MAY 2025 • Vol. 39, Issue No. 5
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Volume 39, Number 5 • MAY 2025
The official publication of the North Carolina & South Carolina Cattlemen's Associations.
Sales & Publication Office
2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Phone: 919-552-9111
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Manager, N.C. MILO LEWIS
Manager, S.C. TRAVIS MITCHELL
Editor & Advertising Director CASEY HINNANT
N.C. Circulation KIM BURDGE
S.C. Circulation TRAVIS MITCHELL
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The Carolina Cattle Connection
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The Carolina Cattle Connection
P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138
President - BRANDON BOWMAN
1st Vice President - JIM LEDFORD
2nd Vice President - JOEY CARTER
3rd Vice President - KEITH MURPHY
Immediate Past President - RYAN CLARK
Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON
NCBA Policy Division Director - JOHN LANGDON
N.C. Beef Council Director - BROOKE HARWARD
Beef Board Director - BRIAN WARREN
MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE
Executive Director - MILO LEWIS
2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information - ASHLEY W. HERRING
Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE
President - GENE CRIM
1st Vice President - ASHLEY MILLS
2nd Vice President - HASKEL SEXTON
Immediate Past President - JOE OSWALD IV
Secretary - CAROL HENDRIX
Treasurer - ERIC SEYMOUR
Board of Directors
JOHN LEWIS, Chester • JOE OSWALD IV, Allendale
RYAN WHITEHEAD, Union • ALTON SMITH, Hampton
LLOYD BAXLEY, Georgetown • JOE DAVIS, Oconee
MICHAEL HALL, Abbeville • JOHN ROGERS, Darlington
CAROL HENDRIX, Oconee • FREDDIE LEE, Sumter
BONNIE CANN, Abbeville • ASHLEY MILLS, Fairfield
HASKEL SEXTON, Sparanburg • GENE CRIM, Orangeburg
AL McCLAIN, Anderson • ERIC SEYMOUR, Columbia
RANDALL MAFFETT, Saluda
Executive Director - TRAVIS MITCHELL
P.O. Box 207 • Saluda, SC 29138
Phone: 803-609-2828 • Email: twmitch@clemson.edu
Website: www.sccattlemen.wildapricot.org
S.C. Beef Council Executive Director - ERIN DOLL
P.O. Box 11280 • Columbia, SC 29211
Phone: 803-734-9806 • Email: edoll@scda.sc.gov
Website: www.sccattle.org
ABBA Executive Vice President Update, by Paul Maulsby ................... Page 8
Advantages of Registering F1 Females Page 22
American Brahman Breeders Association History Page 10
Brahman Cattle — A Key Asset for the Modern Cattle Producer, by Breanna Black and Nicole Correa Page 16
Brahman History — Crossbreeding’s Common Denominator Page 6
Brahman’s Standard of Excellence ........................................................ Page 14
Can Do Attitude Breeds Success at Morrison Farm, by Janen Jones Benson Page 18
Carolinas Brahman Breeders Association — Humble Beginnings Page 12
The American Brahman — Breeding the Best .................................... Page 20
Amazing Grazing, by Dr. Matt Poore ........................................................ Page 26
Ashley’s Beef Corner, by Ashley W. Herring ........................................... Page 24
Cattle & Carbon, by Alan Franzluebbers ................................................... Page 30
Clemson Corner, by Travis W. Mitchell .................................................... Page 37
Director’s Report, by Travis W. Mitchell .................................................... Page 5
E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture, by E.B. Harris ................................ Page 28
Have You Herd, by Lilly Godwin ............................................................... Page 34
Herd Management, by Lindsey Craig ...................................................... Page 33
The Chaplain’s Corral, by Tammy Burton ............................................... Page 36
You Decide!, Dr. Mike Walden ................................................................... Page 38
2025 North Carolina Angus Hall 0f Fame, by Cortney Holshouser ... Page 62
American Angus Association Update Page 52
American Hereford Association News Page 42
American Simmental Association News .............................................. Page 45
American Wagyu Association Update Page 69
Certified Angus Beef News Page 56
Common Ground, by Mark McCulley ...................................................... Page 50
International Brangus Breeders Association Update Page 47
N.C. Angus News, by Cortney Holshouser ................................................ Page 58
Reflections of the N.C. Angus Association Presidency, by Callie Carson .......................................................................................... Page 64
S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ............................................. Page 73
The Simmental Trail, by Brooke Harward .............................................. Page 44
A Message From the CEO, by Colin Woodall ........................................... Page 8o
Beef Checkoff News ................................................................................... Page 94
Beef Quality Assurance News Page 95
Cattle Producers Testify Before Congress Page 90
Cattlemen’s Beef Board Update ............................................................. Page 96
Fake Meat and the Free Market, by Gene Copenhaver .......................... Page 81
Federation of State Beef Councils Update ............................................ Page 91
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News Page 88
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President’s Report, by Buck Wehrbein ....................................................................................... Page 83
2025 South Carolina Sale Barn Cattle Receipts ................................ Page 101
Clemson Offers Free Climate Smart Forage System Online Course, by Denise Attaway ..................................................................................... Page 27
Farm Credit News ..................................................................................... Page 113
Food Animal Initiative Launches New Leadership, by Alice Manning Touchette ...................................................................... Page 101
May is Beef Month in North Carolina .................................................... Page 23
N.C. BCIP 2025 Bull Test Consignments, by Johnny Rogers ........... Page 109
N.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, & Prices Page 99
Neighbor Helping Neighbors — Extension Leads Helene Recovery in Watauga, by Simon Gonzalez ......................................... Page 102
NCCA Members for 2025 .............................................................. Page 108 Pasture Management Systems “Mile of Fence” Update Page 107 S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, & Prices Page 111
Clemson Spring Dairy Show & Junior Dairy Weekend ................ Page 121
Feeding Dairy Cows Whole Cottonseed Byproduct Boosts Milk Fat, Researchers Find, by Jeff Mulhollem ................................................. Page 120
FFAR Rapid Research Develops H5N1 Vaccine for Dairy Cows ... Page
Allflex News Page 112 Axiota Animal Health News ..................................................................... Page 79 Animal Agriculture Alliance News Page 128 BioZyme News ............................................................................................ Page 70
Livestock News Page 111
Livestock Analytics Update Page 124
News ............................................................................................... Page 126 Premier Select Sires News
OPINIONS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE!
2025 Across Breed EPD Table and Improvements, by Larry Kuehn & Mark Thallman ............................................................. Page 78 Adverse Drug Reactions, by Bob Larson, DVM, Ph.D. ........................... Page 99
— Single Ingredient, No Cofusing Label ................................... Page 92
Cuts & Recommended Cooking Methods Page 97
Improvement Federation Update ................................................ Page 98 Broken Needles, by Brian Lubbers, DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP ..................... Page 54 Carolina Cooking Page 29
Investing in Herd Expansion — Time Value of Money and Opportunity Cost, by James Mitchell, Ph.D. & Ryan Loy, Ph.D. ...... Page 48
Trending in Food & Media Page 93
U.S. Department of Agriculture News ................................................ Page 100
Using Fecal Nutrient Analysis to Determine Grazing Cow Supplementation, by Phillip Lancaster, Ph.D. ........................ Page 129
Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine. Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).
Today’s Date: ________________
Seller’s Name: ____________________________
Address:
Buyer’s Name: ____________________________
Address:
City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______
Seller’s Signature: _________________________
Buyer’s Signature: _________________________
Both the seller & the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1.50 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Beef Promotion & Research Board. Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $
* State of Origin of Cattle: * If the cattle purch ased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.
TBy TRAVIS MITCHELL, S.C. Cattlemen’s Association
he S.C. Cattlemen’s Association held its first quarterly board of directors meeting on February 25 in Columbia.
Gene Crim, from Orangeburg County, was elected president, with Ashley Mills and Haskel Sexton being elected as 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents. The Board has several great ideas to move our association forward in 2025 as we begin committee work to plan regional meetings and the 2026 annual meeting.
Following the meeting, the Board of Directors headed over to the State House to meet with our elected officials. We had the opportunity to sit in on a subcommittee meeting with the House of
Representatives. The evening concluded with a Legislative dinner with the House Agriculture Committee, hosted jointly by the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association and S.C. Farm Bureau. A big thank you to S.C. Farm Bureau for always going above and beyond to support our association in many ways.
The regional state cattlemen’s meetings are currently being planned, and locations and dates will be released soon. The S.C. Cattlemen’s Association committee and the Clemson Livestock & Forages team have been hard at work to continue the success of this membership engagement opportunity.
As the first beef breed developed in the United States, the American Brahman has played an important role, not only in crossbreeding programs throughout the United States and beyond. It has become a common thread among other American breeds developed in the last century. American Brahman influence in the beef industry is felt worldwide, and their genetics are sought by cattlemen on every continent. Their development is an unparalleled success story. Today’s cattlemen breed Brahmans for all the right reasons.
Originating from a nucleus of approximately 266 bulls and 22 females of several Bos indicus (cattle of India) types imported into the United States between 1854 and 1926. Today, the Brahman breed has achieved acceptance for their environmental adaptivity, longevity, mothering ability, and efficient beef production. Bos indicus cattle have been serving man for thousands of years. Throughout their evolution, they have endured famine, insect pests, diseases, and extreme temperature fluctuations. Thus, through natural selection, these cattle came to have the ability to survive and thrive where other types have failed. In their expansion, these cattle have improved beef production in every country in which they have been introduced, as they are mated to existing native cattle. While some 30 defined breeds or types of Bos indicus cattle have been identified in India, only a few of these breeds were selected to develop the American Brahman.
The first importation of Indian cattle of any notoriety came in 1854, when sugar and cotton farmer Richard Barrow of St. Francisville, La., was presented with two bulls by the government of Great Britain for his services in teaching cotton and sugar cane production to British officials establishing these crops in the deltas of India. Their offspring, known as Barrow grade cattle, would achieve recognition, and their fame would soon spread around the globe. Later importations would see cattle brought from Brazil, where large numbers of these Indian cattle could be found.
The American Brahman Breeders Association was organized in 1924. J.W. Sartwelle of Houston was the first recording secretary of the Association, and it was he who proposed the word “Brahman” and, so, it was adopted as the name of the new beef breed. With strict selection, guided by the standard of excellence developed by founding breeders, the American Brahman has been recognized for its exceptional hardiness and physical stamina, its ability to profitably produce on marginal lands, to live twice as long as normally expected, and its unequaled performance in weight per day of age.
As consumers shift to lean meat and lower calorie diets, Brahmans are perfectly positioned to fill the demand for a beef product which efficiently converts feed into high quality beef while producing a carcass free of excess fat.
Hybrid Vigor – The American Brahman excels in adding hybrid
vigor to their offspring when crossed with other breeds, resulting in more money in your pocket as a beef producer. Hybrid vigor (or heterosis) is an animal breeding or genetics term that is achieved by crossing two different strains, varieties, breeds, or species. In the cattle world, maximum hybrid vigor is obtained by crossing totally unrelated animals, achieving the “best of both worlds.”
Because of this added hybrid vigor, the use of Brahman bulls with European or English breed cows is one of the most popular crossbreeding practices in the United States, with the resulting Brahman F-1 calf in high demand by cattlemen for replacement females or feeders in the feedlot.
Years of crossbreeding research has consistently shown that ranchers get higher levels of heterosis when you cross a Brahman with a British or Continental breed, compared to just breeding British or Continental breeds to each other. Because of this, Brahman cattle are often referred to as crossbreeding’s common denominator. The Brahman F-1 cross is consistently superior to other crosses in weight per day of age and carcass efficiency. The Brahman F-1 is also very popular because these cattle display many important characteristics of their Brahman parent, such as drought resistance, heat tolerance, disease and parasite resistance, and increased longevity.
Queens of Cow Country – F-1 Brahman females are maternal machines. They have increased milk production, higher fertility, and wean faster growing calves with fewer inputs. Plus, she will have a longer productive life, raising more calves over her lifetime than other breeds. In the feedlot, Brahman hybrid steers remain healthier and make the most rapid, efficient gains while producing heavier, higher yielding carcasses that are free of excess fat, which today’s packer and health conscious consumer demand.
Environmental Adaptability – Brahmans have dark skin pigmentation, which filters the intense rays of the sun as well as keeps the breed free of cancer eye. Other environmental adaptations that make the Brahman breed so well suited to so many areas of the country include the ability to utilize lower quality feed, to travel longer distances for feed and water, and to resist insects and external parasites while withstanding vast climatic differences. They also have the ability to reproduce on a regular basis in a stressful environment.
Brahman cattle show no effect from extremely high temperatures. A factor that contributes to the Brahman’s unique ability to withstand temperature extremes is a short, thick, glossy hair coat that reflects much of the sun’s rays, allowing them to graze in the midday sun without suffering. In severe winters, Brahmans grow a protective covering of long, coarse hair beneath which a dense, downy, fur like undercoat can be found. An abundance of loose skin, characteristic of the breed, also aids in its ability to withstand warm weather by increasing the body surface area exposed to cooling. In cold weather, the skin is contracted, increasing the thickness of the hide and density of the hair, which aids in retaining body heat. A special feature of the Brahman breed is their ability over other breeds to sweat freely, which contributes greatly to their heat tolerance.
Gain Efficiency and Carcass Quality – Brahman hybrid calves and those out of Brahman F-1 cows are noted for their fast gains, and it’s a fact that these calves consistently produce more weight per day of age than most other breed contemporaries. Brahman cross calves are more desirable to feed in many parts of the country during hot, humid months when the feed efficiency of European and British calves and crosses decreases. The ability of these Brahman cross cattle to finish during warm seasons is a definite economic factor in their favor.
While efficiency is an important quality of the Brahman and its
Brahman History continued on the next page
By PAUL MAULSBY, American Brahman Breeders Association
Dear Members of the American Brahman Breeders Association,
In today’s fast paced world, it’s rare to find an activity that builds character, teaches responsibility, and fosters lifelong connections.
For young people involved in the American Junior Brahman Association (AJBA), showing cattle is more than just a competition — it’s a life shaping experience. Ask any adult who has been a past member of AJBA or a similar youth based organization, and you’ll hear the same sentiment echoed time and again.
The show ring teaches discipline, patience, and hard work. From early mornings in the barn to late nights at the wash rack, juniors
crosses, the carcasses are known for their high cutability, which results in a high yielding carcass with limited fat. In a recent study conducted by Texas A&M, Angus and Hereford cows were bred to Brahman bulls. The resulting steers were handled as calf feds, going directly into the feedlot at weaning. The steers were fed for 180 days and slaughtered at 13–14 months. The first calf crops produced 89 steers, with no death loss experienced postweaning. Of those fed, 58 percent of the steers graded Choice, with the rest in the window of acceptability.
Tenderness readings using the Warner-Bratzler shear force test were taken at 0, 7, and 14 days. With this data, a rating of ten pounds or less is considered satisfactory for supermarket sales, while a rating of 8.7 pounds or less is desirable for steaks utilized in quality restaurants. Of the 89 samples, 84 were below the ten pound level at 14 days, with the best rating being 5.7 pounds.
Milk Production – Add more beef to your milk program with the American Brahman! The American Brahman is known the world over for their crossbreeding excellence; however, many dairy producers in the southern United States and South and Central America also utilize the American Brahman in crossbreeding with dairy breeds. These dual purpose animals are the future of the cattle industry in the tropics. Using American Brahmans in the tropics will result in adaptability, fertility, disease resistance, and longevity. American Brahman genetics give you heavier weaning weights, more quality beef, and more salvage value at production termination. They also add additional butter fat content and protein, as well as increased
production and net income.
Recent crossbreeding reports from South America have shown the American Brahman to be an ideal cross with a variety of dairy breeds including Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, and more.
learn that success doesn’t come easy—it’s earned through consistent care, attention to detail, and a deep respect for the animals they work with.
But the benefits of AJBA involvement extend far beyond the halter. The organization provides leadership opportunities, scholarships, and educational programs that prepare youth for successful futures — not just in agriculture but in any field they pursue. Public speaking, networking, and teamwork are just a few of the real-world skills juniors gain along the way.
Perhaps most importantly, AJBA fosters a sense of community. Whether through friendships formed at the All American or mentorship from industry professionals, juniors become part of a supportive network that celebrates hard work and shared values.
As we head into spring and summer and look ahead to the season’s activities, it’s a great time to reflect on the value of these experiences. The lessons, memories, and moments — whether marked by success or setbacks — shape us all and help us grow.
Involvement in the AJBA isn’t just about raising great cattle — it’s about raising great kids and cultivating future leaders.
Every now and then, it’s worth taking a step back to evaluate where we are — not just in the day-to-day, but in the broader picture of the cattle industry. It’s easy to get caught up in a routine. We’re busy calving, weaning, breeding, and marketing — and before we know it, we haven’t paused to ask ourselves where we’re going and how our program fits into the bigger puzzle.
Lately, I’ve been doing just that. Looking around at where we are as an industry, and more specifically, where the Brahman breed fits into the 2025 beef cattle landscape. Here are a few things I’ve observed.
• Tight Supply, Strong Demand, and Brahman’s Opportunity –The U.S. cattle herd hit another historic low as of January 1, 2024 — down 2 percent from the previous year, bringing us to the smallest beef cow inventory in 64 years. With fewer cattle on the ground and demand for beef holding firm, we’re seeing tighter supplies and rising prices. It’s a seller’s market, but it’s also a wake up call.
Producers are looking for genetics that make sense in the long run — cattle that can hold up in tough conditions, stretch feed resources, and stay in the herd longer. That’s exactly where Brahman cattle shine.
Heat tolerance...disease resistance...fertility...longevity. These aren’t just buzzwords for Brahman breeders. They’re everyday realities. When you use Brahman genetics — on the cow side or the bull side — you’re building cattle that last. Cattle that generate value year after year.
• Rebuilding the Herd Starts with the Right Cow – We’re starting to see more heifer retention across the country, a sign that producers are getting ready to rebuild. But the real question is, “What kind of cow are you rebuilding with?”
In areas hit by drought or where inputs are high, Brahman influenced females bring a combination of maternal strength, adaptability, and longevity that’s hard to beat. These cows stay sound, stay bred, and stay in the herd. That kind of dependability pays dividends in today’s market.
• The Cycle Will Turn — Will We Be Ready? The cattle cycle always swings back. Expansion will come. But success in the next phase will depend on more than just numbers. Efficiency, sustainability, and
consumer alignment are going to matter more than ever.
Brahman cattle check those boxes when used strategically. We know the product works. We see it in crossbred systems across the Gulf Coast and in international markets from Mexico to Asia. The challenge ahead is telling that story to consumers, especially as branded beef programs and alternative proteins multiply.
• Adapting Through Innovation – Today’s Brahman breeders aren’t just relying on tradition. We’re embracing technology. From genomics to artificial intelligence, from ultrasound data to fertility tracking, we’re dialing in on what works and pushing the breed forward.
Brahman cattle are also naturally efficient, often requiring fewer resources to maintain productivity. That’s going to be key as our industry faces more scrutiny on environmental impact. When it comes to sustainable beef production, Brahman genetics are part of the solution.
• Positioned for Scale, Poised for Global Growth – The industry is consolidating, and we’re seeing fewer, larger operations. That presents both challenges and opportunities. For Brahman breeders, both large and small, who have built strong brands, sound cattle, and solid marketing programs, the future is bright.
Globally, the demand for U.S. Brahman genetics continues to grow. In tropical and subtropical climates, especially, Brahman cattle are the standard. We’re not just keeping up — we’re leading.
• A Breed Built for What’s Next – The beef industry is changing, and change always brings uncertainty. But it also brings opportunity for those ready to adapt. The Brahman breed has never been better positioned to contribute to a more resilient, profitable, and sustainable cattle business.
Now is the time to lean in — to take pride in what Brahman cattle bring to the table, and to help lead the next chapter of this industry forward. The cattle cycle will come and go, but cattle that last, thrive, and perform — that’s timeless. That’s Brahman!
The American Brahman Breeders Association, based in Bryan, Tex., is the world registry for Brahman cattle — the #1 beef breed for efficiency, hybrid vigor, and environmental adaptability.
ABBA was founded in 1924 as the official breed registry of American Brahman cattle in the United States. Its original mission was to maintain parentage and ownership records of American Brahman cattle; however, through the years, it has grown to provide an array of member services, educational opportunities, and programs. Internationally recognized as a leading beef cattle association, ABBA offers a wide array of programs to assist the profitability of its members.
ABBA is a membership organization governed by an elected board of directors. Board members, as well as other volunteers, are assigned to committees that meet regularly to propose ideas for better serving members through programs, services, or activities. The ABBA staff and leaders are always looking for ways to improve the breed and the organization and welcome input from the membership.
International Ties –ABBA plays a crucial role in shaping the global presence of the Brahman breed. Each year, ABBA organizes competitions and sends American judges to events around the world, promoting the breed on an international scale.
Recognizing the Brahman breed’s importance in the global beef industry, the USDA supports ABBA through Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS) funds. These funds help facilitate educational seminars, judge requests, and trade missions to foster growth in international markets.
ABBA’s international committee, comprised of dedicated volunteer members, works tirelessly to nurture traditional markets while seeking new opportunities for Brahman cattle to thrive worldwide. Through these efforts, ABBA ensures that the Brahman breed continues to expand its influence and success across the globe.
For more information about the Brahman breed or the many opportunities offered by ABBA, please contact our office or visit our website at www.brahman.org.
In 1980, a group of Carolina Brahman Breeder Association members got together in Lugoff, S.C., to hold the first CBBA sale day. Some 45 years later, this sale is still going strong.
Like most organizations, the CBBA started from humble beginnings.
The CBBA began in Concord, N.C., in the front yard of Lewis Patterson’s house when several ranchers gathered to start an organization to bring quality Brahman cattle to the Carolinas. After meeting a few more times, the group decided to create a sale day to bring in new bloodlines and help ranchers create the best herd possible.
In the beginning, the sale involved people from the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and a few from Tennessee. Now that group has grown, and on sale day, you will find breeders from all over the United States attending the sale.
The founding members put sweat, blood, and tears into making sure the sale happened, no matter what, and this attitude of persistence can still be found in the CBBA directors and officers of today.
North Carolina CBBA Director Myra Morrison, of Morrison Farms in Rockwell, N.C., is one of the first members who gathered in Patterson’s yard that day. She was at the first sale and has only missed one over the last 45 years. She has been able to see the sale grow without losing the purpose of providing good quality cattle.
“I think we have done exceptionally well, bringing in cattle that are good cattle to this sale. We don’t worry so much about pedigree as we do about quality.” Morrison said, “What we need is good quality cattle that will keep our herds around here working.”
The sale grew so much over the past 20 years, the sale had to be held at the T. Ed Garrison Cattle Complex in Pendleton, S.C., to better fit the size. Clemson University offered a fantastic, modern facility that allows the sale to flow smoothly. However, after 2020, the sale moved to Laurens Livestock in Laurens, South Carolina.
“The staff at the barn accommodated us any way possible,” Vice President of CBBA and great grandson of Patterson, John Cline, said. “We appreciate everything they do and look forward to working with them every year.”
As the sale has grown, some new additions to the weekend
have been created. One event that everyone looks forward to is the Friday Night Fun Auction, created during the 25 th anniversary of the sale. This auction helps raise money for the two scholarships the CBBA offers to college of agriculture students attending Clemson and N.C. State University. The secretary/treasurer of CBBA and granddaughter of Patterson, Ann Shaughnessy, has helped with the auction since its start and looks forward to it every year.
“We have had great luck with the auction,” Shaughnessy said. “People enjoy the items that are brought, and it gives everyone a focal point to come together to enjoy each other’s company.”
An event that happened for the first time at the 40th CBBA Sale was the CBBA All Star Spectacular Show. This show invited all juniors from across the United States as a kickoff for the All American show. The All Star Spectacular was the Thursday before the sale with the junior bull, showmanship, and F-1 show and continued on Friday with the junior female show. This event allowed for more youth to get involved with the sale and create a larger awareness for CBBA.
This sale means more than just looking for new bloodlines to add to their herd for a lot of the ranchers and breeders attending the event. It is a place where they can come together to continue the betterment of the Brahman breed through fellowship.
Philip Gilstrap, CBBA President and auctioneer of the sale, started attending the sale at just a few months old and has seen firsthand not only the improvement of the cattle that are brought to the sale but also how the sale brings people together.
“A group of consignors brings the very best they have to offer from their ranch and are excited to come spend the weekend in a family atmosphere with old friends while meeting new friends,” Gilstrap said.
This year, the CBBA event will take place on June 7. To learn more about how to get involved with the sale or how to enter the junior shows, you can contact Philip Gilstrap at 864-506-0463.
Reprinted from the May 2020 issue of The Brahman Journal –Updated for 2025
Most of the breed associations in North and South Carolina have stepped forward and renewed their contracts for Spotlight sections in The Carolina Cattle Connection for 2025. If your breed is not featured as a Spotlight section and you would like to inquire on any open months please feel free to contact me. Below is the tentative schedule for the upcoming year.
JANUARY CHAROLAIS
FEBRUARY FORAGES
MARCH ANGUS
APRIL PIEDMONTESE MAY BRAHMAN
JUNE HEREFORD
JULY ----------------------
AUGUST SIMMENTAL
SEPTEMBER SANTA GERTRUDIS
OCTOBER WAGYU
NOVEMBER BRANGUS
DECEMBER BRAUNVIEH
For more information about your breed’s Spotlight Issue, contact: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 919-552-9111 • mail@nccattle.com
ABBA and its members believe in setting high excellence standards for the American Brahman breed. American Brahman cattle are evaluated on a rigorous set of excellence standards — from structure to temperament.
I. General Appearance (22 points)
a) Size and Weight (10 points) – Must be well developed according to age. Bulls should be 1,600-2,200 lbs — cows 1,0001,400 lbs — at maturity in good flesh. Body frame should have ample depth, width, and length regardless of condition.
b) Form (8 points) – Have massive, long, broad, moderate depth, balanced, straight back with a slightly rounding rump. Any appreciable dropping off from hips to region of crops or hump is undesirable. The bottom line should be straight, except for the sheath in bulls and navel in cows.
c) Quality (4 points) – Hide should be soft and pliable, of medium thickness, and hair of medium texture, soft. Bone should be ample in substance, clean cut and strong. Muscling should be long and well defined.
II. Body Form or Conformation (55 points for male/56 points for female)
a) Shoulders and Chest (8 points) – Should be moderately oblique, smooth, broad on top, and covered by the hump. The brisket must not be prominent. The chest should be wide and deep with good width on the floor.
b) Body (17 points)
1. Back and Ribs (9 points) – Ribs should be well sprung from the backbone, arched, with ample length to give moderate depth to body and symmetrically joined to the loin and crops. Excessive depression behind shoulders is objectionable. A short middle and excessive depth of rib is not desirable. The back and loin must be uniformly wide and gently sloping to the sides when viewed from the rear. Should be well covered with thick, natural muscling. A sharp angle of back between and extending above the hooks is objectionable.
2. Loin (8 points) – Should be broad, thick, level, and firm, blending smoothly into the back and rump.
c) Hindquarters (16 points)
1. Rump (8 points) – Should be long, wide at the pins, and slightly rounding toward the tailhead. Should be smoothly joined to the loin with a smooth tailhead. A steep slope warrants serious discrimination.
2. Hooks (1 point for females only) – Should be lightly below level of the back, medium in width, and well laid in.
3. Round (8 points) – Should be broad, thick, full, and deep, extending well down to the hock.
d) Feet and Legs (7 points) – Should be of moderate length, straight, and squarely placed, with bone of ample substance, strong
The Carolina Cattle Connection
and clean, tapering into well formed, dense joints. Hind legs should be perpendicular when viewed from the rear, but slightly inclined forward below the hocks and muscular above the hocks. Should have strong, moderately sloping pasterns. Toes should be uniform, ample in size, and straight heel deep. Must walk straight, strong, and active.
e) Muscling (7 points) – The animal should show indications of superior muscling, with front legs set wide, shoulders thick, and well muscled forearm and stifle. Should show rounding over top. Rounds should be thick and full, with the widest point halfway between the rump and hock when viewed from the rear. The animal should stand square and walk with hind legs set well apart while traveling true. Should have good length from hook to hock and from pin to stifle, with relatively heavy bone.
III. Breed and Sex Characteristics
(17 points for male/16 points for female)
a) Color – Grey or red of varying shades must predominate. Brindle, gruella, and true white (albino) are disqualifications. The muzzle, hoofs, and switch must be black and the horns dark.
b) Head (4 points) – Sex should be expressed by the head, with bulls being masculine and females being feminine. The face should be moderate in length, with a full muzzle, nostrils wide and open, and lips dark. The eyes should be mild and full, with good width between them. Horns must be set wide at the base, thick, and of medium length. The horns of cows should be thinner than those of bulls.
c) Neck and Throat (2 points) – The neck should be moderately short and muscular in bulls — neat in cows — blending smoothly into the shoulders. The throat should be clean on the sides but with moderate development of the dewlap.
d) Hump (2 points) – Bulls should possess a hump of ample size, located directly on top of the shoulders, moderate in thickness, somewhat resembling a bean in shape, and extending backwards.
Females should show a hump of moderate development, more oval in shape, and located on top of the shoulders.
e) Sheath and Navel (3 points for male/2 points for female) – The sheath should be of medium size and closely attached, not pendulous. Excessive development of the sheath or navel is objectionable.
f) Tail (3 points) – Should be set above the pins and neatly attached to the body, level with the top line or slightly below, and moderately long.
g) Sex Character (4 points) – Bulls should possess pronounced masculinity. The scrotum should contain two testicles, well developed, and of equal size. Abnormal testicles warrant serious discrimination. Females should show characteristics of refinement and femininity. Udders should be ample in capacity, extending well forward in line with the belly and well up behind; not fleshy. Teats should be moderate in size and squarely placed under each quarter.
h) Environment Adaptation Traits (2 points) – Hide should be densely covered with hair of medium texture, oily to the touch, and capable of movement along the sides. Dewlap should be well developed with soft, pliable skin arranged in folds extending from the lower jaw to the chest floor. There should be moderate development of loose skin under the belly.
IV. Temperament (6 points)
Should be alert, but docile.
TOTAL POINTS – 100
By BREANNA BLACK & NICOLE CORREA, Clemson University
Brahman represents one of the most resilient and adaptable breeds available today.
Their unique appearance is a great representation of Bos Indicus cattle, highlighted by the large hump over their shoulders, drooping ears, and loose skin. Beyond their unique features, they are prized for their toughness and ability to thrive in conditions that would challenge many other breeds. Looking for a breed that can perform well in hot, humid, or harsh environments like the south? Incorporating Brahman genetics is a great potential solution!
Origin of Brahman Cattle — Brahman cattle have their roots in the Indian subcontinent, where they were developed thousands of years. This breed evolved in some of the harshest climates, making them naturally resistant to heat, disease, and pests. The breed was brought to the U.S. in the late 19th century and quickly found success, especially in the south. Over time, Brahman genetics were integrated into numerous crossbreeds that offer the best of both worlds — the Brahman’s resilience and the meat quality of other breeds, such as the Angus, to create the renowned Brangus.
Brahman cattle excel in heat tolerance, thanks to their loose skin and large ears that aid in temperature regulation. Their characteristic hump serves as an energy reserve, helping them endure droughts and food scarcity — ideal for hot, dry climates. Their short, sparse coat, ranging from light gray to reddish hues, further enhances their ability to stay cool. Bulls can reach 2,000 pounds, while cows typically weigh 1,200–1,400 pounds, making them a robust choice for meat production. Additionally, Brahmans are highly adaptable, resistant to parasites, and efficient grazers, thriving on rough pastures where
other breeds struggle. Their ability to conserve energy during dry spells makes them invaluable for ranchers facing harsh conditions.
From an economic standpoint, Brahman cattle are a top choice for producers looking to build a herd that’s both hardy and productive. Their meat is known for its tenderness, marbling, and distinct flavor, making Brahman beef desirable in the market. Additionally, Brahman genetics have contributed to the development of numerous hybrid breeds. For example, in the U.S., crossbreeding with British breeds like the Angus and Hereford has led to the creation of the Brangus, Beefmaster, and Simbrah. The hybrids provide heat tolerance and disease resistance with excellent meat quality and productivity, making them a game changer for producers working in diverse climates.
Challenges to consider — Of course, no breed is without its challenges. Brahman cattle, while robust and heat tolerant, are occasionally seen as less docile than other meat breeds. Their larger size and stronger instincts may require more careful handling. Some producers also note that Brahman cattle have slower growth rates compared to more specialized beef breeds, which can impact their market timing. Additionally, Brahman cattle may not be the best fit for colder climates. They’re built for warmth. While they can tolerate moderate temperature fluctuations, prolonged exposure to cold conditions can stress them and impact performance. If your operation is in a region with harsh winters, it’s important to consider this limitation before fully committing to the breed.
When you’re looking to build a sustainable and adaptable herd, Brahman cattle are hard to beat in the South. Their ability to handle
extreme heat, resist disease, and thrive on tough forages makes them an essential asset for many cattle producers. Whether you’re working in a tropical region dealing with droughts or looking for a hard working breed to add to your crossbreeding program, Brahmans offer a unique combination of traits that can boost your bottom line!
References breeds.okstate.edu/cattle/brahman-cattle.html www.brahman.org www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/67/brahman
By JANEN JONES BENSON
When Myra Neal Morrison arrived at Morrison Farm, her mother thought it was for a two week visit. That was 50 years ago.
“She didn’t want me to do it,” Morrison recalls, adding that some people didn’t think she could do it. When she was a teenager, the uncle who managed the farm for her father died; Morrison asked to run it. By 1965, she was doing just that.
Today, she runs a purebred herd of Brahman and Simmental, along with F-1 (Simmental/Brahman cross) steers raised for freezer beef, on 1,050 acres on the Rowan and Cabarrus county lines.
“Unlike a lot of farmers, I row crop, run purebred cattle, and feed out my cattle using my own grain,“ Morrison said. “I’m just different; I’ve got it all.”
“I feed corn silage five months of the year, starting in January,” she said.
“The silo holds 650 tons.” She has 150 acres of corn planted each year using her John Deere eight row planter. She brings in help for spraying, fertilizing, cutting, and combining, although she maintains her own equipment.
“This saves on costs and gets it cut in two or three days,” she added.
The farm also produces barley, hay, and soybeans.
The herd is fed daily at a feedlot, where they circle by in groups of 50 before returning to 30 acre pastures. They have free choice access to high magnesium minerals and synthetic protein on the feedlot.
When there is plenty of rainfall in North Carolina, hay is so abundant that Morrison puts bales out on the pasture. But, during years of drought, she has to revise her water resources.
“Until the summer of 2002, I was using a creek and just had one well,” she said. “Then I got worried and added another well.” Both wells use electric pumps, and most herds have automatic waterers available at all times.
Morrison’s certified and accredited herd is tested for brucellosis and TB annually. Vaccinations and worming are done at the same time.
“Nobody quite understands why I don’t need to do it (worming) twice, but I don’t,” Morrison said.
“A lot is the condition of the cattle and small pastures, and when I worm at test time in June, it cleans all the pastures out.” She uses Ivomec and Eprinex from Merck.
