Cow Country News - December 2020

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

OAK HOLLOW PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS CATTLE

THE VALUE IN THE UNSEEN

I take a 5-minute drive from my house on a rolling, winding road to our main farm each morning. If you include our cattle, my drive to work passes multiple professional operations that combined manage over 800 head of cow-calf and several thousand stocker cattle. You could say I live in the absolute heart of cattle country.

For 5 years, I have lived across from high risk but well managed stocker cattle as far as the eye can see across countless acres of grass. Something really struck me on a recent drive home from work. The quality of cattle being sent out into the world from the southeast has vastly improved in just a short amount of time. Living where I do, I have seen every type of calf from my front porch in the countless turns of cattle over the last 5 years. There is a very noticeable difference today, and it has nothing to do with my neighbor’s buying habits.

the very best to parent the next generation. We are creating something that has never existed before. While people may try to compare athletes from different generations, the cattle across the industry today are in a league of their own. The genetic potential and results in the cattle are undisputable. Until we have 100% conception rates in a cow herd that is still working at 15 years old and a calf crop killing at 15 months old while grading 100% Yield Grade 1-3 USDA Prime, our work is not done. There will always be room for improvement. However, we must maintain and continue to improve the efficiency on the cow side.

When everyone is producing good calves, the place to set yourself apart is with what your neighbors can’t see.

- Joe K. Lowe II, M.S. Agricultural Economics

Admittedly, my articles can seem to have a negative tone from time to time. Like a preacher that only knows how to preach from Revelations, I have talked almost exclusively about thin margins, inefficient cows and how commercial cow-calf production can at times be a fool’s errand. However, we do produce a product that is sought after in grocery stores and steakhouses across the world. Last week, fed cattle graded at 81% choice or higher. We are putting so much high-quality beef in the supply chain that you almost never see anything less than USDA Choice in the grocery stores. From a quality standpoint, we are hitting the mark.

There is just one problem with this. We are seeing the lesson every kid learned growing up on a farm. Once you show you can do a good job, you are then expected to do that good job every single time. What was once considered a top end product is now considered the norm. There are the same number of feedlots chasing after a greater number of good cattle. This is when the greatest value comes from what you don’t see at the sale barn. This means getting more cows to breed earlier in the breeding season. This means getting an extra year’s production out of a cow. This means having to keep 10% fewer replacement heifers because they breed at a higher rate. This means weaning calves with aggressive appetites that stay healthy and gain an extra half pound a day after weaning and before sale day.

The way I write each month you may think I believe our cattle are perfect. They’re not. There are no perfect cattle. Like an athlete always working to get better, we too can always be better. The beauty in breeding cattle is that as we continue to select

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Cattlemen are Increasing Profits with Schaeffer’s Lubricants

C O LU M N ISTS 7 Steve Dunning: President’s Thoughts 8 Dave Maples: From Dave’s Desk 9 Ryan Quarles: Commissioner’s Corner 10 Baxter Black: The Outfitter’s Jerky 12 Nathan Lawson: Ask a Question, Save a Life 14 Chris Teutsch: Optimizing Existing Forage Resources 20 Candice Smith: Kentucky Federal Court Finds Issue of Fact

on Whether Tyson Chicken, Inc. Violated Packers and Stock-

yards Act of 1921

Contact your local representative to learn three ways you can save money with Schaeffer.

22 Dr. Michelle Arnold: Rapid Death in Feeder Calves? It

May Be Histophilus Somni 46 Dr. Les Anderson: Having Your Cake

Ken Arnold Danville, Kentucky 859-324-3134 kparnold7850@hotmail.com

F E ATURE STORIE S 16

KCA Convention 2021

21

UK Begins On-Farm Variable Rate Irrigation Research

25

Gov. Beshear Announces $2 Million in CARES Act Funds for Meat

Processing Expansion

26

Hay Contest Helps Producers Improve Forages, Livestock

28

Kentucky Proud Brings Cheese for a Cause Into Kroger

29

“Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner” Returns To Broadcast Television in an

Integrated Holiday Marketing Campaign Promoting Beef

as the Center of the Season

42

Winter Cow Supplementation: Protein and Energy Explained

18-19

At the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association,

we are powered by people.

30-31 Membership Kentucky Beef Council

34-35

Kentucky Beef Network

37

Kentucky Angus Association News

44

Calendar of Events

44

Advertisers Index

(859) 278-0899

45 Market Report 45

4

Our membership is growing and we need you to help us stay strong.

Join or renew your KCA membership TODAY!

Economic & Policy Update

32-33

Since 1973, the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association has served as a resource for information and education for producers, consumers, and the industry.

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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K E N T U C K Y CAT T L E M E N ’ S AS S O C I AT I O N 2 0 2 0 L E A D E R S H I P KCA REGIONAL DIRECTORS: REGION 1

Daniel Hayden, VP*.................(270) 570-2815 Buddy Cook.............................(270) 275-1274 Gary Woodall...........................(270) 725-0819 Ricky Haynes............................(270) 945-9057 Don Pemberton........................(270) 889-3885 Don Clements...........................(270) 389-0527 Mark Heimgartner...................(270) 875-2585 Jeremy Armstrong...................(270) 668-2056 John (JJ) Tucker....................(270) 617-0301 Dennis Wilson.........................(270) 952-1714 Caleb Jenkin............................(270) 952-0767

REGION 2

KCA 2020 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS: PRESIDENT

Steve Dunning 8200 Antioch Road Hopkinsville, KY 42240 (270) 498-8180

PRESIDENT ELECT Chris Cooper 2140 Tates Creek Road Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 200-7711

TREASURER

Ken Adams 90 E Horseshoe Ave. Upton, KY 42784 (270) 734-1443

PAST PRESIDENT Tim White 3664 Military Pike Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 509-5401

VICE PRESIDENT Cary King 250 Bright Leaf Drive Harrodsburg, KY 40330 (859) 734-2173

KCA PROGRAM CHAIRMAN Jeff Pettit 5745 US Highway 41 S Seebree, KY 42455

(270) 836-2963

KBC CHAIRMAN

Andy Bishop 6135 High Grove Road Cox’s Creek, KY 40013 (502) 350-7609

KBN CHAIRMAN

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REGION 3

Danny Cooper, VP*...................(606) 782-4809 Wanda Hawkins.......................(502) 321-5602 Alan Bryant..............................(502) 548-1379 Maynard Stetten......................(502) 609-4986

Cary King 250 Bright Leaf Drive Harrodsburg, KY 40330 (859) 734-2173

KCA’S PAST PRESIDENTS: 1972-73 1974-77 1978-79 1980-82 1983-85 1986-87 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Joe Lowe, VP*.........................(270) 202-4399 Craig Thompson......................(270) 590-5174 Trent Jones.............................(270) 590-5266 Chuck Crutcher.......................(270) 272-6269 Alison Brockman....................(270) 403-3205 Steven Green..........................(270) 528-1720 Mike Bullock..........................(270) 792-9644 Dr. Kenneth Green...............(270) 589-7175 Adam Maulden.......................(270) 590-1005 Kirk Cecil.................................(270) 692-7698 Hunter Galloway....................(731) 332-0098 Rayetta Boone..........................(270) 230-5488 Adam Estes..............................(270) 537-3761 Phyllis Gentry..........................(502) 331-1146 Don Reynolds...........................(270) 528-5239 Andy Joe Moore.......................(270) 646-2458

Jere Caldwell† - Boyle Smith T. Powell† - Lincoln Larry Lovell† - Union John Masters† - Mason Seldon Hail† - Laurel Bob Vickery† - Wayne Glenn Mackie - Bourbon Dale Lovell - Muhlenberg Steve Henshaw† - Union Jerry Fraim - Grayson Glen Massengale† - Wayne Dell King - Christian Kenneth Lowe - Warren Dr. J.L.Cole - Monroe Harvey Mitchell - Mercer Jim Naive† - Spencer Shelby Hughes - Logan Hoppy Lovell - Barren Charles Miller - Jessamine Larry Clay - Perry

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Jack Kimbrough† - Shelby Mark Williams - Crittenden Paul Napier - Lincoln Eddie Young - Washington Greg Ritter† - Barren Don Pemberton - Christian Billy Glenn Turpin - Madison Scotty Parsons - Christian Corinne Kephart - Shelby Greg Robey - Mercer Mike Bach - Bath Don Reynolds - Hart Steve Downs - Marion Gary Woodall - Logan David Lemaster - Clark Chuck Crutcher - Hardin Bobby Foree - Henry Tim White - Fayette

†(Deceased)

COW COUNTRY •

Jerry Oak.................................(502) 525-7248 John Allison.............................(502) 220-3170 Lincoln Clifford........................(859) 954-0102 Allen Phillips............................(502) 829-5652 Phillip Douglas.........................(502) 845-4620 Amanda Hall............................(859) 333-5001 Nicole Goecke..........................(606) 782-2263

REGION 4

Randy Warner, VP*................(859) 771-5280 Lisa Baesler.............................(859) 509-5020 David Lemaster.......................(859) 749-0258 Ron Ray...................................(859) 825-8516 Donovan Pigg..........................(859) 749-9675 Danielle Harmon.....................(606) 748-8059 Ronnie Lowe...........................(606) 782-5058 Jason Crowe............................(859) 582-0761 Amy White..............................(859) 227-2552 Bruce Witt...............................(859) 585-8889 Brandon Sears.........................(502) 777-0738

REGION 5

Phillip Reese, VP*......................(859) 339-0450 Herman Benge.........................(606) 862-6451 Steve Downs...........................(859) 805-1278 Brent Woodrum......................(859) 397-1078 Anne Bays................................(615) 478-8450 Danny Ray Spalding................(859) 336-0444 Adam Chunglo.........................(859) 613-2985 C. Mike Spalding.....................(270) 669-6587 Brent Ware...............................(606) 379-5711 Gary Ford..................................(270) 402-2194 Aaron Burke..............................(859) 265-1172 Jared Foley...............................(270) 858-3900 * Denotes member of Executive committee

VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 12 176 PASADENA DRIVE • LEXINGTON, KY 40503 • PHONE: (859) 278-0899 FAX: (859) 260-2060 • WWW.KYCATTLE.ORG • INFO@KYCATTLE.ORG Executive Vice President Dave Maples

Membership Coordinator Nikki Whitaker

Director of Kentucky Beef Council Nathan Lawson

Publication Coordinator Carey Brown

Staff Accountant Kelly Tucker Director of Kentucky Beef Network Becky Thompson KBN Industry Coordinator Dan Miller KBC Director of Education Niki Ellis KBC Director of Product Development Katelyn Hawkins

Graphic Designer Todd Brown Director of Communications Mackenzie Miller Video Production Specialist Danny Coy National Advertising Sales, Livestock Advertising Network, Debby Nichols (859) 321-8770, Cathy Campbell (609) 581-7644

COW COUNTRY NEWS is published monthly by THE KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any material which he feels is unsuitable for the publication. Although the highest journalistic ethics will be maintained, the KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION limits its responsibilities for any errors, inaccuracies, or misprints in advertising or editorial copy. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content of advertisements made against the publisher.

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

PRESIDENT’S THOUGHTS STEVE DUNNING Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association President The elections are over, the votes have been tallied, now all that remains is who is going to be president for the next four years. Confused? Frustrated? So am I. However I have faith that good will prevail and evil will fail. The good Lord has a perfect plan and whatever the future holds for our nation’s leadership, it is His plan. As Forrest Gump would say, “that is all I have to say about that.”

Where did the grass go? In the western part of the state we had sufficient rainfall all summer and cattlemen were blessed with bountiful forage. Now everywhere you look pastures are drying up and turning gray. The cattle are standing at the summer pasture gate demanding that I release them to the stockpiled “winter pasture”. Oh well, I’m a softie, it’s time.

pointed to a committee chaired by Jeff Pettit. The committee had a difficult task of deciding how KCA was going to approach our convention plans in Owensboro. Upon much deliberation, it has been concluded that we are going to have a one day business meeting convention without the normal trade show activities that we have all been accustomed to. This may not please everyone, but KCA is diligent in trying to do all that we can for our members.

We could possibly be in another Covid19 lockdown by convention time. If this happens, we will follow all laws and guidelines for meetings. It has been a difficult year for all associations and businesses scheduling meetings. The convention is scheduled for Friday, January 15, 2021.

The first two weeks of November were more like September with warm sunny days and mild nights. I have a feeling we will experience the gails of November soon.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope for all of you the blessings of health, happiness and harmony as we remember the reason for the season.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the five regional vice-presidents I ap-

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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FROM DAVE’S DESK DAVE MAPLES Executive Vice President Who could have imagined a year like 2020? It has been the most stressful year and the stress came from the unknown virus that closed down our country.

The surreal feeling of driving down Nicholasville Road in Lexington at lunch time and there being no cars on the road but myself will, I hope, be a figment of our imagination in the future.

The cattle industry was just coming off the shock of the Tyson processing plant fire in Kansas when the pandemic hit and meat processing plants were closed because of worker related illness due to Covid-19.

Our office answered many panicked calls and we also made many calls to help secure funding in the Cares Act for beef producers in the form of the CFAP and CFAP2 payments.

The summer was a drag with all meetings and travel halted. And then the political ads infiltrated every aspect of our life until election day on November 3. The Kentucky Senate race where Senator

McConnell raised $55 million dollars and reports of Amy McGrath in the range from $88 million to $102 million dollars. The stakes are high and the cost to participate is unreal.

I thought we would be able to talk about who our President was at this time but it looks like that is going to take a while.

I ran across some thought-provoking information if you are interested in politics and especially the lobbying side of things in Kentucky. In 1993 the Kentucky General Assembly passed the Kentucky Ethics Code. Each month all registered lobbyists have to file a report on lobbying activities and how much the lobbyist and employer spend on legislative activities in relations to lobbying.

Since the passage of the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Code, businesses and organizations have spent a total of $362 million on lobbying, from 1993 to August 2020.

Prior to the Code’s enactment, the public had no way of knowing how much was spent on lobbying, or who was lobbying the General Assembly. The Code requires registration of all who are in direct communication with legislators regarding legislative matters and are compensated for lobbying.

The highest yearly amount spent on lobbying thus far was for 2018, at $23 million. Contrast that with the first full year of reporting under the Code, in 1994, at $6 million. Another interesting fact is the majority of the lobbying expenses arise from legislative agent compensation, which amounted to $320 million for 1993 to August 2020.

KCA has two registered lobbyists on staff that monitor and focus on cattle and beef and beef farm issues. As you can see, there are massive amounts of dollars spent on lobbying. Needless to say, KCA does not have a budget large enough to lobby at the level that is needed. So, we

have to try to accomplish the goals of the organization in a different way. The way we do it and I think it is more effective and envied by some. Our most powerful lobbying weapon is you and our County Cattlemen’s Association. Many times, on the first introduction, the legislator will let me know up front that they are a member of their local Cattlemen’s Association. Our second way to accomplish our goals is by working with other Kentucky Agriculture organizations and their lobbyists.

Kentucky agriculture has a strong working relationship with all the different ag groups and when we work together and are on the same page, we can most always get what you need.

I would encourage you to join your Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. One cow or a thousand cows, the organization does more for you than most of you will ever know. Your membership is needed and your support is looked for in the legislative process.

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

2/7/20 8:17 AM

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

COMMISSIONER’S CORNER RYAN QUARLES Commissioner of Agriculture Across the nation and around the world, the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise. This alarming trend has raised concerns that the economic lockdown from the spring could return. Leaders in Frankfort can and should be creative in using available resources and developing guidelines to prevent further damage to Kentucky’s economy this winter while also encouraging Kentuckians to follow CDC guidelines.

When the pandemic first began, I worked in Frankfort to make sure that agriculture remained open for business. As the providers of our food and fiber, our hard-working farmers needed to continue working to make sure Kentucky, the nation, and the world didn’t go hungry.

However, we did see our food supply tested in ways we thought previously unimaginable. The spread of the virus and the government forced shutdown of our economy resulted in a slowdown of

meat processing which led to shortages of product, increases in the price of meat for consumers, and decreases in farm income. We can’t let that happen again.

In May I worked with the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board to set aside $1.5 million of tobacco settlement funds to incentivize the expansion of our small meat processors. That funding was claimed quickly by processors, which indicated that the need was great. That’s why I secured $2 million in CARES Act funding to further increase processing capacity. Since Kentucky is the largest beef cattle state east of the Mississippi River, this program is going to benefit our cattle producers for years to come.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that many farmers have built business models based on supplying Kentucky Proud meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables to our restaurants. Others supply grapes

for wine, corn for bourbon, and hops for beer. With winter coming, it is important we carefully re-evaluate the restrictions on businesses while keeping all Kentuckians safe. Are curfews really effective in limiting the spread? Does prohibiting a single individual from eating a meal at a restaurant bar keep people safe? What fees should we consider freezing or reducing for restaurants and bars because they haven’t operated like they would in a normal year? We need to put public health first, but we also should consider the startling fact that 37 percent of restaurant operators say it is unlikely their business will be around in 6 months without additional support.

We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, either. We can learn from other states and how they’ve supported farmers and businesses. At least 12 states have set aside CARES Act funds to help farmers and/or increase meat processing capac-

ity. Tennessee set aside $50 million for its agriculture and forestry industries alone, Ohio set aside $37.5 million to assist restaurants and bars, and Hawaii is giving out $500 restaurant gift cards to unemployed workers, ensuring businesses are strong, workers get paid, and the unemployed get a meal. While the additional funding for meat processing is going to help, there are plenty of other options that deserve consideration by Governor Beshear.

