of the fetus and/or membranes when pregnancy testing; however, differentiating these potential losses with “normal” embryonic loss is extremely difficult.

For cattle in early pregnancy, producers should minimize handling, transportation, and heat stress to reduce the risk of abortions. If necessary, an additional pregnancy check conducted before winter feeding programs begin can identify cows that have lost pregnancies.

Producers have a variety of options for managing nonpregnant cows and

heifers.

Open cows can be weaned early and sold, moved into a fall calving cow herd, or held back for a later marketing opportunity to avoid seasonal lows of cull cow prices. Open heifers can be removed from grass or feed and sold immediately, be retained and bred for a later calving season, or be managed and sold as feeders.

Current cattle markets, weather outlooks, and feed availability are all factors that should be considered when determining the fate of nonpregnant females.

“Regardless of the management decisions made after pregnancy checking occurs, early diagnosis will add to a producer’s bottom line by identifying nonproductive females and reducing associated feed and production costs,” Block says. “Early pregnancy testing also can identify reproductive issues within a herd and allow for a more thorough and effective response.

Producers should consult their veterinarian to make informed decisions about what method is best suited to their individual operation and goals.”

Regular copy deadline is AUGUST 5 for the SEPTEMBER issue.

Is there a problem?

2020 Spotlight Issues Schedule Most of the breed associations in North and South Carolina have stepped forward and renewed their contracts for Spotlight sections in The Carolina Cattle Connection for 2020. If your breed is not featured as a Spotlight section and you would like to inquire on any open months please feel free to contact me.

Below is the tentative schedule for the upcoming year.

2020 Reserved Spotlight Issues

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

CHAROLAIS FORAGES ANGUS PEST MANAGEMENT BRAHMAN HEREFORD GELBVIEH SIMMENTAL SANTA GERTRUDIS *************** *************** RED ANGUS

Contact The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Phone - 919-552-9111 for the contact person for each Spotlight Issue.

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q AUGUST 2020

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Minimal Investment Keeps Cattle Performing Year Round. Environmental factors, input costs, and other outside factors wreak havoc on production costs while market volatility remains unpredictable. Yet, for less than a nickel per cow, per day, you can make the investment to keep your cattle healthy and performing.

Amaferm is a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying the nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is research proven to increase intake, digestion, and absorption. Amaferm is created from a select strain of Aspergillus oryzae grown by non-alcoholic fermentation in a proprietary media in St. Joseph, Missouri, and is the key ingredient found in all VitaFerm vitamin and mineral supplements produced by BioZyme Inc. “If you are in the cow business, you are in the grass business, so getting Amaferm in your cows everyday pays big benefits for minimal costs. If you buy a delivery mechanism for Amaferm, like one of our premium minerals, from

PAGE 48

NEWS

BioZyme, we figure that’s approximately 4¢ (for the Amaferm) per cow, per day,” said John Jeffrey, BioZyme Area Sales Manager, representing Oklahoma and Southern Missouri. “And the Amaferm advantage is going to stretch your grass, making your resources last longer.”

Amaferm has three key functions in the diet: increasing intake, digestion, and absorption. When those three tasks happen, your herd will have more energy to do whatever job they are currently doing: lactation, gestation, maintaining; increased digestion for increased gut health, meaning more overall performance; and more absorption, meaning getting the most efficient uses of the nutrients in your feedstuffs.

Although many producers might think Amaferm is meant for particular seasons of production, it is critical to get Amaferm into the bovine diet year round.

Keeping that digestive system healthy, keeps that cow or bull healthy, and keeps it eating and grazing while converting that forage into performance. Jack Oattes,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

BioZyme Area Sales Manager in New York and Vermont explains.

“Amaferm is a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility of feedstuffs by amplifying the nutrient supply within for maximum performance.

In order to bolster performance and health throughout all phases of production, whether it be the development of young stock, breeding, gestation, calving or lactation; year-round supplementation of Amaferm is essential,” he said.

One of the biggest benefits of Amaferm is its versatility allows it to work with all types of forages. Numerous research trials have been conducted that show that Amaferm will work for all types of feedstuff and for all types of cattle.

“It doesn’t matter what type of grass you’ve got because Amaferm is going to work the same on Fescue as it is Bermuda as it is on Buffalo Grass; it doesn’t matter,” Jeffrey said.

The cow is consuming more forage and, with the help of Amaferm, getting more nutrients from it. Amaferm works to increases microbial protein production by an average of 31 percent, along with its research proven ability to increase volatile fatty acid production by 16 percent, the cow has more energy and

protein with which to perform.

“People who feed Amaferm will mention that their animals are healthier and ask why. Partially, that goes back to the increased absorption rate of nutrients and getting nutrients into their system.

Amaferm is working to increase gut health, and since we know a large part of the

N.C. Weekly Auctions Report

Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 (Week ending JULY 10, 2020) Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $123.00 - 157.50

400-500 $119.00 - 151.00

500-600 $118.50 - 145.00

600-700 $117.50 - 137.00

700-800 $104.00 - 134.00

800-900 $108.00 - 110.00 Heifers

300-400 400-500 500-600 600-700 700-800 800-900

$109.00 - 143.00 $105.00 - 137.00 $100.00 - 130.00 $ 90.00 - 118.00 $ 80.00 - 110.00 $85.00

Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $56.00 - 78.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $50.00 - 72.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $60.00 - 78.00 Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156

immune system of an animal resides within the digestive tract, it is in turn promoting a healthier animal,” Jeffrey said.