Morrison breeds year round, using her three bulls, which she prefers, as well as artificial insemination. Maintaining her own tank, she purchases semen from ABS, Select Sires, and at sales.
“(With these sources) you don’t often get anything you don’t want,” she said.
“I breed these cows to the best bulls in the A.I. books. For the Brahman, I try to get the best semen I can afford. Generally, I buy at sales where I know the people and can get them to sign the certificate.”
“With the Simmental cattle, the traits are all there. They’ve got good disposition, good feet, good backs; it’s all there,” Morrison said.
“With the newer Simmental, the solid reds and solid blacks, the disposition kind of got knocked out. I prefer the red and whites. I look for good growth, not excellent birth weight. But my halfbloods can be 120–130 pounds at birth. The Simmental run 80–100 pounds
and the Brahman 70–85, and here I get these 130 pound calves due to crossbreeding. “A disadvantage of the halfbloods is their disposition,” Morrison said.
“They will eat you for breakfast,” she said, adding that they’re not wanted at stockyards.
But she solved that problem, finding that she can feed them out in 15 months and sell them herself.
“They grow out better than purebreds, dress out better than purebreds, and take a third less feed than purebreds. Weather doesn’t matter; they’re tough cattle. I dress 62-64 percent on average.”
Calling the freezer beef market “just crazy,” she sells to anyone and prices on hock hanging weights.
Morrison feeds out on her own farm and sells bulls at 1,100–1,200 pounds to get full price. Simmental are sold around 18 months of age.
“I don’t sell Brahmans to anyone until they’re two years old,” she said, explaining that they grow until the age of five and that females shouldn’t go in heat until they’re two.
Bulls not sold for herds go to stockyards, where they’re primarily used for red meat and hamburger.
Morrison began computer based record keeping in 1987. She has used Microsoft Excel and Access databases she developed herself to track complete herd records, including vaccinations, breeding, and tag numbers.
She has been on the board of the N.C. Simmental Association and the Carolinas Brahman Breeders Association, and is one of the few Easterners to have served on the American Brahman Breeders Association Board.
“It’s rare for Easterners to run, since the meetings are out west,” she said.
“My attitude is why I made it in the cattle business,” Morrison said.
“So much depends on weather, luck, a hundred things. To realize you’ve done what you set out to do for 50 years and don’t regret it, that’s as happy a thing as you can have, I guess.”
For more information, contact the N.C. Simmental Association at 336-468-1679 or www.ncsimmental.com. The American Brahman Breeders Association may be reached at 713-349-0854 or www. brahman.org
Reprinted with permission from The Farm Chronicles, December 8, 2003; Updated for April 2025
In the Southern United States, the cattle are still king, but so is the heat. Though it varies from coast to coast, the majority of the region spends almost a third of the year facing temperatures over 90ºF and almost half the year with temperatures over 85 ºF — a climate uncomfortable to humans but potentially deadly to livestock. Originating from several Indian breeds of cattle that thrived in regions where insects, disease, dry, harsh terrain, and the extreme temperatures were the norm, the Brahman is a true masterpiece of genetic design — a breed as easy to raise as they are to recognize.
A product of the Gujrat, the Gir, the Nellore, and the Krishna Valley breeds, the American Brahman was born of necessity for hearty beef and milk producing cattle that would not struggle amid the often cattle unfriendly climate. Similar in appearance to the Zebu (or Bos indicus) native to India, Brahmans feature a variety of colors (light gray, red, and black), but a well defined hump between the shoulder blades, longer ears, and heavy dewlap under the neck are the truly distinctive traits.
For Brahman, every aspect of their physique contributes to their productivity and resilience. To protect themselves from the sun’s rays
and excessive heat, Brahmans have dark pigmentation encircling the eyes that helps prevent cancer eye, loose skin with thick, glossy hair that provides a thermal barrier, and an increased size, number, and productivity of sweat glands that allow them to sweat freely.
Normally, where heat reigns, forage suffers. In addition, Brahmans better utilize low quality browse and require less water intake (resulting in reduced urination and nitrogen loss). Their digestive efficiency allows for superior muscle and tissue development even on low feed intake, as well as the ability to recycle nutrients through the bloodstream and saliva. Their cattle tick resistance stems from a sleek coat unfavorable for tick attachment, an immune response that prevents tick development and chemicals in the sweat that act as a repellant. Brahmans can also travel extensively and produce the maximum quality of beef and milk from minimal resources.
“What’s exceptional about Brahman’s is their low maintenance and adaptability,” said Cyana Briles, secretary of the Eastern Brahman Breeders Association. “These animals will survive in places where raising cattle was thought impossible, and the rate of their
influence has expanded faster than any other breed in the world. Part of the priority of the EBBA is to educate breeders about these wonderfully diverse animals and the numerous benefits they bring to the ranching lifestyle.”
Alone, Brahman cattle offer a wealth of positive aspects, but when crossbred with European Bos taurus, the result is maximum hybrid vigor (heterosis). This term refers to crossbred offspring who possess superior traits to their parents — a result most effective when breeds with differing traits are introduced.
For example, Bos taurus are known for their excellent muscle patterning and beef production but are highly susceptible to heat and disease. Bos indicus function well in rough climates but are known for their hardiness and efficient beef production. American Brahmans marry the best of both parents, and when partnered with varying breeds, naturally produce high quality first cross (F1) offspring. Second to none in attaining this level of heterosis, this innovative crossbreeding results in offspring with superior weight, carcass efficiency, and reproductive performance.
F1 females possess an unprecedented maternal instinct. Born to nurture, the females have a lifespan that surpasses that of any European breed, an extended breeding window, often 50 percent longer than many other breeds, a fierce protective nature toward calves from predators, and the ability to produce high quality milk in vast quantities.
“In essence, an F1 female is unmatched. She has a higher bred-in environmental adaptivity, increased milk production, higher fertility, and heat and the disease resistance of her Brahman parent. These aren’t your regular cattle. They’re strong, resilient, and are highly regarded by commercial cattlemen as a maternal machine with no peers,” said Briles. “And their offspring are a direct reflection of that quality.”
In addition, F1 steers have their own distinct set of attributes, including rapid growth, efficient gaining, and excellent beef quality. They produce high cutability carcasses with less excessive fat but still retain the exceptional standard of quality, flavor, and tenderness in demand worldwide.
Today, American Brahman genetics roam around the world in over 74 countries. From Mexico, Central and South America to Africa, Eastern Asia, and Australia, the American Brahman has excelled in every country it has been introduced and will continue to make a huge imprint in the world production of beef and increased milk production. When considering a breed known for exceptional production, maximum efficiency, and unparalleled versatility, Brahman is the choice for all the right reasons.
Not only is the American Brahman a great breed of cattle, but a great organization backs it.
Founded in 2018, the Eastern Brahman Breeders Association is a promotional group of the American Brahman Breeders Association, headquartered in Bryan, Texas. The EBBA offers a number of membership, breed improvement, promotion, marketing, and educational programs. A few of the most exciting programs they offer are their annual consignment sale, the Eastern Brahman Extravaganza Show that will be held at the N.C. Mountain State Fair, and the 4-H Heifer Lease Program.
“The EBBA is a perfect organization that provides a wide range of services to its members,” said Travis McCutchen. “I chose Brahmans
because they adapt so well to our environment, and there is a strong market for commercial breeders. I just like to breed the best!”
For more information on the American Brahman and the Eastern Brahman Breeders Association, please contact EBBA Secretary Cyana Briles at 336-410-2126 (she really enjoys talking to folks about Brahman cattle) or by email at info@EasternBrahman.com . Visit www.easternbrahman.com for more details.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) & Embryo Transfer (ET)
* On-farm aspiration of oocytes via Ultrasound Guided Ovum Pick-Up (OPU).
* Embyos come back in 8 days for placement or direct thaw freezing on-farm.
* Can do on donors aged 8 months and older, up to 120-150 days pregnant Doesn’t interfere with pregnancy.
* Pregnant cows work really well, so the cow doesn’t get out of her production group.
* Can do a donor every 2 weeks.
* NOW AVAILABLE * Small Ruminant Laparoscopic Artificial Insemination (AI) & Embryo Transfer (ET)
Oocytes fertilized at BoviteqUSA in Madison, Wisconsin. www.boviteq.com
For more information, contact: PAT COMYN, DVM P.O. Box 555 Madison, Va. 22727 540-829-3625 (cell) • 540-948-5238 (office/fax) pcomyn@verizon.net Visit us online at www.vhhms.com.
The Premier Commercial Female Program – Since its establishment in 1979, the ABBA F1 Certification Program has become the leading commercial female registration program in the U.S., with over 85,000 females registered. This program offers commercial producers a proven method to enhance herd performance and profitability, with Golden Certified and Certified F1 females averaging $200 more per head than other breed crosses.
F1 Certification Options
• Golden Certified F1 – Progeny of two registered parents.
• Certified F1 – Sired by a registered bull and out of a qualified purebred, non-registered cow inspected by an ABBA representative.
Producers can achieve a Brahman influenced F1 hybrid by breeding registered Brahman bulls to qualified non-registered cows of other breeds or by crossing registered bulls of other breeds with registered or qualified Brahman cows. This flexibility ensures a 50/50 Brahman - Bos Taurus hybrid, known for superior adaptability, longevity, and performance.
Program Benefits
By enrolling in the ABBA F1 Certification Program, producers gain access to:
• Higher Market Value – Certified F1 females command premium prices.
• Industry Recognition – Official certification increases credibility.
• Marketing & Promotion – Inclusion in ABBA membership mailings, website listings, and updates on breed progress.
• Premium Sales Opportunities – Eligibility for special incentives and participation in the National F1 Sale.
ABBA members must be enrolled in the F-1 Program to take advantage of these benefits.
To further enhance Golden Certified/Certified F1 Females, ABBA offers the F1 Plus Program. This verifies the parentage of their offspring when bred to a registered beef bull.
• F1 Plus females receive a unique ear tag, signifying their superior genetic background and boosting their value.
• Enhances traceability and increases the worth of both the cow and her progeny.
Certificate Option Requires:
• Breeder’s name, herd ID, and ownership brand
• Parentage details (sire and dam breed, registration info if applicable)
• Birth record and color markings
• Fee - $7.50 per certification
• ABBA issues official certificates and maintains records for accuracy and integrity.
Eartag Option Requires:
• Breeder’s membership details
• Sire and dam breed information
• Number of certifications requested.
Program Fees
• One time enrollment fee - $50
• Annual administrative fee - $20
• Certified F1 Certificate or Eartag - 7.50 each
• Qualification inspections (for purebred non-registered herds)$6 per head
To accommodate the growing interest in showing Golden Certified and Certified F1 Females, ABBA allows formal ownership transfers.
• Transfer Fee - $17.50 within 30 days of delivery/$20 after 30 days
• Show certified females must provide an exact birthdate and optional name or ID number.
Enrolling in the ABBA F-1 Certification Program provides:
• Higher market demand and sale prices
• Verified quality and genetic consistency
• Stronger marketing and sales opportunities
• Access to ABBA programs and member benefits
This proven program gives producers the tools to maximize profitability while ensuring genetic integrity and breed excellence.
JOSH STEIN GOVERNOR
WHEREAS, according to the 2024 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, there are currently over 750,000 cattle in North Carolina that provide a variety of food, leather, and other products to the citizens of this State; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2024 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina farmers raise cattle in all 100 counties; and
WHEREAS, because of cooperation between beef producers and the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and allied industry, thousands of farms are flourishing across the State; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2024 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, beef and beef products are naturally nutrient rich, providing Americans with a high quality source of protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins, leading nine out of ten households to serve beef at least once every two weeks; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2024 North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Book published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, cattle farms generate more than $326 million in cash receipts each year making the beef industry yet another part of the total diversification of agriculture in this state;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 2025, as “BEEF MONTH” in North Carolina and commend this observance to all our citizens.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
By ASHLEY W. HERRING, N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council
The Nutrition Seminar Program sponsored by the Beef Checkoff brings together the nutrition community with a beef nutrition expert for a win-win collaboration. This year, N.C. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NCAND) — the membership organization for registered dietitians — selected a speaker and presentation that focuses on career development.
Cindy Goody, R.D. and founder of Grow A Food Career, gave a special presentation for the annual meeting of the NCAND. The title of her presentation was “How to Grow Your Food Career,” and I was able to give her introduction. Cindy’s résumé is impressive and includes work at McDonald’s, where she developed an initiative to change ingredients for a core menu item, resulting in a large sales increase.
But beyond this, Cindy is an Iowa farm girl who showed 4-H steers as a youth. She is genuine and hardworking, with a true agricultural background. Cindy was great to work with leading up to the meeting with planning and topic development. I appreciate her passion for agriculture, even as she has moved into the foodservice and nutrition industry.
Cindy outlined practical and realistic ways for dietitians to grow in their careers — a desire that many share. She brought a perspective that was easy to follow and many can relate to. She shared her sponsorship from the Beef Checkoff and N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council so that our organization was recognized from the beginning. As part of her presentation, she shared this graphic.
We are thankful that Cindy could present to the N.C. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as the additional attendees. We look forward to continuing our work with the NCAND and future partnerships.
By DR. MATT POORE, N.C. State University
Sweet vernal grass is widely distributed across the tall fescue belt, but it is poorly understood by most farmers. It helps make up a green sod, but when present at a significant level, it suggests that pastures are in a low state of productivity and may be in need of renovation.
Sweet vernal grass — Anthoxanthum odoratum — came to the U.S. from Europe as a forage crop. It is native to acidic pastures in southern Europe and northern Africa. It is a cool season perennial grass that puts up a seedhead very early, about three weeks or so earlier than tall fescue. Forage nutritive value is high, but it is very low yielding, so it is not desirable as a pasture crop in our environment.
Sweet vernal grass is on the increase because it is more tolerant of low soil fertility and pH than other common cool season grasses, and
it does well in a mix with those grasses. Across the region, hay fields that have been managed with low fertilizer and lime inputs show high levels of sweet vernal grass in the first cutting hay. This is the one time sweet vernal is often noticed, and the hay yields in these fields are often disappointing, earning it a local name of “cheat.”
Later in the year, the plants hide among the tall fescue plants, which it resembles, so many farmers forget about it after that disappointing spring hay cutting. However, these pastures and hay fields also don’t produce nearly as much forage as they could if the stand was mostly more productive species.
Sweet vernal grass can often be detected in hay by its unique sweet smell. This is often described as “vanilla like” — a smell that comes from a compound called coumarin. When coumarin is present in moldy hay, it is converted to dicumarol which inhibits the action of vitamin K in the blood clotting system, resulting in slow clotting times. This scenario is more commonly associated with sweet clover poisoning, a malady that causes uncontrolled hemorrhaging and death when animals consume moldy sweet clover hay.
Dairy Science researchers at the University of Wisconsin working with sweet clover poisoning discovered dicumarol and created the rat poison warfarin from this compound. This work also led to the first human blood thinner — Coumadin. These are important products, but, of course, they are not something you want in your hay! Sweet vernal grass is one of the only other plants that has the potential to cause this malady when it is present in moldy hay. Cases of slow clotting time in cattle have been investigated and traced to moldy hay containing sweet vernal grass.
As I write this on April 10, sweet vernal grass is in full head and is the dominant grass in many of the low management hay fields and pastures across the northern central Piedmont of North Carolina. These same fields will be dominated by broom sedge (broom straw) in the fall. These pastures that receive a low level of management could be much more productive if renovated to productive species, like tall fescue.
Scout your pastures and make sure you understand the main species you are growing. If you find a lot of sweet vernal grass or other unproductive species, take steps to improve the productivity of your land.
This article was reprinted from Novel Notes — the newsletter of the Alliance for Grassland Renewal.
By DENISE ATTAWAY, Clemson University
The Clemson Cooperative Extension Service is offering a free online course to help both new and experienced farmers improve production and resilience in their operations by incorporating climate smart practices.
Registration is open for Climate Smart Practices for Forage Systems, a self paced course available through Clemson Extension Online. The course covers tools, concepts, and strategies to help farmers make informed decisions about managing forage and livestock systems while also supporting long term viability and resilience in operations.
“This beginner-to-intermediate level course is open to anyone interested in learning more about forage systems and ecological best practices,” said Liliane Silva, Clemson Extension forage-livestock systems specialist and course administrator. “We’ll be sharing research based recommendations related to climate smart practices for forage-livestock operations.”
Topics include business planning, new farm technology, soil health, weed control, and strategies to enhance carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve overall production and environmental and financial resilience of operations.
Participants will learn how to apply improved management techniques in their operations, support animal and forage production, and reduce environmental impacts from livestock farming. The course also offers guidance on managing weeds, optimizing nutrients and animal nutrition, and supporting mental health and farm transition planning.
Students will gain skills in record keeping, budgeting, and creating business plans aimed at increasing farm profitability.
There are no prerequisites. Anyone interested in forage systems is encouraged to enroll from producers, extension agents, agricultural professionals, and students. To earn a certificate of completion, participants must complete all preand post-course quizzes and watch all instructional videos.
More details about course content, technical requirements, and registration can be found on the Climate Smart Practices for Forage Systems website at cpe.clemson.edu/browse/ extension/livestockandforages/courses/climate-smartpractices-for-forage-systems.
This course is provided by funds from a Southern Risk Management Education grant.
By E.B. HARRIS, Warrenton, N.C.
Recently, we were getting ready for a cattle auction at the Granville County Livestock Arena. Wednesday was going to be our haul-in day, and Thursday was going to be our vet checking day. We had lined up Dr. Jay Moore to come do the preg checking. We were going to match up the cow/calf pairs and do the vaccinations, trim the bull calves, and everything else we needed to do to get them ready for the sale. After we finished this, we would get them in sale order.
On Wednesday, Barry and I were going to Jackson, N.C., to pick up cattle for Bobby Jones. Barry was taking the pot, and I was taking a big gooseneck. Shane and Gary Whitmore were taking the ground loader and another big gooseneck and heading to Jarratt, Va., to pick up cattle from an estate.
We had two different places to load from in Jackson, so it took a
few minutes. The bridge was out on one of the county roads, so that meant it took a few extra miles to go around to get to another farm. Barry and I got all the cattle loaded at Jackson and headed to Oxford. When we got to Oxford, Shane and Gary had already gotten their loads unloaded. Seth and Casey had gotten there and put silage in the troughs. They had also put out hay and made sure all the feed pens had water in them.
Barry and I started unloading. Barry had every cubic foot of his trailer loaded, and I was pretty well loaded too. The first thing to come off Barry’s truck was the cattle that were on the back, and then the top. Next to come off was the belly. All of them came off except one cow. She was lying down on her side, and you guessed it right — her feet were not under her. These cattle were coming off green grass, so I’ll put it like this — the trailer had started out clean, but there was a lot of soup in the belly now that would make good tomato fertilizer.
I did not think the cattle were loaded too tightly. When I used to haul with my old 42’ straight deck trailer, you could figure about 1,200 lbs for every vertical vent. The straight deck trailer was 96” wide, and this pot is 102” wide. We had 16 head of cattle weighing about 1,250 lbs on it, so they should fit comfortably. Every time you closed the gate on the cattle, we used to figure that took up space for a calf, so no gate was closed.
Seth, Barry, and Shane went to see if they could get her pulled around and get her feet up under her. We all know the first thing a cow is going to do when you are trying to get her up is throw her head
back. She threw her head back and gave them all a fair amount of the tomato fertilizer. I was on the outside of the trailer, and Shane asked me if I could get a halter from his truck. I brought back a halter, and they slipped it on the cow’s head and got her in a position to pull on her. They got her head to come around, and she sprang right up.
She was not in a petting mood. Rather, she was in “I will clean your britches” gear. Things had gotten her balance off. When they pulled her around, she was between the back trailer opening and had them toward the nose of the trailer. When she got in the fighting mood, they started scrambling, but there was no place to scramble to except the bottom part of the nose.
They scrambled around and got the bottom nose gate opened and crawled in. They sat there, hunched over, for a minute or two. She had her radar beam on them on that bottom deck. After a few minutes, they decided she was not going to leave them.
On this particular trailer, the bottom deck only has one gate to be able to exit from the bottom nose, and that’s an outside door. The little door is 22” x 15”. Seth is small built and could fit through it with no problem, and Barry came through with a little bit of struggle. Now, Shane is a little bigger than the other two, and I was wondering if he was going to have to camp in there for a little while. After taking his phone off, among other things, he was able to squeeze through.
I guess lesson learned — if you are going to help a cow out, and she wants to fight, make sure you have a way out besides a 22” x 15” hole.
1 pound ground beef (75–80 percent lean)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slices mozzarella cheese (about 1 ounce each)
2 tomatoes, sliced
⅓ cup packed fresh basil leaves
8 slices Italian bread, toasted
Heat griddle flat top or large cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Meanwhile, divide the beef evenly into four portions. Lightly shape into loose balls. Season with salt and pepper.
Evenly place balls on the griddle; cook 1–2 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned and crispy. Turn balls, smashing into thin patties with a spatula or burger press. Cook 1–2 minutes, or until instant read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center registers 160 °F. Remove from heat; top each patty with 2 slices of cheese. Keep warm.
Assemble melts by placing half of the bread on a flat surface; top with patties, basil, and remaining bread slices.
Cook’s tip – Enjoy this melt with your favorite pesto or dip into balsamic vinegar.
If desired, toast bread on the griddle by drizzling with olive oil and cooking until crisp and golden brown on both sides.
Makes 4 servings.
By ALAN FRANZLUEBBERS, USDA-Agricultural Research Service
The physical properties of soil are numerous and important, but there are a handful of them that are essential to consider for forage and grazing land managers. Water infiltration and water retention are two of the most important physical properties because the forages we rely on to produce feed for our livestock must be supplied with water daily. When it rains, we should expect that it soaks into the ground
so that forages can absorb this water and produce abundant biomass. If water runs off, this will be ineffective use of precipitation from a pasture utilization perspective.
Water infiltration is the absorbance of precipitation over time. It can be measured in inches of water per hour. Soils with very good water infiltration rate should have the capacity for at least 2 inches of rainfall per hour. Soils with poor water infiltration may only have values of ¼ inch per hour. There are many factors that can influence the actual rate of water infiltration. If the soil were already saturated, then water infiltration would be much slower than if the soil were dry before a rainfall event. The same soil can have high water infiltration upon initial rainfall but much lower water infiltration once the soil becomes nearly saturated. Overgrazing a pasture can lead to repeatedly low forage height, exposed soil, surface sealing, and dense surface soil. Water infiltration will likely be low with poor management.
Water retention is the capacity of soil to hold on to water once precipitation ends. Soils with high water retention will have a series of fine pores that attract water and prevent gravity from moving this water below the crop rooting zone. This retention is due to capillaries that have tension greater than the force of gravity. Water retention is a characteristic like a sponge or absorbent paper towel that wicks up water until it becomes saturated. Water retention is a key feature of soil to allow plant roots to absorb water for daily growth demands and to survive days and even weeks without replenishment from rainfall. Soil water can be absorbed by roots until the root suction is less than from the soil pores that retain it. Clayey soils have greater forces of water retention than sandier soils at low water contents.
These characteristics of water infiltration and water retention are often considered a function of soil texture. Sandy soils tend to have high water infiltration, while clayey soils, if tilled and allowed to seal at the surface, will have very low water infiltration. However, clayey soils are often strongly aggregated with good surface cover and strong rooting and, therefore, effectively have a greater network of pores to retain and transport water than sandier soils. Water stable aggregation is a key indicator of whether fine textured soils have high water infiltration or, alternatively, if clay and silt particles fall apart
from aggregates to fill pores and form an impervious barrier to water infiltration.
One other key soil physical property that should be of concern to pasture based livestock producers is compaction. Compaction is the excessive force applied to soil beyond natural consolidation from the force of gravity and the recurring action of water softening the soil and allowing it to settle. Compaction can occur at the soil surface, particularly with bare soil from heavy livestock or equipment traffic. Bare soil does not have the roots to enmesh particles to prevent compaction. Moist soil is easily compacted because soil aggregates are disrupted and dispersed with excessive force. Wet soil can become pugged from hoof traffic. The extent and frequency of pugging can result in different outcomes, some potentially good in unique situations but mostly bad in most situations. Compaction can also occur deeper in the soil profile, such as at 8 inch depth, but this is typically due to tillage implements that expose soil to wheel traffic and tillage tools that break soil aggregates into fine particles that seal the bottom of the plow layer.
Soil organic matter is a relatively small portion of the soil but a vital ingredient towards improving soil physical properties. This is achieved by several modes of action, one of which simply is that organic matter can absorb several times its weight in water, while the majority of soil minerals have an absorbance capacity of only a fraction of their weight. Another feature of organic matter is that it feeds soil organisms, resulting in processed organic matter in close association with soil mineral particles to create water stable aggregates. These organic enriched aggregates are glued together with various organic polymers and roots. Soil organic matter also has a rich variety of chemical bonds and surfaces that attract minerals to form chemical bonds for aggregation and nutrient retention.
From the sampling of pastures across North Carolina in 2023 — see the February 2025 issue of The Carolina Cattle Connection — a few relevant soil physical properties were measured along with soil
organic matter at 0–4–inch depth. In those pastures with high soil organic matter, soil bulk density was lower than in pastures with low soil organic matter, as seen in Figure 1. This effect was not dependent on the region from which samples were collected, as all regions had a wide range of soil organic matter contents. The error bars indicate that natural and management variation likely affected results, but overall the relationship was solid and conformed with other observations in scientific reports. This negative association between soil organic matter and bulk density indicates that soil organic matter is able to mitigate against surface soil compaction by reducing the density of soil and allowing for more porosity and the ability to receive and hold water in soil.
Association between soil organic matter and sieved soil density was different among the physiographic regions in North Carolina, as seen in Figure 2. Sieved soil density removes the effect of soil structure and roots that are prevalent in field determined bulk density. This indicator suggests that soil organic matter still has a
Cattle & Carbon continued on the next page
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large impact on soil density, but at different threshold levels with low soil organic matter. The prevalence of sand in Coastal Plain soils compared to the other two regions suggests that sand grains are inherently more dense than chemically aggregated loamy soils with low organic matter in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions.
The size of water stable aggregates is functionally relevant for creating pores that can absorb and retain water, as well as for stimulating habitat for a variety of soil organisms. Therefore, mean weight diameter of water stable aggregation is a key indicator of effective water infiltration, water retention, and biological habitat/diversity. Size of water stable aggregates was greater with greater amounts of soil organic matter in all three physiographic regions, as seen in Figure 3.
However, there were some differences in size of aggregates among regions, particularly between the Coastal Plain and other regions. This was likely due to the dominance of sand in Coastal Plain soils compared to the loam and clay loam mixtures in other regions. There was a large degree of variation, as shown by the large error bars in Figure 3, and this variation was likely a result of differences in management style among the different farms and fields across this statewide survey.
In a land use survey across 25 research stations in North Carolina, water holding capacity of soil was determined and related to soil organic matter conditions. Water holding capacity doubled when soil organic matter was about 6 percent as compared to when soil organic matter was less than 1 percent, as seen in Figure 4. There was no separation in this association among different land uses. These results clearly show that soil organic matter has a highly positive effect on the capacity of soil to retain water.
In summary, although soil physical properties are dominated by soil mineral characteristics, such as the textural components of sand, silt, and clay, several important properties related to water infiltration and retention are influenced by soil organic matter. Despite soil organic matter being a relatively small portion of whole soil, this organic matter imparts an outsized influence on soil and its functional conditions. Implementing forage and grazing management strategies at the highest level possible will almost certainly lead to better soil health conditions, since one of the clear attributes of improved grassland systems is higher soil organic matter content. These improved soil conditions should allow forages on your farm to take advantage of the increasingly variable weather conditions.
*Data points are averages from sorted increments for every 10 units of soil organic carbon (g/kg), which were converted to soil organic matter units (58 percent carbon). Error bars indicate standard deviation.
By LINDSEY CRAIG, Clemson University
We have just completed another robust bull buying season. Cattle prices continue to be strong, which has resulted in the high price point of tested bulls. If you have made the significant investment to purchase a bull, then it is time to ensure your investment is productive and, most importantly, profitable.
Most bulls that people purchase at a sale are yearling or two-yearold bulls. They are young and still need time to develop physically so they can continue to work for you for years to come. The initial investment is hard to pencil out on a yearly budget, but remember, if correctly made, this investment will have generational profits for the farm. The first step is evaluating the body condition score of the bull that you have purchased. If the bull is in good body condition (score of 6–7), then he should be ready to enter breeding season, where he will lose some weight as he works to cover your cows. If your bull is in his “working clothes” already (score of 4–5), he will need increased nutrition, with special attention to high quality forages or concentrates that will boost his protein and energy intake prior to the breeding season. We want to slowly bring his weight back up to an acceptable level to ensure he has a successful breeding season. Care should also be taken to adjust any new bull to the forages that he will be grazing while breeding cows. Small incremental changes in feed will ensure he does not have an issue in his gut microflora, which could lead to him losing weight or decrease his ability to breed.
Prior to breeding, a breeding soundness exam should also be performed. If you have purchased a bull from a breeder or a sale, then a breeding soundness exam is often performed prior to the sale. Breeding soundness exams should be performed every year prior to the breeding season. Spermatogenesis (the creation of sperm) can take 60 days to complete, so breeding soundness exams should be done with enough time to make any adjustments to the bull’s schedule to prepare him for breeding. During a breeding soundness exam, the quality and quantity of semen are examined along with the condition of the bull. This exam should be scheduled with your veterinarian. Remember, a bull may lose the ability to breed for a number of reasons, including injury, disease, or nutrition issues.
Young bulls should not be put with too many cows during their first breeding season. A good rule of thumb is no more cows than the number of months old the bull is. For example, if the bull is 15 months old, then he should not be placed with more than 15 cows. As your
bull matures, he will be able to handle more cows. The cow-to-bull ratio should not exceed 35:1. Generally, bulls peak in performance around three years of age and have a decline after 5–6 years of age.
During the off season, bulls should be kept separate from the breeding cows, in a space where they can maintain their body condition and still get exercise. Bulls may be kept together during the off season, but a pecking order may be established every time the bulls are mixed together after a period of being apart. Pens should be big enough to allow bulls to have space to themselves and limit the amount of mud and manure buildup. Areas around feeding areas and waterers should be treated as heavy use areas and built to withstand constant use.
Bulls are half of your herd investment. If you have taken the time to research and find the best bull for your operation, along with making the financial commitment of purchasing that bull, it is important to set that bull up for long term success.
By LILLY GODWIN, N.C. State University
In the beef industry, the ultimate goal of a producer is to generate one calf per cow per year to generate a final beef product. Secondary to the production of a meat calf, beef production goals focus on having healthy cows that raise and maintain healthy calves. When making culling decisions, it is important to keep these two main goals at the forefront before considering subordinate goals such as weaning weights or udder conformation. There are generally six main reasons for making individual culling decisions: low production records, bad disposition, undesirable conformation, old age, disease, low fertility, and economics. In terms of what is preventable, all these traits may have some degree of preventability, while others may be strictly reduced to chance.
Old age and unpleasant dispositions are two of the less preventable traits that may cause a cow to be culled. The average age a commercial cow retires from a cow/calf operation in the United States is 8–10 years old.
4 All cows will age, and personality is one of the least heritable traits relative to other culling traits. It is important to start working with your cattle, specifically your replacement heifers, at a young age to prevent any excess anxiety or “spookiness” as they become part of the calving herd. Continuously exposing your replacement heifers to activities that your current calving herd experiences, such as moving pastures, running through a chute, or being halted, can reduce anxiety with these activities later on, allowing for a calmer disposition overall. Aggressive cattle should be culled for the safety of both other cattle and producers.
Bad conformation is a common reason cattle should be culled early on in their lifetime, with some considerations. Generally, good genetics produce good structure in cattle. However, many causes, such as gene mutations, injury, disease, illness, or lameness, can create conformation issues with varying permanence. Traits that you may want to consider culling for in your calving herd include dysfunctional udder conformation, as seen in Figure 1, lameness leading to chronic mobility issues, and chronic low body condition scores (BCS). Of these, lameness and udder conformation can have the most impact on weaning a healthy calf, while pelvic measurements and BCS can affect calving and fertility, respectively.
Heifer and mature cow fertility are the most prevalent culling factors in the majority of the cow/calf industry. Generally speaking, producers should choose to keep around 50 percent more heifers than you need
when choosing replacement heifers. Producers should choose to cull based on the previously discussed factors, while also looking at fertility and production records. Replacement heifers being bred for the first time should first be checked before continuing to breed, assuring that if she is not able to cycle, that she is not kept as breeding stock. She should also have an adequate pelvic area measurement to prevent the likeliness of dystocia. Pelvic area scoring follows the 12–12–12 rule, such that the heifer has 12 inches in length and 12 inches of width by 12 months of age. For mature cows, it is important to look at their production records to determine which heifers from which cows are worth keeping. Dr. Wilke and other researchers at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln recommend culling mature cows that are consistently weaning calves ranking “in the bottom 10–25 percent of your herd,” whether that is due to calf feed conversion ratios, average daily gain, or weaning weights.1
Figure 1. Teat and udder conformation scoring, rated 1-9, middle score desired.2
Once you have determined which heifers to use as replacements, and they are calving with the herd, there are ways to determine if problems with rebreeding are management based or particular to an individual cow. The general postpartum interval (the time between calving and first estrus) should be around 35 days. However, depending on the type of birth and lactation requirements, the postpartum interval may change. If a cow experiences severe dystocia during her calving, it may take longer for her uterus to return to a healthy breeding status. Nutrition also plays a large role in rebreeding. Pre-calving BCS has a huge impact on post calving fertility, so cows need to be evaluated to determine if their BCS is appropriate for retaining a pregnancy, generally at least a score of 5–6. Additionally, if the cow has a calf suckling at her side and is nutritionally stressed, it could take upwards of 100 days for her to return to estrus. Culling a cow based on environmental, herd, or management issues that delayed her postpartum interval may not always be the best choice. Rather, culling should be done to cows who, when given the necessary time and resources to retain a pregnancy, continue to not get bred or raise a strong, healthy calf.
Towards the end of their lives, cows may contract a terminal disease. If she does, it is a good idea to cull the cow, regardless of her production performance and success within the herd. The University of Wisconsin-Madison recommends testing and culling cows that test positive for Johne’s disease, bovine viral diarrhea, or bovine leukosis.7 Additionally, the National Institute of Health published a study of the most common physiological abnormalities in cull cows from the Great Lakes Region of the United States. These abnormalities and pathologies included liver abscesses, rumen lesions or rumenitis, respiratory diseases, and malignant lymphoma.6 While these may be harder to diagnose, many terminal diseases result in chronic weight loss, which can be a culling factor.
Culling decisions should generally be made based on whether the reason for culling is fixable, how soon it could be fixed, and the economics behind fixing the problem. The Standardized Performance
Analysis (SPA) is a tool to determine the cost/benefit ratios of preventing, treating, and culling beef cattle.5 When deciding whether to prevent, treat, or cull, the true question should be based on if the cost is temporary or permanent and if it will actually create a solution to the possible culling factor, as seen in Figure 2.