These commonsense ideas could help restore the robust economy all Kentuckians were enjoying before the pandemic and put us onto a path for economic growth in the future. In the meantime, let’s do our part to support our farmers, restaurants, and small businesses when we can – even if we have to do so six feet apart.

TRANSITION TO THE NEXT GENERATION IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

TM

9

ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE

THE OUTFITTER’S JERKY BAXTER BLACK, DVM W W W. B A X T E R B L A C K . C O M

In hunting camp an outfitter reached down and stirred the fire.

His client belched contentedly and said, “Might I inquire, That jerky you been chewin’ up… could I just try a bit?

I fancy I’m a connoisseur with tongue and palate fit To ferret out the kind of beast, perhaps the cut of meat From whence you carved the bloody strap and held it to the heat.”

The packer passed a little piece to test the boastful claim, The hunter in his down-filled vest bit in and then proclaimed, “I taste a hint of kidney fat. The tang of creosote.

A wistful note of pine tree bough lays pungent in my throat.

What’s this? A waft of ungulate, the glue of hoof and horn, An Eohippus redolence, the musk of unicorn.

Peculiar, though I fear I’m stumped. I can’t tell heads nor tails.

I’m left with just the essence of burnt hair and roofing nails.

I pride myself on this small skill but if you

could be swayed, Pray, tell me from what animal is this here jerky made?”

The packer picked his grimy teeth, his filthy knife, the tool.

“It all began,” he spit and said, “with one ol’ stubborn mule Named Demon, and the name sure fit.

Worst mule I’ve ever seen.

Last hunt when we were comin’ out he really got down mean.

It took us nearly half a day to git the sucker packed.

He’d buck the panyards off each time and roll clear on his back.

He kicked and struck and strained the knots, he bit and brayed and gassed,

And then just like a fumbled punt he cartwheeled down the side.

I got off quick and bared my knife, and dove between the mules I slashed the halter shank between the mule train and the fools.

Down we went, an avalanche of elk and mule and man, The antlers cracked, the cookware clanked, the Coleman stove and pans, The propane tank was hissin’, the elk meat lashed up tight,

And knew ol’ Demon at long last had shed his final yoke.

He never knew what hit him, so at least it wasn’t cruel.”

“Gosh,” the hunter shook his head, “I’m sorry ‘bout yer mule.

Deecember 29th, 2020 • 6:30 PM EST

We started down the mountain side as best the load allowed.

He balked, then had a mental lapse… forgot that he was tied

I peeked down in the mine shaft through the timbers and the smoke

Central Kentucky Premier Heifer Sale

At last he stood and glared at us, resigned but not unbowed.

The Demon went to pullin’ back, I’d hitched him last in line.

And when the dust had settled, the mule had vaporized.

But back to this here jerky, do you share I hit the shale below the mine, the mule you recipes?” dropped outta sight.

“Well, wuddn’t nuthin’ to it. I justDavid picked Steve Downs Todd Harned Sandusky it off the trees.” Boston Next thing I knew a blinding light Lebanon Lebanon 270-402-3672 502-249-2354 270-692-7793

We finally had to tie him down to get the elk made fast.

We had to cross a narrow trail above a closed down mine.

exploded in my eyes.

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

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David Sandusky Lebanon 270-692-7793

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

OBITUARY

LARRY LOVELL Morganfield, Kentucky November 9, 1939 - October 20, 2020 Larry Lovell, age 80 of Sturgis, KY transitioned October 20, 2020 at Redbanks Colonial Terrace in Sebree, KY. He was born November 9, 1939 in Henshaw, KY to Willie & Gertie Hopwood Lovell. He was a member of Henshaw Christian Church. Larry was a farmer, rancher, and cowboy. He was a trainer of American Quarter Horses. He was a graduate of the University of KY, received a degree in agriculture, and was the recipient of the Sullivan Award.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister Jane Pfingston.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years Janett Lovell of Sturgis, son Keith Lovell and wife Leanett of Sturgis, daughter Belinda Burnette and husband Greg of Sturgis, sister Brenda Stenger of Morganfield, KY, 2 brothers Dale Lovell of Greenville, KY and Hoppy Lovell of Glasgow, KY, 3 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Thursday, October 22, 2020 and burial was in Caseyville Cemetery in Caseyville, KY. Memorial contributions can be made to the Larry Lovell Memorial Fund at Whitsell Funeral Home.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Lexington KY Hereford Autumn Harvest Sale Saturday, December 5, 2020 11:00 AM White Genetic Sale Monday, December 7, 2020 10:30 AM Lexington CPH Sale Wednesday, December 9, 2020 5:30 PM

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

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11

CHECKING ON THE CHECK-OFF

A S K A Q U E S T I O N , S AV E A L I F E NATHAN LAWSON Director of Kentucky Beef Council A mask can’t protect us, yet we often wear one, as if to say “everything is okay”.

There is a real crisis in America impacting farm families and rural communities, the sting of which is felt for generations. This crisis is not viral or bacterial, but is born of the day to day stresses and burdens that are sometimes associated with farming.

Like a heavy blanket of circumstances beyond our control; market volatility, weather, family needs, health concerns and financial burdens, combined with isolation and a perception of shame have the potential to create a storm of mental challenges that are difficult for anyone to overcome, if not addressed.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255 or Text Got5 to 741741

According to the Center for Disease Control, the rate of suicide among those involved in agriculture is on the rise. The

CDC reports that agricultural workers rank fourth highest, by occupation for rate of suicide. Recent data shows that the instance of suicide among farmers is 1.5 times higher than the national average. A sobering statistic, particularly when we consider that less than 2% of the U.S. population is directly involved in agriculture. We simply can’t afford to lose our friends, neighbors and loved ones to hopelessness. We must do better. There is always hope.

The reasons vary, but a high degree of stress and limited access to mental health resources in our rural communities play a significant role. This crisis begs the questions, “what can we do”? While the issue is extremely complex, there are some steps we can take that can make a

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difference. Investing in those that cross our minds is a key. It takes time to be a friend and make a priority of reaching out to others. Nonetheless, the simple act of connecting with a fellow farmer and investing in that relationship could save a life. If you have had the question cross your mind, that someone you know may be struggling with anxiety, depression, or possibly thoughts of self-harm, it’s time to act. The best investment we can make is in each other.

Your Kentucky Beef Council is working to help raise awareness about farmer suicide during the 2021 Fiscal Year: 1) Through a partnership with the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and College of Agriculture KBC is supporting a strategic campaign that seeks to raise awareness at the local level, cooperative extension service and youth leadership programs (4-H and FFA) designed to help equip local communities to know the warning signs and take the initiative to get involved.

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2) KBC staff are actively participating in the Kentucky Farmer Stress and Suicide working group. Led by the Kentucky Department of Ag this group is actively seeking and pursuing opportunities to raise awareness and better equip agricultural leaders at the local level to identify and intervene in the lives of those at risks.

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3) A KBC staff member is now certified in QPR Training. QPR or Question, Persuade, Refer is an intervention approach that helps us recognize the signs of depression and suicidal behavior and proactively build relationships with those whom we know that might be at risk. This approach reminds us that we can “ask a question, save a life.” If your local organization is interested in more information about QPR training, don’t hesitate to contact me.

If you or someone you know is struggling, there are resources available.

In no way do I claim to have any expertise on this issue, however I do strongly desire to help, to increase awareness and provide some encouragement. During this season of joy, may we be quick to remind those around us that there is always hope.

We never know what someone may be struggling with. Time invested in each other is time well spent.

Best wishes this Christmas.

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

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FORAGES

O P T I M I Z I N G E X I S T I N G F O R AG E R E S O U R C E S CHRIS D. TEUTSCH UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, Princeton, Kentucky

Right after I finished graduate school at the University of Kentucky, I had the good fortune of being hired by a great land grant institution, Virginia Tech. I was stationed at outlying research center that was located about 50 miles southwest of Richmond, VA. I was still wet behind the ears and trying to figure out what a forage extension specialist was supposed to be doing. At that time a senior extension agent from Amelia County, Mike Henry, took me under his wing. Looking back after all these years, his impact on my career was immeasurable.

During this formative period, one of the lessons that Mike taught me was that we could plant whatever we wanted in a pasture and in four or five years it would be a mixture of tall fescue, white clover, bermudagrass, crabgrass, and a little Kentucky bluegrass. Although we like to think of pastures as monocultures, as stands mature, they become a complex mixture of plants that are adapted to the region, soil type, and management regime.

So, the question becomes do we fight mother nature and try to establish and maintain pure stands or do we work to optimize the management of these complex mixtures to better meet our needs? The remainder of the article is dedicated to discussing how we can optimize management of forage resources already existing on our farms.

Liming pastures. How we manage our soil acidity can influence what forage species are present in our pastures.

For example, in a mixed sward adding lime to a soil with a low pH would tend to encourage the clover. If we did not add lime, we might expect grasses and acid tolerant legume species such as annual or sericea lespedeza to be present in greater quantities. Lime not only reduces soil acidity, but also makes other nutrients in the soil, like phosphorus and potassium, more available to the plant. If your pastures need lime as indicated by a soil test, then lime should be the first thing that you apply. In most cases, we should target a soil pH of 6.2 to 6.4 grasslegume mixtures.

Fertilizing pastures.

Generally speaking, improved grasses and legumes like orchardgrass, clovers and alfalfa 14

need good soil fertility to persist and be productive. This means not only adjusting soil pH with lime, but also adding phosphorus and potassium. If soil fertility is low it will favor species that are more efficient at extracting and using nutrients from the soil. A good example of this is tall fescue and sericea lespedeza on reclaimed mineland in southeastern Kentucky. These species are present because they are better adapted to marginal soils and poor fertility.

Nitrogen application rate and timing can also be used to shift the botanical composition of pastures. In mixtures of grasses and legumes, nitrogen fertilization will tend to encourage grass growth shifting the composition toward grasses and away from legumes. So if your goal is to introduce and maintain a higher percentage of legumes in your pasture then you may want to minimize nitrogen fertilization.

The timing of nitrogen applications can also influence the balance of warm- and cool-season grasses in your pasture (Figure 1). Early spring and late summer applications will encourage cool-season grass growth (tall fescue and bluegrass).

In contrast, late spring and summer applications will shift the pasture composition toward crabgrass and bermudagrass in mixed stands. So the optimal time to apply nitrogen depends on what you want and need. If you desire more naturalized warm-season species in your pasture for summer grazing, then apply your nitrogen in early summer. If your goal is to maintain a healthy stand of tall fescue for stockpiling then applying nitrogen in early spring and late summer would be a better choice.

Grazing management and forage plant growth. How we graze our pastures has a profound impact on botanical composition.

To fully understand the effects of grazing management we need to talk a little bit about forage plant growth. After defoliation (grazing or cutting), plants need energy to regrow. In grasses this energy comes from two places. The first is leaf area remaining after grazing. The remaining leaf area is like a solar panel that captures sunlight and converts it COW COUNTRY •

into energy (sugars and carbohydrates) that the plant can use for regrowth. The more leaf area we leave, the larger the solar panel and the faster pastures will regrow.

The second place that energy comes from for regrowth, is stored carbohydrates.

The location of these stored energy reserves depends on the plant species.

For example orchardgrass and tall fescue store their energy in the stem bases, while bermudagrass stores energy in its stolons and rhizomes (modified stems that growth just above or below the soil surface). So grasses that store their energy in the stem base are less tolerant to close and frequent grazing compared with grasses that store their energy in stolons and rhizomes that are safely below the grazing height of livestock.

The amount of stored energy in pasture plants depends on whether or not we rest our pastures between grazing events.

Resting pastures allows leaf area to regrow and carbohydrate reserves to be stored up. In general, tall growing legumes are more dependent on stored energy for regrowth. For example alfalfa is completely dependent on stored energy in the tap root for regrowth. This means that it needs time to rest and replenish its stored carbohydrates between grazing events. That is the reason that alfalfa does not persist well in continuous grazing systems.

Grazing height. In our naturalized pastures, close grazing will tend to favor grass and legume species that have leaf area and energy stores close to the soil surface. This results in a shift toward low growing species such as bermudagrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and white clover under close grazing. A higher grazing height would tend to shift the botanical composition back toward our tall growing cool-season grass species such as tall fescue and orchardgrass.

Grazing frequency. How often we graze or if we utilize rotational stocking can influence the botanical composition of our naturalized pastures.

Most pasture species benefit from rotational stocking. Some species are more tolerant of frequent grazing. These species tend to have leaf area close to the soil surface

DECEMBER

2020

that is retained even under close grazing and include bluegrass, white clover, and bermudagrass. This means that grazing naturalized pastures closely and frequently will tend to shift the botanical composition toward these species.

Grazing timing. The time of the season when pastures are grazed can also influence the botanical composition.

Grazing a mixture that includes both cool- and warm-season species during the summer months will tend to shift the botanical composition toward the warmseason species. This commonly occurs in pastures in Western Kentucky. Grazing these pastures hard during the summer months favors the bermudagrass and crabgrass, especially during and after droughts.

Putting it all together. How we manage our pastures can have profound effects on the botanical composition. I would like to give several examples for different regions of the state. The first example is for pastures in the mountainous regions of the southeastern Kentucky. In this example a cattle producer notices that his pastures are becoming dominated by Kentucky bluegrass and common white clover. While these species have some positive attributes, they tend to be lower producing when compared to ladino clover and tall growing grass species like orchardgrass or tall fescue. To shift the botanical composition back toward tall growing cool-season grasses and ladino clover he needs to raise his grazing height and allow his pastures to rest between grazing events. This will favor the taller growing species in this mixture by leaving more residual leaf area and allowing them time to store energy up between grazing events.

The second example is for western region of Kentucky. A producer has a mixture of tall fescue and bermudagrass, but would like to have more summer grazing. In this situation he can shift the composition of the sward toward the bermudagrass (warm-season grass) by applying nitrogen fertilizer in early summer and utilizing his pastures heavily during the summer months. This will tend to suppress and weaken the cool-season species and encourage the

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bermudagrass.

Using improved varieties. After you determine what species are well adapted to your area and management practices, you may want to consider using improved varieties. These varieties may offer considerable benefits in terms of improved yield, animal performance, and persistence. For example improved varieties of clover, orchardgrass, alfalfa, and even sericea lespedeza have been selected for greater tolerance to grazing, making them a better choice for pastures.

Regardless of what you are doing, in most cases working with nature greatly improves your chances of success.

Grazing is no different.

Successful grazing systems are based on forage species that are well adapted to your local conditions and managing those species to meet your specific needs.

To learn more about grazing management, please contact your local extension agent.

They have a detailed understanding of local conditions and resources.

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

FENCING TIP

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS

Train livestock to electric fencing.

Since electric fencing is a psychological barrier rather than a physical barrier, livestock must be trained to respect it. Choose a well fenced holding paddock and install an offset wire about 30 inches above the ground. Make sure the energizer and grounding system are optimized to deliver a knee buckling and eye watering shock. Once animals are trained to the offset, set up a strand of polywire near the end of the paddock. Livestock should be fully trained within 48 hours. Animals that cannot be trained to respect electric fencing, should be culled.

• If available, graze crop residues and cover crops that will not overwinter.

• Begin grazing stockpiled pastures.

Graze pastures with orchardgrass and clover first. Save pastures with tall fescue for late winter grazing.

• Use polywire to strip graze pastures.

Starting at your water source allocate only enough forage for 2-3 days. No back fence is needed during the winter months.

• Make plans to frost seed red and white clover onto closely grazed pastures in February.

• Test hay and develop supplementation strategies to maintain body condition of cows.

• Utilize hay rings to reduce hay waste.

• Feed hay on your worst paddocks to build fertility.

• Move hay points around to improve nutrient distribution.

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FEATURED UPCOMING EVENT 2021 Alfalfa & Stored Forage Conference February 25, 2021 Hardin County Extension Office 111 Opportunity Way Elizabethtown, KY 42701

FEATURED VIDEO This month’s featured video is Optimizing Existing Forage Resources: Using What the Good Lord Gave Us! by C.D. Teutsch. This presentation was given as part of the 2020 Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council VIRTUAL Fall Grazing Conference held on October 27, 28, and 29. It can be accessed by clicking on the preceding link or visiting KYForages YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/P95QR85Qn4Q

15

FAQ Will the KCA Convention be held inperson this year?

Yes, but Convention will only be one-day – Friday, January 15th, 2021. It will still be held at the Owensboro Convention Center. Hotel blocks can be found online at kycattle.org/convention-html.

Will there be a limit to the number of people that can attend Convention?

The Owensboro Convention Center has notified us that we are allowed no more than 580 total attendees at this year’s convention.

January 15, 2021 Owensboro Convention Center

Who will be able to attend?

Registration is currently open for any KCA Delegates until December 1st.

Starting December 1st, registration will be opened to our general membership until December 15th. All registration opportunities will close at the end of the day on December 15th.

KCA CONVENTION REGISTRATION FORM DELEGATE REGISTRATION: NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 1 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP: DECEMBER 1 - 15 Please list each individual that will be attending IN PERSON and check the boxes for what they will be attending.

ATTENDEE NAME

2 3 4 5 COUNTY

PHONE

Free

LUNCH

REGISTRATION

1

Free

BREAKFAST

$50

Will Convention be recorded so I can watch at home?

We will not stream live footage of this year’s Convention. Videos of the Opening and Closing Sessions will be available for viewing in the coming weeks after the inperson event on January 15th.

EMAIL

Are you a delegate?