Many progressive cattle producers already feed the VitaFerm Concept•Aid line, prior to calving through breeding.

Concept•Aid is a highly fortified line of vitamins and minerals specifically designed for reproductive success.

Concept•Aid contains 2.5 times the National Research Council’s recommended nutrients for quicker impact, high levels of Vitamin E, and organic trace minerals.

For those who are more price conscious but still looking to maintain Amaferm in their herds’ diets 365 days a year, BioZyme has recently launched VitaFerm Conserve™, a line of more economical vitamin and mineral supplements for beef cattle that supports the health and condition of the whole herd. Conserve includes the Amaferm advantage to optimize nutrient digestion and absorption while the vitamin and mineral pack preserves cattle performance. It contains a complete mineral package, no trace minerals, but still will keep your cattle performing

while getting Amaferm in their diets during the less crucial times of year.

“We know that Amaferm’s research proven mode of action stimulates the growth of fungi and bacteria along with enhanced microbial enzyme activity within the rumen. This leads to increased digestibility, and when coupled with some of our most recent developments in understanding how Amaferm increases nutrient absorption, more performance is possible for every producer. Bottom line, Amaferm helps producers achieve more in their operations with the feedstuffs they have available,” Oattes said.

Keeping cattle healthy and performing can be costly. But for less than a nickel a day, keeping them at their optimum health and keeping them converting forages into nutrients seems like a simple decision. Whatever you feed your animals, feed them Amaferm. Get the Amaferm advantage in your herd 365 days a year and start seeing a difference in health and performance. For more information, visit www.biozymeinc.com.

About BioZyme ® Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary

Carolina Cooking Grilled Beef Tostadas Total Cooking Time - 30 minutes 1 beef Strip Steak Boneless, cut ¾ inch thick (about 8 ounces each) 1¼ cups Herdez® Casera Salsa salsa 4 small corn tortillas (5-6 inch diameter), toasted 1 cup no-salt-added refried beans 1 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese ¼ cup diced red onion or pickled red onion Place beef steak and ½ cup Herdez® Casera Salsa in food safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator for one hour.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash covered coals. Grill, covered, 7-10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 7-10 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.

Remove; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steaks lengthwise in thirds, then crosswise into ¼ inch thick pieces.

Spread each tortilla with ¼ cup

refried beans. Top with lettuce, beef, and remaining ¾ cup salsa. Sprinkle with cheese and onion.

Makes 4 servings.

products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs.

BioZyme brands include Amaferm®, AOBiotics®, VitaFerm®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, and DuraFerm®. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www. biozymeinc.com.

Forage Myths Are Costly — Forage Quality Impacts Your Bottom Line Myth #1 - test my hay since I have many different cuttings, and I have it fed out before the analysis comes back from the lab.

Truth about Myth #1 - Hay quality directly impacts the amount of milk the milking herd will produce and the amount of grain that needs to be fed. This is true no matter if you feed as little as five pounds of hay or if you feed over ten pounds of hay per cow. To determine the quality of your hay and determine how much grain needs to be fed, the hay must be tested to determine its nutrient content.

Also, forage testing allows you to allocate your hay to the group of cattle on your farm, which can best use that quality of hay. The best hay needs to be fed to calves from two to four months of age and the milking herd, especially when the largest percentage of the cows are in early lactation.

All of your hay needs to be sampled by the end of the final fall harvest. This allows you to not only have the samples back before the hay is fed but also to develop a plan on how to best use the hay you have. It is best to sample each field and cutting separately. However, samples can be combined if they are from similar types of hay crops and the same cuttings if they were not rained on to minimize the number of samples sent to a lab. The key is to sample at least 20 bales to get a representative sample.

Myth #2 - My cows just need some fiber to chew on, so I’ll feed them some rough hay.

Truth about Myth #2 - Rough hay is lower in energy and protein than dairy quality hay. By feeding this quality of hay, the cows will fill up on poorer quality hay, which will decrease the amount of nutrients they receive over the day. Result - the cows, especially early lactation cows, will decrease their milk production may be as much as two pounds of milk for every five pounds of rough hay they eat.

Myth #3 - I test the hay I feed my milking cows, but I don’t see the need to test the hay I feed to my bred heifers and dry cows.

Truth about Myth #3 - In order to provide heifers and dry cows with the proper nutrition, forages must be tested, and these results used to balance rations.

First, the calf growing inside the cow or heifer gets the nutrients it needs at the expense of the cow or heifer. Thus, when heifers or dry cows are not provided the proper nutrition, the cow suffers not the calf growing inside of her. Secondly, we need to remember that the last two months before a heifer or cow calves sets the stage for how well she will milk this lactation. Providing inadequate amounts of energy, protein, minerals, or vitamins results in less milk over the upcoming lactation. Early lactation cows make the most profit for their owners and nutrition before calving affects production and reproductive performance during early lactation. Thus, underfeeding protein or energy hurts the cow’s future production and profitability and does not decrease the size of the calf at birth.

Myth #4 - I had my hay tested, and it contained 12 percent crude protein.

Truth about Myth #4 - For both beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and goats, energy is often times the nutrient which limits optimum performance, not protein. Thus, when reviewing your forage analysis, the energy content should be reviewed first before the protein content. The energy content of your forage is not determined directly in the laboratory. Over the years, nutritionists have learned that the lower the fiber content (acid detergent fiber or ADF) of the plant, the higher the digestibility, which in turn supplies the cow with more energy. When looking at your forage analysis, always evaluate the nutrients on a dry matter basis (with all the water removed). Thus, the most important number to review on a forage analysis is the ADF or NDF content of a forage on a dry matter basis, not crude protein.