References
1 Dennis, Elliott, et al. (2022) “The Impact of Price and Management on Culling Decisions.” www.beef.unl.edu.
2 Furber, Debbie. (2018) “First EDPs for Udder and Teat Conformation in the Works”. www.canadiancattlemen.ca
3Hersom, Matt, et al. ( 2018) “Culling and Replacement Rate in the Beef Cow Herd.” www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu
4Loucks, R.R. (2002) “Culling the Beef Cattle Herd.” www.uidaho.edu
5 Raper, Kellie Curry (2020) “Cow/Calf Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA).” www.extension.okstate.edu
6 Rezac, D.J., et al. (2024) “A Survey of Gross Pathologic Conditions in Cull Cows at Slaughter in the Great Lakes Region of the United States.” doi:10.3168/jds.2013-7636.
7Sterry, Ryan, and William Halfman. “Culling Considerations for Beef Cow/Calf Herd.” www.livestock.extension.wisc.edu.
Have You Herd is written as a portion of ANS 402 Beef Management course requirement at N.C. State University Department of Animal Science under the instruction of Dr. Carrie Pickworth. The opinions of Lilly Godwin are not necessarily those of N.C. State University or Dr. Carrie Pickworth.
By SKEETER SPAULDING, Cowboys for Christ Chaplain
Iwent into my usual stomping grounds — a lumberyard I frequent — early one morning. A semi-retired guy named Tom greeted me when I walked through the door. He’s a gem of a man in his early 80s. If I don’t have on a cowboy hat of some sort, he will point towards the door with an outstretched arm, like an experienced bird dog on point. All the while with a grin on his face.
“You know better than to come in here without that cowboy hat on. You’re not getting a thing today if you aren’t dressed right.”
“Well, Tom, I have my lumberyard ball cap on,” I said in my own defense.
“I don’t care, I don’t care,” he responded. You are a cowboy, aren’t you?” he added.
“Well, yes sir, I am,” I answered, not even having the chance to finish my sentence.
Tom shot back, “Well then act like one,” he said, as he handed me two carpenter pencils with that friendly grin.
“Yes, sir, I will, and thanks for reminding me.”
“I sure am hungry,” I said, noticing and pointing to the biscuit he had in his hand.
“You’re lucky you got pencils,” and with a chuckle, he turned on his heel and walked away.
The pastor at the cowboy church I attend did a series called Walk Worthy. It’s from Ephesians 4:1 (AMP) , which reads as follows, “I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the (divine) calling to which you have been called, with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service.”
What is the Apostle Paul encouraging all of us to do here in this statement? It’s to act in Christ like behavior, as we are summoned to do. In other words, be dressed right. What behavior comes to mind in order to be dressed right?
The first thing would be to remember the calling we have from our Heavenly Father as adopted sons and daughters. We do that by reflecting His kindness towards us. We don’t deserve His mercy nor His grace, but through the love of Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of eternal life by faith. Ephesians 2:8–10 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
What does it look like to act in a Christ like manner with good works? It means being kind to the ornery or stubborn person
you know, or not always having to be right in your opinion in a conversation. You could also be quick to listen and slow to speak when talking with your spouse or sharing the good news of the gospel message with someone. It’s loving others who don’t recognize the sin in their own lives. That’s what all of us were before we gave Christ the reins of our lives.
Let’s look at the Bible for more answers we need as a compass. Galatians 3:27–28 says, “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus breaks down the barriers that separate us. When we grapple with seeing others with compassion, as Christ would have us do, it helps us be better forgivers. When we are better forgivers, we can share the gospel message with the lost, such as we were. That’s being dressed right as we “walk worthy” with the Lord Jesus. And, as Tom would say, “Well, then act like one.”
then we are simply selling them, not marketing them.
By TRAVIS W. MITCHELL, Clemson University
The beef cattle market continues to sizzle across the United States as we head into summer. For fall calving herds, the decision about marketing calves is fast approaching, as weaning is just around the corner. As producers, it is important that we maximize profit potential any way we can to capitalize on a great cattle market. Value-added marketing is one way to receive additional profits. Value-added marketing is any management practice implemented by a producer with the intention of capturing a better price for his or her cattle. Simply put, any value-added practice you implement into your calf crop makes your cattle more attractive to potential buyers, which makes them worth more. Value-added practices include a vaccination protocol, weaning, pre-conditioning, and even third party verification programs such as age and source verification or all natural.
While the goal of a value-added marketing program is to increase profits for the producer, it also helps increase the chance that the calf will remain profitable as it progresses through the different sectors of the beef industry. It is important that the overall beef cattle industry is healthy and profitable. If we, as cow/calf producers, strive to produce a healthy, genetically sound calf, we are doing the industry an overall favor.
Many producers are already doing some sort of value-added practice, such as vaccinations and marketing cattle in groups. Others are capturing even more value by selling weaned and pre-conditioned truckload lots. For producers who are not taking advantage of valueadded marketing, I encourage you to do so. Work with your local extension agent and veterinarian to develop a calfhood vaccination protocol. Work with your local sale barn or marketing agency to develop a value-added strategy. Starting a value-added practice in your operation is a great step to increasing overall profit for your operation. Remember, as cattle producers, it is our job to ultimately market our cattle. If we are not notifying the sale barn of a round of vaccines or that the calves have been weaned and pre-conditioned,
Value-added practices can best be described as a stairway or ladder approach. If we consider the first step as a calf sold straight off the cow where no vaccination or backgrounding is done, then step two would be castrating bulls and one round of shots. Step three would be a second round of shots following a vaccination identification program protocol. This step would include deworming to control internal and external parasites. Step four is the practice of weaning. During the weaning process, the calf is separated from its mother. It begins to eat a ration, typically from a bunk. Step 5 is when the calf is considered bunk broke and fully weaned. Step six is a pre-conditioning program where the calf is recovering from the stress of the weaning process and the rumen is adjusting to the change in diet. The pre-conditioning process is a minimum of 45 days, while 60 days is recommended. The final step will include a USDA Process Verified Program. Age and source verification is one component for any of these programs. The producer must comply with all the rules and guidelines associated with the verification program they choose.
Adding value to your calf crop does not have to be overwhelming if you take this approach. Examine and identify where your operation is on the ladder, and then take the next step. You cannot go from step one to step seven without touching steps two through six. There are many resources available through the Clemson Extension Livestock and Forages Team that will guide you every step of the way.
By DR. MIKE WALDEN, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus, N.C. State University
You Decide: Can We ‘Have It All?’ A=After earlier jobs in the private sector (furniture) and the government sector (local and federal), I found my ultimate career in teaching. As I look back, I had a fabulous 43 year career at N.C. State University teaching economics to students and to the public through the University’s extension — also called outreach — programs.
One of the aspects of economics I stressed was the implications the subject has for many everyday decisions. Most people think of economics as a discipline applying only to business decisions or financial decisions such as investing and borrowing. As a result, if an individual is not interested in business or finance, their reaction to economics is summarized in one word — boring.
In my teaching career, I sought to overcome this interpretation of economics. While I certainly taught how economics can help businesses be successful and guide individuals in a variety of financial issues, I also emphasized how broad economics is a useful tool for numerous life decisions.
“How so?” you might ask. Well, believe it or not, economics can be very helpful in answering the question posed by this column — Can we have it all?
The major reason economics exists as an educational field is the realization that there are numerous uses for resources. Indeed, the word economics is derived from the Greek word oikonomia, referring to decisions made by managers of farms and estates over how to best use resources to achieve the best outcome. For example, managers had to decide how to use manual and other resources, including land, in growing crops to achieve the highest financial returns. Economics (oikonomia) reminded the managers that if they used 20 workers and 50 acres to grow wheat, they couldn’t use that same 50 acres and the time of those 20 workers to grow corn. Therefore, economics motivated the farm managers to always consider the resource costs and sales benefits of raising either wheat or corn and choose the one that produced the largest net gain of returns over costs.
I used this classic example of the importance of economics to the thousands of classes I taught in my career, and I would often see the faces of disinterest among many students. Hence, I was quick to follow up with more personal examples.
My favorite example used home buying, something that college students in their late teens or early 20s had likely thought about after living in cramped dorms or apartments. Most homebuyers want at least two characteristics in a home — adequate space and proximity to work, shopping, and entertainment.
But even a casual look at any home buying market shows that having both square footage and proximity will cost the homebuyer much more.
This is because most homebuyers want these two characteristics, so there will be many bids for larger homes in convenient neighborhoods. And where there are more bids, the price goes up. Hence, “having it all” in the real estate market means paying more.
Does this mean that richer homebuyers who can afford the “having it all” home don’t face the economic problem of the Greek farm manager of carefully considering how to use resources? No, they still do. Let’s say the “have it all” house would cost the buyer $50,000 more. There are numerous ways that $50,000 could be used, such as for a college fund for children, for a new vehicle, in a retirement investment, or as a contribution to a charitable institution or cause. There are always alternative ways resources can be used, even for rich people.
Don’t forget that time is also an important human resource. Actually, time may be a more significant resource than money because time is limited, whereas money can be earned and expanded. Students constantly face decisions about time use. Does a student use two hours to study, go to the “big game,” work an extra shift, or catch up on sleep? The student can’t do them all.
Perhaps one of the most difficult time management issues today is that of a parent — often the mother — deciding whether to use time to work and earn money or for child rearing, especially when the child is very young.
Economists have a term for the reality that using a resource creates both benefits and costs — opportunity cost. It simply means that while using a resource in one way provides benefits, it also has costs or lost benefits from using the resource in another way.
Investors, in particular, understand opportunity cost. Say you have the option of investing in stock A or stock B for a year. You pick stock A and earn the returns from owning stock A for a year. The opportunity cost is that you don’t earn the returns from owning stock B for a year. If stock A earns more than stock B, then your opportunity cost is less than the earnings from stock A, and you’re happy. But if stock B earns more than stock A, you lose because the opportunity cost of not owning stock B is greater than the benefit from owning stock A. One way of dealing with opportunity costs in investing is diversifying, which, in the example, simply means splitting the investment between stock A and stock B.
What is the best way of dealing with the reality of opportunity cost and not “having it all?” Economics suggests the answer is study, analysis, and comparison of benefits and costs of alternative resource uses. Should we thank the ancient Greeks for these insights? You decide.
You Decide: What’s the Endgame in the Tariff War? As I write this column, the Trump administration has levied new, higher tariffs on most countries. The business community is not happy, as reflected
in several large drops in the stock market.
Before getting deep into this column, let me give a reminder of what a tariff is. A tariff is a fee — some call it a tax — on imported products levied by the federal government. For example, if $1,000 worth of toys are imported to the U.S. from China and the U.S. tariff rate is 25 percent, then 25 percent of $1,000, or $250, is paid to the U.S. government in a tariff. And who pays this $250? It is the U.S. company importing the toys, not the exporting company in China. Furthermore, economic studies have shown companies paying more tariffs will often pass a significant part of the tariff on to buyers of the product. Or, some part of the tariff could be effectively paid by the company through cutting employment or other costs.
If domestic consumers, businesses, and potentially workers are hurt by higher tariffs, why have they been implemented? What are the goals of the tariffs, and can they be reached? These are questions I try to answer in this column, and then let you decide if the goals of tariffs justify the means of using them.
The Trump administration has talked about three goals from using higher tariffs. One is to motivate an expansion of domestic manufacturing by making foreign manufactured products more expensive. As a percentage of the economy, domestic manufacturing has declined for several decades. We’ve seen the same trend in North Carolina.
A second goal is to reduce the annual trade deficit in products. For several decades, the U.S. has imported more goods from other countries than we sell to those countries each year. The result is called a trade deficit. The Trump administration would like to decrease this deficit, or even turn it into a surplus.
The third goal is to have tariffs used by foreign countries be more in line with U.S. tariffs. Traditionally, the U.S. has had some of the lowest tariffs in the world, at the low single digit level. Many other countries we trade with have double digit tariffs. This situation puts the U.S. at a disadvantage when trying to sell products in those countries.
Notice that the first and third goals are likely incompatible, at least for a time. The first goal depends on keeping tariffs high in order to provide maximum incentives for U.S. manufacturing to expand. Yet, the third goal has the objective of lowering both foreign and domestic tariffs. At some point, the administration will have to choose between the first and third goals. The second goal of reducing the trade deficit will occur with both the first and third goals.
Let’s look at the likely process of achieving these goals, beginning with the third goal of reducing foreign countries’ tariffs. This could be accomplished through negotiations. Since the U.S. has the largest economy in the world, foreign countries are eager to trade with us, and high tariffs make it hard for them to sell their products in the U.S. Hence, there is a direct pathway for negotiation. Low tariffs by all countries, including the U.S., would put the competition for buying and selling products between the U.S. and other countries on a much more level playing field.
If the third goal is accomplished, the second goal of reducing the U.S. foreign trade deficit would follow. Since before the tariff war the U.S. had much lower tariffs than other countries, reducing tariffs worldwide would help our country much more in selling products to other countries, with the result being a lower, or maybe no, trade deficit.
The first goal of expanding domestic manufacturing to take the place of foreign made manufactured products is likely the hardest to
achieve for several reasons. First, it would require a large number of new factories to be built in our country, and the construction would require years. Would the high tariffs remain until the factories were constructed? If so, then higher prices from foreign made products due to the tariffs would also last for years. What would this do to the standard of living of U.S. consumers?
The second issue is labor for the new factories. There already is a significant labor shortage for manufacturing jobs in the U.S., including in North Carolina. What would be the source of the workers needed for the new factories?
The third issue is the question of specialization versus self sufficiency. Like people, countries tend not to be totally self sufficient. Instead, countries specialize in making certain products where they have the proficiency and resources, and often this specialization changes over time.
For example, for much of the 20 th century, making tobacco products, textiles, apparel, and furniture were major industries in North Carolina. Health issues caused the tobacco industry to shrink, but making textiles, apparel, and furniture moved to other countries with much lower cost labor. But today, North Carolina has new specializations in pharmaceuticals, technology, aeronautics, finance, and other sectors, with many of the jobs being very high paying. Fortunately, we’re now seeing some of these industries located in the regions that lost tobacco, textiles, apparel, and furniture jobs.
There is another question related to the current debate over trade and specialization. Are there some products the country should make, even if other countries could manufacture the products better and cheaper? Many say the answer is yes, particularly for products like steel and aluminum related to making military equipment, as well as some medical products. These are often called “essential products.” This issue is also part of the tariff debate.
The current tariff war is a big deal. At stake are international relations between countries, the prices consumers pay, and the health of the economy, including investments. Three goals appear to be behind the tariff war. Which goal will receive priority, and when will we know when success has been achieved? In short, what is the end game? You decide.
Hereford Boldly Builds Leader. National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members built foundational leadership skills and industry connections during the Building On Leadership Development (BOLD) conference in Desdemona, Tex., on April 3–6.
In a quest to build a pipeline of leaders, the American Hereford Association and Hereford Youth Foundation of America work together to provide tools for junior members. BOLD is quickly becoming an important tool in the box for leadership development.
“Building these connections through these speakers and industry professionals to launch you into your future is incredible,” says Rylie Meinhardt, an attendee from Wamego, Kansas. “You get to ask personal questions that you might be hesitant to ask. But these industry leaders are so personable and care so much about encouraging our youth that they’re willing to answer any and all questions you have.”
The BOLD conference focuses on improving personal leadership, providing career opportunities, and cultivating lifelong relationships. Each year, 20 college aged NJHA members are selected from across the country to attend the conference through an application process.
Gary and Kathy Buchholz of GKB Cattle graciously hosted BOLD at their Hi Point Ranch. Speakers, such as Cheryl Mitchell — a dairy farmer’s daughter turned speaker and farm legacy facilitator — and world champion rodeo athlete, Tyson Durfey, highlighted the event. Attendees participated in a variety of leadership and career building activities, including resume writing and mock job interviews. The NJHA junior board led leadership workshops, and professionals from GKB Cattle, Priefert, BioZyme Inc., and the American Hereford Association offered advice during a career panel.
“The only thing that matters is what action you are taking today,” world champion rodeo athlete Tyson Durfey said. A common theme throughout the conference was mindset. Speakers like Durfey reminded the young attendees, “Your mind will give you the power to do anything you want.”
Through these events, young people received personalized feedback on their resumes and leadership styles, while forging valuable industry connections to continue these important conversations about leadership and agricultural careers after the conference. These industry leaders and mentors challenged young people to look toward the future and make clear goals based on their passion.
In the closing session, Tyler Norvell, executive director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and Cattlemen’s Congress, posed the question, “What mindset do you choose to have, and what’s your ‘why?’” Norvell reminded BOLD participants that true leadership stretches beyond personal career goals, as the agricultural industry needs advocates. “We don’t have to fight for our livelihoods; we have to fight to feed people. It matters. We have to continue to tell that story.”
About the National Junior Hereford Association. NJHAis one of the largest, strongest, and most active junior cattle programs in the country. Over the years, members of this association have gone on to earn international and domestic respect as models for youth organizational success. The NJHA, through its extensive educational programs, continues to lay the foundation for the beef industry’s future leaders. The traditions of the past, coupled with the energy of today’s board of directors, have created a progressive approach to further develop a meaningful and educational association focus.
About the American Hereford Association. AHA, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth, and research.
4B FARMS, LLC
Shelby, NC
Bryson Westbrook Ed Soto (Manager) 980-230-4868 - Bryson 704-974-1407 - Ed brysonw@thewestbrookco.com
POLLED HEREFORDS
Lenoir, NC
Keith & Peggy Blinson - 828-310-4526 Bryan & Beth Blinson - 919-422-9108
DOUBLE J FARM
Traphill, NC • Earlysville, VA John Wheeler 910-489-0024 doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com www.doublejfarmllc.com
E. CARROLL JOYNER
BEEF UNIT
Raleigh, NC
Matt Morrison 716-720-0227
FIVE J’S
BEEF & CATTLE COMPANY
Clayton, NC
Jody & Angela Standley 828-320-7317 - Kim jodystandley@gmail.com
HEREFORD HILLS
Greensboro, NC
Bill Kirkman III 336-382-9635 ST Genetics Representative
McCOY CATTLE FARM
Cove City, NC
Myron & Charlie McCoy 252-229-4602 mccoycattlefarms@gmail.com
MITCHEM’S FARM 3C
Vale, NC
Wayne, Crystal, Regan & Jordan Mitchem 704-472-4369 mitchemsfarm@bellsouth.net
NORTH PINO
LAND & CATTLE COMPANY Mocksville, NC Kevin Robinson 336-399-9884 kevrob1@aol.com
LOVE FARMS
Blowing Rock, NC Jim Love 828-266-1458 cell • 828-295-4236
P and J FARMS
Monroe, NC
Andy Smith 704-400-3436 pandjfarmsherefords@gmail.com
PRESTWOOD BEEF CATTLE
Lenoir, NC
Kim & Lori Prestwood 828-320-7317 - Kim 828-432-7434 - Lori brownloriclyde@yahoo
QUAIL RIDGE FARM
Rutherfordton, NC
Mark Brewer 828-329-2074 markbrewer65@gmail.com
TAYLOR’S MILL FARM
Zebulon, NC
J. Brent Creech 919-801-7561 tmfherefords@icloud.com
TERRACE FARMS
Lexington, NC
Jim, Linda & Chad Davis 336-247-1554 terracefarms@gmail.com
TRIPLETT POLLED HEREFORDS
Statesville, NC
James Triplett 704-902-2250 triplettmarble@bellsouth.net
W&A HEREFORD FARM
Providence, NC
George, Tammy, William, & Andy Ward 434-251-3637 gwwardjr@comcast.net
WHITEHEAD
CATTLE COMPANY
Lewiston Woodville, NC
Austin & Jodie Whitehead Austin - 252-370-5647 Jodie - 252-642-3435 austinlwhitehead@yahoo.com
WILL-VIA
POLLED HEREFORDS
Mooresville NC
Lavette Teeter
704-662-5262
As you may have seen in Jennie’s article in last month’s issue of The Carolina Cattle Connection, my name is Brooke Harward, and I am excited to be serving as the new Executive Secretary of the N.C. Simmental Association. I first joined the American Simmental Association as a junior after I bought my first Simmental heifer from the N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale, so this feels like a true full circle moment for me. My
sisters and I run Harward Sisters Cattle Company, a registered seedstock operation where we raise Simmental, Angus, Charolais, and Red Angus cattle, as well as a few commercial cattle and other breeds. We truly believe in the great value of the Simmental breed and what it offers to purebred and commercial cattlemen in our state. Speaking of that first heifer I bought at the Fall Harvest Sale, she is now 12 years old and continues to have some of our best and favorite calves every year. Among its many good traits, the Simmental breed is known for longevity and performance, and we have seen that firsthand while raising Simmental cattle.
Whether you raise registered seedstock or commercial cattle, and no matter if you raise cattle for breeding females, feeder calves, or beef, the Simmental breed has a lot to offer you. I hope I can be here as an asset for you to use for your operation. My goal is to provide continuous support to the N.C. Simmental Association members and their customers to help answer questions and promote the Simmental breed.
If you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance to you, please contact me. We were able to keep the same phone number — 336-468-1679 — but we do have a new email address — ncsimmental@gmail.com. Also, be sure to visit our website at www.
ncsimmental.com and like us on Facebook, as we are continuing to update and provide new opportunities through those online sites. If you raise registered or commercial Simmental cattle and are not a member of the NCSA, I encourage you to join us as we work together to provide support and opportunities for the Simmental breed in the Carolinas.
Finally, there is no better way to conclude my first “The
Simmental Trail” article than to thank Jennie for all she has done for the N.C. Simmental Association and its members. She has done a tremendous job for the last 30 years, and I can only hope to be as much of an advocate and promoter of the breed and its members as she has been.
Coming up next month — N.C. Junior Simmental Association State Show Results
American Simmental Association Releases News Tools for Predicting Efficiency in the Feedlot. The American Simmental Association has officially released the $Gain economic subindex, as well as the Dry Matter Intake (DMI) Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) in an alpha release format on Herdbook. The purpose of these traits is to help breeders better characterize terminal performance by evaluating genetic differences for feed intake and the profitability potential associated with growth relative to intake.
One of the more recent concerns in the business has been related to feed “efficiency” in feeder cattle. The reason for the quotes around “efficiency” is that, in many cases, the tools developed to address feed conversion have been related to biological efficiency rather than economic efficiency, which can sometimes be antagonistic to meaningful improvement. A solution to this is the $Gain economic subindex developed by International Genetic Solutions to more appropriately address selection for improved feedlot performance by optimizing the economic efficiency during the finishing phase. Unlike traditional single trait selection for DMI or residual feed intake (RFI), $Gain balances both the economic component of average daily gain (ADG) and DMI, ensuring that the most profitable animals are identified. The result of $Gain is already factored into both $API and $TI, meaning the relationship of value of gain to the cost of intake is already factored into both indexes.
The $Gain prediction is expressed as the difference in daily profitability of animals in the feedlot based on their combination of DMI and ADG expected progeny differences. ADG is positively weighted by the value of a pound of gain, and DMI is negatively weighted by the cost of a pound of dry matter.
$Gain and DMI can be viewed in the EPD suite on Herdbook.org
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit bit.ly/ASAReleasesDMIandGain-FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Save the Date for Fall Focus 2025. Mark your calendars for Fall Focus 2025, taking place from August 22–26 in Columbia, Missouri. This year’s event will take a deep dive into the cow/ calf sector, focusing on the balance between genetic efficiency and industry demands. The general schedule is outlined below:
• August 22 – Field Day: A hands-on look at Missouri’s thriving beef industry
• August 23 – Educational Symposium: Insightful sessions led by industry experts
• August 24–26 – Committee Meetings & ASA Board Meeting: Collaborative discussions with Trustees, staff, and fellow members. Continue to watch for more details as they become available at www.fallfocus.org
Act Now — THE Enrollment for Fall Calving Dams Is Open. Fall calving herds — it’s that time of year! As you gear up for summer projects, don’t forget that the 2025 Fall Total Herd Enrollment (THE) season is already underway. Make the most of your planning and preparation by enrolling all your fall calving dams in THE — the best tool to support your herd’s success.
Submit your inventory:
• EARLY (by June 15)
• ACCURATELY (don’t pay for dams that are gone; make sure all new heifers and purchased cows are listed to ensure complete dam records)
You must submit an updated inventory in order to benefit from our early enrollment rates. Even if you don’t think there are any changes to your herd, review the list and submit your inventory today!
Important Dates:
• Fall THE is for cows that will calve between July 1 and December 31.
• Fall Early Enrollment is open from April 15 to June 15.
• Fall Late Enrollment is open from June 16 to August 15 (incurs $1 late fee per dam).
Don’t delay — enroll today!
About the American Simmental Association. Founded in 1968, the American Simmental Association is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. ASA is committed to leveraging technology, education, and collaboration to accelerate genetic profitability for the beef industry. In keeping with its commitment, ASA and its partners formed International Genetic Solutions — the world’s largest genetic evaluation of beef cattle. Learn more at www.simmental.org
Brangus Value Project Proves Brangus Are Built for Profit. The Brangus Value Project (BVP), launched nearly four years ago as a collaborative effort between the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Breed Improvement Committee and the International Brangus Breeders Foundation (IBBF), continues to showcase the breed’s superior economic and production advantages. This initiative was designed to benchmark the terminal value of Brangus influenced feeder steers in feedlots and packing plants while assessing the breed’s competitiveness in these environments.
The project began with the selection of 17 influential Brangus sires, chosen based on the number of progeny recorded in the IBBA database. These sires were bred to commercial cows, and the resulting steer calves were DNA verified before being sent to a feedyard in southwest Kansas. There, they were managed until they reached finishing weight before being processed at a beef packer. Comprehensive carcass grading data was collected, and steak samples from each steer were sent to Texas Tech University for tenderness testing.
To date, three groups totaling 300 steers have been included in the project, producing key findings in feed efficiency, grading performance, tenderness, and — most critically — economic value.
Brangus steers in the feedyard consistently outperformed their counterparts, gaining ¾ of a pound more per day while consuming ½ pound less feed for every pound of live weight gained. Over a 150 day feeding period, this efficiency translates to significant cost savings and increased profitability at harvest.
In terms of carcass quality, Brangus steers demonstrated exceptional grading performance, with 90 percent achieving USDA Choice or Prime and nearly 40 percent grading Premium Choice — exceeding the industry average of 85 percent Choice. Additionally, tenderness testing results were outstanding, with 96 percent of the steak samples categorized as “Tender” or “Very Tender.”
The most compelling finding for producers is the economic value of Brangus influenced cattle. When accounting for feed efficiency savings and grid premiums, Brangus steers consistently outperformed commodity projections by approximately $200 per head.
“These results challenge the long held belief that Bos indicus influenced cattle struggle to compete with their northern counterparts,” said Kyle Caldwell, IBBA’s director of field services and strategic projects. “The data clearly demonstrates that the traditional ‘eared discount’ can become a ‘Brangus premium’. Producers in heat stressed environments, where Brangus and
Ultrablack cattle excel, can achieve remarkable results with high quality Brangus genetics.”
The fourth set of steers is currently on feed and will be harvested in the summer of 2025 as the BVP continues to validate the breed’s performance through data driven research. The results reaffirm what Brangus breeders have long known — Brangus cattle are truly built for profit.
For more information on the breed and this data, contact Kyle Caldwell at kcaldwell@gobrangus.com or call the IBBA at 210-6968231.
About the International Brangus Breeders Association . The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), headquartered in San Antonio, Tex., strives to provide the commercial cattle industry, domestically and internationally, with the best genetics possible. Founded in 1949 as the American Brangus Breeders, the organization has since evolved into the IBBA. The IBBA’s purpose is to enable its members to produce quality beef for the commercial cattle industry and its consumers. For more information about IBBA, visit www.gobrangus.com.
By JAMES MITCHELL, Ph.D. & RYAN LOY, Ph.D., University of Arkansas
The decision to rebuild the U.S. cowherd is based on profitability — not just current prices. According to the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC), cow/calf returns in 2023 and 2024 are estimated at $252 and $443 per cow, respectively. At the same time, a common concern among producers is the cost of heifers. For example, USDA-AMS data show 2024 bred heifer prices from the Missouri ShowMe-Select sales averaging over $3,000 per head, a 26 percent increase compared to 2023. Before investing in replacement heifers, whether by buying or raising your own, producers should evaluate the investment over the heifer’s entire productive life on the operation.
Whether you’re spending revenue from calf sales or borrowing, the dollars used today to grow the herd have a cost. Buying bred heifers at $3,000 per head or retaining heifers valued at $1,500/head ties up capital that could be used elsewhere in your business. The key question is, “Will the future stream of returns from those heifers over their productive lives exceed the value of that initial investment today?” To answer that, producers can use net present value (NPV), a tool that accounts for both profitability and the time value of money.
To calculate NPV, start by estimating all future revenues from the heifer, primarily from calf sales over her productive life; include her cull value in the last year; and subtract expected annual cow costs to derive future net returns. Next, discount those net returns into today’s dollars using a rate comparable to your loan interest rate or expected return on investment. An 8 percent discount rate is a reasonable starting point. Finally, subtract your initial investment, whether that’s the purchase price or the value of a retained heifer, from the total value of your discounted net returns. A positive NPV suggests the investment will add value to your operation. A negative NPV suggests it does not generate a sufficient return and would not be worth undertaking.
For example, assume you purchase a bred heifer for $3,000 and annual cow costs are $1,000 per year, including pasture, feed, veterinary care, and labor. You expect her to wean a 525 lbs calf per year for five years, with calves selling for $295/cwt (or $1,549/calf). Net returns are $549 per year ($1,549 – $1,000). At the end of year five, you expect to sell her for $1,200, based on 1,200 pounds at $1/ pound. To calculate NPV, we discount each year’s net return and the cull value back to today’s dollars using an 8 percent discount rate:
• Year 0 (Initial Investment): $3,000 ÷ (1+0.08)0 = -$3,000
• Year 1: $549 ÷ (1+0.08)1 = $508.33
• Year 2: $549 ÷ (1+0.08)2 = $470.68
• Year 3: $549 ÷ (1+0.08)3 = $435.82
• Year 4: $549 ÷ (1+0.08)4 = $403.54
• Year 5: $549 ÷ (1+0.08)5 = $373.65
• Year 5 cull value: $1,200 ÷ (1+0.08)5 = $815.77
The total present value is $508.33 + $470.68 + $435.82 + $403.54 + $373.65 + $816.77 = $3,007.79, and the net present value is $3,007.79 – $3,000 = $7.79. In this example, the heifer generates a positive NPV over her productive life. However, this NPV is derived under a constant revenue and cost assumption; any unexpected cost or revenue changes can greatly impact the feasibility of this investment due to the small but positive NPV value.
There is no single “correct” set of assumptions for this type of analysis. Producers should test a range of scenarios by adjusting calf prices, input costs, reproductive performance, the discount rate, and cull value to reflect their operation. If the investment only appears viable under highly optimistic assumptions, such as a cow producing eight or nine consecutive weaned calves without any setbacks, that should raise concern. The likelihood of that happening is low. If the investment requires everything to go exactly as planned over an extended period just to break even, it may warrant reconsideration. It’s better to identify those risks through planning than to be surprised by them later
Y’all have stumbled on the best place to advertise expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies. Check the Classifieds in this issue!
By MARK McCULLY, American Angus Association CEO
The success of any cattle breeding program hinges on one crucial factor: a clearly defined breeding objective. Without a well established goal, genetic progress can be inconsistent, and producers may find themselves chasing traits that don’t align with their long term vision.
As I travel the country and talk to cattle producers, I think this is an area where a little more focus and attention could reap major rewards.
Operations vary greatly across this country and even within regions of the country. While “make money” is a commonly held goal with cattlemen, “how we make money” is the more elusive topic that takes planning and discipline.
In the world of Angus genetics, the American Angus Association
offers a suite of dollar value indexes ($Values) to help commercial producers tailor their genetic selection to specific production and marketing goals — and make money. These indexes include traits that produce revenue (weight, quality grade, etc.), and some also consider the inputs that generate cost (feed intake, feet, reproductive failure, etc.).
The indexes start with a specific breeding objective and then apply national average economic statistics to appropriately weight things like carcass weight, cow maintenance cost, and quality grade. Understanding how the index breeding objective aligns or differs from yours, as well as considering differences in the revenue and expenses from your outfit, are key to making informed breeding decisions that fit with your operation’s needs.
The $Values are built on national averages, so your operation may require you to look at some of the individual component traits and establish independent culling levels on things like milk or mature size.
A breeding objective serves as a road map for your herd’s genetic progress. It should reflect your operation’s environment, feed and labor resources, management style, and market end point. Are you selling calves at weaning, developing replacement females, or retaining ownership through the feedlot? Each decision affects which traits should be prioritized in your selection process.
• Maternal weaned calf value ($M) is based on a model where replacements are retained and all cull females and male progeny are sold as feeder calves.
• Beef value ($B) is a terminal index that predicts profitability due to postweaning and carcass traits.
• Combined value ($C) is built with the breeding objective of keeping replacement heifers and feeding out the cull heifers and steer calves through the feedlot and selling them on a quality based grid.
Using the right index ensures progress toward the traits most valuable to your operation. Failing to define an objective can result in unintended consequences. For example, focusing solely on growth traits might lead to larger mature cows, increasing maintenance costs and, potentially, more open cows. Prioritizing calving ease without considering growth could limit pounds to take across the scales at weaning.
Solely focusing on cow traits could produce a calf that doesn’t fit the needs of the feeder, packer, or consumer.
By establishing a clear objective, producers can balance multiple traits to optimize both performance and profitability, while avoiding making a bull purchase that doesn’t fit the plan.
To learn more about $Values, I would encourage you to follow the QR code in the “Digital Extras” accompanying this article. Here you will find a detailed breakdown of each index, including the breeding objective for each and the economic assumptions that underpin trait weighting.
Ultimately, the most successful breeding programs are built on consistency and purpose. Defining your breeding objective and appropriately using the right Angus selection tools will help ensure genetic progress that aligns with your operational goals.
Celebrate Angus with Angus Day of Giving. Angus Day of Giving on May 17 will celebrate Angus through the Legacy Sustaining Campaign. Over 150 years ago, the Great Plains of the United States were scattered with cattle of Longhorn decent. The Kansas prairie was a place where cowboys and cattlemen called home. A Scottish cattleman would soon homestead alongside them with a vision to make a lasting impression on the beef industry. Destined for George Grant’s farm, May 17, 1873, was the day his four Angus bulls arrived in America, marking the beginning of Angus genetics in the United States.
In celebration of this timestamp in the breed’s history and its monumental impact on U.S. cattlemen, we invite you to take part in Angus Day of Giving on May 17.
Each year we celebrate this special day to support the Legacy Sustaining Campaign. This giving campaign encourages American Angus Association members to commit to a monthly gift of $12.50 in a collective effort to build long term, sustaining support for the breed.
“Our goal is to connect with all American Angus Association members through the Legacy Sustaining Campaign. Each and every monthly contribution, from thousands of members, will combine to help sustain the Angus legacy of advancing education, youth, and research,” said Jaclyn Boester, executive director of the Angus Foundation. “Whether you own two cows or 200, it is an affordable way to contribute to the future of the Angus breed.”