YES NO

TOTAL ATTENDEES

CASH

TOTAL ENCLOSED

X $50 =

CHECK CREDIT/DEBIT

MAIL TO: KENTUCKY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION • 176 PASADENA DRIVE • LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY 40503 • OR FAX: (859) 260-2060 CREDIT CARD TYPE

Visa

MasterCard

NAME ON CARD

Discover

AmEx

CREDIT CARD NUMBER

SECURITY CODE

EXPIRATION DATE

Questions? Contact Mackenzie Miller (859) 278-0899 or mmiller@kycattle.org

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

What will be expected if I attend inperson?

Attendees will be required to wear a mask in all public areas of the convention center.

We also ask that our attendees maintain six feet of social distance between them and another person, wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer, and stay home if you have any symptoms of Covid-19.

2020

What is the registration price?

There is one set price for Convention Registration this year. There is no group rate, student rate, etc. The registration price for Convention is $50.

Can I register on-site?

No, there will not be any on-site registration this year. Please register by December 15.

How can I register for Convention?

Registration can be completed by visiting www.kycattle.org/convention-html and completing registration online, or by printing off the registration form and sending it in through mail.

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2021 KCA Convention 2021Agenda KCA Convention Agenda TENTATIVE AGENDA

FAQ

(Tentative- 10/20/2020) (Tentative- 10/20/2020)

I’m a delegate, how do I register?

Your County President should have received a packet in the mail with registration information for delegates.

Virtual Education Session Virtual 1 Education Session 1 Your County Chapter can register all the delegates as a group or individually.

Beef Efficiency Conference Beef Efficiency Conference The deadline for delegates to register is December 1st.

Tuesday, January Tuesday, 12, 2021 January 12, 2021

Wednesday, January Wednesday, 13, 2021 January 13, 2021

Will I be refunded my registration fee if the Convention is cancelled?

Virtual Education Session Virtual 2 Education Session Yes, if we have to cancel Convention completely, we will refund your Forages Conference Forages Conference registration fee. If you do not show up to the in-person event, but you paid for a registration, your registration will NOT be refunded.

2

Thursday, JanuaryThursday, 14, 2021 January 14, 2021 4:00

KCA Executive 4:00 Committee KCAMeeting Executive Committee Meeting

Are the Beef Efficiency Conference and Forages Conference being held this year?

Yes, but these events will be held 7:00-9:00 virtually earlier and held earlier in the week of Convention. The Beef Efficiency 9:00-10:00 Conference will be held on Tuesday, January 12th and the Forages Conference will be held on Wednesday, January 13.

Friday, January 15, Friday, 2021 January 15, 2021

How do I attend the Beef Efficiency Conference and/or Forages Conference?

Further details will be released on registering for the virtual Beef Efficiency 10:30-12:00 Conference and Forages Conference.

There will be no cost associated with these events.

Will there be a trade show?

No, there will not be a trade show this year so that we can utilize the Exhibit Hall to 12:00-1:30 gather as a group while maintaining a safe, social distance. There are sponsorships available for both the in-person and digital events.

Will there be KJCA events at Convention?

No, KJCA will not have any events at Convention. Instead, KJCA will meet at an earlier date for their functions.1:30-3:30 Will there be a closing banquet with awards?

There will still be awards, but there will not be a closing banquet. The 2021 Hall of Fame Inductions will be held during the Closing Session.

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

Breakfast 7:00-9:00 Breakfast Regional 9:00-10:00 Meetings Regional Meetings Region 1Region 1Region 2Region 2Region 3Region 3Region 4Region 4Region 5Region 5General 10:30-12:00 Business Session General 1- Business Session 1Welcome Comments Welcome Comments KBN Annual Report KBN Annual Report KBC Annual Report KBC Annual Report Beef Solutions Annual Report Beef Solutions Annual Report Regional 12:00-1:30 Lunches Regional Lunches Region 1Region 1Region 2Region 2Region 3Region 3Region 4Region 4Region 5Region 5Closing1:30-3:30 Session Closing Session 2021 KCA Hall of Fame2021 Inductions KCA Hall of Fame Inductions KCA Treasurer’s ReportKCA Treasurer’s Report KCA Communications Report KCA Communications Report KCA Annual Report KCA Annual Report Election of Officers Election of Officers

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Riverview Room

Riverview R

Riverview Room

Riverview

West Ballroom A&B West Ballroom C&D West Ballroom E East Ballroom A&B East Ballroom C&D Exhibition Hall

West Ballroom West Ballroom West Ballro East Ballroom East Ballroom Exhibition

West Ballroom A&B West Ballroom C&D West Ballroom E East Ballroom A&B East Ballroom C&D Exhibition Hall

West Ballroom West Ballroom West Ballro East Ballroom East Ballroom Exhibitio

17

KY 40503 Lexington, 859/278/0899 KY 40503  www.kycattle.org  Ph. 859/278/0899  www.kycattle.org 176 Pasadena Drive  Lexington, 176 Pasadena Drive  Ph.

ECONOMIC AND POLICY UPDATE

U.S. AGRICULTURE FLIRTING WITH AN ANNUAL TRADE DEFICIT – FIRST TIME IN 60 YEARS? Will Snell, Extension Professor Trade continues to be a hot discussion item, impacting ag markets and certainly being a part of the political debate heading into the November elections. We constantly hear about the relatively large trade deficit that the U.S. economy as a whole faces given our appetite for cheaper products from overseas suppliers, but the counter in agriculture has always been, “well agriculture is much different as our sector enjoys a healthy trade surplus.”

This might not be the case in 2020.

Through August 2020, the value of U.S. ag imports so far this year has exceeded the value of U.S. ag exports by

$3.3 billion. If this trend continues, it would be the first time since 1959 that U.S. agriculture experienced an annual trade deficit. The U.S. achieved a record $40.1 billion ag trade surplus in 2013 and averaged a surplus of $37.7 billion during the prosperous 2010-2014 period for U.S. agriculture.

Actually, the U.S. ag trade deficit has been deteriorating for several years, not because of slumping ag exports, but primarily due to escalating imports. Ag exports have been relatively flat in recent years (around $140 billion, down 3% so far in 2020) after setting a record level

of nearly $150 billion in 2014. The value of U.S. ag imports has increased annually for every year since 1987, except during the Great Recession in 2009.

Policymakers and farm organizations were hopeful that recent trade agreements with China, Japan, Mexico and Canada (USMCA) would boost U.S. ag exports and our overall ag trade balance in 2020 and beyond. While U.S. agriculture benefitted from the revised NAFTA that retained zero ag tariff levels negotiated back in the early 1990s for most ag commodities entering Mexico and Canada, trade analysts project

that improved market access for dairy, poultry, and wheat under the USMCA will only provide modest export gains for U.S. agriculture in our two largest international markets. So far in 2020, Canadian purchases of U.S. ag products have remained relatively flat, but the severely depressed Mexican economy (due primarily to COVID-19) has caused U.S. ag exports to Mexico to plummet 9% in 2020, with notable losses for U.S. beef, pork and soybeans.

A lot of the trade optimism for U.S. agriculture in 2020 focused on the U.S./ China Phase One trade agreement where the Chinese committed to importing 36.5 billion U.S. ag products in 2020.

[1] This compares to a record level of $25.9 billion of U.S. ag export to China in 2012 which fell to $9.1 billion in 2018. Through August, U.S. ag exports to China totaled $9.2 billion so far in 2020 (up 13% compared to the same period last year), with U.S. pork being the lead story as the world’s largest pork consumer continues to rebound from the African swine fever which decimated the Chinese pork sector in 2018 and 2019. U.S. grain exports are generally slow during the spring months as China purchases readily available grain from South American crops. Reports indicate that new crop sales of U.S. soybeans, corn, and sorghum to China have been very brisk in recent months. So official trade data for September 2020 (released on November 5th) should give a clearer picture of the anticipated uptick in U.S. ag exports to China. Despite strong export activity in the past two months, U.S. ag exports to China are still projected to fall below Phase One targeted levels, unless U.S. ag exports accelerate considerably in the last quarter of 2020.[2] What about ag imports? Imports generally account for 15 to 20% of U.S. food consumption. The demand for imported food is dependent on many factors including the cost of imported food, (influenced by labor rates, transportation and storage costs, and exchange rates), domestic food supplies,

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2020

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ECONOMIC AND POLICY UPDATE

The Agricultural Economics Department publishes the Economic and Policy Update towards the end of each month. Each issue features articles written by extension personnel within the department and other experts across the country.

Topics will vary greatly but regularly include marketing, management, policy, natural resources, and rural development issues. If you would like to recieve this newsletter by email, please contact Kenny Burdine at kburdine@uky.edu.

UNDERSTANDING COMMODITY WAGES Kayla Brashears, KFBM Area Extension Specialist

You can also view current and past issues online at https://bit.ly/2PoHsZj Co-editors: Kenny Burdine, Alison Davis, and Greg Halich

and changing consumer preferences among U.S. consumers to a more ethnically diverse diet. Of course, there are imports of items not generally produced in the U.S. such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas and a relatively large market for imported wines, cheeses, snack foods and forest products. Over 90% of the U.S. consumption of fish and other seafood along with tropical products (coffee, tea, and cocoa) and spices are imported into the United States, with a relatively large portion of fruit juices, rice, tree nuts and fruits/vegetables and sugar being supplied by foreign producers. USDA reports that the fastest-growing U.S. food imports are red meats, seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

While price differences (due primarily to cheaper labor costs) along with seasonal demands by U.S. consumers have induced a relatively high level of certain fruits, vegetables and tobacco imports, most ag/food imports have arguably an overall modest impact on U.S. agriculture.

USDA data reveal that only around 5% of U.S. pork consumption is imported, less than 3% of dairy, and less than 1% of eggs/poultry.

Noticeably, imported beef accounts for around 11% of U.S. beef consumption, with some imported beef products certainly competing directly with U.S. beef production.

But, as my colleague Dr. Kenny Burdine points out, a large percentage COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

of the imported beef is trim, which is blended with fattier U.S. trim to produce ground beef for American consumers. The importation of this trim likely allows the U.S. beef sector to sell more muscle cuts, which are generally sold at a higher value.

Plus, allowing relatively lowerpriced beef imports into the U.S. may create opportunities to export higher valued beef export products to other competing markets. U.S. red meat imports are up nearly 10% in 2020, but Dr. Burdine believes a lot of the increase in 2020 was likely induced by the tightness of U.S. meat supplies back in the spring as a result of COVID-19-induced plant closures.

[1] According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the import value includes the cost of insurance, shipping, and freight from the export port to the import port which is approximately 15% of the export value. Accounting for these costs, U.S. ag exports to China would need to total around $31 billion in 2020 to achieve the level negotiated in the Phase One agreement.

[2] A recent report released by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and USDA indicates that accounting for reported, not yet official sales over the past couple of months, China has met 71% of their trade obligations under the Phase I agreement. Official trade data reports in the coming months will verify if these reported sales are realized.

When it comes to paying employees, agriculture producers have a unique flexibility in compensation options that is not available to all employers. Commodity wages are a way to compensate employees without the obligation of many payroll taxes.

This can be extremely useful in a situation in which a family member is working for the farming operation; an employee is transitioning into an owner/manager role, or other creative possibilities. Commodity wages compensate by transferring the ownership of a commodity, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, livestock, etc. to an employee. The employee then has the opportunity to market the commodity and generate a wage.

This route of compensation is appealing to some farm producers for several reasons: • When paid properly, commodity wages are exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax for both the employer and employee portion.

• Commodity wages are exempt from federal unemployment taxes.

• The producer is not required to withhold any federal income tax. Although the employer is not required to withhold federal income tax, the employee is required to PAY federal income tax on the full amount.

• The exemptions above can lessen the administrative burden on employers in regards to payroll reporting throughout the year.

• The employee has the opportunity to create more income by marketing their ownership of the commodity effectively.

• Some farms may consider this method of compensation a good way for an employee to “buy-in” to the success of the crop.

Similar to most things in life, this route of compensation has some disadvantages as well: • Producers should expect extra scrutiny by

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

the IRS in the event of an audit if they pay commodity wages. To ensure proper use of commodity compensation, there are a few record-keeping details important to address (discussed in the next section).

• Although an employee can create income by marketing their commodity, conditions beyond their control, like weather and market changes, can cause them to have a downswing and collect a smaller wage.

• There are instances in which family members and employees should receive traditional wages for Social Security credits.

If a producer has decided commodity wages are a good fit for their operation, there are a few important record-keeping steps: • The producer should record the sale of the commodity in their books. An offsetting transaction is a wage expense, resulting in a net-zero transaction to the producer.

• The farm and employee should take extra care that the transaction does not appear as cash equivalent by immediately paying out the sold commodity. For a true commodity wage, the recipient must absorb market risk. A delay of at least two weeks between delivery and commodity sale/payment to the employee is a safe hedge.

• The producer should report the amount of the commodity wage on the W2. A tax preparer, payroll expert, or a KFBM specialist can help with this, especially because FICA exempt wages report differently than regular wages.

Understanding how to utilize commodity wages can be a great way for a producer to compensate their employees. It is important to understand how to document commodity wages correctly. A tax professional, payroll expert, or a KFBM specialist can help you understand how commodity wages can benefit your operation.

19

LEGAL NEWS

FOLLOW US ONLINE www.kycattle.com

KENTUCKY FEDERAL COURT FINDS ISSUE OF FACT ON WHETHER TYSON CHICKEN, INC. VIOLATED PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ACT OF 1921

www.kybeef.com www.beefinthebluegrass.com www.kybeefnetwork.com www.edenshalefarm.com www.slnllc.com www.cph45.com www.livestockadvertisingnetwork.com www.kentuckycattlemensbeef.com www.beefsolutionsllc.com

CANDACE SMITH

www.beefsolutionsverified.com Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC

Several growers of broiler chickens (“Growers”) sued Tyson Chicken, Inc. (“Tyson”) for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (“PSA”). Morris v. Tyson Chicken, Inc., No. 4:15-CV-00077-JHM, 2020 WL 6293580 (W.D. Ky. Oct. 27, 2020). The Growers contracted with Tyson to grow Tyson’s chickens. Tyson is responsible for developing and processing the chickens, which includes breeding, collecting and hatching eggs, delivering chicks to the Growers, retrieving the fully-grown broilers, and processing the broilers at Tyson’s plant. In exchange, the Growers furnish the labor, materials, and utilities for receiving chickens and producing broilers. Believing that some of Tyson’s practices were unfair, unjust, and deceptive, the Growers brought legal claims against Tyson, including claims for violations of the PSA. The Growers claimed that Tyson violated the portion of the PSA that states: It shall be unlawful for any packer or swine contractor with respect to livestock, meats, meat food products, or livestock products in unmanufactured form, or for any live poultry dealer with respect to live poultry, to: (a) Engage in or use any unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or deceptive practice or device; or (b) Make or give any undue or unreasonable preference or

20

youngproducerscouncil.weebly.com

advantage to any particular person or locality in any respect, or subject any particular person or locality to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect; or (g) Conspire, combine, agree, or arrange with any other person to do, or aid or abet the doing of, any act made unlawful by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e).

7 U.S.C. §§ 192 (a), (b), (g). In order to win on a claim under sections (a) and (b) of the PSA, the Growers must prove there is either an actual or likely adverse effect on competition.

One critical issue in this case is whether Tyson and/or its Robards Complex is a “monopsonist.” Id. at **2-3. The Growers’ expert described a “monopsony” as “a market structure where there is only one buyer (known as a monopsonist) for a particular good or service.” Id. Tyson’s expert disagreed that Tyson has monopsony power. Although simply being a “monopsonist” is not necessarily a violation of the PSA, the PSA is violated when a monopsonist acts in a way that is likely to result in anti-competitive effects.

Tyson argued that the federal court should find in favor of Tyson on the PSA claim as a matter of law. The court denied Tyson’s request. The court explained that there was evidence that supported the Growers’ argument that Tyson is a

COW COUNTRY •

monopsony and that its alleged practices have or likely will have a negative impact on competition. On the other hand, however, there was also evidence to the contrary that supported Tyson’s position.

As a result, the court was unable to resolve the issue as a matter of law, and the case will proceed to trial on whether Tyson violated the PSA as the Growers claim. The ultimate result of this case could have an important impact on breeding and livestock contracts going forward.

www.learntheyards.com KCA Facebook: @kycattlemen KCA Twitter: @kycattle KCA YouTube: The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Assoca.

The YARDS: @TheYARDS KJCA Facebook: @kyjuniorcattlemen YPC Facebook:

These materials are public information and have been prepared solely for educational purposes. These materials reflect only the personal views of the authors and are not individualized legal advice. It is understood that each case is fact-specific, and that the appropriate solution in any case will vary. Therefore, these materials may or may not be relevant to any particular situation. Thus, the authors and Steptoe & Johnson PLLC cannot be bound either philosophically or as representatives of their various present and future clients to the comments expressed in these materials. The presentation of these materials does not establish any form of attorney-client relationship with the authors or Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. While every attempt was made to ensure that these materials are accurate, errors or omissions may be contained therein, for which any liability is disclaimed.

DECEMBER

2020

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FEATURE

UK BEGINS ON-FARM VARIABLE RATE IRRIGATION RESEARCH Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky A University of Kentucky research project that could have significant impacts for Kentucky grain producers with irrigated acres is beginning on a Western Kentucky farm.

Ole Wendroth, soil physicist in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is leading a study examining the effects of a variable rate irrigation system that, to his knowledge, is the first-of-its-kind in the state.