Grilled Beef Tostadas

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PAGE 49

CHUCK

SHANK

CHUCK

BRISKET

RIB

PLATE

RIB

LOIN

SIRLOIN

ROUND SHANK

FLANK

LOIN

SIRLOIN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

ROUND

INGEDIENT CUTS

LEAN

LEAN

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LEAN

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LEAN

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LEAN

LEAN

LEAN

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LEAN

LEAN

BRISKET LEAN

LEAN

PLATE & FLANK LEAN

LEAN

KEY TO RECOMMENDED COOKING METHODS GRILL or BROIL PAN BROIL/ SKILLET

BRAISE/ POT ROAST

LEAN

These cuts meet the government guidelines for lean, based on cooked servings, visible fat trimmed

ROAST

INDIRECT GRILLING

SKILLET TO OVEN

* MARINATE BEFORE COOKING FOR BEST RESULTS

A cut of cooked fresh meat is considered ‘lean’ when it contains less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, andless tahn 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams(3½ oz) and per RACC (Reference Amount Customarily Consumed), which is 85 grams (3 oz.)

PAGE 50

STIR-FRY

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

NEWS Remote Control Grazing Management

By JUSTIN SEXTEN, Performance Livestock Analytics Farming and ranching simulators can be found on the digital devices of kids and adults across the country. Some suggest these games have led to a consumer’s view that food pops out of the ground and can be harvested with a swipe of the finger.

Coupled with the row and vegetable crop technology showcased on social media, one can easily imagine a digital farm.

Cropping systems are relatively uniform in management with straight rows, singular crops, and similar management applied across the field. This consistency is often cited as the reason cropping systems are more digitized than livestock. The plant’s inability to move makes for simpler system design, note simpler, not necessarily easy.

Precision farming is often focused on offering solutions to variable soil and plant conditions or minimizing labor needs.

Two recent articles highlight technology advances graziers may someday implement to digitize pasture management addressing variable pasture conditions and labor needed to manage them.

Adrien Michez and Belgium coworkers reported pasture monitoring results in the Remote Sensing Journal, where they used several drones to quantify forage availability and quality of pastures.

Forage researchers are always interested in both forage quality and quantity, whereas producers tend to have different focuses depending on animal performance goals.

For grazing dairy and pasture finishing systems, quality is key. In most beef cattle grazing systems, the amount of forage drives stocking and grazing management decisions long before quality becomes an issue. High quality forage is of little value if there isn’t enough grass to graze, regardless of the system, so the ability to quantify grazable forage is a key metric of the technology.

The drones were flown over the test pastures at solar noon to minimize the effects of shadows, and the pastures were a single species, timothy, to minimize prediction variation. To implement the technology, we would agree the prediction models would need to evolve to evaluate multiple forage pastures and allow for morning and evening flyovers to combine pasture and cattle checking.

The drones used in this test were off the shelf models fitted with common sensing equipment to demonstrate the ability to use readily available and cost effective technology. The test was successful at predicting forage height, biomass, and various measures of quality.

Forage availability predictions were better than some more refined manual methods such as a rising plate meter.

Another interesting grazing focused article was a virtual fencing report from Animals by Dana Campbell and Australian co-workers who tested the eShepherd ® virtual fence’s ability to create exclusion areas to prevent grazing of an environmentally sensitive area. The concepts outlined in this report, combined with the drone experiment, highlights how we can integrate technology advancements to develop actionable data driven grazing management plans.

This electronic fencing test was implemented over a 44 day grazing period in a 34.5 acre pasture. The exclusion zone was changed slightly over time to train the animals and had an irregular boundary.

The irregular boundary is significant as cattle were forced to respond to the audio cues rather than respond to a site line of exclusion. The ability to implement irregular boundaries will be key to commercial adoption of virtual fencing.

During the grazing period, forage availability within the included pasture declined while the exclusion increased, suggesting the grass was greener across the virtual boundary. The cattle proved this by continually encountering the virtual fence.

Despite this increased forage availability, cattle remained outside the exclusion 99.8 percent of the grazing period. Additionally, the cattle received a greater number of audio warnings than electrical corrections. These results suggest the cattle were responding to the cues when they did enter the exclusion area.

There were a couple of animals that persisted in entering the excluded area despite the cues. I suspect, regardless of the fencing type, many of you will agree there is always “the one” who finds the weak link in the fencing system.

These experiments offer us a look into the future of ranch management

technologies. A way to remotely monitor pasture conditions, set up exclusion areas based on forage quantity and quality, and deploy a virtual fence while sitting at the pasture gate. For many, automated pasture allocations may not be in your immediate future, but the technology is advancing.

Today grazing management is limited to permanent fences, our ability to set up temporary paddocks, and moving animals when we can. Imagine the day where we set up a weekly pasture flyover, weather data are integrated, waterers are waypoints, and stocking rates are adjusted

by virtual fencing. What we consider a simulation today could be tomorrow’s routine management.

About Performance Livestock Analytics Inc. Performance Livestock Analytics provides the leading business operating platform to livestock producers, brokers, risk managers, nutritionists, animal health, and animal nutrition companies. The subscription platform helps users better manage all financial, operational, and performance data for their livestock operations in one place. For more information, visit www.

PerformanceLivestockAnalytics.com.