To leave a legacy means to pass something on. When George Grant imported those first Angus bulls, he left a legacy and impact felt by all in the American cattle industry and beyond. Who is your George
Grant? Is there someone in your life who has left a special impact on you? Who encouraged, mentored, or influenced your success? Honor their memory and efforts through the Legacy Sustaining Campaign.
All dollars raised from Angus Day of Giving and the Legacy Sustaining Campaign help support the Angus Fund. The Angus Fund is a collection that provides unrestricted dollars and helps to fund educational programs like Angus University and Beef Leaders Institute, promote youth leadership through the Raising the Bar and LEAD Conferences, and research initiatives like the Imagine Conference and Phenotyping Research White Paper
Make a gift on May 17 to celebrate Angus Day of Giving and ensure the Angus legacy lives on through future generations. Donations can be made at www.angus.org/foundation/make-a-gift/ a-legacy-sustaining. Donors can also mail a check with “Angus Day of Giving” in the memo line to be added to the Angus Fund.
Angus Election Under Way. Delegate nominations due June 5. The American Angus Association is preparing for the 2025 Annual Convention of Delegates, hosted in conjunction with the Angus Convention on October 31–November 2 in Kansas City, Missouri.
In accordance with the Association bylaws, forms and information required to nominate a delegate have been emailed to every eligible voting active life and regular Association member with an email address on file. Forms were mailed to any eligible voting member with no email address on file. To nominate online, eligible voting members can use the link and the unique PIN provided. Nominations submitted online must be received no later than 5:30 p.m. on June 5.
You may contact the Member Services Department at 816-3835100 or angus@angus.org if you have any questions or if you would like to request a traditional printed nomination form. If the traditional printed form is used to nominate, the signed nomination form must be received in the Association office no later than 5:30 p.m. on June 5.
The nomination period is April 4–June 5, and each eligible voting member is allowed to nominate one eligible voting member who resides in the same herd state or district, including himself or herself.
The candidate should be highly involved in the Angus business, willing to attend the meeting, and able to represent Angus breeders.
Following the close of the nomination period, every qualified nominee will be included on a state/district ballot. Ballots will be mailed to all eligible voting members in July to vote for the final slate of state/district delegates. This year, members can quickly and easily vote online or return the ballot form.
The 142 nd Annual Convention of Delegates will take place on November 2, during the Angus Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Online registration for the convention will open on August 1. Join your Angus family for a weekend focused on driving The Business Breed forward together. Visit Angus.org/events/angus-convention for more information.
Down Route 66 — A Summer Adventure. NJAA members prepare for the 2025 NJAS. Winter weather is starting to slowly fade away, which means one big thing for National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members — the countdown to the event of the summer is on. The 2025 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) is set for June 28–July 5, and juniors can prepare to be “Moovin’ Down Route 66” as they head to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
While the cattle show itself never fails to excite, there are plenty
of familiar activities juniors can find on the event schedule. Juniors can participate in the Auxiliary sponsored All American Certified Angus Beef Cook Off and compete in contests like team sales, skill-athon, cattle judging, and quiz bowl.
As always, the National Junior Angus Showmanship contest allows states to showcase their skills in the ring. But this year, there’s an exciting addition for NJAA members who aren’t quite ready for their one chance to represent their home state.
“This will be the first year that we’re adding additional showmanship classes to the event,” explains Caitlyn Brandt, director of events and junior activities. “While the national contest is a time honored tradition, these extra classes will allow juniors more ring time and the chance to demonstrate their ability to present their animals.”
All ages are invited to compete in these new classes.
“The NJAS brings out some of the best cattle in the nation, and if they’re not placing first or second, all those hours in the barn preparing for the NJAS can be over in a flash,” Brandt says. “We know how hard our juniors work to prepare for the NJAS, and we really think these showmanship classes are going to give these kids the time they deserve in the ring.”
While Brandt appreciates the competitive spirit that serves as the drumbeat of NJAS contests, she says there’s more to this show than just banners and ribbons.
“It’s a vacation for some, a tradition for others,” she adds. “All in all, the NJAS has become the perfect place for families to come together. No matter where they call home, everyone at the NJAS has the same love for the breed.”
In Tulsa, there will be plenty of chances to come together with old friends or forge new relationships.
The Angus Mentoring Program (AMP) pairs young NJAA members with older peers, allowing the duos to spend the week together sharing more about each other and their livestock. State pride will be highlighted during the annual opening ceremonies, and a family fun night unites Angus enthusiasts of all ages with the help of food and games.
Angus joins global initiative to improve livestock efficiency. Angus Genetics Inc. to lead North American data collection for $4.85 million research grant from the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub. Joining
a new global effort to help beef cattle producers breed more efficient livestock, the Angus Foundation — alongside Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and other research partners in North America, Oceania, and Europe — announced the receipt of a $4.85 million research grant.
Over the next five years, Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of AGI, expects to better understand the genetic differences in energy efficiency between animals emitting different levels of methane, allowing for new genomic tools to enhance the already robust toolkit available to the beef industry. The grant is one piece of a larger $27.4 million global initiative, backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub, to reduce energy waste in livestock by targeting methane emissions and the natural variation that exists in herds.
“The research and efforts made possible by this grant will support today’s beef farmers and ranchers as well as future generations because we know reducing energy waste to make cattle more efficient is a long term goal that affects the livelihoods of people who raise cattle,” Retallick-Riley said.
The energy she talks about is maintenance energy, and when less energy is required by a cow for maintenance, that means more energy for growth and production.
Looking to the anticipated results of the project, she envisions the tool could help breeders identify genetically more efficient cattle by identifying those producing less methane.
“We’re excited to participate in this global initiative, and we’re thankful to the Angus Foundation for helping to facilitate this global partnership,” Retallick-Riley says.
John Dickinson, chair of AGI’s board from Auburn, Calif., said he is interested in how this work will look at cattle efficiency from a different perspective than the industry typically has.
“The common practice has been to measure gains or performance against resources like costs and inputs,” he said. “This research will look at the energy loss side of the equation, which not only gives a different perspective but dives deeper into the complex trait of efficiency.”
Dickinson said the analysis feels even more relevant to the needs of the industry when he considers future market and resource challenges.
“Our current cow numbers sit at 60–70 year lows, but as we go forward, the need will become greater,” he said. “At the end of this current cycle, I struggle to think we’ll have the same number of available acres with the current cost and competition for land and forage resources. I think there will be a limit to what we can build back to, and consequently, we will ask even more out of the Angus cow for production.”
Why focus on methane to help do this? A 2023 study, published in the Journal of Dairy Science , shows a portion of animals naturally emit up to 30 percent less methane than others, so there is opportunity to apply genetic selection pressure to make change.
“We recognize exploring topics like those addressed by this research can often be polarizing within our industry,” Retallick-Riley said. But what convinced leadership to take the bold step, she says, was that this initiative isn’t one controlled by forces outside of the beef industry. Instead, the grant provides the finances for Angus and the cattle industry to conduct methane research for the world.
“Being able to leverage funds outside of members’ pockets was a good fit for this type of research to better understand the genetic differences for traits,” she said. And, at the same time, it positions Angus breeders to be on the leading edge of research instead of on the sidelines.
Rob Adams, chair of the Angus Foundation’s board from Union Springs, Ala., knows some cattlemen might be skeptical, but he looks at it a different way.
“If some cattle are as much as 30 percent more efficient in their methane production, as is suggested, then these cattle are probably also just simply more efficient in general,” he said. “That likely also means they are a lower input cost kind of cattle. If we can quantify that and make it possible to genetically select for these cattle, then that will be a win-win for all of us.”
In total, the effort will evaluate the genotypes of more than 10,000 animals, collect phenotypes for methane emissions data, and integrate findings into genetic selection tools for breeding programs to deliver long term, low cost benefits. This project also builds upon the other methane research AGI and the Association have already
By BRIAN LUBBERS, DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, Kansas State University
It happens…you are just about to give an injection. The animal goes ballistic in the chute, and you notice that the needle is gone. In 2024, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service issued two public health alerts from contamination with metal and/or plastic. These alerts are often linked to ground meat products, so they typically impact very large quantities (tens of thousands of pounds).
So if a needle breaks, what are the options:
• First, you should clearly identify the animal so it does not enter commerce without further action.
• Your veterinarian may be able to locate and remove the foreign metal.
• If removal isn’t possible, custom processing for the owner’s consumption may be an option. Communicate clearly with the slaughter facility on the suspected location of the broken needle.
Following these steps will ensure that our beef consumers have a safe and satisfying experience every time.
In 2024, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service issued six Public Health Alerts for beef, pork, and poultry products containing “foreign matter contaminants.” Two of these alerts were issued for metal or metal/plastic contaminants.
supported.
“Anytime we can equip Angus breeders with science based tools that can help them drive meaningful genetic progress in their herds — at no cost to them — that’s a huge success,” Retallick-Riley says.
While AGI will lead collection efforts in North America, the full group’s research will be coordinated by Steve Miller at the University of New England’s Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) in Armidale, Australia. Miller currently serves as AGBU’s executive director. The list of participating teams includes those from:
• AGI in the U.S.,
• University of New England in Australia,
• Beef and Lamb New Zealand Genetics and Ag Research in New Zealand,
• Scottish Rural University College in the U.K., and
• Teagsac and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation in Ireland.
Retallick-Riley said she is pleased that the Angus breed will be in a leadership position with this work because of the responsibility she feels it has, especially to the U.S. beef industry.
“Angus breeders are the primary drivers of genetic change across the globe,” Retallick-Riley said. “As a breed, this research keeps us part of a global conversation.”
Dickinson said, “There are many global conversations out there regarding the true impact of methane production in cattle. I think it is important that we are at the table and involved in those conversations. The results of this research project will not only give our membership a tool that better describes the energy waste side of the equation for efficiency, but it also may lead to more opportunities for the international exchange of genetics.”
“At the end of the day, we want to have the most comprehensive set of genetic predictors available to breeders.”
About the Angus Foundation. Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $4.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.4 million in beef cattle research in the past decade. For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.
Advancing Angus Genetics. Angus Genetics, Inc. has been providing services to the beef industry and various beef breed organizations since 2007, assisting in the genetic evaluation of economically important traits. As a subsidiary of the American Angus Association, AGI looks to lead genetic change for the beef industry. AGI develops genomic enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) for the Angus breed that are updated on a weekly basis. AGI also conducts research and develops new science and technology to benefit the entire beef business.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 21,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers. For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS
Backed by the world’s largest and most reliable genetic evaluation program.
Registered Angus genetics deliver better calving ease, more growth, and superior marbling.
4K FARMS
Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 rdkirkman@spectrum.net
BACK CREEK
Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) robinbackcreek@att.net
Facebook: Back Creek Angus
BILTMORE ESTATE
Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com
CARSON FAMILY FARM, LLC
John, Callie, Isaac & J.R. Carson Laurel Springs 336-818-9087 • carsonfamilyfarm@gmail.com
Facebook: Carson Family Farm
CHAPMAN CATTLE COMPANY
Gary, Isaac & Bryant Chapman Bryant Chapman - Manager Taylorsville 828-514-0526 bryantchapman21@gmail.com https://.m.facebook.com/chapmancattleco
CHESSIE CREEK FARM
Andrew Agostini
Scott Sell - Manager Walterboro, SC 912-3292411 scott@chessiecreek.com www.chessiecreek.com
FOUR S FARMS
Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com
GRAGG FARMS
Paul, Chris & David Gragg Boone 828-268-4136 (Paul); 828-268-4137 (Chris) 828-268-4135 (David) gragg_farms@hotmail.com
H&H FARMS
Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 jennham@bellsouth.net
HILL ANGUS FARM
Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 gmhill@uga.edu
JACK KNOB FARMS
Karl, Janet & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com
LANE ANGUS
Roger & Bundy Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates
252-398-7705 (Bundy); 252-398-7719 (Marinda) 252-357-1279 (Office) bundylane@gmail.com laneangusbeef@gmail.com www.laneangusbeef.com
N.C. State University - E. Carroll Joyner Beef Unit Matt Morrison - Manager Raleigh 716-720-0227 mdmorri8@ncsu.edu
SMITH ANGUS FARM
Randall Smith Snow Camp 336-516-4558 smithangusfarm@yahoo.com
SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM
Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 mrooker@mrookerlaw.com
SPRINGFIELD ANGUS
Phil Goodson Louisburg 919-880-9062 philgoodson2@gmail.com www.springfieldangus.com
TRIPLE LLL ANGUS
Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 • greg.little@atimetals.com
UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS
Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-465-2417 uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.com
VANDEMARK ANGUS
Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 keaton@vandemarkfarms.com
WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC
Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-460-7451 • windyhillfarmsllc@gmail.com
WINSLOW GENETICS
Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 bensbulls@gmail.com
Making Sense of Supply, Pricing, and Navigating the Market. Amid anticipated shifts in cattle supply and evolving market dynamics, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) remains well positioned to navigate the beef sales road ahead. At the recent CAB Foodservice Leaders Summit, Clint Walenciak, vice president of product services for CAB, addressed how producer profitability, strategic specification adjustments, and resilient demand will help stabilize the brand’s beef supply chain through herd size and pricing shifts in 2025 and beyond.
“When we think about the components of demand that are in our favor in a big way, supply conditions, and how we’re going to change, adjust, and remain relevant, there’s no reason to hit the panic button,” Walenciak said.
Over the past two years, the market braced for a decline in fed cattle harvest, driven by the shrinking size of the nation’s cow herd. In 2025, analysts project that the fed cattle harvest will decline by 3 percent, or roughly 700,000 head, with further reductions anticipated in 2026.
“When we think about the factors needed to increase numbers in our total herd population, one of the main elements is profitability,” Walenciak explained.
Awaiting the anticipated increase in cow herd numbers, Walenciak predicted a 4 percent, or approximately 250,000 head, reduction in the availability of CAB carcasses this year. The recent shift in the ribeye area specification, from 10–16 square inches to 10–17 square inches, offers an opportunity to close the supply — and profitability — gap and further increase CAB relevance.
“Not just maintaining relevance to the box, or relevance to a restaurant, end user, and so forth,” Walenciak said, “but relevance all the way up the supply chain to the feeders and the cow/calf operations
that raise the high quality fed cattle that qualify for the brand.”
Markets continue to trend toward a philosophy of more carcass pounds, more product, more profit. As carcass weights have increased, they have simultaneously caused the carcass quality to trend up as well. Despite carcass specifications still in play, the net effect proves beneficial.
“The positive side of that is that as we feed cattle longer, they tend to grade better,” he said. “These heavier cattle mean more pounds of meat going out into the market.”
Potential supply impacts stem from packer procurement prices relative to their earning potential. Their business management decisions directly influence the volume of cattle processed.
“It’s a pure result of packers trying to manage their business as opposed to the fundamental number of cattle,” Walenciak said. “That’s something we’re going to have to be prepared for as much as anything else: what those production hours and production volumes at the packing plant will look like over the next couple of years.”
Since 2020, the premium spread between CAB and USDA Choice steadily increased to $19/hundredweight. All while boxed beef cutout values for CAB are nearing $3.50. This growth signals the steady demand to sell more CAB, sell it at a higher price, or even a combination of the two.
“Demand is extremely stable, and it’s exciting to see it hold where it’s at, even as we come out of 2024 and think about what 2025 holds for us,” Walenciak said optimistically.
Gardiners Highlight Service, Strength at Foodservice Leaders Summit. Resilience, relationships, and raising quality beef — that’s the message the Gardiners brought to center stage at the recent
Figure 2 - According to CattleFax and USDA data, the spread between fed steer and boxed beef prices is likely to compress over the next two years.
CAB Foodservice Leaders Summit.
Mark Gardiner and his son, Cole, of Gardiner Angus Ranch offered a boots-on-the-ground perspective for CAB specialists attending the annual event, designed to deliver resources that help train foodservice teams and serve consumers at a higher level. Kara Lee, director of producer engagement at CAB, served as moderator of the panel session.
“Attendees at the CAB Foodservice Leaders Summit are our frontline sales force in the restaurant industry,” Lee said. “In a competitive beef market with high prices, it’s crucial we equip them with tools to overcome sales objectives by highlighting Certified Angus Beef’s quality merits, marketing support, profit potential, and brand story.”
The father-son duo shared their story of serving up superior customer service and generations of resiliency.
Built on customer service – Nearly 150 years ago and with help from the Homestead Act, the Gardiners planted their operation’s roots in Ashland, Kan., when Henry Gardiner settled on 160 acres. Today, with the fourth and fifth generations at the helm, the property has grown to be one of the most successful Angus seedstock ranches.
Like many family farmers and ranchers, the Gardiners’ success relies on their customers’ success. Whether it’s a commercial cow/ calf operation, feedyard, or even a restaurant, care and commitment stem from a dedication to the future. As consumer demand for the Certified Angus Beef brand increases, it also fuels the long term sustainability of family businesses.
“Every animal is connected to a human, and so we have to make
sure those humans succeed. It’s no different in your business,” Mark said. “My main job today, and all of our jobs, is to make sure that our customers have an experience where they can raise their families, make a living, and pass it on.”
Cole emphasized the key to customer service is listening first.
“Understand what your customer wants before trying to meet their need,” Cole said. “Somebody you can talk to and explain what’s going to add value to their cattle and what’s going to help them be successful are really the kind of people we love to work with.”
But it’s not just business relationships that define their story — it’s how those relationships have been sustained through hardship.
From the ashes – In early 2017, the Starbuck Fire scorched nearly one million acres of western Kansas. Once the ash settled, reality set in, leaving questions about the cost and complexity of rebuilding. Mark, moved by the outpouring of support, watched strangers eager to step up in their family’s time of need.
“Starting the next morning, our customers and people from all over the United States started bringing us resources, and they kept coming and coming,” Mark said.
Cole shared similar gratitude, reflecting how the industry’s giving spirit during devastation reminded him of the true gift in life.
“It made me thankful to be in the industry we’re in with everybody who cares so much,” he said. “It’s difficult to say that a massive tragedy is a blessing, but in reality, it really was.”
Despite differences of both those on stage and in the crowd (or those in the pasture and those in chef coats), all continuously work toward producing the best tasting, best quality beef.
“We’re partners in this business. We’re partners in this world together,” Mark said. “Whether you’re a rancher, in foodservice or a packer — you’ve got to be there, you’ve got to show up, and you’ve got to be present.”
They closed with great optimism.
“We’re living in the greatest time in history, and this is exciting. It’s right here, it’s right now, and we get the opportunity to do this,” Mark said.
This same optimism can be found in event attendees’ enthusiasm and appreciation for the Gardiners’ perspective.
“CAB’s rich grassroots history with Angus breeders is one we’re proud of, and our brand partners are, too,” Lee said.
As a subsidiary of the American Angus Association, CAB is poised to build bridges from pasture to plate and create brand ambassadors who tell its story to consumers. It’s this connection, first hand experiences with Angus ranchers, that attendees return home with a renewed passion and energy to put towards their sales approach.
Who is Certified Angus Beef? At Certified Angus Beef, we know people want to put great meals on the table. Our employees work across the beef supply chain to ensure chefs and home cooks find and prepare the best Angus beef. Led by our culinary, beef, and marketing experts, our team provides consultation, marketing materials, training, market insights, and tools that help businesses like grocery stores and restaurants thrive. Our team is also dedicated to sharing the story of family farmers and ranchers who supply the brand.
By CORTNEY HOLSHOUSER, N.C. Angus Association
The 80 th N.C. Angus Association Annual (NCAA) Meeting was held on March 1 at the Yadkin County Agricultural and Educational Center in Yadkinville, North Carolina. Celebrating 80 years of Angus in North Carolina made for a special day of reminiscing. We celebrated accomplishments throughout the years, remembered pioneers in the NCAA, and looked forward to the future of our organization and the impact we will continue to leave.?
The educational sessions — made possible by generous sponsorship from Biltmore, Corteva AgriScience, and EBS Farms — were informative and well received by the audience. The first session was Accelerating Genetic Progress through IVF, presented by Grady Bishop, Vice President of Global Marketing for Vytelle. Grady was able to give participants a basic overview of the IVF process and useful statistics on conception rates and other points of interest. A highlight of this session included a chance to scan a QR code to enter
into a drawing for a free IVF embryo on the winner’s donor. Windy Hill Farms graciously waived the chute fee. The lucky winner for this giveaway was Will Thompson of Thompson Cattle Company.
The second session, The True Value of a Carcass, was presented by Paul Dykstra, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Director, Supply Management and Analysis. Paul gave a very interesting breakdown and insight into the value of each different section of a standard carcass, and how a CAB carcass fetches a premium in the same categories.
The N.C. Angus Auxiliary and N.C. Junior Angus Association held their annual meetings early in the day. The Auxiliary met at the Ag South Farm Credit building and enjoyed lunch, made plans for the coming year, elected officers, and made a craft. The Auxiliary also hosted the always popular silent auction throughout the day. They graciously provided the decorations for the day as well. The juniors visited a local farm, enjoyed lunch, made plans for the coming year, and elected new officers as well.
Attendees were able to enjoy coffee and refreshments throughout
the day, courtesy of Mitchell’s Meat Processing, Uwharrie Ridge Farms, and Wood Angus.
The annual business meeting was next on the agenda for the day, where members received updates from all committees, conducted business, and elected a new board of directors. Congratulations to Jackie Johnson, Doug Rowell, Bruce Shankle, Mark Wilburn, and Justin Wood for being elected to serve a three year term. Retiring directors Karl Gillespie, Joe Hampton, Greg Little, Kyle Mayberry, and Eugene Shuffler were recognized for their years of service and dedication to the association. The 2025 NCAA officers are Michael Wyatt, President; Kyle Mayberry, Vice President; and Kim Starnes, Treasurer.
2025 Board of Directors – Cortney Holshouser, Executive Secretary; Kyle Mayberry, Vice President; Michael Wyatt; President; and Kim Starnes, Treasurer. Matt Morrison, Mattie Harward, Bruce Shankle, Justin Wood, Doug Rowell, Emily Barnes, Bryant Chapman, Kate Reichert, Nathan Ireland, Jackie Johnson, and Mark Wilburn. Michael Jensen, John Smith, and Marty Rooker, not pictured.
The social began after the annual business meeting, and members were able to interact with sponsors and fellowship with old and new Angus friends. We enjoyed appetizers and wine from Laurel Gray Vineyards. The social was graciously sponsored by Chaudhry Meats, Eberlee Farms, Multi-Min, and Pasture Management Systems Inc.
After the social, premium advertising spots for our N.C. Angus News Magazine and website were auctioned, as well as items to benefit the juniors and Auxiliary. Thank you to Will Thompson for serving as the evening’s auctioneer and to all who participated in the auction to make it a success.
A special presentation was next Callie Carson presented Robin Hampton with the N.C. Angus Hall of Fame Award. Callie recalled her time spent with Robin as a child and expressed her admiration of Robin for being a strong leader, agriculture advocate, and mentor.
Congratulations to Robin on this well deserved honor.
A highlight of the day was a slide show of many of our archived historical photos. Brooke Harward lent her talents to sort through lots of photos and prepare the slide show for us all to enjoy. It was great to look back at some of the association’s oldest memories…from meetings to field days, heifer shows from the 1950s, and more. It was also a time to remember many of our members who we have lost who made such an impact on our organization.
Next, we celebrated the accomplishments of our members throughout the year. Buddy Shelton with Shelton Angus Farm received the Ira Gentry Memorial trophy for having the high selling lot in the 2024 Spring Fever Sale with Lot 2, WHS Growth Fund Burgess J2 — a first calf heifer sired by Deer Valley Growth Fund and a full sister to the Alta Genetics Roster member WHS Capital — selected by Eric Bray of Stars Peak Farm in Jonesville, N.C., for $8,500. She came to town with a GB Fireball heifer on her side that sold for $6,000 to Mark Tucker of Chatham, Virginia. Justin Wood next presented the DeEtta Wood Achievement and Leadership Award to Jonathan Scarlett – junior division, Ellie Shuping – intermediate
2024 retiring NCAA Directors Joe Hampton, Greg Little, and Kyle
division, and Emily Shuping – senior division and recognized Ava Wood for receiving the DeEtta Wood Memorial Scholarship this past summer.
Brooke Harward and Christy Perdue present the N.C. Angus Auxiliary merit awards to Ava Wood, Hannah Vanhoy, Emma Vanhoy, Ellie Shuping, Caroline Scarlett, and Maddie Carpenter.
Brooke Harward and Christy Perdue presented the junior members with the Auxiliary Achievement Awards. Recipients included Maddie Grace Carpenter, Caroline Scarlett, Jonathan Scarlett, Ellie Shuping, Emma Vanhoy, Hannah Vanhoy, and Ava Wood. Ava Wood was recognized for receiving the award for three years.
Guests were treated to delicious CAB prime rib for dinner. Banquet sponsors included First Bank & Trust Company and G5
Agency. During the meal, we saw a slide show presented by the N.C. Junior Angus members highlighting their activities, events, and accomplishments throughout the year. Guests also were able to put in those last bids on the Auxiliary silent auction, always an exciting time!
Shelton received the Ira Gentry
The evening concluded with a keynote address from Paul Dykstra. Paul delivered an overview of the state of the cattle industry and gave his thoughts on its future.
Our organization is so appreciative of all our sponsors for the evening. We were able to create a first class experience for attendees with their generosity. General sponsors for the evening include Carson Family Farm, CattleMax, Chatham County Breeders, Bravo Cattle, ST Genetics, Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales, CPC Commodities, AmeriAg, Norden Mfg., Triple LLL Angus, Carolinas Animal Health, Gentry Homeplace Angus, Double Creek Angus, Union County Farm Bureau, 4K Farms, N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, Randolph County Farm Bureau, Alamance County Farm Bureau, Hi-Lo Farms LLC, Hill Top Farm Service Center, Thomas Agri Service, First Choice Insurance, Iredell County Farm Bureau, Catawba County Farm Bureau, Anson
County Farm Bureau, Davidson County Farm Bureau, Brunswick County Farm Bureau, Surry County Farm Bureau, Johnston County Farm Bureau, Person County Farm Bureau, Chatham County Farm Bureau, Caldwell County Farm Bureau, and JC’s Ranch.
Our Allied Industry Partner program allows us to work with sponsors throughout the year on various projects, including our annual meeting. The 2025 Prime Level Allied Industry Partners include Chessie Creek Farm, Farm Credit Associations of N.C., Neogen, Piedmont Custom Meats, Inc., and Southeast AgriSeeds. Choice Level partners include Biltmore Estate, Brushy Mountain Genetics, Performance Livestock & Feed Company, and Zoetis. Select Level partners include Premier Select Sires, Sunset Feeds, Windy Hill Farms LLC powered by Vytelle, and Zach Moffitt Cattle Marketing and Consulting.
It was a treat to have many of our supporters in attendance throughout the day to interact with our members.
A huge thank you to the annual meeting committee for planning a
spectacular event. Members included Emily Barnes, chairman; Brooke Harward; Nichole Carpenter; Greg Little; Kate Reichert; and Callie Carson, NCAA President. We are also extremely grateful to Yadkin County Ag building manager Steve Potts and Claudia Austin for handling registrations throughout the day. Their help was invaluable in making the day a success. We are excited to begin planning next year’s event already. We invite everyone to join us in 2026!
There
many special aspects
By CORTNEY HOLSHOUSER, N.C. Angus Association
Aborn leader, it was an easy choice for the committee to select Robin Hampton as the 2025 inductee to the N.C. Angus Hall of Fame. Robin and Joe started Back Creek Angus in 1981 in Mt. Ulla. They both quickly became involved with the N.C. Angus Association. Robin began volunteering at North Carolina Angus events. She clerked sales and attended field days and tours, all the time creating friendships and connections within the association. She served on many committees, volunteering her time and her talents to better the group. Robin’s commitment to the Angus breed extends far beyond North Carolina, as she and Joe became involved with the American Angus Association. Throughout the years, they became strong advocates of the Certified Angus Beef Brand (CAB) program. For that outpouring of education and hospitality, CAB honored Back Creek Angus with the 2018 CAB Ambassador Award.
Robin served as the NCAA President from 2003–2004, carrying our organization to new heights. She and Joe also received the N.C. Angus Handbook dedication in 1999. Robin continues to serve the NCAA to this day as our Grievance Committee Chair. She is always willing to fulfill a need for leadership in any capacity.
Robin received her Hall of Fame Award during the NCAA’s annual meeting in March. NCAA President Callie Carson presented the award and shared her personal connection to Robin.
Callie says, “As a child, I can remember watching Robin with both fascination and fear. Robin exuded confidence and was absolutely unapologetic about her role as a woman in agriculture. She worked her way up through the ranks at Farmers Home Administration and then FSA, all while building an Angus legacy beside Joe. Robin was a role model for young women in ag, including me and probably several of you. One thing I especially respected about Robin is that you knew she was a partner and decision maker in Back Creek Angus. Robin was not satisfied to be a spouse in the background. She was familiar with pedigrees, could
recite birthdates, and select breeding stock. In fact, I can remember Robin rolling up in her Blazer as we were working cattle one day. She was wearing a pantsuit and dress shoes, looking sharper than a tack. Robin walked straight over to the chute, picked up the clipboard of data, scanned it quickly, and said, “Things look good,” and hopped back in her Blazer. She was ready to jump in and serve on a committee and, of course, offer her opinion. You knew not to ask Robin her opinion because she was happy to give it to you. Her passion for the Angus breed equaled Joe’s, and she was always beside, not behind, him. Robin, as a female Angus breeder, I want to thank you for paving the way, supporting, and pushing your peers and fellow breeders to do better and be better. And I can honestly say that you are one of the reasons I am in the Angus business today. Robin supervised an FSA youth loan in 1999 that helped purchase my first Angus heifer. Congratulations Robin!”
Steve McPherson, past NCAA President, had this to say about Robin — “I had the good fortune to serve with Robin on the N.C. Angus board and a couple of committees in the early 2000s. I was always impressed with her professionalism and enthusiastic attitude, and she was there to make a positive difference and a “leave things better than you found them” kind of person. She was also very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her and Joe’s farm and cows. I remember at a Yadkin River Angus sale, she and Joe purchased a sister to DHD Traveler 6807. She was over the moon excited about bringing that cow to Back Creek Angus. Congratulations, Robin Hampton, on a well deserved honor. You have made a positive impact on N.C. Angus at home and across the country.”
Tom Burke, American Angus Hall of Fame, says, “Robin Hampton is a dedicated Angus enthusiast who truly loves Angus cattle and the Angus community. What an asset she is to the breed! Robin possesses exceptional knowledge of the ideal Angus appearance, which she and Joe have integrated
into their Back Creek Angus breeding program. Robin Hampton has shared her expertise about Angus cattle to assist new breeders with their breeding programs and marketing strategies. Robin and her husband Joe have been an award winning team in improving Aberdeen Angus in North Carolina. As President of the NCAA, Robin introduced several new programs that benefited both new breeders and ensured a scandal free administration.”
American Angus Association Regional Manager David Gazda shared his well wishes and memories of Robin. He says, “Congratulations, Robin, on your induction into the North Carolina Angus Hall of Fame. While traveling around North Carolina as a Regional Manager for the American Angus Association, I was fortunate to have met Robin and Joe through the many Angus events and activities held throughout the state. As their Back Creek herd grew, Robin immersed herself in the NCAA by volunteering for numerous committees and, later, serving in key leadership roles on the board of directors. Robin’s dedication and contributions to the organization, the Angus breed, and agriculture in the state of North Carolina through the years are immeasurable and long lasting. More importantly, Robin has become a valued and trusted friend to many of us, and our lives are better because of that relationship.
In closing, I cannot think of another individual who has devoted more of her time and energies to the betterment and success of the NCAA and its membership than Robin. Again, congratulations, Robin, on this well deserved honor and recognition, and thank you for your dedication to the Angus breed.”
When asked, former N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Bryan Blinson was happy to submit thoughts on Robin’s achievement. Bryan says, “It is my pleasure to submit comments regarding Robin Hampton. I have had the pleasure to work with Robin for decades. She has always exhibited exceptional leadership, regardless of the task at hand. Her contributions to the Angus breed are too numerous to mention, but her contributions to the state of agriculture in North Carolina and beyond are what I have had the opportunity to admire. Robin’s influence has far exceeded the bounds of the Angus breed or even the cattle industry. Her contributions to conservation, ag programs, and mentorship are the building blocks of sustainability. I have always admired Robin’s no-nonsense approach to leadership. She led by example and showed others what could be attained and accomplished with hard work, determination, and forward thinking.”
Suzanne Brewer, former NCAA Executive Secretary, says, “Congratulations, Robin, on your induction into the 2025 N.C. Angus Hall
of Fame. What a well deserved honor for all your years of service, dedication, support, and involvement! Personally, I’d like to thank you for your support during my time as Executive Secretary from January 2007 to July 2013! For your encouragement to apply when the position came open, I am forever grateful. For all the things I learned during those years, the friendships made, and the places traveled — it was a learning experience for which I am forever grateful! It is an honor to be a part of your induction. Congratulations!”
Fellow N.C. Angus Hall of Fame member Howard Gentry shared, “For many years, Robin has been very active in the N.C. Angus Association. She has served on numerous committees, as well as the board of directors of our association. Robin has served many times as chairperson of committees. Over the years, she attended almost every event our association had — clerking sales and making sure the small details were taken care of to make a successful event. Robin has been a true ambassador for the Angus breed both in our state and at the national level. In 2003 and 2004, she served as president of the N.C. Angus Association. Our association has been very fortunate to have Robin Hampton as a dedicated member.”
I do believe Robin was surprised when her name was called as the recipient of this honor. Her shock only highlights her true leadership. Her long time dedication and loyalty to the association have always been centered around the advancement of the Angus breed, its producers, its organizations, and her desire to make them all lasting legacies. It has never been about recognition, even when it is deserved.
As she accepted her award, Robin was quick to mention folks who have helped her along her journey in the Angus breed. She mentioned becoming involved in the ‘80s and the then Executive Secretary Bette Laursen reaching out to offer any help as she and Joe were starting to get involved with the NCAA. Robin quickly replied to her, “Well, how can I help YOU?” A true testament to her servant’s heart and willingness to contribute to something she fully believes in. We lost Bette just the week before Robin received the Hall of Fame Award, so it was especially touching to hear Robin thank all of those who have made such an impact on the NCAA, like Bette. Robin truly believes in the mission of our N.C. Angus Association and feels that our legacy is still being built. Congratulations, Robin Hampton, the 2025 N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame inductee.
By CALLIE CARSON, N.C. Angus Association
Iam by nature a storyteller. If there was a story telling EPD, you might find it’s highly heritable on the paternal side — much like hair shed. It’s been an honor to be part of the Angus story for 25 years as part of the Juniors, Auxiliary, Board of Directors, and most recently in the last four years as an officer. As I look around the room, there are former Miss American Angus, former National Junior Angus Association board members, past American Angus Auxiliary presidents, and past N.C. Angus Association presidents. The story of the NCAA hasn’t yet been told. We’ve seen many chapters written and new chapters begin. Our story is still being told.