“When we irrigate, we practice environmental stewardship,” said Wendroth, a professor in the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

“Irrigation keeps the soil wet, which means plant roots better penetrate the soil and take up nutrients. This lowers the amount of nitrogen in the soil and reduces our risk of nitrate leaching during the winter, when we tend to have a lot of rainfall.”

Wendroth is conducting this research in partnership with Princeton farmer Trevor Gilkey at his Hillview Farms.

The two men have worked together on various projects for more than 15 years, beginning with a variable rate nitrogen study.

“I’m interested in conserving water, preventing runoff and putting the water where we need it, especially when we have different soil types within the same field,” Gilkey said.

Historically, Kentucky farmers do not irrigate many acres compared to growers in drier climates. Often, the state receives adequate rainfall to produce a crop, but the rainfall does not always occur at the key growing times during the season, when crops need it the most. As a result, some producers have invested in irrigation over the past 20 years. This has created the need for research tailored to the state’s climate.

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

“While we only have a small percentage of producers who irrigate, those producers have many center pivots and would benefit from research to help them figure out scheduling, develop a better understanding of soil-crop interactions and determine the thresholds for water application,” said Carrie Knott, director of the UK Research and Education Center and one of Wendroth’s research collaborators. “We hope to answer these questions through research studies like this one.”

Gilkey’s field where the variable rate irrigation research is occurring is 137 acres and usually rotates between corn, wheat and double-crop soybeans. Not only does the field have Kentucky’s typical crop rotation, it also contains common soil types found in much of the state’s irrigated acres.

“Our mission at the UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence is to help farmers be more efficient, improve productivity and preserve the natural resources that they have, and we believe that practicing smart irrigation is a step toward achieving those goals,” said Chad Lee, center director and a research collaborator with Wendroth. “We believe the results from this study will be applicable to most Kentucky farms with center pivots.”

Over the past five years, Wendroth and his graduate students have conducted extensive research on Gilkey’s farm. They have collected soil samples, identified soil fertility trends, created an intensive soil mapping system and developed what Wendroth believes is a variable irrigation prescription for the field. In this newest research project, Wendroth will be able to control the flow of water at each sprinkler.

“As scientists we need to develop a sense for spatial variability out in the landscape, which is what farmers have to

Water runs through the variable rate irrigation system recently installed on Trevor Gilkey’s farm in Princeton. The system will provide UK scientists with new and enhanced research opportunities. Photo by Ole Wendroth, UK soil scientist deal with all the time,” Wendroth said. “If we know that water is not taken up by the soil at the same rate at different parts of the field, then we have to do something about it. We believe variable technology can work for us here.”

The project is an effort of the UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence and has received overwhelming support from the state’s agricultural groups. It has received funding from the Kentucky Corn Growers, Kentucky Small Grain Growers, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, Southern Soybean Research Program, Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Water Quality Initiative and Siemer Milling Company.

Rebecca McCulley, chair of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, said it is scientist-farmer partnerships like the one Gilkey and Wendroth have that help advance agricultural science and improve farming practices.

“To be able to take concepts that we develop in the lab and actually bring them into the field helps us to understand what pieces of our science we have right and what pieces are still a long ways from being right,” she said. “These partnerships are critical to be able to make sure we are spending time on the research side that is going to be translatable to people in the field doing the work.”

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Tim Dievert 478 Dry Fork Rd. • Danville, KY 40422 Office:859/236-4591 (C)859/238-3195 • tdievert@dievertsales.com www.dievertsales.com

Catalogs or more information available by contacting Tim Dievert.

Central Kentucky Angus Association’s

58th Annual Fall Sale:

87 lots total 138,875 to average 1,596 10 bulls average 2,940 Commercial females: 14 pairs: average 1,655 39 bred heifers: 1,504 15 bred cows: 1,233 9 open heifers: 1,017 Central Kentucky Angus Association’s

57th Annual Winter Sale:

January 16, 2021 • Danville, KY Call Tim for consignment information

21

FEATURE

RA P I D D E AT H I N F E E D E R CA LV E S ?

IT M AY B E H I STO P H I L U S S O M N I ( F O R M E R LY K N OW N AS H A E M O P H I L U S S O M N U S O R “ S O M N U S ” ) MICHELLE ARNOLD DVM-Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, University of Kentucky

October and November are known as two of the most difficult months to buy feeder calves in KY due to major health challenges. Weather is often blamed but is just one of many risk factors that play a role in Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) development.

This fall, the bacterium Histophilus somni (formerly known as Haemophilus somnus) has emerged as a major bacterial pathogen responsible for the rapid development of disease and death in feeder operations.

While Mannheimia haemolytica, commonly called “Pasteurella”, is the bacterial species known to cause bronchopneumonia and rapid death, Histophilus somni (HS) can cause similar symptoms and is proving very difficult to treat and control with traditional methods. In addition, a more severe form of disease, known as the “septicemic form” has been seen in several cases submitted to the UKVDL over the last month. This septicemic form typically hits calves 30-60 days after arrival to the feed yard and the bacteria may affect the brain, heart, larynx, muscles, joints, liver and kidney in addition to the lungs.

In some cases, the calves are simply found dead with no clinical signs. The septicemic form usually results in rapid death, generally less than 48 hours from development of symptoms up to the time of death. If the joints are involved, the calves may become noticeably lame or wobbly and the joints may become extremely swollen and looks similar to Mycoplasma bovis joint involvement.

On necropsy, several of these cases have had laryngitis and edema (swelling) in the back of the throat because the bacteria have attacked the laryngeal muscles. “Somnus” is often found in combination with Pasteurella multocida in “biofilms” which are clusters of bacteria in a jelly-like matrix that serves as protection from antibiotics and host immune system responses. Stress can

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trigger bacteria to leave the biofilm and travel to the lungs. Once it establishes infection in the lungs, it can travel by the bloodstream to joints, organs (especially the heart), and to the brain. These calves may develop pneumonia, pleuritis (infection of the membrane surrounding the lungs), myocarditis (infection in the heart muscle), thrombotic meningoencephalitis (infection in the brain), tenosynovitis (infection within joints), laryngitis, and otitis media (middle ear infection). The disease can happen anytime in the year but most clinical cases occur between October and January. Previously, disease due to “Somnus” was found primarily in Northwestern and Midwestern states in the USA and Canada but cases are now being diagnosed throughout the US, including Kentucky. Most comprehensive studies have been conducted in Canada where “Somnus” accounts for an estimated 40% of the death loss in feedlots. Unlike typical BRD outbreaks that peak at 14 days after arrival to the feedlot, “Somnus” pneumonia cases peak at 25 days on feed. In the absence of consistently effective treatment or vaccine options, management practices are crucial to controlling death loss.

Metaphylaxis, the practice of treating the whole group of calves with a longacting antibiotic on arrival to the feed yard (or delay mass treatment until 10 % of the calves are showing clinical symptoms of pneumonia), along with prompt pulling and treatment of sick cattle is one recommended approach.

Vaccines are available against “Somnus” but protection is by no means complete from these products.

The common BRD-associated bacteria (Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni) are found in the nasal passages of healthy calves but with stress (such as transportation and commingling) and COW COUNTRY •

viral infection, the bacteria can descend into the lungs and sometimes spread throughout the body, causing disease.

In reality, multiple factors contribute to complex interactions between the environment, the bacteria and viruses, and the calf’s immune system.

Stressed calves are more susceptible to viral infection by Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (BVD), Parainfluenza 3 virus (PI3), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial virus (BRSV) and possibly another agent, Bovine Coronavirus (BCV).

Viruses are known to damage the lining of the respiratory tract and some will actually suppress the immune system, giving bacteria “a green light” to enter and grow in the lungs (pneumonia). Combinations of different bacterial species can work synergistically to cause more severe disease than if operating alone. There are no easy ways to tell if “Somnus” is part or all of the disease problem, other than it tends to occur later after arrival than most cases of BRD. The Histophilus somni Disease Complex (HSDC) is a term used to describe the disease when “Somnus” reaches the lungs and also lands in the brain, heart and joints.

Components of the HSDC include: • Rapidly Fatal Pneumonia: Some animals with “Somnus” pneumonia are simply found dead due to lung damage called “severe fibrinous pleuritis”. This is a common finding in western Canadian feedlots and is seen 30-90 days after arrival. The lungs are usually the only organ affected and are found covered in a thick sheet of fibrin, a tough protein substance made up of long fibrous threads, while the lungs themselves are collapsed underneath.

Some calves • Bronchopneumonia: with “Somnus” develop typical signs of BRD including depression, off feed, cough, excessive nasal discharge

DECEMBER

2020

and difficult or rapid breathing.

Respiratory signs with fever of 104°F or above confirms the diagnosis of BRD but detection of the bacteria and/or viruses involved must be done at a diagnostic laboratory. Treatment is often very difficult and unrewarding in the field when “Somnus” is involved although in the laboratory, the “Somnus” bacterium is usually susceptible to many antibiotics.

• Heart Muscle damage: “Somnus” can cause a “necrotizing myocarditis” when it localizes in the muscles of the left ventricle of the heart. Death can be rapid with no previous signs (similar to a heart attack) or chronic forms lead to “poor doers”.

• Thrombotic meningoencephalitismyelitis or “TME”: This is a disease of older calves and yearlings affecting the brain.

During an outbreak, individual cases occur sporadically in separate pens in a feed yard.

Signs include depression, fever, blindness, down and death; this can look similar to signs seen with polioencephalomalacia or “brainers”.

Treatment with antibiotics is most often unrewarding.

• Other Manifestations: Arthritis with joint swelling, laryngitis and middle ear infections with drainage from the ear canals may also be seen.

Diagnosis of Histophilus somni disease in a live calf is challenging because it is present in the upper airways of both healthy and diseased calves so swabs taken from deep in the nose will not necessarily tell the story of what is causing disease in the lungs and elsewhere. “Somnus” is difficult to grow in the laboratory, especially if the calf was treated with antibiotics, so the PCR assay is strongly recommended in addition to culture for detection. Mixed lung infections with other disease- causing

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

bacteria such as Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida can easily overgrow Histophilus somni on a culture plate so the identification may be missed when relying on traditional bacterial culture methods alone. Culture is still important to identify what antibiotics should be effective. Unfortunately, the transfer of genetic elements that caused antimicrobial resistance to develop in Mannheimia haemolytica is also now found to be operating in Histophilus somni.

Prevention is difficult. This is not a disease complex managed through a needle. What we do in the first 14 days after purchase is crucial because we can’t reverse the damage done by this disease. Biosecurity and biocontainment practices must be followed. Because “Somnus” pneumonia and septicemia often develop along with viral infections (especially BVD) or in combination with other bacterial pathogens, control should begin with minimizing wellrecognized factors predisposing to BRD. Stress plays a major role in disease through immunosuppression so excellent nutrition and management are critical. There is no direct proof that “Somnus” vaccines are effective under field conditions but they may help lessen the severity of the brain form of disease.

Consult with your local veterinarian for the best management plan for your operation.

The following steps should help reduce the risk of pneumonia in feeder calves: • Vaccination with a modified live (MLV) 5-way respiratory virus vaccine and a Mannheimia haemolytica toxoid (“Pasteurella”) after calves have rested 24 hours is the traditional protocol for feeder calves on arrival.

However, since vaccines usually cause calves to have a slight fever, new research has shown the MLV vaccine may be delayed 2-3 weeks in high risk calves without affecting the morbidity and mortality rate. In other words, if you are concerned the newly purchased calves are at high risk to get sick, delaying vaccination until they are stronger will not result in more sickness and death than you would have had anyway. As a matter of fact, it may help keep them eating and drinking better without the vaccine-induced fever.

• Cattle with extremely low blood concentrations of the trace elements

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

selenium and copper have difficulty fighting any disease challenge. An injectable trace mineral supplement (such as Multimin 90®) is one option to boost the copper and selenium levels during the initial arrival period.

• Metaphylactic treatment (treatment of all calves on arrival or when 10% show signs of BRD) of high risk calves (high risk=lightweight, weaned on the trailer, commingled, green calves) with long-acting antibiotics is a well-established, beneficial procedure that can reduce morbidity (sickness) and case fatality (death) by up to 50% in high risk calves. Be aware that overconfidence in and reliance on metaphylaxis and longacting antibiotics can lead to delayed follow-up treatment if calves are not adequately monitored. In other words, calves still need to be watched very closely in spite of having an antibiotic on board.

• Feed bunks and watering troughs are known areas for disease transmission.

Keep sick cattle, especially chronic pneumonia calves, away from healthy calves and manage their feed and water separately. Do not allow noseto-nose contact between sick and healthy groups.

• Do not pen new arrivals next to calves that were purchased last week! Try to load your farm with calves as quickly as possible rather than buy a load every week for 4 weeks and combine them in same area. This is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

• Management is key. In a recent article by Chad Engle from the US Meat Animal Research Center, he wrote, “I like to think of our feed yards as five-star hotels. Once these calves step into our “hotel”, they should be greeted by knowledgeable handlers, fresh feed, clean waterers and clean pens. We never put new calves into pens that do not have fresh hay and ration in the feed bunks. It is our job in the feed yard to show those calves that the feed yard is the best place on earth for them to be.” Enough said.

help decrease, but does not eliminate, sickness and death loss.

Allison Charo Charolais Breeder Since AllisonAllison Charolais • Charolais

In summary, the disease syndrome caused by Histophilus somni may have many different clinical signs besides the typical pneumonia symptoms. Disease onset may be rapid and response to antibiotic therapy is frequently very poor.

Diagnosis in a live calf can be difficult Charolais Breeder Since 1962 since “Somnus” is often recovered from nasal swabs of healthy calves so the presence of the bacteria in the nose of Ø Bull calves out of HCR Answer a sick calf does not prove it is causing Ø Bull calvesHCR out of HCR Answer4007.

2042 and disease. It is also a difficult bacterium SPIRIT to grow in the laboratory, especially if HCR SPIRIT 4007. Ø Bull calves out ofØHCR Answer 2042ease andand growt the calf has been recently treated with Bred forease calving Ø Bred for calving and growth. antibiotics. Future research will focus on HCR SPIRIT Ø Bulls for both purebred commercialand breeders. Ø4007.

Bulls for bothandpurebred comm the relationship between “Somnus” and other respiratory pathogens, developing Ø Yearlings and two-year-olds available. Ø Bred for calving and growth. Øease Yearlings and two-year-olds avail improved diagnostic tests, monitoring Ø Bred heifers to calve in fall available. antibiotic efficacy and development Ø Bulls for both purebred commercial Ø Bredand heifers to calvebreeders. in fall availa of effective vaccines for prevention of John Allison, Owner David Carter, Farm Manager disease. In the Ø meantime, makeand yourtwo-year-olds Yearlings available.

545 Eminence Road 502-706-0075 feed yard a five star hotel for calves toNew Castle, KYAllison, 40050 John Allison, Owner David Car John Owner help prevent, rather treat, disease.to calve 502-220-3170 Ø than Bred heifers in fall available.

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PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM State and National Beef Promotion and Research Programs Information is required by 7 CRF 1260.201. Failure to report can result in a fine.

Information is held confidential per 7 CRF 1260.203.

TODAY’S DATE

ID NUMBER (IF KNOWN)

SELLER’S NAME

BUYER’S NAME

ADDRESS

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

CITY

SELLER’S SIGNATURE

STATE

ZIP

BUYER’S SIGNATURE

Both the seller and the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Kentucky Beef Council.

DATE OF SALE

STATE OF ORIGIN*

TOTAL NUMBER OF CATTLE SOLD

X

$1.OO per Head Federal Checkoff

$

X

$1.OO per Head State Checkoff

$

Total Checkoff Payment for Federal and State

PERSON REMITTING FORM

+ =

BUYER

SELLER

PHONE

*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: Kentucky Beef Council 176 Pasadena Drive Lexington, KY 40503 For additional information: call 859-278-0899 or email beef@kycattle.org 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 hour 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, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (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 to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

FEATURE

GOV. BESHEAR ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION IN CARES ACT FUNDS FOR MEAT PROCESSING EXPANSION I N V E S T M E N T A I D S C R I T I C A L E X PA N S I O N D U R I N G PA N D E M I C FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear recently announced $2 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds will be allocated to the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy to help expand meat processing in Kentucky.

“The COVID-19 crisis has caused deep economic turbulence across the commonwealth and within our agricultural community,” said Gov. Beshear. “This relief will help producers and processors sustain their small businesses, expand their processing capacity and reduce Kentucky’s reliance

on other states to keep our grocery meat cases full.”

must distribute the additional CARES Act funds by Dec. 30, 2020.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of a strong agricultural supply chain, the additional $2 million in CARES Act funding will be distributed through the current Meat Processing Investment Program (MPIP).

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB) previously allocated more than $1.5 million to the program since May, with continued interest from processors. In an effort to process more Kentucky beef, dairy, pork, lamb, sheep, goat and poultry products, the MPIP

“Early in the pandemic, many Kentuckians went to the grocery store and for the first time in their lives saw a shortage of meat products on grocery shelves,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “That’s why the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board moved in May to develop an incentive program to expand our small meat processors in Kentucky. With my request for CARES Act funding fulfilled, I look forward to working with the Agricultural Development Board to continue

diversifying Kentucky agriculture with these funds and supporting our cattle producers as we fight the pandemic.”

“This important investment comes at a critical time for agriculture,” said GOAP Executive Director Dorsey Ridley. “Our office will efficiently distribute this necessary funding to help support our food supply system.”

Applicants can receive up to $250,000 on a reimbursement basis under current MPIP guidelines. For more information on the Meat Processing Investment Program, or to apply, visit agpolicy. ky.gov.