Vytelle, GrowSafe Combine to Accelerate Bovine Biotechnology Vytelle and GrowSafe Systems, Ltd. announced the combining of their companies with the aim of accelerating genetic advances in bovine biotechnology.

The companies will operate as a single precision livestock company under the Vytelle brand to drive the mission to meet the global demands for producing more high quality protein, more sustainably, and with more profit potential for cattle producers, according to a statement by the company. Both companies are owned by UK based Wheatsheaf Group.

“By uniting two of the most forward thinking businesses in the cattle industry, we will help ensure that meat and milk are viable and competitive food choices for generations to come,” said Dr. Alan Barton, Operating Advisor Wheatsheaf Group and Chairman of the Board for Vytelle.

Kerryann Kocher has been named Vytelle’s new Chief Executive Officer, bringing decades of experience in animal health, feed ingredients, and protein production to the company.

“With the world literally hungry for protein, and the recognition that our industry must meet rising food demand while reducing resource intensity, there is a clear need to integrate precision livestock technologies and support our customers in their production of sustainably sourced meat and milk,” said Kocher.

With the combined capabilities of the new Vytelle, cattle producers will be able to convert individual animal performance data into genetic progress faster than ever before. Linking genetic insights available only through GrowSafe’s proprietary efficiency database with breakthrough IVF technology, Vytelle’s customers around the world will be able to shorten the interval between elite animal identification and optimal marketing of those genetics within the beef and dairy value streams.

“Identifying resource efficient animals is a key challenge for cattle producers, and breeding to perpetuate resource efficient traits in a far shorter timespan than traditional methods improves producer profitability and sustainability,” Kocher continued. “Our goal at the new Vytelle is to close the feedback loop between genotype and phenotype, helping beef and dairy producers fast forward generational advances by matching genetic traits to optimal outcomes for our customers and the environment; developing new capabilities to make this a reality is the major focus of our R&D program.”

Vytelle is part of the Wheatsheaf Group, an international investor in food and agriculture focused on creating efficiencies in the production and distribution of food, developing innovative business models and technologies to deliver affordable, nutritious, and safe food that sustains both human health and the health of the planet.

About Vytelle IVF. Vytelle IVF provides revolutionary reproductive technology to beef and dairy producers throughout North and South America, with expansions underway in the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. Vytelle is committed to advancing genetics, life, and business for commercial beef and dairy producers around the world.

About GrowSafe. GrowSafe Systems Ltd. builds advanced animal agriculture systems to help producers optimize their operations. GrowSafe’s advanced data acquisition platform features integrated hardware and software analytics that provide producers with data to make better decisions for their operations. Today, GrowSafe is helping to raise more efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthier animals in 16 countries across the world.

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NCBA News

NCBA Helps Lead Coalition to Close $630 Million Shortfall for Inspections of Agricultural Products.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recently helped lead a coalition of more than 150 agricultural organizations in urging Congressional appropriators to close an estimated $630 million funding shortfall for the Customs and Border Protection’s (CPB’s) Agriculture Quarantine Inspection (AQI) at U.S. ports of entry. The coalition stated its case in a letter to members of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

CPB Agriculture Specialists, Technicians, and Canine Teams inspect ag imports to prevent the entry of foreign plant and animal pests and diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease. The inspections are ordinarily funded by AQI user fees that are collected by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), but those user fees have dropped dramatically as international travel and cargo imports have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortfall in funding for AQI at ports of entry through the end of fiscal year 2021 is estimated to be $630 million.

“We urge Congress to ensure that the essential work of CBP agriculture inspectors continues uninterrupted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” the coalition’s letter said. “We depend on AQI to ensure that America’s agriculture sector remains safe from foreign animal and plant pests and diseases. It is inconceivable that Congress would risk widespread damage to U.S. agriculture and the overall economy by not funding these inspections.”

“The pandemic has already had a devastating impact on our nation’s citizens and on our economy,” said NCBA Executive Director, Government Affairs, Allison Rivera.

“We need to continue to fund our CBP Ag Inspectors and give them the resources they need so that they may continue to be vigilant at our ports of entry in order to keep out foreign animal diseases and pests.

NCBA Leads Fight on Capitol Hill to Provide Additional Pandemic Relief for Cattle Producers. NCBA recently sent a letter to leaders on Capitol Hill thanking them for their efforts in supporting our nation’s cattle producers through the Coronavirus Aid, Response, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and urging them to continue their work by improving the Coronavirus Food

PAGE 52

Assistance Program (CFAP). NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued the following statement: “The assistance provided to rural America through the CARES Act represented a critical step toward ensuring U.S. cattle producers remain operationally viable in the short term during the height of COVID-19.

However, as our nation collectively works to rebound from this pandemic, we have a clearer understanding of the challenges that remain for our industry, as well as the long term solutions needed to facilitate a robust recovery. While CFAP was a good start, these cattle assistance payments can be improved upon and tailored to provide additional support to those in our industry who have been especially affected by market disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, further measures such as emergency haying and grazing under the Conservation Reserve Program, a fed-cattle set aside pilot program, and the waiving of overtime fees for Federal Meat Inspectors can be utilized by Congress to ensure the beef supply chain is stronger moving forward.”

NCBA Responds to Congressional Climate Report. “Every Cattle Producer Plays Role in Cattle’s Positive Climate Impact.” NCBA Vice President, Government Affairs, Ethan Lane recently released the following statement in response to a new Congressional report on climate change: “The report released today by the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis is, unfortunately, the product of partisan discussions that failed to encompass important constituent communities across the country. NCBA is committed to working with Congress to find real solutions that set us on a path toward long term environmental and economic sustainability.