It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of those I consider to be North Carolina Angus legends — Ira Gentry, D.S. Moss, J.R. Fowler, Robin Hampton, Jim McCauley, Connie Mack Deal, the Scarletts, the Eberts. These folks helped shape and guide me, and probably many of you. This year, we lost three dear Angus friends, Connie Mack Deal, Eddie Leagens, and Bette Laursen.
The story of North Carolina Angus is rich with history. More recently, our story has included:
• The association hired and onboarded a new executive secretary, Cortney Holshouser.
• From 2014–2024, Spring Fever sales have increased quality, consistency, and interest from breeders across the United States. In 2014, the high selling bred heifer sold for $3,600; in 2024 it was $7,250. In 2014, the high selling fall pair was $7,700; in 2024, the fall pair was $14,500. We have doubled our averages and high selling lots.
• From 2022–2024, the N.C. Angus Association has increased the balance of the organization, securing our financial solvency and increasing the NCAA’s support programs, NCJAA, and other events across our state to promote Angus cattle.
• Held three frozen genetics online sales as a platform for our members to market embryos and semen.
As we look to the future, the association is planning a fresh website that will be easier to navigate. We are also preparing to launch an Angus influenced female marketing initiative through the Angus Advantage program.
Part of our story will also be the year 2024. It was a terrible year. Drought followed by rain, more drought, fall army worms, and Hurricane Helene. We have members across the impacted region, from Biltmore to Gary Hill to the Schupings. There is no way to adequately describe before, during, and after Helene. No one in Western North Carolina was prepared for already oversaturated waterways to be pounded by Helene’s unrelenting wind and rain to stall over the Blue Ridge Mountains. She left scars on the land and people. Each of us has a different story; I can simply share a few of mine.
In the immediate aftermath, Billy Lewis called to say he had some boys who showed hogs who wanted to come help and could he give them my number, but they needed a place to stay. I told him, “No, Billy, I can’t.” He said, “They’re good folks, and they will help.” There was nowhere to put them. Campgrounds were literally gone, and
there was no power. So we offered them our driveway. Three amazing farmers showed up from Lowland, N.C. — if you don’t know where that is, it’s an island in Pamlico County. If you drove any farther, you’d be in the ocean. It’s where the land meets the sun. Within hours of their arrival, we realized that we had mutual show pig friends, and I had even gone to college with one’s cousin. John said that only a Birdsell could have strangers come and stay in our driveway and be one degree separated.
Those three men worked for five days in two North Carolina and two Virginia counties, accepting nothing but our shop bathroom and sleeping in their livestock trailer on cots. They brought their own equipment and fuel, chainsaws, and a skidder with a grapple. In November and December, one of those men single handedly hauled over 450 round rolls of hay into Helene devastated counties, sleeping in his truck and showering at truck stops. He wouldn’t accept a hotel room, saying that money was needed to help WNC farmers. Farmers helping farmers.
Over the next two weeks, farmer volunteers from across the state would work on 43 different farms across Northwest North Carolina and Southwest Virginia — clearing trees, repairing fences, and preparing meals. Farmers fundraised, delivered, worked, donated, and supported their western neighbors. Farmers helping farmers.
John Barnes made two deliveries into Ashe County. The first time, we were unloading fencing supplies and watched a National Guard helicopter land in a pasture 150 yards to deliver medical
supplies. Later that day, a chinook would land to bring in much needed generators. The second trip, I had to sweet talk us through a road closing so the local power co-op could attempt to repair missing power lines. Many of the roads we traversed were simply gone. Farmers helping farmers.
Another week, Neil Bowman had a “who’s on first” conversation about three dump truck loads of fencing supplies that I had ordered. Except I hadn’t ordered any. When we couldn’t get transport for fencing supplies or get them loaded on a chinook for airdrop, a 17-year-old high school girl commandeered three national guard trucks and sent them to get the fencing supplies so desperately needed in her area. Farmers helping farmers.
Joe Hampton was on hand at the Upper Mountain Research Station to help cook burgers for linemen and community members without power. My son still says it’s the best hamburger he’s ever eaten.
Many of you have done the same. I could not be more proud of you, our members, and the N.C. Angus Association. We have two Allied Industry Partners — Piedmont Custom Meats and Mitchell’s Meat Processing, who helped coordinate food deliveries to devastated areas. Many of you in this room donated hay, time, and animals in the fall 2024 sales. Farmers helping farmers.
Enter to Win the 2025 Best Wagyu Steak in America! Who will claim the crown? Held in conjunction with the 2025 AWA Annual Conference, this sizzling showdown will put the finest Wagyu steaks to the ultimate test. Hosted with The Meat Dudes.
To compete, submit 2–3 Wagyu ribeye steaks! Ship steaks to the Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. 2nd Street, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Steaks must arrive by September 13 to be graded by Dr. Phillip Bass from the University of Idaho. The grade of each steak will be calculated into determining The Best Wagyu Steak in America. On September 19, the steaks will be consistently prepared by world renowned chefs at the resort. The steak submissions will be served anonymously, allowing everyone to sample each one without knowing who submitted it. This ensures participants can vote
honestly for their favorite steaks.
Votes from the tasting portion of the contest will be combined with the scores from the initial steak grading. Once all the numbers are tallied, we’ll reveal the winner of the Best Wagyu Steak in America!
What does it take to produce a winning steak? Hear what the 2024 champion, Sheila Patinkin, has to say — “You’d think we’d have some insight here at Vermont Wagyu, with our top placements at the American Royal, Triple Crown, and the American Wagyu Association’s Steak Whimsy. Like everyone in the Wagyu world, we follow the golden rule — marbling matters. That delicate network of intramuscular fat is what wins over judges — and keeps customers coming back.
Still, there’s more to our story than marbling alone.
Vermont might not be the ideal place to raise Wagyu. Long winters, short growing seasons, unpredictable weather — it’s a challenge. But we’ve learned to embrace those imperfections by focusing on what we can control. That means hands-on, responsible stewardship — rotational grazing, careful manure management, and a deep respect for environmental standards. And maybe, just maybe, there’s something special in the Vermont maple syrup we use to halter train our calves — or in the nutrient dense grasses that grow fast and strong during our short six month season.
Farming here is personal. We raise cattle on small pastures, and every inch of land is tended with care. The Vermont way is slow, meticulous, and artisanal by nature. That care and attention come through in every bite of steak — rich in flavor, texture, and character.
Of course, genetics is the game changer. The flavor and marbling that win awards come from the right combination of traits. That’s why we started using ultrasound scans in 2019 to help guide heifer selection based on intramuscular fat. In 2020, we added genomic EPDs (expected progeny differences) to our breeding program, giving us even more insight into marbling potential.
The results have been clear — a steady rise in marbling scores and flavor quality that reflects both the science and the soul behind our approach.
Winning ‘Best in Taste’ isn’t just about the steak — it’s about everything that leads up to it. Genetics, good farming, passion, and perhaps a little Vermont magic.”
For more information, visit https://wagyu.org/events/the-bestwagyu-steak-in-america-2025. Please email hanna.ostrovski@wagyu. org or gracie.smith@wagyu.org with any questions.
About the American Wagyu Association. The American Wagyu Association, Inc. was incorporated in Texas on March 14, 1990, and serves to register Wagyu and promote the breed throughout the U.S., Canada, and other countries. The Association headquarters is located at the University of Idaho Research Park, Post Falls, Idaho. The American Wagyu Association has a vibrant membership base that continues to promote and develop the Wagyu influence in America and worldwide.
The opportunities Wagyu beef can offer are endless. Wagyu genetics cater to producers targeting the high end restaurant trade with highly marbled beef to the seedstock producer, supplying the cow/calf producers with a crossbred alternative that will offer calving ease and premium carcass quality in a single cross, which no other beef breed can.
Wagyu has a vital role to play in today’s beef industry, increasing the quality of red meat produced that health conscious consumer demand.
The Best Cattle Mineral with Fly Control. Those pesky flies can really be a buzzkill when it comes to taking care of cattle. Flies cost the cattle business billions of dollars annually and impact the well being of the herd.
Horn flies cost beef producers more than $2 billion annually, and face flies can contribute up to $150 million in yearly losses. Houseflies are responsible for the transmission of BVD and scours, and they influence BRD. Meanwhile, stable flies are a huge bite hindrance to feedlot cattle, costing gain and overall performance.
Fly control for cattle is an investment in your herd. As with any investment, it takes an integrated approach to be successful. We recommend cattle mineral with fly control in combination with other management steps.
At BioZyme, makers of VitaFerm cattle vitamin and mineral supplements, we want to ensure your herd stays healthy. That includes controlling flies. That’s why we have partnered with Central Life Sciences to include ClariFly Larvicide in some of our products to provide the best cattle mineral with fly control available.
What makes VitaFerm the best cattle mineral with fly control? Yes, ClariFly is available in other vitamin and mineral supplements. However, when you add it with VitaFerm, your herd receives quality vitamins and minerals, a research proven prebiotic for enhanced gut health, a better immune system, and fly control.
In addition to the fly control, VitaFerm products contain AO-Biotics Amaferm, a prebiotic research proven to enhance digestibility. Not only will your herd improve volatile fatty acid (VFA) production in the rumen by 16 percent, getting more nutrients out of their forage, they will increase their overall health.
What is ClariFly? ClariFly is a four fly larvicide that prevents houseflies, stable flies, face flies, and horn flies from developing in and emerging from the manure of treated cattle. ClariFly interrupts the lifecycle of the fly through the active ingredient diflubenzuron, which inhibits the synthesis of chitin.
Chitin is a major component of the exoskeleton of an insect, and as an insect grows and molts, it will have to reform its exoskeleton. One component is that they deposit chitin to be able to form that exoskeleton. Since the active ingredient in ClariFly inhibits chitin from properly forming into an exoskeleton, that immature insect will die.
“Flies are very costly to livestock producers, as they increase stress on animals, resulting in lower average daily gains and lower conception rates. They also spread numerous pathogens and diseases, resulting in more cases of pinkeye, mastitis, BVD, BRD, anaplasmosis, etc. By feeding ClariFly, producers can reduce fly pressure, resulting in improved performance and lower veterinary expenses,” said Gary Felger, regional sales manager with Central Life Science.
VitaFerm Provides Options With ClariFly – It is critical to find the right cattle mineral for fly control for your operation. VitaFerm offers seven formulas of its vitamin and mineral supplements with ClariFly to help stop horn, face, stable, and houseflies in their larval stage. VitaFerm is a line of nutritional supplements for beef cattle that maximize energy and forage utilization for successful production. Additionally, the HEAT technology in some VitaFerm products also contains a combination of essential oils and garlic to support animals
when heat and insects are a challenge.
• VitaFerm ONE HEAT with ClariFly – VitaFerm ONE HEAT with ClariFly is a free choice vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle that meets or exceeds nutrient requirements throughout the production cycle. ClariFly and HEAT technology promote cattle performance when temperatures exceed 70º F or when cattle are grazing fescue.
• VitaFerm ONE HEAT CTC 3G with ClariFly – VitaFerm ONE HEAT CTC 3G with ClariFly is a free choice vitamin and mineral supplement that meets or exceeds nutrient requirements throughout the production cycle. It contains ClariFly, CTC, and HEAT technology to promote beef cattle performance when temperatures are above 70º F or when cattle are grazing fescue.
• VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Tub with ClariFly – This new product, VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Tub with ClariFly, is a premium protein tub with vitamins, minerals, and ClariFly. More than that, it’s specifically for beef cattle on grass pasture. It supports reproductive success on low protein forage. The first-and-only VitaFerm tub with ClariFly includes 20 percent natural protein along with organic copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity, and hoof health. High levels of vitamin E support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
• VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S with ClariFly – Three VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S formulas exist with ClariFly, providing producers the options they need for their management scenarios. All are premium free choice 5 percent phosphorus vitamin and mineral supplements with ClariFly for beef cattle designed to support reproductive success. They all include Amaferm and organic copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity, and hoof health. High levels of vitamin E support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
In addition to VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S with ClariFly, look for these two other formulas:
- VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT with ClariFly, which contains the HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic for when heat and insects are challenges.
- VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S CTC 3G with ClariFly, which also contains CTC for control of anaplasmosis.
• VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G with ClariFly – Finally, for those producers looking to control costs, we offer VitaFerm Conserve CTC 3G with ClariFly. This supplement for beef cattle supports herd health and performance with a complete but economical vitamin and mineral package. It includes CTC to control anaplasmosis and ClariFly to stop horn, face, stable, and houseflies in their larval stage.
The Final Word – Flies aren’t just an annoyance. They cause economic hardships that are hard to recover from.
“Oftentimes producers only think of flies as a nuisance. They don’t recognize the negative economic impact that flies have on their bottom line. A good example of this is the stress that horn flies have on a cow/calf herd. Research shows that weaning weights are reduced by approximately 20 pounds without horn fly control,” Felger said. “With calf prices at historic highs, this means that horn flies alone may cost a producer $60 per calf or more. And that doesn’t consider that the horn flies may also be spreading disease in the herd and reducing conception rates by as much as 25 percent.”
How to Set Up Your Cattle Breeding Program for Optimal Success.
Cattle breeding is more than just pairing bulls with cows — it’s a complex, strategic undertaking that plays a crucial role in the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of your herd. Regardless of your operational goals, establishing a well planned cattle breeding program is vital. That is true whether you’re raising bulls for the commercial producer, show heifers for young exhibitors, or cattle to put into the supply chain.
Perhaps the visionary filmmaker Walt Disney said it best. “A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there.”
potential, reproductive efficiency, and overall health of your animals. As we prepare for breeding season, each operation has its own set of goals. However, they all have some common goals, too:
• Getting those cows settled on the first breed back.
• Keeping them bred through the summer’s heat.
• Shortening the calving interval.
The VitaFerm team at BioZyme created this guide to cover the critical components to help you build a successful cattle breeding program. Regardless of whether you utilize natural service, artificial insemination (AI), or embryo transfer (ET), good nutrition and vaccination protocols are vital to the success of your breeding success.
Establish Clear Cattle Breeding Goals – Before diving into the mechanics of breeding, it’s essential to determine what you want to achieve with your individual breeding program. Your goals will guide every decision you make, from selecting sires to choosing between natural service or advanced reproductive technologies.
Common breeding objectives include:
• Enhanced fertility - you want to get them bred
• Wean heavy calves - performance
Your goals as a cow/calf producer should influence the genetic BioZyme News continued on the next page
• Efficiency - faster weight gain
• Healthy - this comes with good management
• Better temperament or maternal traits - part of your genetic selection tools
These goals should align with your operational objectives, market demands, labor availability, and environmental conditions.
Understand the Breeding Methods Available – Let’s explore the three primary methods to cattle breeding, their advantages and disadvantages:
• Natural Service – Natural service involves placing a fertile bull with a group of cows or heifers, allowing mating to occur naturally. It is the most traditional and straightforward breeding method.
Advantages
- Simple and low labor required once established.
- Ideal for small herds or less intensive operations.
- No specialized equipment is needed.
Disadvantages
- Risk of injury to cows and bulls.
- Limited genetic diversity if only one or a few bulls are used, and knowing which bulls sired which calves in a multi-sire pasture. This makes culling difficult.
- Difficulty in monitoring exact breeding dates.
- A bull that lacks libido likely won’t cover enough females.
Tips for Success
- Select high quality, disease free bulls with traits aligned to your breeding goals.
- Practice a defined breeding season (45–90 days) to ensure uniform calf crops.
- Conduct breeding soundness exams (BSE) on bulls annually. BSE’s are comprehensive physical exams, plus semen tests, that should be conducted at least 60 days prior to turn-out. Allow adequate time for retesting or replacement, if needed.
• Artificial Insemination (AI) – Artificial insemination allows the use of semen from high quality sires, often located remotely, without the need to house a bull.
Advantages
- Access to superior genetics worldwide.
- No need to manage or feed bulls.
- Better control over breeding schedules and genetic planning.
Disadvantages
- Requires trained personnel or professional service and additional facilities and handling.
- Success heavily depends on accurate heat detection or proper estrus synchronization protocols to ensure timing aligns with ovulation.
- Slightly higher labor and cost per insemination. Tips for Success
- Use synchronized estrus protocols to streamline AI efforts.
- Keep meticulous records of heat cycles and AI dates.
- Work with a certified technician or invest in training.
• Embryo Transfer (ET) – A successful embryo transfer program involves placing fertilized embryos from genetically superior cows,
known as donor cows, into recipient cows. This allows the best females to produce more offspring in a given year.
Advantages
- Rapid multiplication of superior genetics.
- Enhanced control over genetic outcomes.
- Useful for preserving rare or elite bloodlines.
Disadvantages
- High initial cost and technical complexity.
- Requires professional veterinary or technician support.
- Intensive management of both donor and recipient cows.
- Typically, lower conception rates than AI or natural service, though outcomes improve with recipient management and technician skill
Tips for Success
- Ensure both donor and recipient cows are on optimal health and nutrition plans.
- Synchronize estrus cycles of recipients with embryo availability.
- Maintain strict hygiene and biosecurity during the procedure.
One of the advantages of the cattle business is the flexibility in choosing what works best for your operation. You choose the simplistic approach of natural service or one of the more advanced reproductive services as your cattle breeding program of choice. Whatever you select, nutrition and health should play key roles in your program.
Synchronization and Controlled Breeding Seasons – A defined cattle breeding season, such as 60–90 days, allows for easier management, uniform calf crop size, and focused labor and health interventions. Synching up a group of cows is especially helpful if working with an outside AI tech who is coming in to breed your cows or heifers. Work with your breeding technician or veterinarian to choose the appropriate hormone protocols for your herd based on your breeding strategy. The benefits are most evident at calving and weaning with a uniform group of calves.
You will need the following tools to synchronize your females to prepare them for breeding. These tools allow a large group of females to come into heat simultaneously, improving AI efficiency and pregnancy rates.
Estrus Synchronization Tools:
- Progesterone releasing devices (CIDRs)
- Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) injections
- Prostaglandins to regress the corpus luteum
Establish a Strong Health and Vaccination Program –Disease prevention is paramount in any cattle breeding program. Reproductive diseases can devastate herd productivity through reduced conception rates, abortions, or reduced calf vigor. A few of the health measures you need to consider for cattle breeding include biosecurity, parasite control, and a vaccination program. We’ll examine each of these a little more closely.
Biosecurity – Biosecurity is more important than ever before. We must be vigilant in biosecurity efforts to keep our herd safe and free of outside diseases, and also to keep our family and other animals on our operation disease free. We can do this by keeping new animals in quarantine for at least 30 days. Furthermore, test new animals
for diseases like BVD, Johne’s, and brucellosis. Finally, limit visitor and vehicle access to certain areas on your property to minimize pathogen spread.
Parasite Control – Producers should use fecal egg counts to monitor worm burdens within their herds. Parasite control should be conducted on both cows and bulls at strategic times. Deworm
By GEORGEANNE WEBB, S.C. Charolais Association
What a wild few months in North Carolina and South Carolina! I am 72 years old and experienced my first hurricane in the fall, and now Western North Carolina and South Carolina have barely survived major forest fires. They say if you live long enough, you will experience new things. I have never experienced an earthquake and don’t want to. I have also never seen a volcano and don’t want one to rise up in my pasture. I am ready for things to calm down and get back to normal.
I do have some exciting news — at least exciting for me. My son-in-law will retire from the Navy in December, and they are all planning to move back to South Carolina, except for my granddaughter Gloria. She will be residing at Flagler College in St. Augustine on a full scholarship, but she will visit in the summer. My youngest granddaughter, Whitney, who is ten, has decided she wants to be a vet. She decided she will go to Clemson and attend vet school there. I sent word to Dean Marks that he can start having nightmares now in anticipation of my granddaughter attending there. He was warned about me months ago, and now he can anticipate never being rid of me with my opinions.
I don’t have much Charolais news, as I am writing this a couple of weeks before the Appalachian Sale in Knoxville, so I haven’t been able to catch up on the cattlemen gossip. Next month, I should have plenty of gossip to share after the cattle sale.
Charolais bulls are hot right now, and I only have two left — not counting the five I am raising for North Carolina. So, if you need a bull, you need to start calling breeders.
both the cows and bulls pre-breeding. Finally, most parasite control programs call for more than one method, so consider controlling external parasites with lice and flies with pour-ons or sprays. For fly control, consider a fed through pest control in your mineral, like ClariFly larvicide that is found in several VitaFerm products.
Vaccination Program – At VitaFerm, we always encourage producers to work with a veterinarian. Since every herd is different and every environment faces different challenges, work with your local veterinarian to tailor a vaccine plan to your herd’s specific risks.
Even if you have a “closed” herd, or haven’t introduced new cattle into your herd for quite some time, it is still vital to have a vaccination program in place. You can’t control the birds and wildlife that go through your property. Unfortunately, these creatures also spread diseases that can impact the reproductive soundness of your herd.
In general, a vaccination protocol might look like the following:
• Before Breeding
- Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
- Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)
- Leptospirosis
- Campylobacteriosis (Vibriosis)
- Trichomoniasis (especially in bulls)
• Pregnant Cows
- Booster shots as recommended
- Clostridial vaccines
• Calves
- Begin vaccinating at 4–6 weeks of age
- Follow up with booster doses
Implement a Comprehensive Nutrition Program – Reproduction and nutrition work synergistically within every herd. Nutritional deficits can delay puberty in heifers, reduce conception rates, increase embryonic loss, and weaken calves at birth. At VitaFerm, we specialize in nutritional supplements for beef cattle that maximize energy and forage utilization for successful production.
You will want to ensure your cows are in ideal body condition score when preparing for cattle breeding season. According to Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme director of beef technical sales, you will want them to be at least 5.
According to Cassady, maintenance requirements for energy and protein increase 25–30 percent post calving. If you have some cows with a BCS of 5 or less, you should consider managing them separately. By increasing their energy intake, thinner cows may see a boost in reproductive performance.
“Thin cows happen to all of us, but don’t panic. Research has shown that cattle gaining weight heading into the breeding season have just as good a chance of breeding successfully as their adequately fleshed herd mates. Getting the most out of your forages and supplementing with a quality vitamin and mineral program can give these females the nutritional boost they need to breed successfully,” Cassady said.
If you are wondering what to feed cows, check out our handy planner that takes you through the reproductive phases of the herd.
Nutritional Strategies for Breeding Success:
• For Heifers
- Provide a balanced diet rich in energy and protein to reach puberty by 12–14 months.
– Remember, these young bovine are still developing themselves and soon, will be growing a calf inside them. Heifers should reach puberty by 12–14 months to allow for breeding by 14–15 months and calving at 24 months.
- Aim for a target weight of 60–65 percent of mature body weight at first breeding.
• For Lactating and Pregnant Cows
- Support lactation with adequate forage and supplementary grains or minerals.
- In late gestation, increase energy and protein to support fetal growth.
• To Support Bulls
- Keep bulls in good condition without overfeeding.
- Keeping bulls fertile during summer heat requires shade, adequate hydration, and VitaFerm mineral with the HEAT technology.
- Provide trace minerals like selenium, zinc, and vitamin E to boost fertility.
• Water Access
- Provide clean, fresh water at all times — dehydration impacts fertility and milk production.
• Pasture Management
- Rotate pastures to prevent overgrazing and support forage regrowth.
- Test soil and adjust fertilization to optimize grass nutrient value.
• Supplementation
- Provide a VitaFerm vitamin and mineral supplement, powered by AO-Biotics Amaferm, that enhances the digestibility of feedstuffs and forages, ensuring your herd gets the most of what they are consuming.
Amaferm Makes the Difference – To get Amaferm into your cattle diets, we recommend feeding Concept•Aid products powered by Amaferm. Concept•Aid products promote effective, easy breeding when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post breeding.
For those producers looking for a more advanced mineral, perhaps for bulls or ET, we also offer VitaFerm ReproMaxx. Repro Maxx products provide high vitamin and mineral fortification and research proven components to take reproductive success to the MAXX.
“Amaferm can help unlock the nutritional value of all types of forages. Amaferm goes beyond stimulating the growth of beneficial rumen bacteria and can also promote rumen fungal growth and enzymatic activity. This increases fiber digestibility and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production by 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively. As such, more energy becomes available to your cows, leading to more performance,” Cassady said.
VitaFerm Offers Choices – Both Concept•Aid and ReproMaxx
offer producers multiple formulas of vitamin and mineral supplements to tailor to the needs of the cattle breeding program. Besides the original formulas that include Amaferm, organic copper, iodine, zinc, and high levels of vitamin E, VitaFerm also offers formulas to solve the following challenges:
- HEAT technology for females experiencing gestation during the summer or heat stress in general
- CTC in regions where anaplasmosis in cattle is a concern
- ClariFly and garlic when flies are a concern
- Magnesium for grass tetany
- Added protein and phosphorus for areas with low quality forages
Record Keeping and Herd Monitoring – Mr. Disney talked about setting goals. However, if you don’t monitor and track your cattle breeding goals, are they really goals? The point of a goal is to have something written down that you can look at periodically — perhaps monthly or quarterly, and track the progress of your operation. Tracking reproductive performance is key to continuous improvement.
There are lots of ways to record and track your performance data. Some use an Excel spreadsheet or a trusty, yellow legal pad. Others have a calving book they picked up at a local trade show. Others might even use a software program dedicated to their herd. Whatever you use, be consistent, record the dates you log the data and ensure that you have an accurate scale. Don’t “guesstimate.”
• Important Data to Track:
- Heat detection and insemination dates
- Bull exposure and calving intervals
- Pregnancy diagnosis results
- Calf birth weights and survival rates
- Genetic traits and lineage
Use herd management software or logbooks to analyze trends over time. This helps identify fertility issues early, select high performing animals, and cull underperformers.
• Reproductive Key Performance Indicators to Monitor:
- Calving percentage
- Conception rate (per AI or per bull)
- Days open (days from calving to conception)
- Calving interval (target: 365 – a calf every year)
- Replacement rate and heifer retention
Work with a Team of Experts – Finally, success in cattle breeding is rarely a solo act. Build a reliable team that includes:
• Veterinarians
• Reproductive specialists, like AI technicians or embryologists
• Nutritionists
• Genetic consultants
• Your BioZyme Supplement Sales Team
These people want to help you succeed! They can help you tailor plans to your specific climate, breed, operation size, and goals.
Calf Care is Vital when Mama Rejects Newborns. Life doesn’t always go as planned. If you are a parent, you know that kids don’t come with instruction manuals. And as a cow/calf producer, you know that some cows that have just calved don’t have that
inherent maternal instinct. Now, what?
The newborn calf care is vital in those first 24–48 hours. When a beef cow rejects her newborn calf, it’s crucial to ensure it receives the care it needs to survive and thrive — dried, warmed up, and given colostrum.
At BioZyme, we don’t just talk the talk; we’re in the trenches every day, taking care of our cow herds. We know what it is like to have a stubborn first calf heifer unsure of raising a new calf. That’s why we made this step-by-step guide for providing proper calf care.
Give the Calf Colostrum ASAP – Colostrum, or the cow’s first milk, is essential in the first 2–4 hours of life. It provides antibodies, energy, and nutrients. Offer about 10 percent of the calf’s body weight in the first 12 hours, or about 4 quarts for a 90 lb calf. For best results, milk the mama cow, if she will let you, and feed the calf her colostrum. If that is not an option, use colostrum replacers or frozen colostrum from another cow.
“Colostrum is the best protection for a newborn calf’s health, as it passes antibodies from the cow to her offspring,” said Chris Cassady. “However you get it to the calf, be sure to give it at least two doses within the first 24 hours of its life to ensure it gets the best start possible.”
Keep the Calf Warm and Dry – An essential part of calf care is ensuring the calf is protected from the elements. Especially if the calf is born in the open or out in the wind, they will need shelter. Dry the calf off if it’s wet. Use heat lamps or calf jackets if it’s cold. Keeping it warm and dry will help prevent further health challenges.
Give it a Sure Start – Once the calf receives colostrum and is warm and dry, you can give it a dose of VitaFerm Sure Start Gel. This gel is specifically formulated for calves and supports immune function and overall health during the critical post birth period. It contains AO-Biotics Amaferm to support digestibility by stimulating beneficial microbes and provides nutritional support to maximize calf vigor. Finally, this gel delivers IgY antibodies derived from Salmonella, E. coli, bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, cryptosporidium, clostridium, and MOS for broad support of the immune system.
Evaluate the Calf’s Health – Giving your newborn calf its first check-up fairly early in life is essential, especially since it doesn’t have a mother to nudge it at feeding time or clean it.
Check for:
• Breathing issues
• Weak suckling reflex
• Cold ears/mouth (indicates chilling or poor circulation)
If anything seems off, contact a veterinarian — especially if the calf is too weak to stand or eat. We always recommend building a solid relationship with your veterinarian. They know you, your herd, and your environment and can help you develop a treatment protocol.
Try to Reintroduce the Calf to the Cow – Sometimes, rejection is
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temporary. Hopefully, this is the case if you have a cow that doesn’t want to mother her calf. Cows can reject their progeny for a couple of reasons.
First, they might not be mentally prepared to be mothers. Believe it or not, some cows simply aren’t ready yet. Perhaps the oxytocin or milk letdown hasn’t occurred yet. To resolve this issue, restrain the cow in a chute while the calf nurses. Tie back one leg, so she doesn’t kick. If the calf nurses successfully, keep the cow and calf penned together as long as the cow doesn’t hurt the calf, and see if the calf nurses. If she still isn’t allowing it to nurse, you might need to put it back into the chute several times a day.
Perhaps the calf was coming breach, and calving was assisted. Maybe your scent or another scent was marked on the calf, and the cow doesn’t recognize it. Rub the calf with the cow’s afterbirth or manure to disguise its scent. Also, put the same scent in and around the cow’s nose, so she will go to the calf’s scent.
If the cow is aggressive or continues rejecting her calf, move to bottle or bucket feeding.
Bottle or Bucket Feed If Needed – If reintroduction fails, you’ll need to raise the calf as a bottle calf. This kind of calf care is a labor of love and will take time, as you might imagine. Often, parents of younger children look for bucket calves as a way to introduce their kids to caring for animals. Bottle or bucket raised calves will need fed milk replacer at least 2–3 quarts, 2–3 times daily (depending on calf size). Always read and follow feeding guidelines on the milk replacer bag.
• Clean all bottles/buckets thoroughly.
• Start calf starter feed around 1–2 weeks of age.
• Ensure constant access to clean water.
• Keep the calf’s area clean and dry. Dip the navel in iodine to prevent infection.
Early Weaning is Part of Calf Care – Bucket calves can typically be weaned from milk at around 6–8 weeks, depending on growth. Make sure the calf is eating at least 1.5–2 pounds of grain daily before weaning them so they are still getting adequate nutrition.
About BioZyme Inc. With a continued commitment to excellence, the BioZyme Stockyards location earned the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and Feedstuffs 2024 Feed Facility of the Year honor. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include AO-Biotics, VitaFerm, Gain Smart, Sure Champ, Vitalize, DuraFerm, and Backyard Boost. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Mo., the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com.
Premier Awards Over 20,000 in Support to Scholarship Applicants.
Premier Select Sires awarded over $20,000 to students through the 2025 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program. Two students received $2,500 scholarships through the Wayne Dudley Scholarship and the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship. Scholarships of $500–$1,500 in value were received by 19 other students. Eight students received an honorable mention with a $100 cash award.
Winners from North Carolina:
• Joseph Coltrane of Pleasant Garden, N.C., is the son of David and Amy Coltrane. Joseph is from Coltrane Dairy LLC, a dairy farm milking 600 cows. He is a student at N.C. State University studying agriculture science. After college, Joseph plans to return to his family’s farm and use his degree to improve the operation and grow it to new levels. He hopes to continue his family’s efforts and pass the farm on for generations to come.
• Lemuel Coltrane of Pleasant Garden, N.C., is the son of David and Amy Coltrane. Lemuel is from Coltrane Dairy LLC, a dairy farm milking 600 cows. He is a student at N.C. State University studying agriculture science. After college, Lemuel plans to return to his family’s farm. He looks forward to bringing new skills, technology, and management practices to the farm to improve it and pass it along to the next generations.
The Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program provides financial support to eligible students pursuing agricultural education, and it also provides additional return to the cooperative’s memberowners by supporting the next generation of young people desiring to study and work in the agriculture industry. The Premier Select Sires board of directors has made a commitment to providing money to support this scholarship program on an ongoing, annual basis..
About Premier Select Sires . Premier Select Sires is a farmer owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23 state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides:
• Industry leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands
• Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies
• Reliable services and programs backed by years of success
• Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance
Together with its two sister cooperatives, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.
By LARRY KUEHN & MARK THALLMAN, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Across Breed EPD (AB-EPD) Adjustment Factors — National Cattle Evaluation (NCE), and the resulting Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), have resulted in substantial genetic change since their inception in the 1970s. However, EPDs are generally only comparable within breed because of differences in the genetic base. Since 1993, the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) has produced a table of factors to adjust the EPDs of cattle so that the merit of individuals can be compared across breeds. Adjustment factors for carcass traits have been calculated since 2009, and carcass weight was added in 2015; to be included, breeds must have carcass data in the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) database and report their carcass EPDs on an actual carcass basis using an age adjusted endpoint.
Bulls of different breeds can be compared on the same EPD scale by adding the appropriate adjustment factor to the EPDs produced in the most recent genetic evaluations for each of the 18 breeds. Normally, the EPDs of animals from different breeds cannot be compared because many breed associations compute their EPDs in separate analyses and each breed has a different base point. The across breed adjustment factors allow producers to compare the EPDs for animals from different breeds for these traits; these factors reflect both the current breed difference (for animals born in 2021) and differences in the breed base point. The AB-EPDs are most useful to commercial producers purchasing bulls of more than one breed to use in crossbreeding programs. For example, in terminal crossbreeding systems, AB-EPDs can identify bulls in different breeds with high growth potential or favorable carcass characteristics.
The factors are derived by estimating breed differences from
the USMARC germplasm evaluation program and adjusting these differences for the EPDs of the sires that were sampled in the system. Traits for which factors are estimated are birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, maternal weaning weight (milk), marbling score, ribeye area, backfat depth (fat), and carcass weight, as seen in Table 1. The factors adjust the EPDs to an Angus base (chosen arbitrarily).
As an example, suppose a Red Angus bull has a carcass weight EPD of +20 lbs and a Hereford bull has a carcass weight EPD of +72 pounds. The across breed adjustment factors for yearling weight, as seen in Table 1, are -6.6 lbs for Red Angus and -61.6 lbs for Hereford.
The AB-EPD is 20 lbs – 6.6 lbs = 13.4 lbs for the Red Angus bull and 72 lbs – 61.6 lbs = 10.4 lbs for the Hereford bull. The expected carcass weight difference of offspring when both are mated to cows of another breed (e.g., Braunvieh) would be 13.4 lbs – 10.4 lbs = 3 lbs.
Brahman EPDs for marbling score are reported on a different scale than the other breeds with marbling score EPDs. For Brahman, 400 = Sl00 and 500 = Sm00, whereas for the other breeds, 4 = Sl00 and 5 = Sm00, meaning the Brahman EPDs are reported on a scale that is 100 times larger in magnitude. As a result, EPDs from other breeds need to be multiplied by 100 after being adjusted to Brahman, and Brahman EPDs need to be divided by 100 prior to applying the adjustment factors. For instance, to adjust a Simmental bull with a marbling score EPD of 0.15 to compare to Brahman bulls using the factors from Table 1, add the Simmental factor, subtract the Brahman factor, and then multiply by 100: (0.15 + (-0.12) – (-0.70)) * 100 = 73.