Re-adjust your dial!

The CATTLE INDUSTRY CONVENTION

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is moving to

August 10-12, 2021

GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER

TEXT BEEF TO 25827 TEXT BEEF TO 25827

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

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FEATURE

HAY CONTEST HELPS PRODUCERS IMPROVE FORAGES, LIVESTOCK Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky For more than 25 years, the Eastern Kentucky Hay Contest has helped the region’s forage and livestock producers improve their operations.

The contest, which is a free program of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, allows producers in participating counties to submit hay samples to UK for testing each fall.

“The great thing about the hay contest is it gives producers a way to get a detailed forage quality test for their hay that includes the usual parameters like crude protein and total digestible nutrients and also high value parameters like fiber digestibility,” said Jimmy Henning, forage extension specialist in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment who helps lead the annual contest with county extension agents.

The contest has grown dramatically in recent years. 2020 was a record-setting year for the number of entries submitted.

Producers from 15 Eastern Kentucky counties submitted 624 samples for testing.

Producers have the option to submit their test results to Jeff Lehmkuhler, UK beef cattle extension specialist; Bob Coleman, UK equine extension specialist, or Ken Andries, Kentucky State University small ruminant specialist. The specialists use the results to develop farm-specific, balanced feed rations for each producer’s livestock.

Chad Allen is a third-generation beef cattle producer in Perry County and has participated in the contest for the past decade.

“As producers, we need to take advantage of resources like the hay contest, especially when profit margins are tight.

Otherwise, we are not putting ourselves in the best situation to be successful,” he said. “I’m seeing better weight gain on my calves through the winter, and the 26

cows are holding their body condition scores better through the winter as a result of the balanced feed rations.”

Allen purchases his hay from another producer. He has used the contest results to improve both operations.

“Before the contest, I just bought hay and fed it,” he said. “Now, we are not flying blind. When I showed my hay producer the science and data from the contest, he got a soil test and applied fertilizer. I now know what I am paying for, and he knows the quality his hay needs to be to get the prices he wants.”

The hay contest began in 1993 when the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association and the Highland Cattlemen’s Association joined forces to try to improve their producers’ forage quality. At the time, producers across the region were seeing low weaning weights and nutritional deficiencies in their cattle. The cattlemen’s associations consulted UK extension agents and David Ditsch, UK professor emeritus who was then a forage specialist stationed at the UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Sustainability in Quicksand. The agents and Ditsch decided to make it a contest to entice producers to participate.

Lyndall Harned, Boyd County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, was the agriculture and natural resources agent in Leslie County when the contest began.

“At the time, we were concerned about the quality of hay our producers were feeding their animals, and we were seeing a lot of reclaimed mine land come back into production,” Harned said. “Because of this contest, producers in our area have taken steps to implement better soil fertility, better weed control and better variety selection.”

From left: Reed Graham, Breathitt County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, David Appelman, Bracken County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, and Dalton May, Perry County extension intern, prepare hay samples for testing at UK’s Robinson Center for Appalachian Sustainability. Photo by Charles May, Perry County agriculture and natural resources extension agent. testing at UK’s Robinson Center. The samples then go to Chris Teustch, UK forage extension specialist, who tests each sample at his lab at the Grain and Forage Center of Excellence in Princeton.

“The real leaders of the East Kentucky Hay Contest are the extension agents,” Henning said. “They have been the driving force for the origination and the continuation of this annual event for more than two decades.”

While there are annual quality winners, a traveling trophy and bragging rights, Harned said most producers in his county are entering the contest for the education they get from the results and balanced feed rations.

Mike Dixon is a Boyd County beef cattle producer who has submitted samples for several years. He had the highest overall individual quality rating one year but enters the contest each year because it is a great educational process.

“I have learned how hay maturity and

quality are linked,” he said. “Getting that first cutting of hay on time in the spring is critical to getting a high protein content. Having your feed ration balanced saves you money, because you are not overfeeding or underfeeding your animals.”

Charles May, Perry County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, has encouraged producers to submit entries to the program since it started. He said the forage production in his county has improved tremendously and has resulted in some producers expanding their production and diversifying their operations.

“I have people in my county growing alfalfa now, and a couple of producers that have started custom hay businesses and are using the results to market their hay,” he said. “People are really trying to cut their hay at the right time and are seeing the positive impacts of feeding their animals the proper ration.”

Extension agents, like Harned pull each hay sample, grind and package it for COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

27

FEATURE

KENTUCKY PROUD BRINGS CHEESE FOR A CAUSE INTO KROGER PARTIAL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT LOCAL FOOD BANKS

Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles speaks at a press conference introducing “Kentucky Cheese Cares” at Kroger grocery store in Lexington, Kentucky. Fifty cents from each Kentucky Proud cheese unit sold will be used to distribute Kentucky dairy products through the Feeding Kentucky food bank network.

A new initiative to help food-insecure families across the state is bringing Kentucky Proud artisan cheese products to select Kroger grocery stores.

Kentucky Cheese Cares lets consumers join the fight against hunger by purchasing award-winning Kentucky specialty cheese products at participating Kroger locations. Fifty cents from each unit sold will be used to distribute Kentucky dairy products through the Feeding Kentucky food bank network.

“Some of Kentucky’s finest artisan cheeses will be available to fight hunger across the state,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles said.

“This is a winning combination. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is excited to be partnering in this opportunity to serve Kentuckians through this Kentucky Hunger Initiative project.”

Born from the concept of supplying cheese products to Kentucky’s food insecure families, this project found its roots this year. Kroger stepped in as a key operational partner as the state’s 28

largest purchaser of Kentucky Proud products. Kentucky Cheese Cares began in select Kroger stores in October.

Feeding Kentucky will receive fifty cents from each purchase. The funds will go directly to purchasing fresh Kentucky produced cheese products for the food banks Feeding Kentucky serves.

“We’re thrilled to see this initiative come to fruition to help food-insecure Kentuckians,” Feeding Kentucky’s Development Coordinator Whitney Wilgus said. “Now consumers can join the fight against hunger, all while enjoying delicious award-winning Kentucky cheeses and supporting dairy farmers right here in the Commonwealth.”

The new initiative will increase access to dairy products for food-insecure families, with the added benefit of supporting Kentucky dairy farmers. In the projects initial phase three dairies – Harvest Home Dairy out of Oldham County, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese out of Barren County and Wildcat Mountain Cheese out of Laurel County – will be featured in the Kentucky Cheese Cares standalone coolers. The Dairy Alliance COW COUNTRY •

provided key support for the project by purchasing the cooler units.

“We are honored to partner with these organizations to help nourish those in need,” said Geri Berdak, chief executive officer of The Dairy Alliance. “Not only do dairy farmers care passionately about their cows, their land and the products they produce, they care about helping their communities.”

The standalone coolers will be featured in 10 Kroger stores across the state including Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, Elizabethtown and Richmond.

“We are so excited about this program as it aligns perfectly with our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact campaign.

We are committed to ending hunger in our communities and partnering with others on innovative solutions like Kentucky Cheese Cares,” said Erin Grant, Louisville Division Corporate Affairs Manager. “Our customers appreciate opportunities to purchase local and continually looking for simple ways to give back. This is a simple and tasty solution to do both.”

DECEMBER

2020

To further cement Kroger’s commitment to hunger relief, Ann Reed, Kroger’s Louisville Division President, presented a $10,000 check to Feeding Kentucky as part of Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan to end hunger in the communities it serves and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.

Kentucky Cheese Cares is a partnership between KDA, Kentucky dairy farmers, The Dairy Alliance, Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kroger, Feeding America, and Feeding Kentucky.

To learn more about this program and view profiles of the dairy farms involved, go to feedingky.org/cheese.

About The Dairy Alliance On behalf of dairy farm families, The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit, works with schools, health professionals, retailers, dairy processors, and the public to promote dairy foods. For more information, visit thedairyalliance.com.

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

FEATURE

“BEEF, IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER” RETURNS TO BROADCAST TELEVISION IN AN INTEGRATED HOLIDAY MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROMOTING BEEF AS THE CENTER OF THE SEASON The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is getting “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner” back on broadcast television during The Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas DENVER (Oct. 23 2020) – With the holidays looking a little different this year, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is ensuring one thing remains the same - Beef. It’s What’s For Holiday Dinner. Whether gathering around the ‘Beef Drool Log’ or learning how to cook the perfect holiday meal with beef, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. has a little something for everyone this holiday season. To remind consumers across the country that beef is the only protein that they want to feed their families this holiday season, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. will return to broadcast

television is usually out of reach, the opportunity to advertise on the Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas movie marathon boiled down to the right network, the right ad, the right time and the right price tag. I look forward to sharing the nostalgia of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ads on televisions with the next -generation of consumers.”

television. For the first time since 2003, Beef Checkoff-funded advertisements

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and the iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand will be on television, airing a limited number of ads during the Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas movies.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. successful video released last year called the ‘Drool Log’—a two-hour long video of a Beef Prime Rib Roast slowly cooking over an open flame—which created quite the following with more than 14 million videos views. This year, NCBA looked for the opportunity to make even more people salivate over beef and will placing a new—and shorter—version of the Drool Log on a television network that creates similar meaningful connections with its audience. New fifteen-second Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Drool Log ads will appear throughout late November and December on the Hallmark Channel’s holiday programming event “Countdown to Christmas” as part of a limited holiday broadcast and digital ad buy as a way to have a broader reach with consumers this holiday season.

“As a beef producer, it’s exciting to see checkoff dollars making this holiday season a little more special by bringing Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. back to broadcast television,” said Buck Wehrbein, NCBA Federation Division Vice Chairman. “While broadcast

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

In addition to the bringing the iconic brand back to broadcast television, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand is helping consumers navigate how to make the perfect holiday meal through fully integrated digital and social media efforts. Whether having a smaller family gather or working with a tighter budget, there’s a beef option for everyone and the beef experts are here to help people savor the holidays. These efforts include: • New versions of the ‘Beef Drool Log’ videos that will be shared across digital and social media platforms and that people can use as Zoom meeting backgrounds if they’re celebrating the holidays virtually • An updated holiday landing page on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com as a one-stop shop for all beef holiday cooking needs • Using cutting-edge technology to make BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com shoppable (meaning you can click on any recipe and be taken to an on-line shopping cart for your local grocery store) • Working with two partners to run e-commerce campaigns during the month of December aiming to increase beef sales • Leveraging food and nutrition influencers and celebrity chefs to create their own beef recipes for the holiday season for more experienced at-home chefs

29

MEMBERSHIP DIVISION 3 (UP TO 75 MEMBERS)

11,000 GOAL

5,215

DIVISION 1 (151+ MEMBERS)

2021

2020

Difference

DIVISION 2 (76-150 MEMBERS)

2021

2020

Difference

2021

2020

Difference

Purchase Area

49

75

-26

Out of State

47

59

-12

Whitley

45

54

-9

Grant

41

69

-28

Taylor

38

67

-29

Pendleton

33

66

-33

Woodford

31

58

-27

Campbell

30

74

-44

Clinton-Cumberland

29

67

-38

Rockcastle

29

59

-30

Todd

29

51

-22

Nicholas

28

38

-10

Simpson

28

46

-18

Ohio

27

55

-28

Hancock

26

49

-23

25

45

-20

Adair

232

315

-83

Henry

90

148

-58

Carroll

Barren

194

525

-331

Twin Lakes

77

79

-2

Wayne

24

49

-25

Estill

21

40

-19

Mason

21

56

-35

Oldham

21

55

-34

Calloway

20

30

-10

Union

20

66

-46

Shelby

185

338

-153

Madison

158

272

-114

Marion

141

295

-154

Breckinridge

135

336

-201

Lincoln

131

239

-108

Grayson

125

281

-156

Edmonson

74

92

-18

Monroe

68

149

-81

Boyle

65

91

-26

Franklin

63

134

-71

Louisville Area

62

91

-29

Highlands

20

39

-19

61

135

-74

Lewis

19

54

-35

58

106

-48

McLean

17

26

-9

17

64

-47

Bracken

125

179

-54

Daviess

Mercer

118

156

-38

Garrard

Christian

106

225

-119

Jackson

58

93

-35

Nelson

Hardin

99

187

-88

Fleming

55

99

-44

Montgomery

16

50

-34

Clay

16

33

-17

Butler

16

33

-17

McCreary

14

38

-24

Knox

14

45

-31

Bullitt

14

26

-12

Robertson

13

56

-43

Jessamine

98

203

-105

Bath

96

302

-206

Clark

95

224

-129

Meade

95

172

-77

Warren

86

165

-79

Green

84

158

-74

Washington

78

201

Hart

77

Logan

Bourbon

55

84

-29

Trimble

55

114

-59

Scott

53

117

-64

Trigg

53

90

-37

Northeast Area

53

88

-35

-123

Pulaski

49

132

-83

Hopkins

12

29

-17

228

-151

Mountain

47

93

-46

Crittenden

12

23

-11

77

213

-136

Fayette

46

87

-41

Livingston

10

27

-17

Casey

71

194

-123

8

8

0

Laurel

69

156

-87

Larue

67

166

-99

Northern Kentucky

67

159

-92

Harrison

58

160

-102

2021

Totals as of: November 13, 2020

5,215

2020

10,738

Difference

-5,523

Caldwell/Lyon

45

98

-53

Magoffin

Owen

43

77

-34

Menifee

8

20

-12

Powell

7

8

-1

Henderson

6

13

-7

River Hills

4

7

-3

Eastern Foothills

3

5

-2

Gallatin

3

8

-5

Pike

3

3

0

Bell

1

3

-2

Harlan

1

1

0

Metcalfe

38

142

-104

Webster

37

86

-49

Russell

37

77

-40

Muhlenberg

37

81

-44

Anderson

33

113

-80

Allen

24

146

-122

If you need anything for membership, please contact Nikki Whitaker at (859) 278-0899 or nwhitaker@kycattle.org 30

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

2020-21 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION * MEMBERSHIP YEAR 10/1/20– 9/30/21

NAME

SPOUSE NAME

FARM NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

COUNTY

RECRUITED BY

PHONE

FAX

EMAIL

ZIP

*Payments of KCA membership dues are tax deductible for most members as an ordinary and necessary business expense. However, charitable contributions of gifts to KCA are not tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes. Due to new IRS regulations, $2.24 of your dues would not be deductible. Approximately $12 of your dues will go towards the monthly publication Cow Country News.

PLEASE CHECK THE MEMBERSHIP(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN: KCA MEMBERSHIP ($30/YR) Membership dues are $30 unless otherwise listed below

NEW

RENEWAL

NEW

RENEWAL

KCA COUPLE MEMBERSHIP To add your spouse, please add $15 to your KCA Membership KENTUCKY JUNIOR CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ($10/YR)

I WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE YOUNG PRODUCER’S COUNCIL TOTAL MEMBERSHIP: KCA

KJCA

$

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION DONATION (voluntary)

$

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: ALL DONATIONS TO KCF ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

COW COUNTRY •

$

DECEMBER 2020

Allen ................................$40 Anderson ........................$25 Bourbon ..........................$20 Boyle ...............................$35 Bullitt ...............................$20 Butler ..............................$25 Franklin ...........................$25 Highlands .......................$20 (Boyd, Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, & Martin)

Hopkins ...........................$35 Laurel ..............................$35 Lincoln ............................$25 Louisville Area ................$20 (Jefferson, & Spencer) Magoffin ..........................$20 Menifee ...........................$25

Mountain........................$25 (Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Morgan, Owsley, Perry & Wolfe) Oldham ...........................$35 Taylor ..............................$20 Twin Lakes ......................$25 Warren ............................$40 Wayne .............................$25 Whitley ............................$25 Woodford ........................$25

IF YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JOIN THE NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION The NCBA is now a State Marketing Partner with the KCA. You can pay your dues to both organizations with one check, at the same time. # HEAD 1-100

$

COUNTY DUES Dues are $30 except for the counties listed below.

DUES $150

# HEAD 1,001-1,250

DUES $1,150

101-250

$300

1,251-1,500

$1,400

251-500

$450

1,501-1,750

$1,650

501-750

$650

1,751-2,000

$1,900

751-1000

$650

> 2,000

$1,900 + .38/HD

Complete and return to: Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association 176 Pasadena Drive • Suite 4 • Lexington, KY 40503 For faster service, join online at www.kycattle.org

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

31

KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL NIKI ELLIS KBC Director of Education

For me Christmas time has always been special. As a kid it was more than just Santa we would have our special church activities, put up a massive tree and it also meant that my Dad would be home off the road for a few weeks. It was always so magical, at least that is the way you see it as a kid. Now that I’m a mom of two boys I now understand that lots of the “Christmas Magic” was really just lots of effort from my parents to make that time of year memorable for my sister and I. I also have a deep appreciation for those adults who go above and beyond because man is it hard! Juggling Christmas play practice, parades, braving the line to see the lights at the horse park, trying to fit in time for each and every family member all while trying to help your children navigate the true meaning of Christmas and guiding them through the advent. I normally have an army that I can rely on to help make everything happen but this year is going to be much different.

This year we won’t be having large family gatherings, hosting parades, waiting in line to see Santa and no Christmas program at school. At first thought I was relieved, my family could slow down and really focus on the true meaning of the advent season but then I realized it’s just my husband and I responsible for all the memories this year. A year that has taken so much normalcy from my boys I don’t want them to lose out on a time of year that is normally very special to them. Like I told my husband, this year we have become the “Christmas Dream Team”. The dinners, breakfasts, Christmas cards, activities, seasonal movies, music and baking is all on us.