“All segments of the beef supply chain – ranchers, feeders, haulers, processors, and retailers – play a necessary role in ensuring that beef consumption is a climate solution. Every cattle producer plays a role in cattle’s positive climate impact. Pasture based operations cultivate healthy soil to improve carbon storage, grazing reduces fine fuels that contribute to catastrophic wildfire that causes significant air pollution and long-term damage to soil and water health, and advancements in feed efficiency directly reduce methane emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methane

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

from beef cattle accounts for only two percent of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions while providing a host of opportunities for improved carbon storage in landscapes across the country.

“NCBA will continue working to ensure that all segments of the beef supply chain are recognized for their beneficial contributions and do not face punitive measures that unfairly or inaccurately target domestic food and fiber production. Voluntary, inventive based conservation is the most fruitful path to conserving America’s agricultural land through increased adoption of sustainable management practices.

Consistent, achievable conservation goals ensure that all farmers and ranchers, regardless of size or segment, have the necessary resources to continue producing the world’s safest beef.”

NCBA Celebrates Implementation of USMCA Trade Deal. “We are the Envy of Many Countries,” Cattle Groups Say. NCBA recently celebrated the successful implementation of the U.S.Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by sending a joint letter of thanks to the leaders of all three nations. The letter was sent to President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

It was signed by NCBA President Marty Smith, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association President Bob Lowe, and CNOG President Oswaldo Chazaro Montalvo.

“Together, our organizations worked in unified support of USMCA because it protects market-based principles while making improvements in other sectors to reflect the needs of a modern North American economy,” the leaders of the

MERCK

Animal Health News

Merck Animal Health Announces Expanded Indications for FERTAGYL ® for Beef Cows.

Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) recently announced FERTAGYL ® (gonadorelin) is now approved for use with closprostenol sodium to synchronize estrous cycles to allow for fixed timed artificial insemination (FTAI) in beef cows.

Already approved for use with ESTRUMATE® (cloprostenol injection) to synchronize estrous cycles to allow for FTAI in lactating dairy cows, the new label indication enables beef veterinarians and producers to use the two products onlabel in their breeding program.

“Merck Animal Health is committed to providing new solutions, to provide veterinarians and cattle producers with options to advance their herd health and management protocols,” says Todd Bilby, Ph.D., associate director of ruminant technical services. “Reproduction is the most economically important trait in beef cattle, and this two product protocol helps simplify fertility, and will make a real impact with cattle producers.”

The effectiveness of gonadorelin, the active ingredient in FERTAGYL, for use with cloprostenol sodium to synchronize estrous cycles to allow for FTAI in beef cows was demonstrated in a field study at ten different U.S. locations.1 Pregnancy rate to FTAI was significantly higher in cows treated with gonadorelin than in cows treated with control.

FERTAGYL is easy to administer; the dosage for beef cows is 2 mL via intramuscular injection. Refer to the package insert for complete dosing instructions. FERTAGYL is available in 10-dose/20-mL and 50-dose/100mL vials. There are many options for synchronization of estrus and ovulation, so consult your veterinarian to select an appropriate program for your operation.

To learn more, visit www.merck-animalhealth-usa.com/species/cattle.

Reference 1 Fertagyl Package Insert; 2020.

About Merck Animal Health. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merckanimal-health-usa.com.

three cattlemen’s organizations wrote.

“We are the envy of many countries because of the marketplace freedom USMCA will continue to provide both producers and consumers.

“International trade is fundamental to the success of North American farmers and ranchers and the full value of the products we sell can only be achieved when we have access to the markets that most value them,” the letter continued.

“In the face of the economic hardships of COVID-19, it is timely and welcome that USMCA enters into force, providing a foundation of economic stability for our rural communities and food systems.”

Congress last winter overwhelmingly approved the new USMCA deal, with the Senate voting 89-10 in support of it a few weeks after the U.S. House of Representatives passed it with a strong bipartisan vote of 385-41. NCBA worked hard to build support for USMCA on Capitol Hill, and then-NCBA-President Jennifer Houston led a delegation of more than a dozen members to the White House to attend the official signing ceremony on January 29.

“We believe that our economies and our countries will be stronger together through USMCA,” the letter concluded.

Cattlemen Welcome Legislation to Improve Meat Processing Capacity.

Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Requiring Assistance to Meat Processors for Upgrading Plants (RAMP UP) Act, which provides federal incentives to improve beef processing capacity.

Introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Colin Peterson (D-Minn.), Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), and Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the RAMP UP Act will bolster market access for cattle producers and keep store shelves across the country stocked with wholesome and nutritious beef products.

“The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to beef processing which were devastating to cattle producers,” said NCBA Vice President and Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association past president Don Schiefelbein. “The RAMP UP Act addresses these supply chain issues by ensuring cattle ranchers and farmers have robust access to new markets regardless of where their livestock is processed.

We are grateful to Chairman Peterson and Rep. Lucas for their leadership and attention to this critical issue.”

The RAMP UP Act authorizes federal grants up to $100,000 for existing meat processors to become federally inspected.

Currently, state inspected and custom exempt processors cannot sell meat in interstate commerce, and the process to become compliant with and inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is expensive and daunting. If enacted, the RAMP UP Act would ease this burden on processors and benefit cattle producers by opening new markets for the beef they produce.

N C B A We l c o m e s F o r w a r d Progress On FMD Vaccine Bank.