Similarly, to adjust a Brahman bull with a marbling score EPD of 40 in order to compare to Simmental bulls using the same factors, first divide by 100, then add the Brahman factor, and subtract the Simmental factor: 40/100 + (-0.70) – (-0.12) = -0.18.
Please note that as of 2024, yearling weight EPD adjustment factors are derived using a BIF adjusted postweaning gain and weaning weight as separate traits, which is consistent with most
national cattle evaluations. Thus, these factors directly relate to EPDs from national cattle evaluations.
It is important to note that the table factors, as seen in Table 1, do not represent a direct comparison among the different breeds
Axiota Animal Health Announces FDA Approval of Multimin 90. The safety and effectiveness of Multimin 90 (zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium injection) as a supplemental source of key trace minerals were confirmed by the Center for Veterinary Medicine and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when the product was approved as a new animal drug in April 2024. The transition to the FDA approved product and labeling is now complete. The approval is the culmination of a significant multi-year investment in research for this novel innovation and ensures that Multimin 90 is safe, effective, and manufactured to the highest standards. Axiota is one of the few companies to partner with the FDA to move a currently marketed product through the drug approval process. Trace minerals are essential for key functions in the body. While a dietary mineral program is key for cattle health, even the best oral programs face challenges. Variation in intake, antagonists, poor digestibility, and changes in demand can result in uneven trace mineral status in the herd. The most effective trace mineral programs address these challenges by incorporating strategic supplementation that ensures even treatment across the herd. Cattle that are fully supplemented are more prepared for periods of transition and stress.
because of base differences between the breeds. They should only be used to compare the EPDs (AB-EPDs) of animals in different breeds. To reduce confusion, breed of sire means (i.e., one half of full breed effect; breed of sire means predict differences when bulls from two different breeds are mated to cows of a third, unrelated breed) for animals born in 2023 under conditions similar to USMARC are presented in Table 2.
The adjustment factors in Table 1 were updated using EPDs from the most recent national cattle evaluations conducted by each of the 18 breed associations (current as of January 2025). The breed differences used to calculate the factors are based on comparisons of progeny of sires from each of these breeds in the Germplasm Evaluation Program at USMARC in Clay Center, Nebraska. These analyses were conducted by USMARC geneticists Larry Kuehn, Larry.Kuehn@ars.usda.gov, and Mark Thallman, Mark.Thallman@ ars.usda.gov
*Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the USDA. The USDA is an equal opportunity employer.
Multimin 90 is the only FDA approved drug that contains four trace minerals known to support cattle health. Its subcutaneous injectable format for supplementation results in a significant rise in levels of zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium in the blood within 8–10 hours of injection and liver storage within 24 hours.1 Multimin 90 complements oral trace mineral programs and is a safe and effective option to strategically supplement four key trace minerals. William (Bill) Weldon, Axiota Chief Executive Officer, said, “The approval of Multimin 90 as a new animal drug confirms that the product veterinarians and beef and dairy producers have relied on since 2010 meets the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficacy for animal health products. Taking the additional steps to secure FDA approval is a testament to Axiota’s continued commitment to provide a reliable and high quality supply of trusted, proven products to cattle producers.”
The U.S. joins more than 30 other countries where Multimin 90 is approved, including several countries in key cattle producing areas of Europe, North America, and Latin America. For more information about Multimin 90, visit www.axiota.com. Reference
1Pogge, D.J., et al. 2012. J. Anim. Sci. 90(8): 2692–2698. About Axiota Animal Health. Axiota is an innovation driven company that discovers, develops, and markets products for beef and dairy producers around the world. Axiota’s focus is to deliver superior, first-in-class products that are scientifically proven with known modes of action, provide measurable commercial efficacy, and are accepted by consumers. Axiota’s non-antibiotic solutions prepare cattle to thrive during transition and stress and support producers’ goals of optimal health, performance, and animal well being. For more information, visit www.axiota.com.
By COLIN WOODALL, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Love it, hate it, or tolerate it, social media platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and others have the unique ability to be both an effective tool and a tremendous liability to an organization like NCBA. Believe it or not, the average person spends 145 minutes on social media every day. No, that’s not a typo; it’s almost two and a half hours of daily posting, sharing, reading, and scrolling. To be even more effective in promoting and defending our industry, we utilize a social media strategy to be the credible beef and cattle voice on these platforms.
Social media is a very effective tool in the work we do as a contractor for the national Beef Checkoff. With most Americans accessing social media on their mobile devices, our social media platforms provide us numerous opportunities to educate and inspire. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. utilizes Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to engage with consumers. In Fiscal Year 2024, we had almost one million followers on Facebook, and the quality of the content we posted increased the number of times users clicked on a link to beefitswhatsfordinner.com by more than 160 percent! In fact, we had more than 1.1 million clicks on the links we posted on social media that drove consumers to beefitswhatsfordinner.com, where they could get more information on beef and access our treasure trove of great beef recipes.
Our team works to create content on these platforms that keeps people coming back for more. First, you have to grab their attention. That is hard to do with the short attention span most people have today. That means developing posts with graphics or messages that cause the user to pause and then click for more. A photo of a juicy hamburger is quite effective at this. Once you have their attention, then you need to pique their curiosity. Get them interested enough in what your post is about to have them click on a link to the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. website to learn more about nutrition, beef production, or to find the recipe for that hamburger you are promoting. Finally, we want them to engage with us. Let’s keep using the hamburger example. We want the user to like our post, click on the recipe, try the recipe, and then share it on their own social media accounts. Now, that’s a lot to ask for, so many times we’ll settle for them liking our posts. When you get the consumer to engage with us on social media, you drive brand recognition, and you get others to help spread the word about beef.
Successful engagement is built on being authentic. While you will find Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. branded campaign posts on our social media, many times you will find some very simple content, such as asking them, “How often do you use your cast iron skillet?” This simple approach is an easy way to get them to engage. It’s also more than just the brand and the beef. Being authentic means posting stories about you, America’s cattle producers, and the effort you put into making the beef they love.
Over the next several months, you will see our social media go on a restaurant and ranch tour where we will educate about regional beef dishes and cattle operations in those areas. A highly anticipated social media series will come during National BBQ Month in May. We are teaming up with pit master Erica Roby to explore regional BBQ styles across the country. Given how people feel about their regional BBQ, we expect a lot of engagement from consumers on these posts. We’ve had tremendous success with Instagram Live events, where we partner with local or home chefs who have built a following around their style of cooking. These live events allow you to follow along with our guest chefs and prepare a beef meal over the course of an hour long live video event. As the chefs are cooking, they are also talking about beef and promoting the great work funded by the Beef Checkoff. In addition, social media posts on cooking beef allow our culinary team to provide expert instruction on how to cook recipes found on beefitswhatsfordinner.com . Examples like these show what an incredible tool social media can be.
Social media is also a great tool to showcase the policy work we do. On the NCBA social media accounts (social handles @BeefUSA), you can find everything from the latest weather forecast to the highlights of NCBA President Buck Wehrbein’s testimony in front of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The policy social media posts allow you to stay up to speed on all we are doing as your advocate on policy and industry issues. Again, another example of how social media can be a tool for good.
Social media can also be a hotbed for hate and vitriol. I’m disappointed in what people write and say when they don’t have to look the other side in the eye. Whether they identify themselves or hide behind a fake profile, there are a lot of users who want to tear down NCBA, the Checkoff, and each other with their posts. With everybody having their own opinions, and in some cases their
own facts, we have seen social media fights that are ridiculous and embarrassing. I had a Twitter account when I first took over as CEO, thinking it would be a great communication tool. The detractors found it quickly and used it to air all their grievances. Now, I’ve been called worse things by better people in person, so the attacks didn’t phase me. However, I had consumers, members of Congress, and other people outside our industry who also followed me, and I
had more than one of them ask what in the world was wrong with the cattle industry when they would read some of these crazy posts. That’s when I knew these tools could be a liability to our future.
Good, bad, or ugly, social media is a part of life today, and we will continue to find ways to use it in a responsible and positive manner to promote our product, defend our work, and help people learn more about cattle and beef production in the United States.
By GENE COPENHAVER, NCBA President-Elect
NCBA’s membership is made up of tens of thousands of cattle producers from every corner of the country. No two families raise cattle exactly the same way, and our association runs on the wide range of different ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives that our producers bring to the table. But there are two things that unite each and every NCBA member and set our course in Washington, D.C. — our grassroots policy process and our conservative values.
One of the building blocks of conservatism is belief in the free market. Our members believe in strong private property rights, individual freedom, and fair market competition on a level playing field. We don’t want the federal government to tell us what we can buy, eat, or do with our business, and we don’t want those burdensome, bureaucratic restrictions put on our neighbors either. This is reflected all over the policy book that directs NCBA’s work in Washington — everywhere from our policies on trade, to environmental management, to how we handle competitors in the fake meat business.
Plant based and lab grown protein products enjoyed a moment in the sun several years ago, but it didn’t take long for the free market to kick in and push these companies down a very steep decline. From Beyond Meat to SCiFi Foods, we have seen stock prices fall, employees laid off, plans for new facilities cancelled, and in some cases, companies have gone out of business altogether. We know — and recent history has proven — that when given a choice, American families will choose real, wholesome beef. Our customers trust farmers and ranchers. They trust the nutrition, taste, and quality of the beef we produce. They trust the safe and responsible way you raise cattle and care for the land. And they don’t want to turn their back on a delicious, proven winner in favor of untried, untested, ultra-processed goop that a Silicon Valley company cooked up in the vat of a bioreactor.
We are not afraid of competing with these plant based and lab
grown imitators because we are 100 percent confident in our product. But that competition has to be fair, and the federal government can’t go putting their finger on the scale to tilt the free market in favor of dying fake meat companies. That’s why NCBA has been working on regulations and legislation that require very clear labeling on these products. In one quick look, every American at the grocery store should be able to tell exactly which products come from a real cattle producer, and which products are manufactured in a lab. No consumer should ever be tricked into eating something they don’t want to eat, and that’s why labeling requirements are so important.
With all the attention on this issue in statehouses across the country this year, I get a lot of questions about whether NCBA supports a ban on imitation products. Telling Americans what they can and cannot buy at the grocery store does not align with NCBA’s policy book or our conservative values. And setting a precedent that the federal government can remove a product from the shelves completely is not wise for the cattle industry when we have no idea who might be sitting in the White House or in Congress ten years from now.
We’re ready to compete with these products. We are definitely encouraged by the dried up investments and other market signals that Americans are giving, saying, “We don’t have any interest in these fake products.” Just as we have on other industry issues, we respect that our state affiliates may take different positions, and we support the idea that local leaders know what’s best for their state. But above all, we’re going to stay the course, keep following our grassroots policy, keep working to close loopholes, and work with the Trump administration to make sure that no fake products get to trade on beef’s good name in the marketplace.
Gene Copenhaver is a cattle producer from Virginia and the President-Elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Support our efforts to protect the cattle industry by becoming a member of NCBA. Join today at www.ncba.org or by calling 866-233-3872.
By BUCK WEHRBEIN, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Irecently had the honor of representing the cattle business and members of NCBA by testifying before Congress about the many critical issues impacting us as producers. It was an honor to represent each of our members in this capacity, but also a reminder of something far more important — the need to be involved. Being involved, as a member of the cattle industry and in the policy process, isn’t an option — it is a necessity for the survival and future of our family farms and ranches.
NCBA is leading the charge to fight the threats we face as cattle producers. Whether it’s burdensome regulations, unworkable environmental rules, animal rights activists, or countless other threats, NCBA is working tirelessly to protect our interests. However, securing the future so we can pass our farms and ranches onto future generations falls to each of us as individuals to be engaged members of our local, state, and national industry organizations. Our collective strength — our willingness to be leaders in grassroots advocacy — is the only thing that consistently stands in the way of the people and policies that could devastate our future.
It’s no surprise that lawmakers are often disconnected from the everyday struggles cattle producers face. The distance between Washington, D.C., and the heart of rural America is a Grand Canyon wide rift that results in misunderstanding and mistrust. The only way to combat this is through real, authentic engagement.
Advocacy goes beyond letters and petitions; it involves personal connection through conversations and sharing stories. Lawmakers are influenced by real world impacts and need to hear directly from cattle producers. That’s why the opportunity to testify was such a life changing opportunity for me and for anyone else who has been willing to stand with us in Washington, D.C. While NCBA advocates nationally and testifying is a big part of that, grassroots efforts from individual members are crucial. Active participation in policy discussions, attending town halls, or contacting officials is essential for effective advocacy.
We’ve all heard the adage, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” This is especially true in Washington, D.C. Cattle producers are probably some of the most authentic people to step foot in political offices and have discussions about policy. That’s our strength, and we must rely on the power of our collective voice to advocate for our interests. We are the boots on the ground, and only we know what works and what doesn’t.
I know firsthand how busy life can be — every day is a balancing act of caring for our animals, land, and family, all while trying to keep up with a mountain of business obligations, paperwork, and
regulations. But here’s the truth — if we don’t make the time to engage with our policymakers, others will make decisions for us that could endanger our way of life. The challenges facing cattle producers are immense, but we are not powerless. We are strong when we stand together, united by the common cause of defending our industry. The work ahead will be tough, but I have no doubt that if we all make the effort to engage, educate, and advocate, we will continue to ensure the survival and success of our farms and ranches for generations to come.
Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to our association. Your involvement is invaluable, and I truly appreciate your commitment to our shared goals. As we continue to advocate for the cattle business, I encourage you to keep engaging with NCBA and continue exploring opportunities to make a difference at the state level. Your voice and actions inspire others, and together, we can strengthen our efforts to protect and secure the future of the cattle industry for generations to come. I hope our paths cross in the future and, until then, happy trails.
NCBA Statement on White House Reciprocal Tariff Announcement. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement recently, after attending President Donald J. Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement at the White House:?
“For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”
Background – Numerous countries impose tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on American beef that inhibit opportunities to export our high quality product. For example,
• Australia has sold roughly $29 billion of beef to American consumers. Meanwhile, we have not been able to sell $1 of fresh U.S. beef in Australia due to non-scientific barriers.
• Vietnam places a 30 percent tariff on U.S. beef, while Australian beef faces no such tariff.
• Thailand places a 50 percent tariff on U.S. beef.
• Brazil and Paraguay have a history of dangerous foot-andmouth disease, but despite overwhelming evidence of their animal health risk, the Biden administration continued to allow U.S. market access to Brazil and Paraguay.
• The European Union places numerous non-scientific “Green Deal” restrictions on American beef, limiting market opportunities.
American cattle producers raise the highest quality and safest beef in the world, and NCBA continues to push for more opportunities for U.S. producers to sell their beef abroad, increasing profitability.
NCBA Lauds House Introduction of Black Vulture Relief Act.
NCBA recently welcomed the introduction of the bipartisan Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025 in the House. This legislation is led by Representatives John Rose (R-Tennessee) and Darren Soto (D-Florida), who represent districts where producers are facing immense burdens from black vulture overpopulation.
“Cattle producers across the South and Midwest face the emotional and financial strain of livestock deaths due to overabundant black vultures. At a time when the U.S. cattle herd is at the lowest number since 1951, producers cannot afford to have vultures killing newborn calves. My family’s cattle operation faces the burden of black vultures daily, with them roosting on nearby service towers overlooking surrounding pastures,” said NCBA Director of Government Affairs Garrett Edmonds. “Being in the middle of spring calving season back home, these predators target the newborns — the weakest animals who cannot defend themselves. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act has been overwhelmingly successful but makes it extremely difficult for producers to properly protect
their cattle herds from these predators. It is time to recognize that success and give producers more flexibility in managing black vulture populations. NCBA appreciates Congressmen Rose and Soto for introducing this commonsense bill to properly manage an exploding population of predators.”
Background – Black vulture depredation rates have increased across the Southeast in recent years, surpassing 30 percent in some states like Florida. The bill would allow a cattle producer to “take” (capture, kill, disperse, or transport) black vultures that pose a risk to livestock. Additionally, the bill reduces permitting burdens and red tape by instituting a simple report that producers submit once per year detailing the number of black vultures they took. Streamlining the system and lifting the cap on the number of black vultures that producers can take is a commonsense approach to managing a fully recovered, aggressive predator species.
NCBA Backs USDA Efforts to Safeguard Cattle Industry from New World Screwworm. NCBA recently announced support for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ actions to protect the American cattle industry from the rising threat of New World screwworm.
“The U.S. spent millions of dollars to eradicate New World screwworm from our borders in the 1960s, but unfortunately, we are now facing this dangerous threat again,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “Screwworm is very destructive and could cost American producers millions of dollars a year if it reaches us. Americans have been investing in prevention efforts in Central America for decades, but we can’t stop this without Mexico’s participation. NCBA strongly supports Secretary Rollins holding Mexico to their commitments regarding screwworm eradication.”
In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was notified that New World screwworm was detected in Mexico. NCBA has been working closely with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to increase surveillance, inspection, and other measures to counter this pest.
At the same time, NCBA has also been working with USDA to expand the use of the sterile insect technique, which requires the continuous release of sterile male screwworm files that breed with wild screwworms and result in no offspring, eradicating the species.
Unfortunately, Mexican authorities have failed to uphold their end of the agreement by disrupting planes carrying these sterile male files, refusing pilots permission to land, and instituting customs duties on flight components, sterile flies, and sterile insect technique equipment.
“We have received multiple reports that critical flights carrying these sterile flies have been denied permission to land, faced bogus paperwork issues, and been charged high customs fees. As a result, we have lost significant time and investment that has allowed these dangerous pests to spread unchecked into southern Mexico,” said Ethan Lane. “In light of those reports, NCBA met with the Mexican Embassy earlier this week to deliver the message that the Mexican
government needs to be a partner in eradicating screwworms to protect both animal and human health. It’s time for Mexican authorities to act, and we appreciate Secretary Rollins standing with American and Mexican cattle producers who want to see this pest stopped dead in its tracks.”
NCBA President Wehrbein also met with senior officials at the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, D.C., to press for further action on screwworm eradication. NCBA will continue this critical work to ensure we are protecting U.S. consumers and the health of the American cattle herd.
NCBA and PLC Help End Targeted Persecution of Maude Family.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council recently commended U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for ending the overzealous criminal prosecution of family ranchers Charles and Heather Maude.
Secretary Rollins’ announcement is welcome news both for the Maude family, who have endured arduous court appearances, legal fees, and the threat of prison time, as well as for family ranchers across the West who feared heavy handed legal pressure from the last administration. This announcement is a fitting culmination to the last year of work NCBA and PLC have done in Washington to find a reasonable end to this unnecessary situation. The support of grassroots cattle industry leaders from around the country was also crucial to achieving this victory.
“No family farmer or rancher should have to go through what the Maude family did,” said Buck Wehrbein. “The targeted prosecution of the Maude family was way out of line for the U.S. Forest Service, and this was a clear example of government overreach that had direct, catastrophic impacts on a hardworking fifth generation ranching family.”
Under the Biden Administration, Charles and Heather Maude were indicted on federal charges of “theft of federal property,” as the result of a disputed fence line with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and a small parcel in the family’s pasture that had been managed the same way since the early 1900s. Despite the Maudes engaging in good faith with USFS to address the boundary dispute, USFS diverted from normal protocol. Armed federal agents served the Maudes with a federal summons, where Charles and Heather were charged separately, requiring them to each retain their own attorney and subjecting each to penalties of up to ten years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000.
“Charles and Heather Maude are public lands ranchers who for decades held a federal grazing permit and were permittees in good standing,” said PLC President and Colorado rancher Tim Canterbury, a federal grazing permittee. “As permittees, we are required to work collaboratively with the government, but when federal agencies view ranchers as the enemy, it threatens the trust that every single rancher has in their federal partners. The public outcry we saw on behalf of the Maudes goes to show that public lands ranchers everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief that the USDA under Secretary Rollins is no longer trying to slap handcuffs on hardworking farmers and ranchers.”
NCBA, PLC, and our state affiliates have been involved in supporting the Maudes since they first faced legal charges. Last August, NCBA and PLC leaders brought media attention to their case and urged then-Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and then-Chief
of the Forest Service Randy Moore to work with the Department of Justice to change course. Since that time, NCBA and PLC staff have participated in numerous meetings with Forest Service and USDA leadership to reel in rogue federal agents and a siloed, activist Department of Justice. After the election in November, NCBA and PLC immediately brought the Maude’s case to the attention of the Trump Administration, urged the White House to intervene, and have demanded accountability from USFS law enforcement leaders.
“This case was an unfortunate example of the imbalance of power between family ranchers and a formidable federal government. Put simply, the Maude family was expected to bear the burden of an inefficient and unfair Forest Service process, and their story had a chilling effect on ranchers’ trust in federal land management agencies they interact with daily,” said Executive Director of PLC and NCBA Natural Resources Kaitlynn Glover. “Both the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council are pleased that our months long campaign to find a good solution for Charles, Heather, and their kids has finally become a reality.”
About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org
Cowboy hats and boots were spotted in the halls of Congress recently as four NCBA members testified before representatives and senators on policy priorities for the cattle industry.
Starting off the congressional hearings was NCBA President Buck Wehrbein who testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“The cattle industry is seeing better market conditions, strong consumer demand for beef, and optimism for the future of our industry, yet challenges still remain,” Wehrbein said. “Congress must always remember that food security is national security, and the policy decisions they make will impact the hardworking cattlemen and women who produce our nation’s food.”
In particular, Wehrbein urged Congress to pass new tax legislation to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Signed into law in 2017 by President Donald Trump, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created new business tax deductions available to cattle producers and reduced the impact of the federal estate tax, commonly referred to as the Death Tax. Those deductions are now set to expire unless Congress passes new legislation this year. NCBA is working to get new tax legislation introduced that will extend good provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and lower taxes for cattle producers.
The following week, Kansas cattle producer Troy Sander appeared before the House Agriculture Committee to give a similar update to representatives.
“Cattle producers are seeing higher prices for their livestock, but the entire industry continues to face pressure from rising input costs, taxes, and overregulation coming from Washington,” Sander said.
According to Sander, a few ways Congress can support cattle producers are by rolling back harmful regulations and supporting programs like the Beef Checkoff.
Recently, the Beef Checkoff has come under attack from radical animal liberation activists who seek to end the Checkoff because of its success at promoting beef. According to a return on investment study conducted by Cornell University, the Beef Checkoff generates a return on investment to producers of $13.41 for every $1 invested. The Beef Checkoff also drives the U.S. economy. The increased demand for beef created 47,000 jobs, resulted in $2 billion in employment income, added a total of $4.1 billion to the U.S. economy, and increased U.S. GDP by $9.5 billion.
These successes have led to phony farm groups, including “Farm Action” and the “Farm Action Fund,” to attack the Beef Checkoff and claim that the program wastes taxpayer money. In truth, the Beef Checkoff is fully funded by producer dollars, uses no taxpayer dollars, and achieves incredible benefits for producers at no cost to American citizens. Most importantly, the Beef Checkoff is subject to robust oversight, with financial audits being conducted annually and posted online on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board website. Sander shared all these details with Congress to make sure policymakers continue to support the Beef Checkoff and reject animal liberation activists.
After four years of the Biden administration increasing red tape for farmers and ranchers, cattle producers have been asking the Trump administration to roll back regulations. In the House Agriculture Committee, Sander explained the need to remove
harmful business regulations. At the same time, two NCBA members were delivering this message before a different committee, the House Natural Resources Committee.
Washington rancher Kent Clark and Colorado rancher Robbie LeValley testified together about the reintroduction of dangerous predator species in the West and steps Congress can take to address the unintended consequences of nonessential experimental populations under Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
“Too often, Washington bureaucrats pursue policies like reintroducing experimental populations of dangerous wolves and grizzly bears right in the heart of ranching communities. Sadly, ranchers like me have seen the devastating impact of these decisions with these predators harming our cattle and threatening rural residents,” Clark said. “My message to Congress is to listen to rural communities and rethink policies that may sound good in Washington but will make life harder in rural America.”
During the Biden administration, activists sought to expand the population of gray wolves and reintroduce the grizzly bear to the North Cascades Ecosystem. Those actions have a devastating effect on ranchers, who are the backbone of rural communities and their local economies.
For the gray wolf — the species has been on the endangered species list since 1974 — but the population has recovered, exceeding recovery goals by 300 percent. Despite the gray wolf being an example of species recovery, activists have continued to sue, forcing the wolf to remain on the endangered species list. As wolf numbers continue increasing, predators are having more encounters with livestock, leading to numerous attacks against cattle.
In 2023, the grizzly bear reintroduction was announced despite widespread opposition from members of local communities, who would be living with another apex predator in their backyard. Grizzly bears are more than 20 times more dangerous than black bears, and their bite force is capable of shredding the human body within seconds. These bears are also well known for breaking into homes, fatally mauling humans, and devastating livestock and pets alike.
Farmers and ranchers in rural communities have the most experience with these dangerous predator species, and both Clark and LeValley drew on their firsthand knowledge to educate lawmakers. LeValley specifically focused on Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act, which allows experimental populations of predator species to be reintroduced
“Experimental populations carry the burden of regulatory systems built on hope that a 10(j) population can thrive and, one day, be part of the numbers that can lead to a ‘recovered’ population. For wolves and bears, and other species that are undoubtedly recovered, additional 10(j) populations unnecessarily expand the regulatory burdens over a wider area since their success has little bearing on the species’ ultimate listing status,” LeValley said. “Across the country, the ESA has become a barrier to sound management of land and wildlife resources.”
Through these hearings before the Senate Agriculture Committee, House Agriculture Committee, and House Natural Resources Committee, real cattle producers and NCBA members had the opportunity to tell Congress exactly how they can support the cattle industry. To watch the full hearings and learn more, visit www.ncba.org
Faces of the Federation. For more than 60 years, grassroots producer engagement has driven the demand for beef through the Federation of State Beef Councils. States voluntarily invest in the Federation to build beef demand by inspiring, unifying, and supporting an effective and coordinated state and national Checkoff partnership. Ultimately, it is cattle producers from coast to coast who direct the Federation’s work, and we celebrate their dedication. These are the “Faces of the Federation.”
Located on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii, Jeri Moniz, her husband, and her sons own and operate K K Ranch. The family manages 5,000 acres of state leased land, and their cattle are finished on the mainland. What started 30 years ago as a way for Moniz to raise her kids away from the city and provide food for other families has turned into a commitment to serve the industry. Moniz is the president of the Hawaii Beef Industry Council and serves on the Stakeholder Engagement Checkoff Committee.
How does the Federation of State Beef Councils impact the beef industry? As state beef councils, we’re stronger together. I appreciate the collaborative aspect and the ability to listen to different ideas from producers across the country. It’s important to look at the big picture and be able to have a voice in how our industry is shaped. As a collective body, we want to keep this industry viable. We want to keep it strong and healthy for our kids. The Federation helps keep our product in front of people so that we can keep being economically viable.
What are some of the benefits of investing in the Federation? As a state with smaller cattle numbers, the collective work the Federation does on behalf of all state beef councils is critical. We are able to work with other states to share funds and ideas to best connect with consumers.
For example, we were able to collaborate to produce a “Voices of the Outdoors” video that highlighted Haleakala Ranch on Maui and surfer Ian Walsh. The video showed how ranchers steward the land and how that stewardship helps the health of the ocean. We were able to interact with the public to educate them about what we do and how it helps the environment.
In addition, because of that collaboration, we paid a fraction of the cost to produce a consumer focused video. We were also able to produce additional videos highlighting different Hawaiian ranchers and local restaurants that feature beef. Those successful efforts would not have been possible without the Federation of State Beef Councils.
Why do you think the Federation continues to be vital? After 60 years, the Federation continues to be vital because demographics are always changing. The consumers and what they need are always changing. Having research and programs to help us connect with those consumers is really important. We rely on the state/national partnership to help us determine how to promote our product and our lifestyle so that consumers buy beef and keep us on our ranches.
What is the most important message you’d like to share about the Federation? It’s important for me to be able to keep ranchers where they’re at. Ranchers face many pressures, but it’s important for us to stay on our ranches and keep doing what we’re doing. We need to be able to feed people, so we need to keep our businesses viable and have opportunities for future generations. We produce an amazing product, and it’s gratifying to know that our investment is being used to enhance our product and keep our industry viable for the future.
Beef Advocacy Strengthened With New Trailblazers. After a competitive application process, ten new Trailblazers have been selected for the program’s fourth cohort of beef community spokespeople. The Trailblazers program, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, takes advocacy to an unprecedented level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths. The following new Trailblazers will collaborate with previous Trailblazers to promote community, mentorship, and connection and continue creating opportunities to elevate voices from the grassroots level.
• Emma Coffman - Texas
• Tierra Kessler Duke - Oregon
• Dylan Gilbert - Alabama
• Meredith Halweg - Colorado
• Mike McMillan - Arkansas
• Lauren Moylan - Kansas
• Kim Rounds - Colorado
• Tyler Schuster - Texas
• Stephanie Teskey - Arizona
• Calli Williams - South Dakota
“We are entering our fourth year of the Trailblazers program and continue to see an overwhelming response of interest and an increased number of applications from beef community members,” said Chandler Mulvaney, director of grassroots advocacy and spokesperson development at NCBA. “The new cohort will join an existing community of 40 Trailblazers who are safeguarding and promoting positive stories for the Beef Checkoff.”
Trailblazers receive in-depth training to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews, and understand how to build confidence in beef related practices when talking to consumers. Throughout the year, Trailblazers experience advanced training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media, and enhance public speaking skills.
Trailblazer Macey Hurst of Missouri said the following about her experience, “The Trailblazers program is everything I expected and more. The knowledge secured from sessions and roundtable discussions provided a lot of clarity and confidence going forward in my advocacy journey. And the opportunities to put that knowledge into practice on panels and in interviews pushed me outside of my comfort zone in a way that encouraged me to continue learning and excited to do it again.”
Trailblazers will meet online and in person to foster constant growth and refinement of skill sets when speaking about beef. Upon joining the advanced advocacy program, Trailblazers serve as industry spokespeople and inform beef advocates at the local and state levels on advocacy, media, and spokesperson best practices. Every year, ten new Trailblazers are accepted into the community building program. For more information on the Trailblazers program and other beef advocacy efforts, contact Chandler Mulvaney at cmulvaney@beef.org.
2025 Stockmanship & Stewardship Registration Open. Registration is now open for three Stockmanship & Stewardship events to be held this summer. Stockmanship & Stewardship is a unique educational experience for cattle producers featuring low stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) educational sessions, facility design sessions, and industry updates.
2025 Stockmanship & Stewardship dates and locations:
• June 26–28 - Watertown, S.D.
• August 13–14 - Canyon, Tex.
• September 4–6 - Springfield, Mo.
During each event, producers can become BQA certified, network with fellow cattlemen and women, participate in hands-on demonstrations led by industry experts, including Curt Pate and Dr. Ron Gill, and learn innovative handling techniques. Topics including biosecurity and secure beef supply will be discussed, and the Texas program will be feedyard focused and available in Spanish. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall will be the keynote speaker at all three events.
“Cattle handling and stockmanship are core components of BQA,” said Dr. Ron Gill, Texas AgriLife extension specialist. “Animal handling and care directly connect to improved success and profitability of operations.”
Stockmanship & Stewardship is sponsored by NCBA, Neogen, and the Beef Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance program. The goal of these events is to give cattle producers around the country access to valuable resources, which aligns with Neogen’s mission to provide innovative solutions to enhance animal care, performance, and productivity within the cattle industry.
“To us, it is a relationship that is worth being a part of,” said Dr. Kirk Ramsey, Professional Services Veterinarian with Neogen. “It is an opportunity to promote good cattle handling and be part of making the industry what it needs to be.”
For more information about Stockmanship & Stewardship and to register, visit www.StockmanshipAndStewardship.org . Cattle
producers attending a Stockmanship & Stewardship event are eligible for reimbursement through the Rancher Resilience Grant. To apply for a grant to cover registration and hotel costs, visit www.ncba.org/ producers/rancher-resilience-grant
*Links to third party websites should not be considered an endorsement by the Beef Checkoff of the actual website or the company or organization that owns/manages that website.
About the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition
to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50¢ on the dollar and forward the other 50¢ per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Beef Quality Assurance Journey Made Easier With New Resources.
For more than 30 years, the Beef Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has been driving continuous improvement using science based production practices that assure cattle well being, beef quality, and safety. Currently, there are more than 500,000 BQA certifications, demonstrating the cattle industry’s commitment to animal welfare and beef quality. The program continues to adapt and develop new resources to guide producers on their BQA journey.
Spanish Language Materials - In response to producer feedback and requests, all BQA materials are in the process of being translated from English to Spanish, with additional Spanish video content to be used for training opportunities. Spanish BQA materials are available online at www.bqa.org/resources/recursos
For the first time, a Stockmanship & Stewardship event will be conducted in Spanish on August 13–14 in Canyon, Texas. This unique training is designed for feedlot operators and employees. The agenda and registration information are available at www. stockmanshipandstewardship.org
Those who are BQA certified through in-person or online training are required to recertify every three years. Instead of going through the same foundational training, the BQA program has developed continuing education courses to create a new educational experience for those who need to recertify. An individual must obtain three continuing education (CE) credits in a recertification period, which is any time after the initial certificate is earned until one year after the original course expires.
The BQA continuing education video course library includes a variety of topics such as biosecurity, stockmanship, herd health, and facility design. Producers can select courses that are of most interest to them to complete their three CE credits. For those who prefer inperson training, recertification is also available at many BQA events.
Updated National Manual and Field Guide - The updated BQA National Manual serves as a resource for science based cattle production information and is available for free at www.bqa.org/ resources/manuals . It was developed to set production standards for beef quality and safety that are appropriate to an operation and that producers can realistically meet or exceed. In addition to the publication’s availability online, the resource is also shared at the grassroots level through BQA state coordinators. An abbreviated “Field Guide” version of the manual will be available for cattle producers and on-farm/ranch workers in summer 2025.
The BQA program will continue developing resources to help producers raise healthy animals and produce the beef that consumers demand. To become BQA certified and to learn more, visit www.bqa.org.
About Beef Quality Assurance. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they ensure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit www.bqa.org.
For beef producers, ensuring a secure and safe beef supply is more than a responsibility — it’s a commitment to consumers who trust the beef they purchase is of the highest quality. Biosecurity is an essential part of this commitment, as it helps protect
cattle health and welfare, maintains product quality, and ultimately supports consumer trust.
Growing Consumer Trust - Biosecurity aims to protect animals from disease by minimizing the movement of biological organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites, within or onto an operation. This, in turn, promotes animal health and welfare and minimizes the time and labor resources required to treat a sick animal.
For Julia Herman, beef cattle specialist veterinarian with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, a solid biosecurity plan directly impacts consumer confidence. “Consumers care about the welfare of the animals they’re feeding to their families,” Herman said. “Biosecurity plays a huge role in reducing disease risk, both for the animals and the humans caring for them.”