The millennial parents are in the driver seat for the holidays, many for the first time. I’m not panicking alone, there is a whole generation who will be doing the “holidays at home” and the beef checkoff is here as your how-to guide.

The Kentucky Beef Council as well as the federal Beef Its Whats For Dinner brand are working to make this the best experience for the first time magic makers. If you visit our website,

32

social media or even google search something like “easy beef recipe” we are there waiting with recipe videos and instructions to make sure the taste of the season is still that same special memory or even with a new spin. If you want the traditional standing rib roast we have you covered or if you’re like so many Americans you are looking for more budget friendly recipes there are many highlighting ground beef or beef

as an ingredient. I’m a big fan of batch cooking, having something on hand that we can heat and eat at a moment’s notice. Soups, chili, casseroles and sandwiches are great to plan to have on hand with everyone being at home.

Appetizers are a great way to use up that ground beef in your freezer that you may have stockpiled after this spring, we are big fans of stuffed mushrooms and build your own sliders for the kids. Something else that we have really gotten into are charcuterie boards. A beef and cheese board to graze on while watching a favorite movie is a must. Beef jerky, roast beef, your favorite cheese and crackers, so easy! Either way you want

COW COUNTRY •

to go with your menu we have recipes, and on our YouTube channels there are step by step guides on how to prep, cook and store your beef as well. No reason to feel overwhelmed by the pressure of being the head chef in your kitchen when you have the how-to beef guides at your fingertips.

What about the feel though? That being home with a woodstove burning or the

background noise of lots of people, or even the movies? I have to say growing up the most memorable smell of the holiday season was going to my greatgrandparents house where there was always a fire in the woodstove. Most millennials don’t have this (if you do, know that I’m very envious), but Beef Its Whats For Dinner came to the rescue.

They brought back Drool Log 2.0. Yes, Drool Log. If you visit their YouTube account you will find a savory video of a beautiful roast slow cooking, that you can stream on your TV to give that feel of warmth and comfort that you may be missing.

I saved the best for last. The most asked

DECEMBER

2020

question I get “Niki, when are you guys going to get back on TV?” Well folks the wait is over. We learned during our Partners In Action conference back in October that Beef Its Whats For Dinner is going back to national television during the holiday season!

Our federal partners have worked with the most iconic Christmas time channel to make your brand seen by millions, the Hallmark Channel. If you watch Christmas movies you know the Hallmark Channel. The few that I have leaked the surprise to have all been over the moon because they watch or someone in their home watches it. The Hallmark Channel original movies are projected to be watched more than ever this year with more people staying home and looking for a feel good ending after this crazy year we’ve had. Your brand will be synonymous with the feelings of positivity, joy, comfort and thankfulness. All the things that people want to feel when selecting their menus for the season.

Knowing that the season may look a bit different but you’re not in this alone is comforting. We are all bending and adapting to the changes in our lives but we can still make the best of our celebrations with the help and programs KBC and BIWFD has placed at your convenience. I may still have some anxiety of not having much larger extended family and friend group to make the season magical, I have every confidence that we will all find ways to make memories for ourselves and those around us. Let’s bring in the New Year on the most uplifting note that we can.

“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Find recipes and tips at: kybeef.com beefitswhatsfordinner.com

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL

RIB ROAST WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE INGREDIENTS: 1 beef Ribeye Roast Bone-In (2 to 4 ribs), small end, chine (back) bone removed (6 to 8 pounds) • Salt • Roasted Fennel (recipe follows) (optional) SEASONING: 2 tablespoons coarsely ground mixed peppercorns (black, white, green and pink) • 1 tablespoon minced garlic • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil HORSERADISH SAUCE: 1/2 cup whipping cream • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh fennel bulb • 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh fennel fronds • 1/8 teaspoon salt pepper DIRECTIONS 1.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine seasoning ingredients; press evenly onto all surfaces of beef roast. Cook’s Tip: Mixed peppercorns are sold in specialty food markets and in some supermarkets. Black peppercorns may be substituted. To easily grind whole peppercorns, use a pepper mill or coffee grinder (used only for seasonings). Or, place peppercorns in a food-safe plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal.

Use the bottom of a custard cup, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy pan to crush the peppercorns.

2.

Place roast, fat side up, in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat or touching bone. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 350°F oven 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours for medium rare; 2-1/2 to 3 hours for medium doneness.

3.

Prepare Roasted Fennel, if desired.

4.

Meanwhile, prepare Horseradish Sauce. Beat cream in medium bowl just until soft peaks form; do not overbeat. Add fennel bulb, horseradish, fennel fronds and salt; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cook’s Tip: Whipping cream has reached soft peaks when the beater is lifted and the cream forms a peak that gently falls to one side. Two tablespoons prepared horseradish may be substituted for fresh horseradish. Omit salt in sauce. Two tablespoons chopped fresh chives may be substituted for fresh fennel bulb and fronds.

5.

Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 145°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes.

(Temperature will continue to rise about 10°-15°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)

6.

Carve roast into slices; season with salt, as desired. Serve with horseradish sauce and roasted fennel, if desired.

ROASTED FENNEL: Trim off and discard fronds and stems from 4 large fresh fennel bulbs (about 3-1/2 pounds) to within 1 inch of bulbs. Cut each bulb lengthwise into quarters. Place on metal baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil; toss gently to coat, keeping fennel pieces intact. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt; arrange cut side down. About 2 hours before roast is done, place fennel in lower third of oven. Roast for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until tender and lightly browned, turning and rearranging once.

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

33

Post Weaning Value Added Program KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK

DEVELOPING A DATA MANAGEMENT STRATEGY - ARE YOU READY? BECKY THOMPSON

subjecting themselves to commodity prices and conditions.

Director of Kentucky Beef Network

Closing Thoughts:

I recently read an article by Dr. Tom Field from the University of Nebraska called “Outside the Box” he began with a quote I would like to share with you. Tom says “Value is created through work. In some cases it is created by the application of craftsmanship; in other, the investment of raw physical labor; and in others through process design. Exceptional value does not occur magically. It is created through the application of intentional and sustained effort.”

We often hear the word value added when we discuss cattle marketing strategies but what does it really mean? Value Added Marketing is defined as taking a commodity and creating additional value through management practices, and then marketing that commodity in such a way to be paid for the additional value created. To accomplish the task of having cattle qualify for a value-added program you must first have data. I think in the near future the word data will begin to play a larger role in how we keep records and what records we keep. Often when it comes to our cattle operations, we have several financial plans, forage management plans, breeding plans, and health plans we use to guide our decisions throughout the year but have you considered the increasing need for a Data Management Plan on your farm?

A Data Management Plan could help you protect the production information you have on your cattle as well as how you might leverage that information when selling your calves.

Driving the Data Bus Data Collection can be overwhelming, it is hard to know what data is important to record and keep track of and where to put it. Many producers record every step of the production process but then it doesn’t make it from the paper to a computer or marketing form to be utilized for their benefit.

The best place to start is to think about all of the data points you create every day and how you can put them together to 34

create a comprehensive picture of your operation.

Data Strategy Reminders: • Collecting data is not a one and done function. You have to be consistent for it to mean something.

• Quality and sources of data matter.

The Post Weaning

Someone once told me to realize value, you must market value. It does no good to do all of the right things and then through the calf to the marketplace as a generic product. I encourage you to be an

advocate for yourself and operation don’t do the work of developing your data management plan if you aren’t going to do anything with it.

If you have questions about value added marketing opportunities or what to ask your marketing partners about these programs please reach out to us kbn@ kycattle.org

K

POST WEANING VALUE ADDED PROGRAM

Value Added Program (PVAP) encourages cow-calf

• Do your homework. Evaluate what your producers to retain ownership and capture added value for their investment marketing opportunities are and if there The Post Weaning Value Added Program (PVAP) encourages is documentation requiredgenetics to qualify forand BQCA in beef cattle certification through diversified marketing those opportunities. Know what these cow-calf producers to retain ownership and capture added value programs are asking for and whatstrategies. you Two optionsinare for their investment beefoffered: cattle genetics and BQCA certification might be giving away by not taking the through diversified marketing strategies. Two options are offered: time to evaluate them.

OPTION 1: There are PRECONDITION a lot of companies that will- PVAP provide data management services, look Assembling your data:

OPTION 2: FEEDLOT - PVAP OPTION 2:

OPTION 1: for a company that can provide you the Ownership retained through feedlot phase FEEDLOT - PVAP support and know-how to make sure Ownership retained post weaning, PRECONDITION - PVAP

your cattle will qualify when the time is and sold in Iowa right. Talk to your marketing partners preconditioned and sold in KY • Ownership retained post • Ownership retained through see if they have a health management For home raised calves weaned on the farm feedlot phase and sold in Iowa weaning, preconditioned and For home raised weaned calves retained form or other forms you can complete to using CPH-45 protocol, then enrolled in the document yourfarm data to capture the days value prior tosold in Kentucky on the for 45-120 • For home raised calves weaned of your effort.

Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity

on the farm using CPH-45 Getting Paid: Cooperative in Lewis, IA then enrolled in the protocol, Only producers have never weaned retained on the farm for 45-120 There is no guarantee in who selling cattle.

Only producers who have never Tri-County Steerretained Carcass Futurity Puttingand thepreconditioned work into getting your daysare prior to marketing calves on the farm Cooperative in Lewis, IA cattle qualified and enrolled in a value ownership through a commercial feedlot eligible added program doesn’t always equal a • Only producers who have are never eligible • Only producers who have never “premium” in the marketplace. However, Up to $1,000 incentive payment weaned and preconditioned I encourage you to look across the retained ownership through a Up to $750 incentive payment marketing landscape and challenge calves on the farm are eligible commercial feedlot are eligible you to put a fair value on your cattle in your mind when you begin making • Up to $750 incentive payment • Up to $1,000 incentive payment comparisons about what you think your “premium” should be. Work with your marketing partners, stockyards, buyers, feedyards, backgrounders, etc, and Interested in the PVAP program? Contact your local County Extension Agent or KBN Facilitator for more info! discuss with them about improvements you could consider for your operation based on what their experience has been with your calves or what trends they are seeing in the marketplace.

marketing

•

Producers may also be tempted to choose the commodity route for selling their calves in the name of saving production and enrollment costs, thus they are COW COUNTRY •

For home raised weaned calves

Interested in the PVAP program? Contact your local County Extension Agent or KBN Facilitator for more info!

6 D E C E M B E5R

2020

Post Progr cow-c and ca ment certifi ing str Beef line

The K versity Hand Nation progra and C This p aware prope while ing to ers. In and d produ streng

Startin Qualit tificat ers ca by vis afs.ca “Beef Beef Q

CN O’W Y I O• NA U G U S T • A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E S ACSOSUONCTIRAT

KENTUCKY BEEF NETWORK

EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE DAN MILLER KBN Industry Coordinator

If I were to sum up the activity at Eden Shale Farm the past two months with one word it would be “Construction”. The good weather has been conducive to construction projects so we have made the most of it. There are many different projects that we have been working on and I will share those throughout the winter in subsequent articles. For this month I want to highlight a rather simple concept that I believe will make a big difference for the cattle come March and April.

In a previous article I talked about the complete renovation of the Bull Barn facility, including a new flooring option called Mechanical Concrete®. This is created by taking truck tires and cutting both sidewalls out leaving the tread cylinder. You can read more about this flooring option on our blog. https://www.edenshalefarm.com/ blog/barn-flooring-options-part-3 Dr. Higgins decided to try this new product out and see if we could eliminate a common problem he calls “Cow Touring”. Cow touring occurs when there are numerous cow paths very close together leading to a common area. We tend to have them where the cows are coming up to the heavy traffic pads to winter feed. These areas get rutted up with deep mud and can be too extreme for the new calves to traverse in the springtime. At times the mud was so bad, that we literally had to drive the pairs off the hardened feed pad because

they didn’t want to attempt the steep muddy terrain.

Our solution to this is a cow path made with Mechanical Concrete®. To construct this, we took an excavator and cut a trench just deep and wide enough to hold the tread cylinders. We put nonwoven geotextile fabric in the bottom of the trench and then laid the cut tires in the trench end to end. Once all the tires were laid down, we backfilled the trench with dense grade aggregate (DGA).

Then we compacted the path with a walk behind plate compactor as the final step. The goal is to make the path as firm and stable as possible.

What this creates is a hardened path that has lateral stability due to the tires, so that when the path is wet it supports the weight of the cattle traffic. The tires also give the path stability going up the steep slope so that rain water runoff won’t erode the gravel away from the path.

What we created is a hardened path for the cows to use to get to their hay during the wet winter months. I anticipate the cows and calves to use this Mechanical Concrete® pathway allowing them to avoid the deep mud on a steep approach to the winter feeding area.

To see how this project holds up with cattle on it during the wet winter months, check out our blog at www.edenshalefarm.com.

K E N T U C K Y B E E F N E T W O R K FA C I L I TAT O R S

Ben Lloyd

Whitesville, KY (270) 993-1074 strridge@aol.com COW COUNTRY •

Ron Shrout

Winchester, KY (606) 205-6143 ronshrout@bellsouth.net DECEMBER 2020

Charles Embry

Cave City, KY (270) 646-5939 dale.embry@yahoo.com

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Jeff Stephens

Ewing, KY (606) 782-7640 stephensbeef@gmail.com

Jacob Settles

Springfield, KY (859) 805-0724 jacob.settles4@yahoo.com 35

y

HIGHVIEW FARMS 827 West Main Street Campbellsville, Kentucky 42718 Ben T. Cox DVM (270) 469-5517 Registered Angus Cattle

SHAW FAMILY ANGUS Jim & Cathy Shaw 935 Miller Road • Hodgenville, KY 42748 (270) 769-8260 www.shawfamilyangus.com Quality Registered Angus Cattle since 1975

ANGUS

President: Jason Crowe Vice President: Henry B Smith Secretary/Treasurer: Anne DeMott

HILL VIEW FARMS

T H E B U S I Jimmy N E SGilles S BREED

5160 Lee Rudy Road BOYD BEEF CATTLE Owensboro, KY 42301 6077 Helena Road Mayslick, KY 41055 (270) 686-8876 Charlie Boyd II: (606) 584-5194 • Blake Boyd: (606) 375-3718 (270) 929-537 www.boydbeef.com • cboyd2@maysvilleky.net

HAMILTON ANGUS FARMS Eddie Hamilton 2142 Stilesville Road Science Hill, KY 42553 edjohami@aol.com (606) 271-1286 Bulls and Females for Sale

BRANCH VIEW ANGUS

HERITAGE FARM Tom McGinnis 1024 Hinkle Lane • Shelbyville, KY (502) 633-1634, home • (502) 633-5100, work (502) 655-0164, cell

927 Old Liberty Pike • Hustonville, KY 40437FARMS ANGUS JOHNSON Ridgeview Angus (859) 238-0771 • www.branchviewangus.com Angus BullsCoffey & Females James S. & LuAnn Coffey, Donald & Donna Annual Production Sale- 2ndSlaughters, Saturday in April KY Keith: (270) 635-0723 BURKS CATTLE CO. Reese: (270) 635-1137 531 Rick Rd.

Bulls & females sold private treaty. Inquiries Welcome. Sell only what we would buy.

HIGHVIEW FARMS 827 West Main Street Campbellsville, Kentucky 42718 Ben T. Cox DVM (270) 469-5517 Registered Angus Cattle HILL VIEW FARMS Jimmy Gilles 5160 Lee Rudy Road Owensboro, KY 42301 (270) 686-8876 (270) 929-537

CARDINAL HILL FARMS 405 Cedar Grove Rd. • Glasgow, KY 42141 Mike Elmore: (270) 404-6589MILLERS RUN FARM Bob Johnson: (270) 427-1410William N. Offutt IV cardinalhillfarms.com • mike@cardinalhillfarms.com

JOHNSON FARMS ANGUS Angus Bulls & Females Slaughters, KY Keith: (270) 635-0723 Reese: (270) 635-1137

only what wePark would City, buy.

KY 42160

om

ok.com

Eddie Burks • (270) 991-6398 www.burkscattle.com

LEGACY FARMS

BURTON & SONS ANGUS Daniel and Lindsey Reynolds Joe D. or Karen Burton • Bryan Carman, Partner, Ridgeview Angus South Jackson Highway 480 Hominy Hill Rd. Nancy, 1709 KY 42544 Joe: (606) 305-3081 • Bryan: (606) 875-3453 Hardyville, KY 42746 Located 15 miles West of Somerset klburton01@windstream.net(270) 528-6275/(270) 528-6120

www.legacyfarmsangus.com

SMITHLAND ANGUS FARM 5202 East Hwy 80, Russell Springs, SHAW FAMILY ANGUS KY 42642 & Cathy Shaw(270) 866-3898 Charles “Bud” &Jim Pam Smith: 935 Miller Road • Hodgenville, KY 42748 Henry & Melissa(270) Smith: (270) 866-2311 769-8260

www.shawfamilyangus.com Quality Registered Angus Cattle since 1975

SMITHLAND ANGUS FARM ST. CLAIR FARMS REGISTERED ANGUS East Hwy 80, Russell Springs, KY 42642 Eric & Sherry St.5202 Clair Charles “Bud” & Pam Smith: (270) 866-3898 13433 Falls of Rough Road • Falls Rough, Henry & Melissa Smith: of (270) 866-2311KY 40119 Home: (270) 257-2965 • Cell: (270) 617-1079 ST. CLAIR FARMS REGISTERED ANGUS www.stclairangus.com Eric & Sherry St. Clair Performance Tested &Rough Female 2016 13433Bull Falls of RoadSale • FallsApril of Rough, KY 40119 Home: (270) 257-2965 • Cell: (270) 617-1079 www.stclairangus.com Performance Tested Bull & Female Sale April 2020

TAMME VALLEY FARM TAMME VALLEY FARM Jacob Tamme, Owner-Operator Jacob Tamme, Owner-Operator (859) 583-7134 (859) 583-7134 jacob.tamme@gmail.com jacob.tamme@gmail.com www.tammevalley.com & Find us on Facebook! www.tammevalley.com & Find us on Facebook!