NCBA recently released the following statement in response to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) securing contracts worth $27.1 million to provide foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) that was created in the 2018 Farm Bill at the request of NCBA: “We are pleased to see USDA is moving forward with creating a supply of FMD vaccines in the NAVVCB to ensure ranchers and farmers have timely access to a critical tool in the fight against foreign animal diseases, such as FMD. This is a promising first step forward to begin the work authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill; but, more action is needed to strengthen

this newly created vaccine bank,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs, Allison Rivera. “NCBA will continue to work with USDA, Congress, and other stakeholders to secure future funding, making certain that the entire cattle industry is better prepared for a possible outbreak of FMD.” NAVVCB is one component of a three part program established by the 2018 Farm Bill to comprehensively support animal disease prevention and management. This new program adds to the nation’s level of protection against this devastating disease.

In the event of an outbreak, animal health officials would decide when, where, and how to use the available vaccine based on the circumstances of the outbreak.

NCBA and other members of the animal agriculture community strongly lobbied Congress to include the formation of the NAVVCB in the Farm Bill to provide additional vaccine for use in livestock disease outbreaks, such as FMD. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall Responds to Burger King #CowsMenu Campaign. “Members of the NCBA are disappointed by the release of Burger King’s #CowsMenu campaign. The nation’s burger restaurants can, and many of them

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PAGE 53

NCBA continued from the previous page do, play a vital role in helping improve beef’s sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint. Unfortunately, Burger King has chosen a different path, relying on kitschy imagery that misrepresents basic bovine biology – cattle emissions come from burps, not farts – and on the potential impact of a single ruminant nutrition study that was so small and poorly conceived, it was dismissed by many leading NGOs and beef industry experts.

The U.S. is already a leader in sustainable beef production. The EPA attributes just two percent of greenhouse gas emissions to the American cattle industry, and yet cattle farmers and ranchers remain committed to continuous improvement and producing beef more sustainably. America’s cattle producers are disappointed that Burger King has decided to follow a path that is misaligned with those who are already making real world efforts to reduce beef’s environmental footprint, opting instead to score easy points with consumers by launching a misleading public relations campaign.”

Government Dietary Guidelines Reaffirm Beef’s Important Role in a Healthy Diet. NCBA recently thanked the members of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) for recognizing beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle, including the essential role of beef’s nutrients at every life stage. The DGAC released recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), the cornerstone of all federal nutrition policy.

The beef community has made

PAGE 54

it a priority to protect the scientific credibility of Dietary Guidelines and promote accurate information about the nutritional advantages of beef as part of a balanced diet. NCBA, in its roles as both a contractor to the Beef Checkoff and as a member driven policy association, submitted 21 sets of written comments, provided oral comments, and attended public meetings to ensure beef’s role in a healthy diet is recognized.

“Cattle and beef producers appreciate the evidence based recommendations of the DGAC. We believe beef is a wholesome, nutritious food that plays an important role in a healthy diet and we are supportive of many of the committee’s findings,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA and its members have made this work a priority for more than two years, and we’re pleased that the report reinforces the strong science which supports beef’s nutritional value in a healthy diet.”

Wo o d a l l noted that the recommendations shared in the report mirror many of the recommendations related to red meat, which were included in the 2015-2020 DGAs. In fact, the amount of meat recommended for healthy diets in the current report is the same as the 2015 DGAs. He also pointed to current DGAC report findings that suggest many Americans would benefit from getting more nutrients like protein, iron, and choline, which are readily available in beef.

“This report also demonstrates that women of child bearing age, adolescent boys and girls, and older Americans are especially vulnerable to not getting enough of the nutrients found in beef, which further demonstrates beef ’s valuable role in the diet,” said Woodall.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

While the DGAC report is influential in the development of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Secretaries Perdue and Azar are now tasked with reviewing the DGAC recommendations before finalizing the 2020 Guidelines. The public comment period for the report is open now until August 13. NCBA will be calling on its producer members to provide comments and looks forward to continued engagement as the Secretaries of USDA and HHS work to finalize the guidelines.

New Funding for Cattle Producers to Secure Strong Future for the Beef Industry. National Cattlemen’s Foundation announces a partnership with Cargill to invest in the long term resilience and professional development of farmers and ranchers. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) recently announced its partnership with Cargill to provide funding to North American cattle producers to provide practical tools to help manage market shifts, reduce costs, manage finite natural resource availability, and withstand extreme weather events.

The four year strategic partnership, which was funded by a $3 million contribution from Cargill’s protein business, establishes a professional development scholarship program and provides educational resources through the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) and experiential learning in partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

“Cargill is invested in the future of ranchers and farmers,” says Jon Nash, Cargill Protein – North America business leader. “This contribution is just one of the ways we are investing what we’ve earned

back in agricultural communities. We know we can’t deliver protein to tables without the people on the frontlines of our food system.”

The Rancher Resilience Grant program, which serves as the professional development scholarship arm of the program, offsets expenses for farmers and ranchers to attend state, regional, national, and global educational events. This includes industry conferences, seminars, and certifications that address animal health and well being, profitability, natural resources, sustainability, genetics, and reproduction education.

“This partnership furthers NCF’s vision by advancing the future of the beef industry,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.

“There is no better way to achieve this than by meeting producers on the ground and supporting access to continuing education through free tools and resources.”

Cargill and the NCF will also work with the USRSB to support free virtual education platforms for the entire beef value chain. Additional resources will support the NCBA in promoting producer professional development opportunities.