Biosecurity practices include much more than cleaning equipment. Sanitation is just one part of biosecurity’s holistic view of herd health that incorporates nutrition, vaccination programs, and low stress handling — all of which contribute to a disease free environment.
Continuous Improvement - Over the years, biosecurity practices in the beef industry have advanced significantly. Herman notes that many biosecurity strategies draw lessons from other industries and human health, helping shape current biosecurity practices by emphasizing proactive, preventive measures. “Biosecurity is a mindset, not just a task. Continuous improvement is key,” she said.
To encourage producers to adopt or strengthen their operations’
biosecurity plans, a newly released Beef Checkoff funded biosecurity plan offers a customizable, practical approach to biosecurity that aligns with each operation’s unique needs and goals.
The BQA Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention is a customizable biosecurity plan that goes beyond just guidelines. The plan fosters a culture of biosecurity in each operation and empowers producers to take a proactive role in preventing disease, which protects cattle health and can lead to other benefits.
“Biosecurity can be as in-depth or as simple as producers want it to be,” Herman said. “When it comes down to it, prevention is better than treatment, helping producers save money in the long run.”
While biosecurity adoption may be a gradual process for some producers, it will play an increasingly central role in the beef industry. Even small scale producers are beginning to recognize the benefits of adopting biosecurity practices, particularly as they see the positive impact on their operations and consumer perception. “If everyone in the beef industry follows basic biosecurity protocols, it can help us all and strengthen the industry as a whole,” Herman said.
Biosecurity Implementation - To implement the custom biosecurity plan effectively, Herman recommends first thoroughly reviewing the plan and tailoring it to fit an operation’s specific needs. “Every operation is different, so producers should consult with their resource groups, like veterinarians or extension specialists, to get a second set of eyes on the plan,” she said.
Producers are encouraged to consider practical, easy-toimplement biosecurity steps, such as designating a parking area for visitors to minimize contamination, adjusting traffic patterns within the operation, or quarantining new additions to the herd. These small changes can have a significant impact and are easy to integrate into daily routines.
Beef Crisis - If, unfortunately, a disease outbreak were to happen, the Beef Checkoff is ready to take action by preparing for the unexpected. The Checkoff can quickly provide consumers and producers with the information they need if there is ever a disease outbreak, bioterrorism attack, or any other crisis that could potentially disrupt the beef industry or consumer confidence in beef.
The Checkoff is continuously evolving and updating its comprehensive, industry wide crisis communications response plan should a cattle disease outbreak or other crisis take place in the future. Continually reassessing this plan ensures the information within is as substantive as possible, while also reflecting today’s latest technology.
One element of the overarching comprehensive crisis response plan is working in coalition with the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cross Species team. The team helps to manage a website, FMDinfo.org, that would be activated in a time of crisis in cooperation with other industry organizations. The goal of this partnership and its website is to provide clear, factual, and easily accessible information about footand-mouth disease if an outbreak were to occur.
As well as working with the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cross Species team, the Checkoff would also represent the beef industry in the event of an outbreak, and it has developed proactive crisis communication processes, strategies, and tactics to follow if necessary.
Access Resources - By embracing biosecurity as a core part of your operation, you can not only protect your herd but also help maintain
a secure beef supply that consumers can trust.
For producers interested in taking the next step, the Beef Checkoff provides resources and tools, including the custom biosecurity plan and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) modules, to support effective biosecurity practices. To access these resources, visit www.bqa.org/ resources/biosecurity-resources.
BQA Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention - This free, downloadable template helps cattle producers create a customizable daily biosecurity plan for their operations. Meant to be filled out with a veterinarian or other resource team member, this plan walks producers through the different areas of biosecurity risk, evaluates what they are doing now, and plans for what to improve in the future. The template is available digitally as a fillable PDF or can be printed out for handwritten plans.
BQA Continuing Education Module on Biosecurity - For producers already BQA certified, BQA’s Continuing Education module on biosecurity focuses on the basics of disease transmission and prevention. These resources were developed so anyone who is involved in raising cattle has the opportunity to understand how biosecurity principles are integrated into their farm or ranch and plan for continuous improvement in the future. Interactive and real world best practice examples are provided for a variety of topics, such as new bull or replacement purchases and manure management to reduce feed contamination, among others. Participants also walk through and fill out the BQA Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention.
2025 BIF Research Symposium and Convention Registration
Open. Registration is now open for the 2025 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Convention that will be hosted June 10-13 in Amarillo, Texas. Participants can save $75 if they register by May 9.
Full registration before May 9 is $275. This includes 2½ days of educational programming focused on beef industry profitability. It also includes the welcome reception on Tuesday evening, lunch on Wednesday and Thursday, and an off-site social with dinner on Wednesday evening. The student early bird rate is $200.
The hotel housing portal is now open as well. You can visit BIFSymposium.com and click on the “Hotel & Location” information link. The hotel block closes May 9.
Monday evening, attendees can participate in the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) Symposium. However, the BIF Symposium officially kicks off with the Young Producer Symposium on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., followed by the Welcome and Scholarship Reception.
Wednesday’s general session will focus on “Beef Industry Profitability — Conflicting market signals and profit drivers in the
beef value chain.” Presentations will include Dr. Mandy Carr, NCBA senior executive director of scientific affairs; Dr. Ty Lawrence of West Texas A&M University; Sam Hands of Triangle H Cattle Company; and Dr. Brad Johnson, Gordon W. Davis Regent’s Chair in Meat and Muscle Biology at Texas Tech University.
Thursday’s general session theme will be “Sustainability — Improving our product through selection, applications of technology, and data integration.” Speakers will include Dr. Matthew Cleveland, ABS Global senior director of global bovine sustainability; Dr. Guilherme Rosa, Precision Livestock Production and Breeding at the University of Wisconsin; Dr. Jason Archer, Beef + Lamb NZ head of genetics; and Ben Weinheimer, Texas Cattle Feeders Association CEO.
Wednesday and Thursday afternoon technical breakout sessions will focus on a range of beef production and genetic improvement topics.
Each year the BIF symposium draws a large group of leading seedstock and commercial beef producers, academics, and allied industry partners. The attendance list is a “who’s who” of the beef value chain, offering great networking opportunities and conversations about the issues of the day. Program topics focus on how the beef industry can enhance value through genetic improvement across a range of attributes that affect the value chain.
About the Beef Improvement Federation . Founded in 1968, BIF is an organization dedicated to advancing and coordinating all segments of the beef industry. From the start, the BIF sought to connect science and industry to improve beef cattle genetics.
Continuing the tradition of using science to benefit producers, the BIF is now the capstone for developing programs for improving the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of beef production. The BIF triangle logo symbolizes the link between industry, extension, and research. For more information, visit beefimprovement.org
By BOB LARSON, Kansas State University
Although most of the time when we administer a treatment, vaccine, or other product to cattle we expect a positive outcome, but occasionally cattle will have an adverse drug reaction. Adverse reactions can occur following the use of injectable antibiotics, dewormers, vaccines, insecticides, vitamin preparations, anti-inflammatory preparations, as well as skin ointments and other classes of drugs.
Adverse drug reactions are defined as any unintended and undesirable response to a drug and can be somewhat grouped as being “human error” or “random.” Human error is often suspected if a high percentage of a group of cattle have an adverse drug reaction. The error can be due to an improper dose, route of administration, or combination of drugs. Improper dose can occur when a dose that is safe for another species results in an unsafe dose for cattle. Also, certain diseases, such as liver or kidney disease or old age, can cause a normally safe dose to cause problems in some individuals.
The label of any veterinary product will include instruction on the route of administration. The route can be by mouth, applied to the skin, or injected into a muscle (intramuscularly/IM), under the skin (subcutaneously/SQ), or into a blood vessel (intravenously/IV). If a drug or product is labeled for one route of administration but given by another route, dangerously high doses of the active ingredient or other components of the product can result. It is important to understand that a veterinary product contains more than the active ingredient — it will also contain ingredients to keep the product stable over time and over a range of temperatures and other factors, and some non-active ingredients can be toxic at high doses.
Drug interactions can occur when one or more drugs antagonize another drug, making it either ineffective or even dangerous. This can occur when drugs that were not intended to be mixed are mixed together in a bottle or syringe. The active drugs or the additives may cause the antagonism. Drug interactions can also occur even if antagonistic drugs are not mixed before injection but are injected into the same animal and interact within the animal to cause adverse reactions.
You can reduce the risk of human error causing adverse drug reactions by only using drugs that you are very familiar with and that you have been trained to use by your veterinarian. Also, never mix drugs together in a bottle or syringe unless directed by the label. And avoid giving multiple drugs at the same time unless your veterinarian advises you that it is safe.
Adverse drug reactions can also be caused by random, unknown factors. These types of reactions usually only affect one or a few members of a herd or group but can cause a cluster of affected animals due to similar genetic factors in related animals. These types of reactions are unrelated to the dose or normal effects of the drug, and they are probably impossible to prevent. The active ingredient or carriers and other additives may cause random effects such as allergic reactions.
Allergic drug reactions in cattle most commonly occur following
an injection and result in fluid buildup in the lungs. The animals have sudden and severe respiratory problems, making it difficult for them to breathe. This type of reaction is called an anaphylactic response and often results in death. Rapid treatment with epinephrine and supportive care may help some affected cattle to survive.
Because the risk of adverse drug reactions is always small but present. Cattle should be observed after being treated with any veterinary product and not allowed to immediately leave the sight and care of the producer or veterinarian. Careful and appropriate use of veterinary products and attention following treatment are necessary to minimize the risk and cost of adverse drug reactions.
and Prices for the Month of MARCH 2025
Ranchers
Rural
Recently, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced $340.6 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster assistance to deliver relief to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities impacted by natural disasters that have caused devastation across the country.
In support of President Trump’s January executive order, which expedited assistance to communities who were left behind by the Biden Administration, Secretary Rollins is delivering critical aid through the USDA Disaster Assistance Fund to provide immediate relief to communities that have waited far too long to receive the aid they need to recover.
“My heart goes out to the families across our great country who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods,” Secretary Rollins said. “As one of his first executive actions, President Trump made it a top priority for his administration to deliver fast and fair relief to communities impacted by disasters. USDA is fulfilling the President’s promise today and ensuring we are doing everything we can to support state and local efforts to rebuild these communities to be even stronger than before.”
Secretary Rollins made the announcement today in North Dakota, where USDA is delivering more than $5 million to help rebuild electric infrastructure following damage from severe storms and wildfires.
USDA will also deliver $25 million in relief to North Carolina communities and $18 million to Tennessee communities impacted by hurricanes since 2022, including hurricanes Fiona, Ian, Idalia, Helene, and more. As part of this funding, USDA will use:
• $5.8 million to support economic development for enterprises and farm producers.
• $15.6 million to help rural communities rebuild key infrastructure after disasters.
• $20 million for safe drinking water, sanitary waste disposal, and electric infrastructure restoration.
• $2 million for technical assistance to towns seeking aid.
As part of today’s announcement, the Trump Administration is making key improvements to the fund, cutting bureaucratic inefficiencies that will enable USDA to put Americans first by:
• Deploying critical aid as quickly as possible;
• Ensuring funds are mºore responsibly and effectively managed than ever before;
• Responding immediately to a backlog of requests from communities that have sought disaster assistance in recent years; and
• Waiving limiting eligibility criteria such as income requirements, population limits, and more.
The USDA Disaster Assistance Fund will provide relief directly to rural families, farmers, and small business owners, helping them recover, restore, and rebuild to be stronger than before. The fund will be used to repair homes, businesses, infrastructure, and critical services in communities hit hardest by disaster.
This announcement shows the Administration’s commitment to standing with America’s rural communities during their times of need. USDA continues to prioritize swift and effective disaster relief, ensuring that no community is left behind following natural disasters.
For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, visit the Rural Development Disaster Assistance webpage at www. rd.usda.gov/resources/rural-development-disaster-assistance
About the U.S. Department of Agriculture . USDA is made up of 29 agencies and offices with nearly 100,000 employees who serve the American people at more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad. We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.
We have a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation’s natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.
Our strategic goals serve as a roadmap for the Department to help ensure we achieve our mission and implement our vision.
When President Lincoln established the United States Department of Agriculture, he called it the “People’s Department.” At USDA we are working tirelessly to be a model department that serves all people of our great Nation. For more information, visit www.usda.gov.
By ALICE MANNING TOUCHETTE, N.C. State University
In 2024, North Carolina agriculture and agribusiness reached a new peak of $111 billion in economic impact, with 70 percent of that impact attributed to food animal sectors in livestock, dairy, and poultry. N.C. State University’s Food Animal Initiative (FAI) remains committed to ensuring that workforce development and research in food animal agriculture remain tantamount to the university’s mission to support and advance the agriculture industry.
This spring, the FAI assembled a launch committee, chaired by Associate Professor and Dairy Extension Specialist Stephanie Ward, to define priorities and programs associated with the needs of food animal stakeholders in North Carolina. Representing the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and the College of Human and Social Sciences (CHASS), these faculty members will bring strategic direction to furthering the initiative’s efforts in the FAI’s five platforms:
• Integrated Systems for Food Animal Health and Food Safety (OneHealth)
• Integrated, Sustainable Food Animal Systems
• Digital Animal Agriculture
• Protein Innovation
• Food Animal Agriculture Communications
“With agriculture as North Carolina’s top industry and a growing appetite for healthy animal protein, the future of the state’s animal agriculture sector is bright,” says Garey Fox, dean of N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We are enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary leadership of N.C. State University’s Food Animal Initiative, uniting expertise from CALS, CVM, and CHASS. The Food Animal Initiative will spearhead critical investments in workforce development, research, and extension, shaping a thriving future for this vital industry.”
Meet the FAI platform directors:
Integrated Systems for Food Animal Health and Food Safety
Rocio Crespo - Professor of Population Health and Pathobiology, CVM
Integrated, Sustainable Food Animal Systems
Stephanie Kulesza - Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Nutrient Management and Animal Waste, CALS
Digital Animal Agriculture
Gustavo Machado - Associate Professor of Emerging and Transboundary Diseases, CVM
Protein Innovation
Dana Hanson - Associate Professor, Department Extension Leader for Meat Science, CALS
Food Animal Agriculture Communications
Andrew Binder - Associate Professor of Communication, CHASS
Ben Chapman - Department Head of Agricultural and Human Sciences, Professor, and Food Safety Extension Specialist, CALS
By SIMON GONZALEZ, N.C. State University
It was almost three months after Hurricane Helene roared through Watauga County, enough time to process the incredible devastation and destruction, and enough time for cleanup and repairs to be well underway.
But as N.C. State Extension agents Susie Douglas and Kendra Phipps drove around the county in the middle of December, almost each bend on the twisty mountain roads brought fresh reminders of the storm’s devastation.
“There was a landslide that happened right up there,” said Douglas, the 4-H agent at extension’s Watauga County Center. “This whole area right here got hit pretty bad. You can see the damage. There was a little white church that was wiped out. It’s not there anymore. You couldn’t even tell where it was.”
A Storm Unlike Any Other – The news reports were sobering. Helene produced as much as 20” of rain in 72 hours in late September. Some 1,110 buildings were damaged or destroyed. There were widespread power outages, numerous sinkholes, and road closures in every part of the county.
That only tells part of the story, though. To get a true picture of the devastation, and its impact on the people who live here, you have to be intimately familiar with the area. You have to know the before and after. You have to know someone whose home was destroyed or a farmer whose fields were flooded, whose fences were flattened, whose hay was ruined, whose livelihood was threatened, who wasn’t sure how they would make it from one day to the next.
You have to have been here when the quiet creeks that dot the landscapes became raging rivers.
“We knew that the storm was coming, but nobody knew it would be this bad,” said Phipps, extension agent for livestock and field crops. “Everyone expected some flooding, but not to this magnitude. Not landslides. You just don’t realize how many mountain driveways
go over little creeks until the little creeks take out the driveways.”
Folks who have lived in Watauga County for a while are not strangers to natural disasters. They have either experienced one or know the stories of the big storms. There was the Flood of 1940 and ice and snow storms over the years that knocked out power for days. Hurricanes Frances and Ivan passed over the High Country in 2004, and a microburst inundated some areas of Boone in October 2017.
Localized flash flooding from heavy rains is not uncommon.
Nothing, though, prepared them for Hurricane Helene.
“We bought this place in ‘93,” said Sheila Greene, owner of North Fork Farm in Zionville, in the northwest part of the county.
“The creeks got up when we had a flash flood in ‘03. It washed out the bridge. My grandmother lived there during the 1940 flood. I’ve heard all of her stories. But I never dreamed that we’d live through something like this.”
Governor Josh Stein and his wife, Anna, talk with Kendra Phipps and Rusty Henson, president of the Watauga County Cattlemen’s Association, at the site extension established to distribute hay, fencing supplies, and other agricultural necessities.
A Swift and Selfless Response – N.C. State Extension went to work in the immediate aftermath of the storm, doing whatever was necessary to help people in need.
“Job descriptions got set aside,” said Jim Hamilton, director of extension’s Watauga County Center. “We knew what needed to be done, and it didn’t matter what we had been working on before. Everyone went full bore into it.”
That holds true in every affected county across western North Carolina, as extension personnel mobilized to help with disaster recovery efforts. They staffed emergency operations centers; set up and staffed sites that distributed water, food, and medicine; helped
coordinate airdrops of vital supplies; and worked with partners to coordinate donations and disbursement of hay, feed, fencing, and other livestock supplies.
In the weeks and months after Helene, extension employees provided more than 75,000 meals to members of the community and relief workers; made more than 350 farm visits to support recovery efforts; distributed over 17,000 large round and square bales of hay and 30,000 small square bales; and made more than 130 water quality, stream bank, and landslide related site visits to support recovery efforts.
In Watauga County, Phipps and Douglas were among the extension agents on the front lines of the initial response.
Douglas lives in neighboring Wilkes County. She experienced rainfall and strong winds, but nothing like her friends and coworkers in the High Country. As soon as the storm passed, she rounded up humanitarian supplies and headed up the mountain.
“I came up to see how I could help,” she said. “I brought some food and water and baby supplies and anything I could collect. That Saturday morning, it was all neighbors helping neighbors dig out their roads. There was a lot of damage at first, but everyone worked together pretty quickly to put some duct tape on these fixes to get everyone what they needed.”
Churches and charitable organizations, including Boone based Samaritan’s Purse, quickly stepped up to organize and distribute food, water, and household items, so extension pivoted to a different kind of relief.
“Aid was flooding in,” Hamilton said. “There were distribution sites set up, and so the humanitarian end was taken care of. We decided to shift to agriculture to see how we could help our farmers.”
Meeting Critical Agricultural Needs – The greatest amount of need soon became clear, dictated by the volume of phone calls and texts Hamilton and Phipps were receiving.
“We started getting calls,” Hamilton said. “So and so lost all their hay, so and so lost their whole hay barn, so and so lost all their fencing. So it was fencing supplies, cattle feed for the short term, and then hay for the winter months became our priorities.”
As donations began to pour in, Hamilton identified a distribution site on the less damaged east side of the county. Phipps handled the
logistics involved with the large volume of donations, and Douglas was tasked with helping.
“The day after the storm, I knew that my job was going to be very different for a little while,” Phipps said. “I wasn’t really exactly sure what it was like to be an extension agent in a disaster area. But that’s what happened.”
As a livestock and field crops expert, Phipps works directly with farmers to identify and meet their needs. Douglas provides programming for youth as a 4-H agent. Neither had “organize an agriculture relief distribution site” on their resume or in their job descriptions. But the moment called for extension personnel to step out of their comfort zones, and Phipps and Douglas stepped up in a big way.
“Kendra and Susie have been rock stars,” said Greene, who received hay and fencing supplies. “I literally don’t know what we would have done without them and the people donating. It’s helped out tremendously.”
Communities Rally for Recovery Efforts – As news of the terrible disaster that had struck the North Carolina mountains dominated the news, people were moved to help. Donations came in from across the state and across the country, from Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, and beyond.
Phipps had worked in Stokes County before moving to Watauga. She tapped into past contacts and on her knowledge of technology to help organize donations and coordinate distributions.
“Kendra used the newer technology that some of us Luddites aren’t as familiar with,” Hamilton said. “She found a call center app program and set up a hay hotline that immediately went into use. We got on social media and advertised it. It went in the paper and went on the radio. It was great to see how everyone was completely committed to making sure that our ag community was getting what they needed.”
Douglas, who has an animal science degree from N.C. State University, was able to use the knowledge accrued from her university days to ensure the site ran efficiently.
“She has lots of livestock knowledge,” Phipps said. “She knew
Neighbors Helping Neighbors continued on the next page
Participants in the Watauga County 4-H equine club wrote thank you cards for a National Guard troop that helped the county.
what different livestock supplies were and about feed. I didn’t have to teach her.”
Some of the hay and fencing was loaded on trucks and delivered directly to farms.
“We sent three loads on big National Guard trucks out to one of the really rural outposts pretty early on, within the first couple weeks,” Hamilton said. “They had not gotten any aid at that point.”
Farmers also came to the site to pick up the supplies they had reserved. It often was loaded by Phipps and Douglas, who became heavy equipment operators.
“I learned how to be an agent in a disaster area. So did Susie,” Phipps said. “It required a lot of people willing to help.”
Feed and fencing supplies were the primary focus, but other donated items were available also. The site received halters, lead ropes, and other tack for horses; veterinary items, including syringes, pet food, bar oil and premixed fuel for chainsaws, and hydraulic fuel and engine oil for flooded tractors.
“We got some monetary donations as well,” Phipps said. “We used those to purchase supplies when we were running short on certain things.”
Over the next several weeks, extension distributed more than 400 tons of hay, around 75 pallets (more than 70 tons) of cow, chicken, horse, and small ruminant feed, and some $50,000 worth of fencing supplies — including hundreds of t-posts, over 100 spools of barbed wire, electric wire, insulators, post drivers, solar chargers, woven wire, railroad ties, round posts, and netting wire.
Additionally, extension facilitated Master Food Volunteers to prepare and serve meals for work crews that were clearing debris at farms.
Overcoming Pride with Gentle Persuasion – One issue was persuading people to accept help. The needs in Watauga County were real and acute, but there was some reluctance to receive the supplies.
“We heard that from a lot of farmers,” Phipps said. “We’d say we’ve got fencing supplies, we’ve got hay, come and get it. And they’d be like, ‘No, somebody else probably needs it worse.’ We dealt with a
lot of that.”
Sometimes people who came to the distribution site were more concerned about their neighbors than themselves. Jessica Miller, who operates Tester Dairy Farm in Zionville, frequently came to pick up fencing supplies for people who had difficulty getting out.
“We’re young, and a lot of farmers are older, and they may not have the connections and networking and know how to get help,” she said. “It’s just really hard seeing your neighbors in really sad situations, and you want to help them.”
That sums up the motivation of every extension agent in the days, weeks, and months after the storm. They saw needs, and they wanted to help. Even if they occasionally had to do some gentle arm twisting, as when Phipps noticed Miller not taking anything for her farm.
“She was getting stuff when she was in town and bringing it to the older farmers up here and taking care of them first,” Phipps said. “I finally had to get a little bit stern with her and be like, ‘I have this set aside for you. I know that you need it, so take it.’”
Miller needed it because, like most farmers in the area, she was devastated by the flooding from Helene. The small creek running through their property became a raging torrent. It spilled its banks and completely wiped out a cornfield Tester Dairy Farm relies on to produce silage, the primary feed supplemental for their cows.
“I’ve seen floods before, but nothing like this,” Miller said. “Everybody in this area talks about the 1940 flood, but it was nothing like this one on our farm. We lost this field completely. We also purchase corn from neighbors across the mountain. They lost probably 80 percent of their corn. And so the corn that we would have gotten from them, we also weren’t able to get.”
Miller and her husband went to Tennessee to chop corn on a friend’s farm when the roads opened up. And eventually, after taking care of her neighbors, she got hay from the extension distribution site.
“It definitely helped people in the county,” she said. “I really have no clue how all the hay needs would have been met without extension. People in this area often have to buy hay because the lay of the land isn’t the best for farming. If we have a bad year, a drought,
or if you overstock your cattle, you’re going to have to buy hay. In years prior, people have had trouble finding it even when there were no problems going on.”
Greene, the owner of North Fork Farm, also was thankful for the hay and fencing supplies she received.
Like many farmers across the county, her fences were destroyed by the floodwaters. Replacing and repairing them was a priority, so she didn’t lose any cattle.
“We lease 60 acres or so, and the fences are just absolutely destroyed,” she said. “It’s just a lot of rebuilding. We’ve had to play musical pastures and just rotate the cows. You’ve got to get fences up before you can move them.”
Shifting from Short Term Relief to Long Term Recovery – The distribution site closed in the middle of December, and extension moved from the relief to the recovery phase.
“I feel confident we met the immediate needs of our community,” Hamilton said.
The next steps include ongoing help with fencing, connecting farmers with resources, and soil testing and mitigation in fields where floodwaters dumped inches of sand and silt.
“We’re getting that question of, ‘Do I fertilize on top of the sand? Do I bring in bulldozers and push the sand away?’” Hamilton said. “We know some areas are going to be impacted for years, and some will never be the same.”
Extension experts assisted with assessments on flooded bottomlands to assess soil fertility, productivity, and food safety and submitted requests for other farm supplies for crop producers to repair infrastructure damage to their vegetable operations.
Whatever programs become the focus in the upcoming months and years, extension experts will continue to respond with research based advice and compassion for the people they serve.
“We’re public servants first and foremost,” Phipps said. “We enter
this job knowing that’s our role, to be a public servant and to give everything we have to this community to make sure that people come out the better for it.”
For Phipps, that means personal care for the livestock producers and growers in her county.
“The extension agents that I know and respect call them ‘my farmers.’ The farmers in their county are ‘my farmers.’ And that’s what I’ve always said too,” she said. “It is like a mother hen feeling like these are the people that I have been put in this position to take care of. You have to have a lot of compassion to be an extension agent. This adds a whole other level because it’s not like a typical day where they just need my help. They need my help because their livelihood is at risk.”
Douglas feels the same level of care and compassion for the youth and families she serves through her 4-H programming.
“It’s not just adults involved,” she said. “It’s the children too. Our program has been growing tremendously. I went from about 20 enrollments to more than 100 over the summer. It was really important to try and keep them participating and keep the kids involved.”
Programming slowed immediately after the storm, when many roads were out and when Douglas was putting in long hours at the distribution site. But as the distribution site was closing, Douglas was planning a Christmas party for the youth.
“We thought that was really important, so they could see their friends and have a little bit of normalcy,” she said.
It was a successful event and a sign to youth and parents that they were not forgotten.
“The parents said how thankful they were to have just a place for their kids to connect and hang out,” Douglas said. “They could still be a part of the 4-H club they have come to love.”
1 MILE OF PASTURE MANAGEMENT FENCING SUPPLIES AWARDED TO THE NCCA COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION RECRUITING THE MOST NEW MEMBERS IN 2024
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLeveland COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
2024 MILE OF FENCE WINNER
(as of 4-17-25)
Alamance 3
Alexander 1
Alleghany 0
Anson 1
Ashe 0
Avery 0
Beaufort 0
Bertie 0
Bladen 0
Brunswick 0
Buncombe 3
Burke 1
Cabarrus 2
Caldwell 2
Camden 0
Carteret 0
Caswell 3
Catawba 17
Chatham 0
Cherokee 0
Chowan 0
Clay 1
Cleveland 3
Columbus 0
Craven 0
1
During the Membership Committee meeting held at the 2007 N.C. Cattle Conference, members decided to list the name and county of residence of those who recently joined as a NEW member of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection. A new member is someone who has never been a member or has rejoined after a brief break in their membership. Below is a list of NCCA’s new members:
Out-of-State
Dave Farr – Farr Farms-South – South Carolina
Buncombe
Ethan Lunsford – Lunsford Cattle Company.
Forsyth County
Chris Shamel – Old Richmond Farm
To pay by credit card, scan the QR code:
Franklin County
Abigail Blankenship – For Generations Simmental
Chad Blankenship – For Generations Simmental
Yevette Bobbitt – My Meat Farm
Timothy B. Gupton – Gupton Farm
Steve Phelps – Maplevilla Family Farm
Sally Beth Shore – Stone Farm
Halifax County
Joseph Roberson – Rockin R Brangus & Longhorns
Iredell County
Robert T. Johnson
Gene Cox – Cox Brothers Farm
W.J. Woodard, Jr.
Macon County
Nico Abbate
Logan Allen
Avynlee M. Anderson
Alexander Arriaga
Charles Axtens
Miracle Brinkley
Axle Brown
Ava Cantrell
Dania Carmona
Rowdy Carpenter
Kinnley Christiansen
Ava Collier
Jeremiah Cox
Ben Dale
Kendal Daves
Kiara Dempsey
Neva Dills
Esmeralda Dominguez
Collin Ellinger
Yonathan Escalera
Hannah Nicole Fitch
Juliona Garber
Kevin Garita Toscoyoa
Hayden Haggard
Genevieve Hanners
Gabe Harrison
Kyelynn Hervey
Brady Higdon
Sylas Holbrooks
Alex Holgersen
Kaitlyn Holt
Emanuel Huskins
Aiden Johnson
Skylar Johnson
Riley Keener
Douglas C. Keyworth, III
Ahvae Lam
Jaden Larsen
Jasmine Mashburn
Zackeus McDaniel
Luiz Mendoza Cuevas
Nash Milecky
Lee-El Molina
Jackson Myers
Raymond Nepita Benitez
Chance Norman
Seth Owle
Channing Ray
Carah Reynolds
Olivia Rinker
Robert G. Romero Lopez
Breanna Sanders
Jasmine Sanders
Kilei Shortt
Sarah Smith
Haylee Spates
Jonathan Starnes
Joseph Stimpfling
Michael Strange
Jessie Tiahuice Ramirez
Colbie Trimble
Lucero Vazquez Lucas
Nash County
Raven Colbert
Rutherford County
Robert Pitchford – Pitchford Cattle Company
Stokes County
Bryan Hartman – Hartman Farms N.C.
Surry County
Josh Best – Double B Family Farm
Danny R. Hodges – Hodges Farm
Vance County
Keith Pendergrass – The Funny Farm
Warren County
Morgan Harris – Longbranch Farms Inc.
Trey Martin – Blue Mud Cattle
Makayla Strickland – N.C. Mobile Vet
Watauga County
Shane Coffey – The Farm On Grassy Creek
By JOHNNY ROGERS, N.C. State University
The N.C. BCIP Bull Test Program had a great year in 2024, and we anticipate good demand for quality genetics in the coming year. This is an exciting time for fall calving seedstock producers. Bull calves are being weaned, processed, and evaluated for their value as breeding cattle. The N.C. BCIP Bull Testing program offers producers the opportunity to evaluate their cattle for post weaning performance. Now is the time to review the 2025 Rules and Regulations for this program to determine if your cattle would meet the requirements. Nomination forms will be mailed upon request or are available online at beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beef-bulltest. If you wish to consign a bull(s) to the Butner Bull Test and/or the Waynesville Bull Test and have not received the information, please contact your county extension livestock agent or call Johnny Rogers at 336-504-7268 to request the information.
The 2025 bull testing schedule will be available soon and will be posted at beef.ces.ncsu.edu/beef-bull-test . Study it carefully to make sure your bulls are on schedule to meet testing regulations. Please refer to the NCSU Beef Portal for updates.
Bulls will need to have an 840 HDX electronic identification tag when they are delivered to the bull test. Bull development costs will be higher this year due to commodity markets and rising input costs. N.C. BCIP will make every effort to control costs without affecting bull performance.
If you have questions, please call Johnny Rogers at 336504-7268. We look forward to working with you and having another successful season in 2025.
Selecting Needles and Syringes — Practical Advice for Cattle Producers. When selecting needles to vaccinate or treat cattle, there are several factors to consider in order to make the right decisions for overall herd health and best management practices.
Selecting needles and syringes – First, when selecting a needle, determine the appropriate route of administration, whether it is subcutaneous (SQ) or intramuscular (IM) from reading the product label. Next, determine the weight of the animal, not only for proper dosage but also for selection of the appropriate needle. The route of administration determines the length of the needle, while the size of the animal determines the gauge or diameter of the needle. Viscosity of the product is another factor in the selection of the proper gauge. Lighter calves require a smaller diameter needle, whereas heavier stock requires a larger diameter needle. It is important to note that as the number of the gauge increases, the diameter decreases. Reference to the following
chart can help in deciding the needle gauge and length required:
There can be implications to selecting the wrong needle, including:
If the needle is of the improper length, it will not enter the correct tissue, and absorption of the product can be altered, resulting in failed efficacy.
In the case of a young animal, if the needle is too long, there is potential to strike bone or a nerve.
When selecting a needle, you will want to select a sharp, durable, and detectable needle. It must be standard practice to avoid contaminated, burred, bent, or broken needles. To help combat the chances of a needle breaking, use a more durable, specialized stainless steel needle with a thick walled cannula. Detectable needles also offer producers an option that can be easily identified and found by the metal detection systems within beef processing plants. The only 100 percent detectable needle is made of a specialized, highly ferritic, stainless steel alloy.
Producers must also consider the syringe with which to use the needles. When producers are using injectable products, their options include single use, disposable, or multi-dose syringes that would either be a barrel refill, a bottle mount, or a line fed. With multidose syringes, implementation of an effective identification system to prevent product cross contamination and selection of equipment with UV protective features are valuable considerations.
Proper care and use – Now that we have covered many of the
basics, let us review best practices for producers as it relates to care and proper use.
Make sure your syringes are thoroughly cleaned before use. To clean syringes, use hot, deionized, or distilled water that is 180˚F or greater. Do not use any soaps or disinfectants when cleaning syringes, as doing so could risk contamination and impact the internal contents and product efficacy. Regarding multi-dose syringes, you will want to lubricate the O-rings in them. Never use any petroleum based products, as those could cause problems with contamination. For storage, it is always best to store syringes in a clean, dry location.
Before using multi-dose syringes, it is key to ensure they are properly calibrated. To accomplish this, you can set the syringe for a 2 mL dose, use water, and simply measure the output into another syringe, such as a disposable one. It is recommended that producers consistently check the calibration throughout processing.
One frequently asked question is, “How often should needles be changed or replaced?” If you are managing any blood borne pathogens in your herd, such as anaplasmosis or bovine leukosis, it is best practice to replace the needle after every animal. If your herd is not affected by blood borne diseases, you can use needles for up to 10 to 15 injections, with some newer technology needles providing durability for up to 20 injections. When using a multi-dose syringe, it is best practice to change the needle when you refill the syringe to maintain sharpness and prevent any accidental contamination. Change bent, burred, or dirty needles immediately.
Proper record keeping for each individual animal is important as well.
If you follow these best practices, along with selecting a needle of the proper gauge and length, you will ensure safe and effective injections.
To learn more, visit neogen.com/d3x.
About Neogen. Neogen Corporation is committed to fueling a brighter future for global food security through the advancement of human and animal well being. Harnessing the power of science and technology, Neogen has developed comprehensive solutions spanning the Food Safety, Livestock, and Pet Health & Wellness markets. A world leader in these fields, Neogen has a presence in over 140 countries with a dedicated network of scientists and technical experts focused on delivering optimized products and technology for its customers. To learn more, visit www.neogen.com.