TRIPLE D ANGUS Nathaniel & Darla Denham

TWIN CREEK FARM Nathaniel(Bub), Sarah, Ashley Denham 423-2457 • (606)Gibson 875-0780 Shawn, Melissa, (606) Devin & Dylan tripledangus.com (270) 337-3072 or (270) 692-5304 Dennis & Emily TWIN CREEK FARM Shawn, Melissa, Devin & Dylan Gibson 270/337-2128 or(270) 270/402-4338 337-3072 or (270) 692-5304 Dennis & View Emily Production Sale in April Watch for us in Branch

3790 Paris Road Georgetown, KY 40324

MT. MORIAH ANGUS FARMS COFFEY ANGUS FARMS (859) 533-2020 • millersrunfarm@aol.com 661 Hopewell Road Bob, Kathy, and Rob Clark (859) 748-5558 www.millersrunfarm.com Liberty, KY 42539 1446 Kennedy Bridge Rd. Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Matt Coffey: (270) 799-6288 Heifers for sale Bob: (859)339-2610 • Rob: (859)612-1594 mtmoriahfarms1@gmail.com Dewey Coffey: (606) 787-2620 www.mtmoriahangus.com Genetics for Maximum Profitability since 1984 COOL SPRINGS CREEK FARM MILLERS RUN FARM MUD RIVER ANGUS Guy & Aline Babin William N. Offutt IV 10 Oak Hill Drive 3790 Paris Road Georgetown, KY 40324 269 Paul Coomer Rd Gradyville, KY 42742 (859) 533-2020 • millersrunfarm@aol.com Russellville, KY 42276 www.millersrunfarm.com (270) 205-1669 Wayne Johnson: (270) 303-6354 www.coolspringscreekfarm.com • gdbabin@outlook.com Heifers for sale

Gary Johnson: (270) 498-7208

D&D LONGVIEW ANGUS Danny & Debbie Burris 550 Willie Nell Road Columbia, KY 42728 FOUR KINGS ANGUS (270) 348-5766 • (270) 250-3701 • (270) 250-1277

270/337-2128 or 270/402-4338 Watch for us in Branch View Production Sale in April WHITE FARM KENTUCKY Tim ANGUS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION and AmyASSOCIATION White 3664 Military Pike • Lexington, KY 40513 NAME Home: (859)223-0326 Tim: (859) 509-5401 • Amy (859)227-2552 whitefarm4@twc.com

MUD RIVER ANGUS 10 Oak Hill Drive Russellville, KY 42276 Wayne Johnson: (270) 303-6354 Gary Johnson: (270) 498-7208

FARM NAME

250 Bright Leaf Dr. • Harrodsburg, KY 40330

DAVIS BEND FARMS Cary & Kim King FOUR KINGS ANGUS ADDRESS 2315 Davis Bend Road 250 Bright Leaf Dr. • Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Carymking@yahoo.com • fourkingsangus.com Canmer, KY 42722 Cary & Kim King timmothyljeffries@gmail.comCary Cell: (859) 613-3734 • Colby Myers - Purebred Manager Carymking@yahoo.com • fourkingsangus.com www.davisbendfarms.com Cary Cell: (859) 613-3734 • Colby Myers - Purebred Manager Tim: (270) 528-6605 • Leslie: (270) 528-6435 CITY FALL CREEK ANGUS OLD BARK FARM 448 Corder Farm Road OLD BARK FARM 370 Ferrill Hill, Buffalo, KY 42716 Monticello, KY 42633 Kenley Conner 270/358-8057 370 Ferrill Hill, Buffalo, KY 42716 Ronnie Corder Registered Angus Cattle (606) 348-6588 Kenley Conner 270/358-8057 PHONE 1 Registered Angus Cattle PLEASANT HILL FARMS GREAT MEADOWS ANGUS ASSOCIATION Gil, Mary, Corbin, Caroline, and Catherine Cowles 38th Annual Fall Sale • October 24, 2020 ASANT HILL 500 Rockfield Richpond Road PLE www.greatmeadowsangus.com Rockfield, KY 42274 f a r m s Paul Bradshaw PLEASANT HILL FARMS EMAIL (270) 843-9021 • Fax (270) 843-9005 (502) 817-7502 Gil, Mary, Corbin, Caroline, and Catherine LocatedCowles 7 miles west of Bowling Green, 1/2 mile off Hwy 68/80 n

500 Rockfield Richpond Road RAGS ANGUS FARM HAINES ANGUS FARMS Richard and Glenda Stallons Rockfield, KY 42274 5294 Park City- Glasgow Rd. Dogwood Kelly Road Hopkinsville, KY 42240 (270) 843-9021 • Fax (270) 843-9005 1240 Park City, KY 42160 Home: (270) 885-4352 Cell: (270) 839-2442 Kenneth Haines, Jr.: (270) 749-8862 Located 7 miles west of Bowling Green,rstallons@bellsouth.net 1/2 mile off Hwy 68/80 36

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

n

TIME TO PAY YOUR 2021 DUES! STATE

ZIP

PHONE 2

DUES MUST BE PAID PRIOR TO DECEMBER 31.

Return to: Anne DeMott • 1220 Angus Trail • Lexington, Kentucky 40509 • Annaul Dues $35

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

37

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JACOB REDWAY CAREY BROWN cbrown@kycattle.org CAREY BROWNjredway@kycattle.orgJACOB REDWAY cbrown@kycattle.org FARM ACCOUNTS jredway@kycattle.org BUSINESS OR NATIONAL ACCOUNTS BUSINESS OR NATIONAL ACCOUNTS

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DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

KENTUCKY

GELBVIEH

AA LAND & CATTLE

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers Cynthiana, KY Luke Arthur (859) 298-8323 luke.arthur93@gmail.com Bulls • Show Prospects • Embryos Bulls sell with GE EPD’s • Show Prospects

BAR IV LIVESTOCK

Barry, Beth & Ben Racke • Brad Racke

7416 Tippenhauer Rd. • Cold Spring, KY 41076 Phone (859) 635-3832 • Barry cell (859) 991-1992 Brad cell (859) 393-3677 • Ben cell (859) 393-3730 Fax (859) 635-3832 • bar4@twc.com

A S S O C I AT I O N

William McIntosh, President.......................(502) 867-3132 Luke Arthur, Vice President........................(859) 298-8323 Pat Tilghman, Secretary/Treasurer.............(270) 670-8449

LARRY CLARK & SONS LLC

Registered Gelbvieh Cattle 106 Clark Houk Road • Greensburg, KY 42743 Larry Clark, Owner & Operator (270) 299-5167 • (270) 405-6848 Lpclarkandsons@msn.com

CLIFFORD FARMS

3459 KY HWY 1284E Cynthiana, KY 41031 Since 1937 (859) 234-6956

Cattle for sale at all times.

BRIAN W. DYER, DVM

BEE LICK GELBVIEHS

Eddie Reynolds 277 Old Bee Lick Rd. Crab Orchard, KY 40419 606-379-2281(H) 606-305-1972(C) Bulls & Females for sale

Owner/Manager GELBVIEH/BALANCERS 2050 Glasgow Road Burkesville, KY 42717 Brian, Lauren, Kristen Barry, Emily & Julia (270) 864-5909

FULL CIRCLE FARMS

Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Brad Burke 989 Metcalf Mill Road • Ewing KY 41039 (H) 606-267-5609 • (C) 606-782-1367 gbb789@windstream.net

CD FARMS

Clayton & Debbie Cash 1214 Ottawa School Road Brodhead, KY 40409 (606)-308-3247 • (606)-758-8994 Gelbvieh-Balancer Bulls & Heifers For Sale by Private Treaty

Meeting modern industry demands: • Added Fertility • Increased Efficiency • More pounds of calf weaned

KILBOURNE GELBVIEH

East Bernstadt, KY 606-843-6583 cell 606-309-4662 Black Replacement Heifers & Bulls Available Embryo transplant & AI sired calves

MOCKINGBIRD HILL FARMS

Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Shane Wells 10172 Provo Rd. Rochester, KY H: 270-934-2198 C: 270-791-8196 swells@logantele.com

American Gelbvieh Association 303-465-2333 | www.gelbvieh.org JOIN KENTUCKY GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION Mail to: 690 Lick Branch Road, Glasgow, Kentucky 42141 FARM NAME

YOUR NAME

ADRESS

CITY, STATE

PLEASANT MEADOWS FARM

Gary & Pat Tilghman Lindsey Tilghman Jones Family Carrie & Daryl Derossett Family 690 Lick Branch Road Glasgow, KY 42141 270.646.7024 • pleasantmeadowsfarm@hotmail.com

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

ZIP

EMAIL

PHONE

Dues are $25/year, payable to Kentucky Gelbvieh Association

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

39

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40

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Kentucky Hereford Association Kentucky Certified Hereford Influence Sale

Wells Farm

President: Steve Green Secretary/ Treasurer: Earlene Thomas 859-623-5734 thomasep@roadrunner.com www.dogwoodherefords.com

Codee Guffey • 1815 Grassy Springs Road Versailles, Kentucky 40383 (502) 598-6355 rockridgeherefords@gmail.com www.rockridgeherefords.com

Boyd Beef Cattle

6077 Helena Road • Mayslick, KY 41055 Charlie Boyd II · 606-584-5194 Annual Bull Sale second Saturday in March Hereford and Angus Bulls

Polled Hereford and Gelbvieh Cattle 3459 KY Hwy. 1284 E. Cythiana, KY 41031 (859) 234-6956 Ben, Jane, Shelby and Lincoln

Tony & Kathy Staples 992 Knotts Road Brandenburg, KY 40108 (270) 422-4220 tstaples@bbtel.com

Thomas Farm

Windy Hills Farm

“Cattle for sale at all times”

WOLF FARM

Registered Polled Herefords Bulls & Females for sale Tim & Peggy Wolf 12939 Peach Grove Rd. Alexandria, KY 41001 Home: 859-635-0899 Cell: 859-991-3484

Peyton’s Well Polled Herefords

The Lowell Atwood Family 133 Edgewood Drive Stanford, KY (606) 365-2520 home/fax (606) 669-1455 cell

Victor- influenced cattle bred for performance on grass.

“Black cows need a good Hereford Bull”

Polled Herefords 439 Flatwoods Frozen Camp Road • Corbin, KY 40701 Kevin, Angela, Bobby & Brenda Wells Kenlea & Kyler Murray 606-523-0569 - Home 606-528-1691 - Home 606-344-0417 - Cell 606-682-8143 - Cell wells_farm@yahoo.com

Jackie D. Perkins II 367 Mt. Pisgah Rd. • Bremen, KY 42325 (270) 543-3586 Breeding to produce good cows since 1981

Paul L. Hancock 8559 KY 56 Owensboro, KY 42301 270-771-4194

L.W. Beckley D.V.M 284 Pyrse Lane Irvine, KY 40336 Cell: 859-779-1419 Clinic: 606-726-0000

www.beckleyherefords.com

Old Fall Creek Farms

AHA & KHA member • Proven bloodlines Private treaty sales • Visitors always welcome 1874 Old Fall Creek Road Monticello, KY 42633 Reed Bertram (606) 348-7486 David Bertram (606) 278-3630 www.ofcfarms.com

DECEMBER 2020

K3CATTLE@YAHOO.COM

198 HICKS PIKE CYNTHIANA, KY 41031

Registered Polled Herefords 8103 Bill Moss Road White House, TN 37188 Home/Fax: 615-672-4483 Cell: 615-478-4483 billymjackson@aol.com “Farming the Same Land Since 1834”

Pile Stock Farm

WCN Polled Herefords Since 1961

Registered Polled Herefords

Hansell Pile, Jr. 12045 St. John Rd. Cecilia, KY 42724 270-735-5192•270-862-4462 12 miles West of Elizabethtown

859-588-4531

Jackson Farms

Chambliss Hereford Farms Brad, Carla, Clay and Clint Chambliss 916 Winchester Blvd.

Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Home (270) 982-3905 • Cell (270) 668-7126 fax 270-735-9922 www.chamblissherefordfarms.com

BECKLEY HEREFORDS L. Wayne Beckley 1420 Fitchburg Rd. Ravenna, KY 40472 Home: 606-723-3021 Cell: 859-779-0962

K3 CATTLE REGISTERED HEREFORDS KYLE BUSH

Registered Polled Herefords

Bill & Libby Norris 2220 Celina Road Burkesville, KY 42717 Phone (270) 433-7256 Cell (270) 433-1525 “Every calf needs a white face”

TS

F

TS TS Tucker Stock Farms F F

“Registered Angus and Polled Herefords”

TUCKER STOCK FARMS TUCKER STOCK FARMS

TUCKER STOCK FARMS

“Breeding Polled Herefords for over 58 Years” John Tucker “Registered Angus and Polled “Registered AngusHerefords” andIIPolled Herefords” 1790 Hidden Valley Lane Breeding cattle for sale at all times.

John A. Tucker II John A. Tucker II Hudson, KY 40145 HiddenHerefords” Valley Lane 1999 Walnut Hill Rd. • Lexington, KY “Registered 40515 1790 Hidden Valley Lane Angus and 1790 Polled 270-617-0301 Hudson, KY 40145 Hudson, KY 40145 (859) 271-9086 • cell (859)533-3790 (270) 257-8548 (270) 257-8548 Offi 257-8167 Office for (270) 257-8167 John A. Tucker IIce (270) “Bulls always Sale”

1790 Hidden18-month-old Valley 18-month-old AngusLane & Polled Hereford Bulls For Sale Angus & Polled Hereford Bulls For Sale Hudson, KY 40145 (270) 257-8548 WATSON Office (270) 257-8167

LAND & CATTLE

Matt, Melinda, Harlee, & Wyatt Watson 18-month-old Angus & Polled 6196 Hereford Bulls For Sale Mount Sterling Rd LINEBRED VICTOR DOMINO CATTLE Flemingsburg, Kentucky LINEBRED VICTORMulti-Trait DOMINO CATTLE Selection Fertility Calving Ease melindawatson8660@gmail.com Multi-Trait Selection Milking Ability Danny MillerDisposition Matt - 606-748-1600 Fertility Calving Ease 4850 Milking Caldwell Ability Ridge Rd. Disposition Melinda - 859-625-8660 jmspolledherefords.com Knifley, KY 42753

270-465-6984 • 270-566-2694 4850 Caldwell Ridge Rd. 270-465-6984

Knifley, KY 42753 270-465-6984

COW COUNTRY •

Contact Earlene Thomas for more information: (859) 623-5734 www.kentuckyhereford.org

MPH Farms

TK4 Herefords

Eric & Ronnie Thomas 2396 Union City Rd. Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 623-5734 • Eric’s Cell (859) 314-8256

December 5, 2020 Blue Grass Stockyards, Lexington, KY

March 5-7 2021

KHA Officers

-HEREFORDS -

KHA Autumn Harvest Sale

Kentucky Beef Expo

December 3, 2020 • 10:30am • Stanford, KY (BG-South) Contact Lowell Atwood (606) 669-1455

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

CATTLE FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES

41

FEATURE

WINTER COW SUPPLEMENTATION: PROTEIN AND ENERGY EXPLAINED

were successful in meeting nutrient needs throughout the summer, weaned a healthy calf and now the cows can be self-sufficient until spring again. For a fall-calving system going into the fall, the relief just ended.

Caitlin Hebbert, Livestock Consultant • Ryon Walker, Ph.D., Livestock Consultant

Energy (TDN) Drops In Forage When Cow Needs It Most

Nutritional Needs for Spring- vs.

Fall-Calving Cows

As fall transitions into winter, the nutrients available in most forages begin to decline, particularly energy.

Good quality native pasture will usually hold CP fairly well during the dormant season and can meet much of a dry cow’s CP requirements through fall and maybe early winter. Even well-managed bermudagrass can hold CP levels through December, depending on how wet the winter is.

In the article “Nutrient Synchrony: Protein and Energy Working Together,” we discussed how protein and energy act synergistically in the rumen to booster animal performance: Each requires the other for peak function. We also mentioned how winter supplementation often consists of a protein supplement but that protein is not always the limiting nutrient. In this article, we will talk about both protein and energy supplementation and how to know which is the limiting nutrient and when to feed it.

In a spring-calving system in the southern Great Plains, if warm-season forages are managed for grazing through the early part of the dormant season (stockpiling), cow maintenance requirements after weaning can be met going into December. Keep in mind forage type and maturity typically affect forage quality.

In fall-calving cows, protein and energy requirements for lactation and maintenance are typically not met by

warm-season stockpiled forages as they transition into dormancy. At this point, lactating cows will start to lose body condition. It’s not unusual to hear someone talk about how their cows look a little “hard” after coming through winter, even though they fed a supplement. Nine times out of 10, this is because they were protein-forward in supplementation all the way through winter.

Myth: Cows only need protein to maintain condition through the winter.

Let’s look at nutrient requirements during the fall/winter for both calving systems.