“The USRSB educational modules provide real world solutions that can be applied to any operation, no matter size or location,” said Wayne Morgan, USRSB chair. “We are excited to partner with Cargill and the NCF to develop tools designed to help stakeholders across the industry continuously improve how we raise, process and distribute beef.”

“Our industry continually explores technologies and production practices to support more efficient operations that focus on profitability and consistent high quality beef,” said NCBA Executive Director of Producer Education Josh White. “It’s exciting to see industry partners come together through a shared commitment to promote the long term economic well being of farmers and ranchers across the beef value chain while also improving our product and our care for livestock and natural resources.”

The Rancher Resilience Grant program will launch this fall.

Development of educational resources and promotion will begin immediately.

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy.

As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions.

To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org.

...

LASSIFIED PUREBRED C ATTLE BREEDERS

A NIMAL HEALTH

C. A. H.

BACK CREEK ANGUS

Joe and Robin Hampton 345 Withrows Creek Lane Mt. Ulla, NC 28125

704-880-2488

Angus

Black Crest Farm

W.R. “Billy” McLeod

QUALITY GELBVIEH, ANGUS, & BALANCER CATTLE

DUANE & WENDY STRIDER, OWNERS

Duane Cell: 336-964-6277 • Wendy Cell: 336-964-5127 Home: 336-381-3640 • Fax: 910-428-4568 ccrosscattle@yahoo.com • ccrosscattle.com THE HERD THAT CONSISTENTLY PRODUCES CATTLE WITH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS, AND EYE APPEAL.

REGISTERED POLLED HEREFORDS • EST. 1998

Ernest B. Harris President

Jim Traynham Wingate, N.C. 704-233-5366 Cell - 704-292-4217

Brent Glenn, DVM Lancaster, S.C.

Cattle Available Private Treaty John Wheeler • 910-489-0024 doublejfarm@yahoo.com • www.doublejfarmllc.com

williammcleod@ftc-i.net • www.blackcrestfarm.com

Headquarters - 775 Clacton Circle • Earlysville, VA 22936 Cattle located in Traphill, N.C.

Inc. / Auctioneers

519 Morgan Mill Rd., Monroe, NC 28112 704-289-5083 • 704-289-1696 • 800-222-8638

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT SMITH FARM

TRAILER SALES

SEXED SEMEN

trailers • truck bodies • tool boxes

Carl R. Smith 2205 Finch Farm Rd. Trinity, NC 27370 336.475.1279

Authorized Representative

Authorized Dealer

smithfarmtrailers@yahoo.com

* Located in Greensboro, N.C. -- Serving North and South Carolina*

Breeding Registered Angus since 1962

®

3200 NC Hwy. 58 • Warrenton, NC 27589 NCAL #1468 • NC#C#4264 • VAL #146 • SCAL #3895 Email: ebharris@ebharris.com www.ebharris.com

336-382-9635 • bkherefords@gmail.com

BLACK GROVE

Phone: 252-257-2140 Mobile: 252-430-9595

Carolinas Animal Health, LLC

“Quality Cattle For Quality People”

1320 Old Manning Rd., Sumter, SC 29150

803-481-2011

AUCTIONEERING

Walter D. Shealy III and Family

20977 US Hwy 76 • Newberry, SC 29108 Walter Shealy • 803-924-1000 Dixon Shealy • 803-629-1174 walter@blackgrove.com • dixon@blackgrove.com www.blackgrove.com

I NDEX Autryville, NC 28318 www.howardbrosfarms.com

KEEP POSTED FOR UPDATES ON THE 2020 Tarheel Angus/4K Farm Production Sale RICHARD KIRKMAN, DVM 20416 US 64 West Siler City, NC 27344-0350

919-742-5500 • rdkirkman@centurylink.net

Darryl Howard Cell: 910-990-2791

SENEPOL CATTLE FOR SALE Black & Red Available

Great for grass programs!

Heat Tolerant • Calving Ease Gentle Natured • Tender Carcass

H.J. WHITE FARMS

PO Box 215 • Bladenboro, NC 28320 910-648-6171 (day) • 910-863-3170 (night)

THE YON FAMILY 318 Aiken Road • Ridge Spring, SC 29129 www.yonfamilyfarm.com

Angus • SimAngus • Ultrablacks

INSURANCE

FOR SALE

AUTO • HOME • LIFE BUSINESS • FARM & RANCH

BBU Registered Beefmaster Bulls and Females

WHITEHALL BEEFMASTERS Joe and Ann Logan 214 Cowhead Creek Road Greenwood, SC 29646

Telephone: 864-538-3004 www.huntsbrangus.com Calhoun, GA 770-548-7950

803-789-7000

The Josey Agency, Inc. Douglas Josey Multi-Line Agent

Cell: 803-385-8161 Email: djosey@truvista.net

Nationwide

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Agribusiness On Your Side®

James S. Wills

Primary Agent/Owner Master Farm Certified

“Cattle with Something Extra”

2610 Kee Moore Drive Chester, SC 29706

555 West Church Street Batesburg, SC 29006

Telephone: 800-557-3390 Cell: 864-554-4658 Fax: 803-532-0615 willsj1@nationwide.com

OF

A DVERTISERS

4K Farms/Tarheel Angus ................................. 55 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale ....................... 9 46th Annual North Carolina Fall Harvest Sale ......................................... 11 AgAmerica Lending .......................................... 29 AGCO — Massey Ferguson ............................... 28 American National Insurance — The Josey Agency .................................... 55 Apple Brandy Prime Cuts .................................. 5 Back Creek Angus ............................................ 55 BioZyme Incorporated — VitaFerm Concept•Aid ............................ 46 Black Crest Farm .............................................. 55 Black Grove Angus ........................................... 55 Brubaker Family Angus ................................... 55 C-Cross Cattle Company .................................. 55 Carolinas Animal Health ................................. 55 Conquest Insurance Agency, Inc. .................... 54 Double J Farms ................................................ 55 Dura•Cast ......................................................... 27 E.B. Harris Auctioneers, Inc. ........................... 55 EBS Farms 12th Annual Select Bull & Female Sale ........................... 24 First Choice Insurance — Donna Byrum ........ 36 FPL Food, LLC ..................................................... 7 Fred Smith Company Ranch 4th Extra Effort Fall Sale .............................. 12 H.J. White Farms .............................................. 55 Harward Sisters Cattle Company .................... 33 Howard Brothers Farms .................................. 55 Hunt’s H+ Brangus .......................................... 55 Hutton & Sons Herefords ................................ 55 N.C. Angus Association Directory ................... 24 N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Membership Application ............................ 40 N.C. Hereford Association ............................... 26

N.C. Simmental Association ........................... 10 National Beef Checkoff/North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment ...................... 15 Nationwide® AgriBusiness Insurance — The Wills Company ............................... 55 Pearson Livestock Equipment ........................ 37 Prime Picked Products — Summer 2020 ...... 13 Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Directory ......................... 31 Rusty Thomson & Family Cattle Fencing and Equipment .................. 25 Shuffler Farm Fall Kickoff Angus Sale ........... 22 Smith Farm Trailer Sales ................................ 55 South Carolina Private Treaty Sale Checkoff Investment Form ........................ 39 Southeast AgriSeeds ....................................... 30 Southeast Livestock Exchange — Upcoming Sale Schedule ....................... 45 Southeastern Cow/Calf Conference — SAVE THE DATE ..................................... 34 Springfield Angus Annual Production Sale ............................ 21 ST Genetics — Bill Kirkman ........................... 55 The Carolina Cattle Connection 2020 Spotlight Schedule ........................... 47 The Carolina Cattle Connection Advertising Rates and Sizes ...................... 42 Vetericyn Animal Wellness ............................. 35 Virginia Herd Health Management Services — Pat Comyn, DVM .................................... 43 Wax Company — Marshall Ryegrass ............... 2 West End Precast — Feed Bunks .................... 20 West End Precast — Feed Bunks & Troughs .......................... 53 Whitehall Beefmasters ................................... 55 Wilkes Livestock Exchange ............................ 17 Yon Family Farms Spring ................................ 55

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q AUGUST 2020

PAGE 55

VENTS ANGUS Aug. 1 — Edisto Pines Annual Production Sale, Leesville, S.C. Aug. 21 — Springfield Angus Annual Production Sale, Louisburg, N.C. Aug. 22 — Shuffler Farm Fall Kickoff Angus Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Oct. 17 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Feb. 11 — UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale, Athens, Ga. CHAROLAIS Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. 2021 Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.

GELBVIEH Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. HEREFORD Dec. 4 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. SIMMENTAL Sep. 4 — N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting, Union Grove, N.C. Sep. 5 — N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Oct. 17 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Nov. 21 — SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Red angus 2021 Jan. 30 — Harward Sisters Cattle Company Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.

OTHER EVENTS Aug. 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Aug. 4 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Aug. 6 — Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Aug. 8-9 — N.C. Junior Beef Round-Up, Fletcher, N.C. Aug. 18 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Sep. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Sep. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Sep. 3 — Weaned Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 10 — Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Oct. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Oct. 6 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Oct. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 3 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 3 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Nov. 17 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction

Dec. 1 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Dec. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Dec. 5 — 45th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 15 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction 2021 Jan. 2 — 12th Annual EBS Farms Select Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 5 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Jan. 19 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Feb. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Mar. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Apr. 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction May 18 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction

IGHTER

ALL Regular Copy for the

SEPTEMBER ISSUE

by AUGUST 5!

ALL Spotlight Material for the SEPTEMBER ISSUE

By AUGUST 1!

PAGE 56

The Carolina Cattle Connection q AUGUST 2020

A farmer is walking with a prospective buyer when they see a beautiful pig in the yard, except it has a wooden leg. The buyer asks, “Why the wooden leg?” The farmer replies, “That pig is so smart, I let it drive the kids to school.”

“Great, but why the wooden leg?”

“The pig is so smart it has a degree in horticulture and philosophy.”

“Amazing! But why the bloody wooden leg?”

“Well when you have a pig that smart you don’t eat it all at once!””

*

*

*

A little girl is serving her father tea while her mother is out shopping.

The mother comes home and the father says, “Watch this!”

The little girl goes and serves the mother tea.

The mother responds, “Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?”

IDE

One day Jimmy got home early from school and his mom asked, “Why are you home so early?”

He answered, “Because I was the only one that answered a question in my class.”

She said, “Wow, my son is a genius.

What was the question?”

Jimmy replied, “The question was ‘Who threw the trash can at the principal’s head?’”

*

*

*

Little Susie, a six-year-old, complained, “Mother, I’ve got a stomach ache.”

“That’s because your stomach is empty,” the mother replied. “You would feel better if you had something in it.”

That afternoon, her father came complaining that he had a severe headache all day.

Susie perked up, “That’s because it’s empty,” she said. “You’d feel better if you had something in it.