If you’re on a spring-calving schedule with a February to April calving window (Figure 1 and 2, green line), you can expect a cow’s nutrient requirements to be the lowest for both crude protein (CP) and energy (total digestible nutrients, TDN) close to and following weaning around September/October.

If you’re on a fall-calving schedule with a September to November calving window (Figure 1 and 2, yellow line), you can expect a cow’s nutrient requirements to be the highest for both CP and energy during the same time.

Example Scenario For example, CP and energy requirements of a spring-calving cow close to and following weaning drop to approximately 6% (CP) and 46% (TDN) of total dry matter intake (DMI) around September/ October (see Figure 1 and 2). In a fallcalving cow, CP and TDN requirements during the first two months of lactation (September/October) are as high as 1012% CP and 60-65% TDN of total DMI (Figure 1 and 2). This range in nutrient requirements in a fall-calving cow during lactation is dependent on cow size, cow age, peak lactation potential and DMI. For a spring-calving system going into the fall, this gives many producers a sense of relief. They met high nutrient requirements during the growing season,

42

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

However, it’s important to remember that the dry cow is also the gestating cow and approximately 67% of fetal weight occurs during the last three months of gestation. This requires a significant amount of nutrients, specifically energy.

Not only is the cow requirement now steadily increasing starting around December (again, considering calving season begins in February), but the fetus is starting to impose on rumen capacity as it grows, reducing her dry matter intake.

Therein lies the conundrum: she is eating less but needs more. And while she may be lacking in protein, the initiation of that latter trimester initiates a switch in the limiting nutrient — energy, which is now a priority.

Know Cattle Quality

Size

and

Forage

There is no graph or chart that can be made to point you to the perfect supplement for the winter months. It all relies heavily on two things: cow type (size, age, stage of production and lactation potential) and forage (both quality and availability). It is critical to know the size of your cattle rather than just guessing and to test your forage in order to meet requirements without overspending and underfeeding one nutrient or both.

In December: • A 1,400-pound cow with 20-pound peak lactation and a February calving CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Roy, Jessica and Cooper Canada

HEAD TO

HEAD Modern-day ranching requires more information to produce better animals.

International Genetic Solutions works across breeds to provide more accurate head-to-head comparisons and maximum profitability.

IGS incorporates generations of data and the world’s largest multi-breed database to enable more powerful breeding decisions than ever before.

600 Cumberland Drive • Morehead, KY 40351 859-227-7323 • racekannon@hotmail.com

Swain Select Simmental

12113 Green Valley Dr. • Louisville, KY 40243

frederickswain@bellsouth.net facebook.com/swainselectsimmental Fred & Phyllis Chi & Angie 502-245-3866 502-287-2116 502-599-4560

Judy and Rondal Dawson 1156 Buzzard Roost Road Shelbyville, KY 40065 502-593-5136 • jrdawson22@outlook.com

Better cattle. Better profits.

IGS STAND TOGETHER 406.205.3033 • internationalgeneticsolutions.com

Rocking P Livestock 8308 Orangeburg Road Maysville, KY 41056 Chan: 606-584-7581 Keith: 606-584-5626

JOIN KENTUCKY SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION

Mail to: Lindsay Phillips • 8308 Orangeburg Road • Maysville, KY 41056

rockingplivestock@maysvilleky.net

FARM NAME

YOUR NAME

ADRESS

CITY, STATE

ZIP

WORK PHONE

Call or visit one of these Simmental breeders for cattle that work!

www.kysimmental.com

HOME PHONE

Membership Fee is $25.00

COW COUNTRY •

Shelbyville, KY • 502.639.4337 Bill Kaiser

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

BRIAN & HEATHER SWAIN 3906 Pottertown Road Murray, KY 42071 270-293-4440 wksbswain@murray-ky.net SIMMENTAL AND SIMANGUS BULLS FOR SALE 1939 Huntertown Road Versailles, KY 40383 BULLS FOR SALE Chris Allen 859-351-4486 callenuky@hotmail.com Dr. Henry Allen 859-229-0755

WAYWARD HILL FARM

43

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42 date requires 1.5 pounds more TDN per day (14.2 pounds vs. 12.6 pounds) and 0.15 pounds more CP per day (2.1 pounds vs. 1.86 pounds) than a 1,200-pound cow with the same lactation potential.

• A 1,200-pound non-lactating cow that is seven months pregnant with a February calving date requires 4.5 pounds less TDN per day (11.8 pounds versus 16.3 pounds) and 1.2 pounds less CP per day (1.6 pounds versus 2.8 pounds) than a 1,200-pound lactating cow three months after calving.

Which Nutrient Is Needed?

In order to know what nutrient is limiting, you need to have a good understanding of the nutrients that you have available and how much you have available through the winter period. Then based on animal type and stage of production, you can identify which nutrient is limiting and how much. At that point, you can shop for supplements that provide the right nutrients at a reasonable price.

For example: If you are a producer whose property and resources favor feeding range cubes and who is on a springcalving schedule, it usually is most financially sound to feed a high-protein

cube (30-38%) up until December then switch to a less protein-dense cube (2025%) up until calving. This way you can increase pounds of supplement to meet energy requirements without overfeeding protein and overpowering your feed budget.

If you are feeding a commodity ration, your nutritionist may be more forward with a higher protein base (cottonseed meal or soybean meal) early in the winter and incorporate more energy (corn or corn byproducts) closer to calving.

Most Cows Need Winter Supplement Most cows in most production systems are going to require some form of

CALENDAR OF EVENTS General January 15 Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Convention, Owensboro, KY August 10-12 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, Nashville, TN Angus November 28 9th Annual Breeding for the Future Bull & Female Sale, Rockfield, KY November 30 Stevenson’s Diamond Dot Fall Production Sale, Hobson, MT January 2 17th Annual Genetic Excellence Angus Bull Sale, Cookeville, TN (pg. 13) February 20 Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, SC February 22 Woodall Angus Farm 26th Annual Buyer’s Choice Bull Sale, Quality, KY (pg. 27) March 29 Oak Hollow 42nd Annual First Choice Bull Sale, Smiths Grove, KY October 30 Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, SC

Hereford December 3 Kentucky Certified Hereford Influence Sale, Stanford, KY December 5 Kentucky Hereford Autumn Sale, Lexington, KY Multi-Breed December 3 CPH Sale, Owensboro, KY December 4 Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, VA December 8 CPH Sale, Guthrie, KY December 8 CPH Sale, Richmond, KY December 9 CPH Sale, Lexington, KY December 10 CPH Sale, Springfield, KY December 29 Central Kentucky Premier Heifer Sale, Lexington, KY (pg. 10) February 2 CPH Sale, Guthrie, KY February 10 CPH Sale, Lexington, KY May 12 CPH Sale, Lexington, KY

SALERS 44

B A L A N C E D

B R E E D

COW COUNTRY •

Knowing when to invest in protein, or when to invest in energy, to meet cow requirements as they fluctuate is sure to yield a healthier, more productive herd and to increase the effectiveness of dollars invested in the cow herd.

AD INDEX

Gelbvieh November 28 Boys from the South Bull Sale, Lebanon, TN January 9 C-Cross Cattle Co. Annual Bull Sale, Biscoe, NC (pg. 12)

T H E

supplementation during winter in order to support and promote fetal development, as well as to meet her own maintenance requirements. Every producer benefits from becoming more informed about the nutrients available to cows in the pasture, as well as what the cow requires throughout the year relative to her size, production state and production potential.

AgCentral Co-Op.........................................................8 AGCO......................................................................2 Allison Charolais......................................................23 Alltech..............................................................5 Blue Grass Stockyards...............................................11 Burkmann Nutrition................................................. 15 C-Cross Cattle Co....................................................12 Central KY Ag Credit.................................................48 Central Kentucky Premier Heifer Sale ................... 10 CPH-45 ...................................................................47 Dievert Sales Service................................................ 21 Gallagher.....................................................9 Genetics Excellence Angus Bull Sale....................13 Green River Livestock...............................................23 Hayes Trailer Sales...................................................... 7 Jackson Marketing Solutions................................... 27 Kentucky Angus Assoc.......................................36, 37 Kentucky Gelbvieh Assoc.........................................39 Kentucky Hereford Assoc......................................... 41 Kentucky Salers Assoc..............................................44 Kentucky Simmental Assoc......................................43 Oak Hollow..................................................................3 Red Barn & Associates..............................................29 Schaeffer Manufacturing Company...........................4 Stone Gate Farms........................................................ 7 United Producers, Inc............................................27 Walters Buildings...................................................... 10 Woodall Angus.......................................................27

DIAMOND J SALERS

Donald Johnson • 11660 N. Hwy 1247 • Eubank, KY 42564 • 606-379-1558

WILLIS FARMS

Danny Willis • 964 Johnson Rd • Frankfort, KY 40601 • 502-803-5011 • drwc21@aol.com

DEL-SU FARM

Howard & Sue Edwards • 20 Rose Road, Somerset, KY 42501 • 606-679-1675 Jeriah Privett • 606-416-1154

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

CLASSIFIEDS PERFORMANCE TESTED PUREBRED ANGUS BULLS FOR SALE Call 270-202-7186 for more info or check out www.oakhollowangus.com for current availability.

OVER 15 BREEDING AGE HEREFORD BULLS FOR SALE Over 60 years of Line 1 Hereford Genetics.

Also selling 15 open and 15 bred heifers.

Chambliss Hereford Farms. 270-668-7126

FOR SALE 19-20 month old Polled Hereford bulls.

Good selection.

Low birthweight, medium frame.

Free Delivery Available.

JMS Polled Herefords, Knifley, KY Danny 270-566-2694 Trent 270-566-2000

COMPREHENSIVE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANS (CNMPS) Livestock manure management planning, manure storage facility planning, and water quality BMPs implementation.

Ben Koostra - Professional Engineer and NRCS Technical Service Provider Lexington - 859-559-4662

FOUNDATION SALE VII September 18, 2021 Selling FULLBLOOD & PUREBRED LIMOUSIN Genetics For info call : A C H Holdings, LLC Stephen Haynes 270-799-8685

SORTING POLES - PADDLES - FLAGS Poles with your 8” decal. $6.20 each per 50.

Sorting flag, $11.25. Sorting paddles $9.

Ear tag cutters, buckets, grain scoops.

Kerndt Livestock Products 800-207-3115

RED ANGUS FOR SALE Bulls: Yearlings and 2-year-olds. Open Heifers.

Show Heifer Prospects.

Contact: Johnnie Cundiff 606-305-6443 or 606-871-7438 REGISTERED BLACK SIMMENTAL BULLS Excellent EPD’s. Semen Tested. Delivery Available. Maximize your profit with proven performance. All bulls qualify for new CAIP cost-share. Adam Wheatley 502-349-2665

MEYER 510 TMR MIXERS - IN STOCK Cloverdale 500 T -TMR mixers - in Stock Stoltzfus 10 ton Litter spreader $28,500 Caterpillar 242B skid loader-$17,500 New Holland 790 choppers-@$7500 John Deere 8200 drill $5500 Gehl 1065 chopper- 2 row narrow $7850 John Deere 3975 base unit $15,000 Gehl 8285 feeder wagon $6000 New Idea 363- manure spreader $8500 Artex SB 200- vertical beater- for rental Kemco Bale Wrapper new $29,000 Stoltzfus lime - litter- fert cu 50 $18,500 JD 5085E- loader - 4wd- canopy $33,000 Farmco feeder wagons-15 in stock-call www.redbarnandassociates.com Charlie B. Edgington 859-608-9745

$50 CAN GET

YOUR AD

HERE (859) 278-0899

LUCCHESE BOOTS - THE BEST NAME/ QUALITY IN BOOTS Estate Sale, Size 11 - In Excellent Condition Variety of Leathers - Ostrich, Anteater, Goat, Lizard, Gator and more Only 12 Pair Available - Open to All Offers Won’t Last, Call 859-519-6745

MARKET REPORT

SOUTHEAST FEEDER CATTLE PRICES 13 NOVEMBER 2020 weights

STEER

HEIFER

AL

AK

FL

GA

KY/TN

LA/MS

9-10

117-123

124-130

112-118

115-121

123-129

117-123

8-9

118-126

125-133

112-120

116-124

127-135

117-125

7-8

120-128

129-137

116-124

119-127

128-136

6-7

127-137

134-144

124-134

124-134

5-6

137-149

146-158

135-147

4-5

154-168

162-176

156-170

weights

AL

AK

FL

GA

KY/TN

LA/MS

119-127

111-119

120-128

107-115

108-116

114-122

109-117

132-142

127-137

112-122

122-132

107-117

110-120

118-128

111-121

135-147

141-153

139-151

118-130

127-139

118-130

115-127

124-136

117-129

156-170

153-167

157-171

129-143

136-150

130-144

127-141

128-142

127-141

COWS AL

AK

FL

GA

LA/MS

KY/TN

UTIL

54-63

44-53

54-63

58-67

53-62

50-59

CN/CUT

47-56

39-48

46-55

48-57

46-55

41-50

BULLS

79-87

72-80

80-88

81-89

81-89

73-81

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

Feeder cattle traded $1 to $4 higher.

Calves traded mostly $2 to $5 firmer, with instances of $9 higher on light calves. Market cows traded mixed, from $3 lower to $2 higher.

45

FEATURE

HAVING YOUR CAKE

TIMELY TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER

LES ANDERSON Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

My colleagues and I like to rib each other about which discipline is more important in beef production- nutrition, genetics, health, or reproduction. Of course, I argue that reproductive efficiency is the most important because reproductive rate drives gross revenue. But we all know it’s not that simple. All disciplines need to be managed and blended to optimize reproductive potential.

Have you ever baked a cake? I am not a baker, but to make a great cake one needs to have eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk, and flavorings (chocolate is my favorite).

These ingredients mixed in the proper proportions can make an incredible product; a moist, flavorful cake. Adjust or ignore any of the key ingredients and the ability to make a delicious cake is greatly impacted. No flour, no cake. No sugar, and the cake tastes awful. No flavoring and, again, a cake that is not satisfying. Alter any of the ingredients or even the amount used, and the cake can be unsatisfying.

To make a GREAT cake, it takes the right ingredients, mixed in the correct amount by a careful practitioner.

If you think about it, reproduction or reproductive rate is the cake and genetics, nutrition, the health program, etc are all essential ingredients. One of the most essential ingredients is nutrition. Nutrient

availability (quality and quantity) impacts body condition score which governs reproduction. If adequate nutrients are not available, the female will struggle to initiate estrous cycles and reproductive rate is low.

Genetics play a key role too. The size and milking ability of your animals need to match the quality/quantity of the nutrients you are providing. Bigger/ growthier animals that milk more require additional nutrients and their ability to produce a calf will be greatly reduced if they are not provided adequate nutrients.

Another essential ingredient in reproductive success is health.

Abortifacients abound and high reproductive rates are only possible if cattle are immune. Vaccinations are a necessity and the ability of females to mount the immune response is dependent upon nutritional status, including the mineral program.

So, my colleagues and I are all correct. Just like baking, achieving a high reproduction rate requires every ingredient to be controlled. Just enough body condition, a pinch of vaccine, and genetics with the proper flavor. I guess I know why I studied reproduction. I love cake!

SPRING-CALVING COW HERD

FALL-CALVING HERD

Be sure that weaned heifer calves are on a feeding program that will enable them be at about 65% of their mature weight before the start of the breeding season.

Rations should be balanced to achieve gains sufficient to get heifers from their current weight to that “target” weight.

Get breeding supplies together, if using estrous synchronization and/or A.I.

Body condition is important, plan an adequate winter program for cows to be at least body condition score 5 (carrying enough flesh to cover the ribs) before the calving and breeding season. This will help them to breed early in the spring.

Thin cows should be fed to regain body condition prior to winter. Don’t let cows lose weight/condition. Supplementation will most likely be needed. Find low cost supplemental feeds to meet the nutrient needs of cattle.

Divide the herd into groups for winter feeding - weaned heifer calves - first-calf heifers, second-calvers and thin mature cows - the remainder of the dry cows which are in good body condition

Have Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BSE) performed on bulls (even if you used them this spring).

The fall breeding season starts. Breeding can best be accomplished on stockpiled fescue pasture; otherwise, cows with calves should be fed 25-30 pounds of good quality hay or its equivalent.

Supplement with grain, if needed, and minimize hay waste. DON’T ALLOW THESE COWS TO LOSE BODY CONDITION PRIOR TO OR DURING THE BREEDING SEASON. It is easy to wait too long to start winter feeding.

Don’t do it unless you have stockpiled fescue.

Nutrition level of cows during the first 30 days after conception is critical. Pay attention.

Observe performance of bulls during breeding season. Watch cows for return to estrus, if you see several in heat, try to determine the cause and consider changing bulls.

- herd sires Begin feeding the lowest quality forage to dry cows which are in good condition during early winter and save the best hay for calving time or for weaned calves.

Order and number ear tags for next year’s calf crop this winter. It is also a good time to catch up on freeze branding and replacing lost ear tags.

GENERAL Complete soil testing pasture to check for fertility and pH. Consider putting down geotextile fabric and covering with gravel in feeding areas before you begin hay feeding to minimize waste of expensive hay. Or, perhaps, construct concrete feeding pads for winter feeding areas.

Monitor body condition and increase feed, if needed, for all classes of cattle.

46

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER

2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

CPH SALE DATES: December 3: Owensboro • December 8: Guthrie • December 8: Richmond December 9: Lexington • December 10: Springfield • February 2: Guthrie • Februa ry 10: Lexington • May 12: Lexington

COW COUNTRY •

DECEMBER 2020

• A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E K E N T U C K Y C AT T L E M E N ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

47