S.C. Cattle Receipts, Trends, and Prices for the Month of MARCH 2025
Easy, Convenient Tissue Sampling Improves Herd Genetics, Animal by Animal. DNA testing is a management practice increasingly being embraced by seedstock and commercial cow/calf producers as they accelerate the adoption of genetic traits to optimize performance specific to their ranches.
Tom Brink, CEO of the Red Angus Association of America, says Red Angus producers are more actively using DNA testing every year. “They understand the importance of parent verification and accurate pedigrees. Plus, they appreciate the increased EPD accuracy that comes from genotyping their cattle.”
“The best bang for the genomic dollar will be on those replacement female candidates,” Brink continues, and he outlines a typical approach.
The first decision is how the DNA sample is going to be collected. Blood and hair are options, but the most convenient method tends to be sampling using Allflex Tissue Sampling Units (TSUs), which are quick, easy, and clean. “They are easier to use,” Brink says. “It’s much like tagging an animal.”
Then, let’s assume a 100 head calf crop and 50 of them are heifers, he says. “I’m going to keep 20 as replacement heifers for my herd,” he says. “What I might do is initially identify 30 candidates as replacements and DNA test all 30. Then use the genomic results along with phenotypic evaluation to decide on the final 20.”
Focus on eliminating the bottom end rather than selecting for
the top end, he says. “What’s really going to cost you money are those multi-trait, genetically weak animals.” Those would be the heifers with low scores in the economically important traits you have identified for improvement in your herd.
“You don’t necessarily want the emphasis on the highest scoring heifers because some of those heifers might end up being too extreme.” Brink cautions. “I find that by genomically testing replacement heifer candidates that I’ve got a big variation from top to bottom in a single herd,” he says. “I may not necessarily want to keep the extreme top end because those cattle may be a little extreme for what I want.”
“As a fellow cattleman, I encourage you to take five minutes of your time to speak with Donna Byrum. She introduced me to a program I knew nothing about, and within six months she was on my doorstep with a check. The PRF program has been a blessing amid the changing climate and different extremes that all our farming operations have experienced.”
~ Joey Carter
Selecting for genetic traits such as growth or milk could, in successive generations, result in larger cows than the farm can handle. “It’s going to be a balanced set of traits; some maternal traits and some terminal traits,” he says.
“If you will repeat that over a period of years,” Brink says, “you’re going to get rid of the bottom end of genetics in your cow herd, or go a long way in that direction, which is really going to help the productivity of the herd.”
Leoma Wells, owner and founder of Data Genie, LLC., calls herself a data accountant. She helps her customers integrate data from multiple sources into the farm record keeping system. Allflex TSUs are being used by increasing numbers of commercial beef producers in her client base to obtain, analyze and improve herd genomics. She outlines three reasons for their increased popularity.
First, data gathered from Allflex TSUs reinforces and refines visual selections producers are making for animals with desired traits. While appearing very similar, heifers can have wide genetic variations based on traits passed on by parents.
A second factor relates to consistent, extended herd productivity. “For replacement females, the ability to have a snapshot of that female’s genetic potential leads to increased confidence in keeping that heifer. You can say, ‘This heifer is more likely to be here until age six or seven by looking at her stayability metrics,’” Wells said.
And third, while replacement heifers are a main driver of the adoption for many of her clients, there can be an add-on benefit for steer profitability. “On average, your steers will have similar genetics to your heifers. That information may add to their sale price,” she says.
Jim Butcher, a Simmental seedstock producer from Lewistown, Mont., is all in on DNA testing. “The sky’s the limit if you have that
sample,” he says.
Each TSU DNA sample reveals genomic information that can, in aggregate and by animal, help more quickly advance a herd’s genetic progress in an intentional, science assisted direction.
And it’s not just the females. Bulls can be full siblings and still vary widely in their genetic makeup. “We’re great phenotype collectors of birth weights, weaning weights, all that,” says Butcher. “But you really don’t know what you have until you know what genes that particular animal picked up.”
The genetic data generated from an Allflex TSU is used to create genomically enhanced EPDs for seedstock producers, Butcher says. Analyzing the enhanced EPDs provides him and his customers with more accurate insights into the potential of young bulls and their potential fit on a ranch. “You lessen the probabilities that you’re buying an animal that won’t help you move your program forward,” Butcher says.
About Allflex. Allflex Livestock Intelligence is the world leader in the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of solutions for animal identification, monitoring, farm management, and traceability. Our data driven solutions are used by farmers, companies and countries to manage hundreds of millions of animals worldwide. By putting intelligent, actionable management information into farmers’ hands, our solutions empower them to act in a timely manner to trace animals and safeguard their health and wellbeing, while achieving optimal production outcomes for a healthy, sustainable food supply.
Allflex is the Livestock Identification portfolio of products within Merck Animal Health. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability, and monitoring products. For more information, visit www.allflex. global/na/
AgSouth Announces Retirement of President and CEO Vance Dalton in Early 2026. The AgSouth Board of Directors is actively seeking Dalton’s successor. AVance Dalton, president and CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit, has announced his decision to retire in January 2026 after 12 years in the role and 32 years of service to Farm Credit.
“It has been an honor to serve the employees of AgSouth and the agricultural and rural communities in our territory,” said Dalton. “Witnessing the strength, adaptability, and unity of not only our team but also the farmers we serve has been one of the greatest highlights of my career.”
“Vance brought people focused leadership to AgSouth that fostered lasting relationships between our employees and the communities we serve and had a profound impact on our influence within the agricultural industry,” said AgSouth Board Chair Frank Ables. The agricultural financial cooperative has grown to nearly $5 billion in total assets and released a record patronage distribution in April. The Association serves more than 25,000 member-borrowers across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and is the 14th largest Farm Credit Association in the nation.
The AgSouth Board of Directors is actively seeking Dalton’s successor and is working with Farm Credit Consulting Services to manage the CEO selection process.
“Now is an exciting time to lead AgSouth due to our record growth last year. As we look to select Vance’s successor later this summer, we are confident the transition will go smoothly thanks to our strong executive team and leadership,” said Ables.
The CEO application can be found at www.agsouthfc.com/about/ careers. The final date for applications is May 15.
About AgSouth Farm Credit. AgSouth Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its member-borrowers, and is part of the nationwide Farm Credit system. AgSouth provides loans for land, production agriculture, farm equipment, crop insurance, leasing, and home mortgages.
We believe that people don’t buy what we do...they buy why we do it. Our passion is to grow farmers, families, and rural communities.
The Association serves 147 counties across the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and is headquartered in Statesville, North Carolina.
IDF Launches the Fourth Annual IDF Dairy Innovation Awards, Sponsored by Tetra Pak. The International Dairy Federation (IDF) is pleased to announce the launch of the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2025, now in its fourth annual edition. Proudly sponsored by Tetra Pak, these prestigious awards continue to celebrate the most groundbreaking advancements in the global dairy sector.
The IDF Dairy Innovation Awards highlight innovative processes, products, and practices aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability across the dairy value chain. They also align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable dairy sector worldwide.
The 2024 edition of the awards attracted over 150 entries from 25 countries, demonstrating the sector’s commitment to continuous innovation.
Categories of Entry — Participants are invited to submit their innovations in the following categories, which aim to recognize transformative ideas that enhance sustainability and address current trends, benefiting consumers and the planet. Solutions should focus on improving the dairy sector’s impact.
1. Sustainable Farming Practices
- Innovation in Environmental Sustainability in Farming
- Innovation in Animal Care in Farming
- Innovation in Socio-Economic Sustainability in Farming
2. Sustainable Processing Innovation
3. New Product Innovation
- Innovation in Dairy Products for Human Nutrition
- Innovation in Food Safety Equipment
- Innovation in Packaging & Transparency in Dairy Products
4. People and Planet in the Dairy Sector
- Innovation in Inclusion & Women’s Empowerment in Dairy
- Innovation in Climate Action in the Dairy Sector
- Innovation in Marketing & Communication for Sustainable Dairy Award Process and Registration — Entries are open through June 7. The jury will evaluate submitted projects from July 9 to August 4. Finalists will be announced on the IDF website on September 1.
Winners will be presented during the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2025 ceremony at the IDF World Dairy Summit, to be held in Santiago de Chile on October 21.
IDF members can participate free of charge, while non-members may enter with paid registration. For further details and to submit your entry, please visit form.jotform.com/Dairy_Innovation/Home or contact us directly.
The awards will be hosted by IDF and proudly sponsored by Tetra Pak, a world leading food processing and packaging solutions company and headline sponsor of the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2025.
IDF World Dairy Summit 2025 — An All Around Formidable Program Announced. With just six months remaining until the IDF World Dairy Summit 2025 (IDFWDS2025) in Chile, the program for this year’s summit has been unveiled to the global dairy sector, emphasizing sustainability as the core theme..
“Octavio Oltra, IDF National Secretary in Chile, praised the diligent efforts of the Consorcio Lechero’s organizing team in preparing and coordinating a diverse program. This program features speakers and presenters from around the world, adhering to the standards of the International Dairy Federation, and is expected to attract around 1,000 participants from over 60 countries.
“Nourishing a Sustainable World will be the central focus of the talks, presentations, and forums at this event. Dairy products are now more integral than ever to a healthy diet, sourced from sustainable systems. The topics and speakers at this summit will provide key insights and messages to reinforce this, addressing the social, environmental, and economic importance of milk production worldwide,” Oltra highlighted.
An International Milestone for South America – The IDF World Dairy Summit 2025 will take place on October 20–23 in Santiago, Chile, followed by technical tours to various dairy production regions of the country.
Chile’s dairy sector plays a crucial role in supporting the livelihoods of many dairy farmers and their communities. Hosting the World Dairy Summit in Santiago in 2025 underscores the importance of the dairy sector to the country’s economy and its commitment to sustainable practices. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for Chile to showcase its advancements and the significant impact of the dairy sector, particularly in the dairy producing southern part of the country, where many of the technical tours will take place.
Laurence Rycken, director general of the International Dairy Federation, extended a warm invitation to the global dairy community to participate in this landmark event. “As the World Dairy Summit debuts in South America, we invite regional representatives from all sectors to actively participate. This historic event offers a unique opportunity to share
experiences and discuss challenges with peers from around the world. As I often say, it’s about global challenges and local solutions, and this occasion to gather and exchange knowledge is second to none,” Rycken stated.
We look forward to welcoming you to the IDF World Dairy Summit 2025 in Santiago, Chile!
Registration and information about the program, speakers, activities, sponsors, and more is available at the official summit website at www.idfwds2025.com
About the International Dairy Federation. IDF is the leading source of scientific and technical expertise for all stakeholders of the dairy chain. Since 1903, IDF has provided a mechanism for the dairy sector to reach global consensus on how to help feed the world with safe and sustainable dairy products. A recognized international authority in the development of science based standards for the dairy sector, IDF has an important role to play in ensuring the right policies, standards, practices, and regulations are in place to ensure the world’s dairy products are safe and sustainable.
By GREGG DOUD, National Milk Producers Federation
The legislation President Trump has called a “big, beautiful bill” is slowly making its way through Washington. The House and Senate have both approved blueprints for the plan, but months of hard negotiations may lie ahead.
And while the tax provisions that make up the heart of the legislation will touch every American, one specific part of it — an initiative called Section 199(A) — is one we’re watching especially closely as talks unfold. We’re working across the agriculture and cooperative communities to get this critical part of the 2017 tax legislation that lapses this year made permanent in a new law. And with tax season upon us, it’s a good time to explain why this is so important for agriculture and dairy cooperatives.
Section 199(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, also known as the Qualified Business Income Deduction, provides a deduction of up to 20
percent on qualified business income for certain pass through entities, including partnerships, S-corporations, and sole proprietorships. Dairy cooperatives, which are structured as pass through entities, benefit from this deduction as it reduces their taxable income, allowing them to retain more earnings, which then can be reinvested into the cooperative. That’s critical to help co-ops stay competitive in today’s marketplace. When Congress cut the corporate tax rate in 2017 from 35 percent to 21 percent, it recognized that other forms of businesses — including cooperatives — should also have an equitable tax reduction. Section 199A does that. It’s helped farmer cooperatives and their owners navigate through a global pandemic, geopolitical conflict, supply chain problems, and record inflation. Allowing Section 199A to expire would raise taxes on agricultural cooperatives and their farmer-owners at a moment of renewed challenges; making it permanent will remove a critical piece of uncertainty for farmers and give them a chance to plan a brighter future.
Including Section 199(A) in tax legislation is critical for the continued economic stability of dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own. It helps co-ops make capital investments. It encourages investment in innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and advanced infrastructure, all of which enable them to produce high quality products at lower costs. And in the end, that benefits consumers too — by providing them with affordable and nutritious dairy products.
Making 199(A) permanent also supports the whole reason the cooperative system was established under the Capper-Volstead Act passed more than a century ago, by keeping the playing field level with other businesses that benefit from tax provisions other than 199(A). Dairy cooperatives operate on principles of mutual assistance, democratic governance, and equitable distribution of benefits. Section 199(A) aligns with these principles by providing a tax benefit that is shared among cooperative members.
Dairy needs Section 199(A) to thrive. That’s why we’ve been working across not only agriculture but, across the entire cooperative community, signing letters that include signatures ranging from community bankers to building contractors and that cut across the entire U.S. economy. Section 199(A) doesn’t only support dairy farmers of all sizes, in all regions, and the rural communities they support — it ensures economic stability, enhances competitiveness, and serves consumers all across America.
That’s big. And it’s beautiful. As the bill makes its way to the president’s desk this year, we’ll be fighting for Section 199(A) at every turn. It’s the right thing to do for dairy — and, as it turns out, for everyone in our rural communities too.
NMPF, USDEC Call for Targeted Tariffs, Trade Negotiations. Dairy leaders called for a targeted approach to tariffs and an emphasis on positive negotiations with most trading partners as the Trump Administration, recently, moved ahead with a plan for stepped up tariffs worldwide.
“Tariffs can be a useful tool for negotiating fairer terms of trade,” said NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud in a joint statement with U.S. Dairy Export Council President and CEO Krysta Harden. “We are glad to see the administration focusing on long time barriers to trade that the European Union and India have imposed on our exports. The administration has rightly noted both countries’ penchants for restricting sales of American products.
“In fact, 20 percent of reciprocal tariffs are a bargain for the EU considering the highly restrictive tariff and non-tariff barriers the EU imposes on our dairy exporters,” Doud continued. “If Europe retaliates against the United States, we encourage the administration to respond strongly by raising tariffs on European cheeses and butter. We also appreciate the President’s recognition of the sizable barriers facing U.S. dairy exports into the Canadian market.
“Through productive negotiations, this administration can help achieve a level playing field for U.S. dairy producers by tackling the numerous tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that bog down our exports,” Doud said. “As the administration moves forward with negotiations on these tariffs, we encourage prioritizing getting back to fully open trade with U.S. FTA partners, targeting actors who have long put up entrenched barriers to American exports, and swiftly negotiating constructive outcomes with those we know are working for a long term, fruitful relationship with American farmers.”
“President Trump’s commitment to addressing certain unfair and harmful trade policies that American dairy farmers and manufacturers have long faced in the global marketplace can yield positive results if the tariffs announced today are used as leverage to remedy the various trade barriers facing our exporters,” said Krysta Harden. “A firm hand and decisive approach to driving changes is most needed with the European Union and India to correct their distortive trade policies and mistreatment of American agriculture, including both imbalanced tariff barriers and non-tariff choke points such as the misuse of geographical indications to block sales of our cheeses.
“The strong majority of our trading partner relationships are positive ones; this includes many of the countries that will see higher tariffs imposed on them. We encourage the administration to work swiftly with these constructive partners to negotiate new trading terms that expand opportunities for U.S. exports and secure the elimination of both tariff and non-tariff barriers.”
President Donald Trump recently announced that the U.S. will
impose a baseline 10 percent additional tariff on imports from all countries, with a higher additional tariff taking effect on dozens of other countries the United States believes have the most unfair trade relationships with the United States.
The new duties include a 34 percent tariff on China, 26 percent on India, 26 percent on South Korea, 24 percent on Japan, and 20 percent on the European Union. Canada and Mexico, the two largest U.S. dairy trade partners, are currently exempted from the latest round of tariffs because both countries’ non-USMCA compliant products are already subject to 25 percent tariffs that Trump imposed, then largely suspended, in March.
New Maritime Fees Would Undermine U.S. Dairy, NMPF Argues. NMPF and USDEC filed joint comments on March 24 to USTR urging the administration to reconsider proposed fees on Chinese owned or built vessels under the agency’s Section 301 investigation into China’s maritime and shipbuilding practices. NMPF warned that fees ranging up to $1.5 million per port call would significantly increase shipping costs, undermining U.S. dairy export competitiveness abroad, even as it supported efforts to bolster the U.S. commercial fleet.
Nearly 40 percent of U.S. dairy exports rely on ocean freight. Higher fees risk lost market access, supply chain disruptions, and economic harm to dairy farmers and exporters, NMPF and USDEC argued in their comments. NMPF joined two March 24 letters — one from a broad industry coalition and a second from agricultural organizations— calling for alternative approaches that support U.S. strategic goals without disproportionately harming American exporters.
NMPF Strengthens Latin American Ties Amid Trade Uncertainty.
Amid tense and uncertain trade relations between the United States and Mexico, NMPF Executive Vice President Jaime Castaneda
reinforced U.S. dairy’s commitment to its Mexican partners at the Pan American Dairy Federation’s (FEPALE) Board of Directors meeting.
Castaneda highlighted new and continuing opportunities for NMPF and FEPALE to promote dairy consumption and boost trade between the two neighboring countries at the meeting, held the week of March 3. Castaneda also met with key Mexican farm representatives, processors, and importers to discuss the looming threat of tariffs and other challenges facing the U.S. and Mexican dairy industries.
Castaneda met with Ricardo Villavicencio, president of CANILEC (the Mexican association of processors and importers), and Sergio Soltero, secretary of the National Confederation of Livestock Organizations, to emphasize Mexico’s value as a trade partner to the U.S. dairy industry.
Building on these efforts, NMPF and USDEC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Guatemalan Dairy Development Association (ASODEL) on March 20 in Guatemala City. The agreement aims to boost dairy trade, promote consumption, and address trade barriers across the Americas — underscoring NMPF’s broader strategy to strengthen regional ties and support open, fair dairy markets.
NMPF Led Common Names Bill Reintroduced in Congress. NMPF, USDEC and the Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) welcomed the April 1 reintroduction of the bipartisan SAFETY (Safeguarding American Value Added Exports) Act that would protect the rights of U.S. dairy producers to use common food names like “parmesan,” “bologna,” and “feta” in global markets.
Shaped and championed by NMPF, USDEC, and CCFN, the legislation, first introduced in May 2023, would amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 by:
• Establishing a list of names at risk and explicitly defining “common names” as a term ordinarily used for marketing a food product, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
• Defining foreign restrictions of those common names as an unfair trade practice; and
• Directing USDA to “coordinate with the U.S. Trade Representative to proactively defend the right to use common names for agricultural commodities or food products in their markets” through various negotiating tools.
The bill is sponsored by Senators John Thune, R–South Dakota; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin; Roger Marshall, R-Kansas; and Tina Smith, D-Minnesota; and Representatives Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota; Jim Costa, D-California; Michelle Fischbach, R-Minnesota; and Jimmy Panetta, D-California, in the House. It marks a renewed effort to counter the European Union’s attempts to monopolize generic names in markets around the world by misusing geographical indications (GI) rules, effectively blocking access for American cheese exporters.
“For years, many foreign countries have succumbed to the EU pressures to exploit geographical indication rules to confiscate common food and beverage names that American and foreign producers in the new world have used for generations,” said Jaime Castaneda, Executive Director of CCFN. “This lack of action has cost U.S. producers too much for too long. The Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act is a critical step toward ensuring that American producers can count on their government to establish a policy of fairness in the global market. We thank Senators Thune, Baldwin, Marshall, and Smith and Representatives Johnson, Costa, Fischbach and Panetta for their steadfast support.”
Since 2009, the EU has used trade negotiations and geographical indication rules to confiscate common names for their own producers — essentially monopolizing certain products in specific markets. For American farmers and manufacturers, this has led to lost commercial opportunities overseas and expensive fights domestically. The EU has escalated this campaign in recent years, coercing third party countries to adopt the EU’s GI rules as part of trade negotiations.
“When the EU restricts our ability to market and sell our cheeses using ‘parmesan,’ ‘feta,’ and ‘asiago,’ it costs U.S. dairy producers markets and consumers that our members have built up over years,” said Krysta Harden. “It is past time that the U.S. government takes a more proactive approach to tackling this challenge. A new emphasis on common name protections — headlined by the SAFETY Act — will ensure that our producers can compete on a more level playing field around the world. Thank you to Senators Thune, Baldwin, Marshall, and Smith and Representatives Johnson, Costa, Fischbach and Panetta for leading this important effort.”
By amending the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, the legislation defines “common names” and directs USDA to join forces with USTR to proactively defend these terms in export markets. Originally introduced in May 2023, the bill represents the first farm bill effort on common names.
“Losing the right to use common names has direct, on-theground consequences for U.S. dairy farmers,” said Gregg Doud. “The Safeguarding American Value Added Exports Act is an important milestone in making that a reality.”.
FDA Traceability Delay Creates NMPF Advocacy Opportunity. NMPF welcomed the Food and Drug Administration’s recent 30 month compliance date extension for its final Food Traceability Rule, which creates additional opportunities to push for changes.
NMPF has long opposed the Food Traceability Rule as it is currently written while supporting sensible food traceability measures, and last year made great strides working with the International Dairy Foods Association toward getting FDA to consider exempting Grade “A” cottage cheese from the Food Traceability List.
NMPF plans to use the extra time to work with FDA and the Partnership for Food Traceability, a nonprofit partnership dedicated to this issue that NMPF joined last year, to find better solutions to food traceability.
The final rule establishes additional traceability record keeping requirements beyond what is already required in existing regulations for people who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on the Food Traceability List. It applies to domestic and foreign entities producing food for U.S. consumption and was issued in 2022 in accordance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.
NMPF Builds Bipartisan Coalition to Lead House Feed Ingredients Bill. In March, NMPF secured bipartisan sponsors for the Innovative FEED Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, advancing efforts to improve FDA’s feed additive approval processes.
The bill, numbered H.R. 2203, was introduced on March 18 by Representatives Nick Langworthy, R-New York; Kim Schrier,
National Milk Producers Federation News continued on the next page
D-Washington; Jim Baird, R-Indiana; Chellie Pingree, D-Maine; Erin Houchin, R-Indiana; and Jim Costa, D-California.
The newly reintroduced bill would enable FDA to review and approve animal feed ingredients using the agency’s Food Additive Petition pathway rather than review them as drugs, which is the current procedure even though the ingredients operate solely within the animal’s digestive tract and are not medical in nature. This improvement would let FDA review animal feed additives more efficiently while preserving animal, human, and environmental safety.
The Innovative FEED Act would better position U.S. dairy farmers to compete globally at a time when buyers are putting a premium on sustainably produced milk and dairy products.
Due to NMPF’s advocacy, the House measure already has 25 bipartisan cosponsors, including 11 from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has authority over FDA policy. The bill is likely to be reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in the coming weeks, another key step toward enactment this year.
NEXT Coming Soon. NMPF’s board charted a path toward a successor organization to the Cooperatives Working Together export assistance program at its March meeting, voting to rename the program NEXT (NMPF Exports and Trade) while authorizing a new business plan for final approval in June.
The new name accompanies new initiatives planned for the export program, including:
• Expanding the program’s product mix
• Creating market development initiatives focused on making inroads for U.S. cheese and butter in Latin America and mitigating tariff disadvantages for U.S. specialty proteins and milk powders in key markets in Asia and Middle East-North Africa
Enhancing program operations to assist in NEXT’s mission by extending delivery periods, removing volume limits, and providing greater insight into program operations; and
Creating a strategic advisory council to guide program strategy.
Cooperatives paying into the new program would be charged 2¢/cwt of member milk, a reduction from the 4¢/cwt previous assessment. Any member with questions regarding NEXT should contact economist Will Loux at wloux@nmpf.org.
NMPF Celebrates Senate Support for Whole Milk for Health Kids Act. NMPF celebrated strong bipartisan Senate support for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act as senators began considering this critical legislation.
In a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing held recently to review the measure, committee members and panelists highlighted the role this bill could have in increasing
student milk consumption and nutrition access while also potentially decreasing waste. The hearing was the first formal Senate action on the bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House in 2023 and is poised to do so again this year.
“We know that Americans are underconsuming dairy products, and as we heard, students have said they want the milk they are familiar with and that they find satisfying. For many students, that’s whole milk,” said Gregg Doud.
The House of Representatives is considering similar legislation this year. The bill was approved by the House Education and the Workforce Committee with bipartisan support on February 12, and it now awaits floor action. Similar legislation that passed the House in 2023 was not taken up in the Senate that year.
On Demand Webinar — State of the U.S. Dairy Industry. A three part webinar series is now available, giving members access to insights from a comprehensive analysis on the state of the U.S. dairy industry. Developed by Dairy Management Inc. in collaboration with NMPF, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and McCully Consulting, the series highlights key findings and emerging trends shaping the future of the U.S. dairy sector.
The analysis, which features extensive input from NMPF’s economics team, examines the wide reaching impacts of more than $8 billion in new and expanding U.S. dairy processing capacity. This wave of investment reflects strong optimism in dairy’s future but also signals major changes across the supply chain that will directly affect dairy farmers, cooperatives, processors, and other industry stakeholders.
To help members make sense of these changes, NMPF’s Senior Vice President of Economic Policy and Market Research, Will Loux, joined industry analyst Mike McCully for a three part webinar series:
• U.S. Milk Production Outlook
• Dairy Product Outlook
• Global Market Outlook
The series offers expert analysis to help viewers better understand the economic forces shaping the industry and prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
About the National Milk Producer’s Federation. NMPF was organized in 1916 to provide a forum for dairy producers and the cooperatives they own to participate in public policy discussions. NMPF advocates policies to Congress, U.S. and foreign government agencies, industry organizations, the news media, and the public.
We use our unique resources to harness the ever changing climate in the politics and marketing of milk and dairy products from farm to table to promote the economic well being of dairy producers and their cooperatives through coordinated industry efforts.
NMPF addresses policies concerning milk pricing, domestic and international market development, agriculture credit and taxation, environmental issues, food safety and health, animal welfare, product standards and labeling, and research and biotechnology.
Our mission is to foster an economic and political climate in which dairy producers and the cooperatives they own can thrive and prosper. Achieving such success assures consumers of adequate supplies of wholesome and nutritious dairy products at affordable prices.
This helps improve the bottom line of the associate members who provide services to dairy producers and cooperatives that they represent. For more information, visit www.nmpf.org.
Although avian influenza outbreaks previously infected only wild birds and poultry, the current H5N1 virus has spread to dairy cows for the first time, with no preventative measures available to protect U.S. herds. Together, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Genvax Technologies are investing $278,163 into a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to develop an H5N1 vaccine for dairy cows.
Because H5N1 is an emerging pathogen in cattle, no vaccines are available. The first case of H5N1 in cattle was reported in March 2024. Since then, over 1,000 cases have been confirmed in 17 states. The virus lodges in the mammary glands of dairy cows, adversely affecting the color and quality of their milk and significantly reducing production, while causing only mild symptoms in the animals.
“The cross species spread of H5N1 presents a new significant challenge to controlling the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Angela Records, FFAR chief scientific officer. “Providing farmers with the tools they need to protect their dairy cows quickly is vital to protecting the U.S. dairy industry. This rapid funding will assist researchers in developing a vaccine and getting it to farmers.”
Led by Dr. Hank Harris, co-founder of Genvax Technologies, researchers are developing a vaccine to prevent H5N1 in cows. They will also use diagnostic tools to differentiate between infected and vaccinated cows and conduct experiments to confirm that these diagnostic tools are effective in calves. Data from these studies will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics to attain a conditional license to use the vaccine on dairy farms.
“An H5N1 outbreak in cattle threatens not just milk supply but consumer confidence and trade,” said Dr. Harris. “By accelerating vaccine development with our rapid response platform technology, we aim to give farmers the tools they need to stay ahead of this evolving threat and safeguard the economic backbone of rural America.”
FFAR’s ROAR program rapidly funds research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the U.S. food supply or agricultural systems.
About the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research. FFAR builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps, and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment.
By JEFF MULHOLLEM, Penn State University
Despite U.S. per capita milk consumption falling significantly in recent decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans are consuming a record amount of dairy in butter and cheese — products made from milk fat. In a new study, a team led by researchers at Penn State demonstrated that supplementing dairy cattle feed with 15 percent whole cottonseed can increase milk fat concentration and yield. Whole cottonseed, which is high in unsaturated fatty acid and protein cows need to produce milk fat, is a byproduct of processing cotton for fiber.
“Dairy farmers are paid for fat and protein today because people are eating more products that contain these milk solids — we’re not drinking as much fluid milk,” said team leader Kevin Harvatine, professor of nutritional physiology in the Penn State College of Agricultural Science and senior author on the study. “That’s been the market demand, and over the last ten years, we’ve been selecting and managing cows for producing higher milk fat.”
In findings recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science, the leading journal for dairy nutrition, the researchers reported that when cows were fed diets supplemented with 15 percent whole cottonseed, they produced milk that was 0.2 percent higher in milk fat and produced 5 percent more fat per day than cows not eating whole cottonseed. Cows getting the whole cottonseed showed no reduction in the amount of feed consumed, and the researchers found no effect on milk protein concentration and yield.
The study, conducted at the Penn State dairy barns, included 16 multiparous cows — cows that have had two or more calves and lactations — that were provided feed with and without 15 percent whole cottonseed, substituted for a mixture of cottonseed hulls and soybean meal, over 21 day periods. The researchers tested the cows’ blood to detect whether a pigment found in cottonseed called gossypol, which can be harmful at high levels, was present, but they found it was well below toxic levels. In addition, the researchers analyzed the cows’ manure to determine the amount of cottonseed that was not digested, and they found that less than 3 percent of seeds passed through.
The results of the research are important, Harvatine explained, because whole cottonseed slowly releases its unsaturated fat in the rumen, which is the first chamber in a cow’s four chambered stomach where microbes break down fibrous foods. Most other sources of unsaturated fatty acids that can be fed to high producing dairy cows have negative effects on the rumen. That slow release, he noted, lowers the risk for “biohydrogenation induced milk fat depression,” a condition that can result in up to a 50 percent decrease in milk fat.
“Milk fat in the U.S. had traditionally averaged approximately 3.75 percent, and now after ten years of selectively breeding dairy cattle, the average is 4.2 percent,” Harvatine said. “So, that brings us to the point of trying to do two things — increase milk fat by feeding
additional fat, but then also keeping up with the cows’ demand for making that additional fat. That’s what led us to experimenting with different feed supplements, and one of them is whole cottonseed.”
While whole cottonseed upped milk fat, the researchers said, it didn’t affect the second component of research — methane production and emissions. Other studies have shown that lipid supplementation, especially unsaturated fatty acids, decreases the activity of methanogens — microorganisms that produce methane — in the rumen, but the researchers in this study did not detect a change in methane production and emissions.
Yusuf Adeniji, graduate assistant in the Penn State Department of Animal Science, was first author of the study. Contributing to the research at Penn State were Alexander Hristov, distinguished professor of dairy nutrition; Hannah Stefenoni, a graduate student in the Penn State Department of Animal Science at the time of the research; and Rebecca Bomberger, who was a research technologist in the research group. S. Richard Goodall of Goodall Consulting in Colorado, who has extensive expertise in feeding cottonseed, also contributed to the study.
This project was partially supported by Cotton Incorporated in Cary, N.C., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Clemson Spring Dairy Show and Junior Dairy Weekend were held on March 19–23 at the T. Ed Garrison Arena. This show has become the cornerstone for dairy youth activities across the state and one of the premier shows in the Southeast. Activities included the state 4-H and FFA dairy judging contests, “Let’s Talk Dairy” speech contest, youth fun night, an awards dinner, railbird judging, jackpot showmanship, Carolina Classic Sale, and two full days of showmanship and confirmation classes.
The cattle complex at the T. Ed Garrison Arena was at capacity with over 430 head of cattle and 232 exhibitors entered from 11 states. With the number of cattle to choose classes from and all five breeds represented, youth participating in the judging contests could see and evaluate exceptional classes from all breeds. Over 100 South Carolina youths participated in the judging contest, along with teams from other states and colleges for practice due to the quality of this contest. New this year, Livestock.com requested to video and use our judging classes on their website.
Although the confirmation classes are open to all, the focus of this event continues to be the youth. Over ⅓ of the premiums were paid to the 112 youth participating in showmanship and 15 participating in the “Let’s Talk Dairy” speech contest. A $1,000 scholarship was also
given out to the senior scholarship class. Additional classes, events, and/or premiums are added each year as funds are available to help support the youth. Events like this would not be possible without great volunteers and sponsors. The Clemson Spring Dairy Show committee would like to thank all those who helped make the show successful. Additional pictures and all results can be found at www. dairyagendatoday.com/Shows.aspx
By DANIELA ROWLAND, Penn State University
How well is your heifer management program working? One identifier to determine the success of your heifer rearing is the rate of mastitis in heifers. If heifers are freshening with mastitis, this could indicate you need to look at how and where the heifers are being raised.
There are several types of pathogens that typically cause mastitis in heifers. These include Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and coliforms.
Mastitis in heifers has both direct and indirect costs that negatively impact a farm’s bottom line. For example, a first lactation heifer with Staphylococcus aureus could lose up to 2,000 pounds of milk during her lactation due to mastitis.3 This can happen because the mastitis causing pathogens cause damage to the milk secretory cells, resulting in lower milk yield. Additionally, heifers that experience mastitis are more likely to produce less milk throughout their lifetime, leading to long term losses. In addition to a lower milk yield, mastitis can also negatively affect an animal’s reproduction efficiency. Additional losses can also include the cost of culling, death, or decreased genetic gain.
Dairy animals are more susceptible to new mastitis infections during the two weeks both before and after calving. The reason for this susceptibility is that the mammary gland is undergoing a transition either from or to a state of active milk synthesis and secretion. 2 Bred heifers are at the greatest risk two weeks before calving while their udder is preparing for lactation.
Because of this risk, proper heifer management and clean, dry housing are important.
Heifer Housing - Some farms have heifer facilities specially built to house heifers, while other farms utilize old barns, bank barns, or pastures. Regardless of the housing type, heifers need to have access to a clean, dry place to lay down to reduce the risk of mastitis. Stocking rates also play a role in helping to keep heifers clean. Avoid overstocking pens to ensure animals can have access to not only clean bedding but also bunk space and water access.
Fly Control - Research done on pasture dairy farms found that horn flies can be the cause of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis, sometimes referred to as summer mastitis. 1 If you have detected Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in your herd, look at your pastured heifers to see if that could be the culprit.
If horn flies are prevalent on animals that are pastured, fly control methods may be needed to prevent the potential spread of mastitis causing pathogens. Horn flies can harbor on teat ends and introduce bacteria when they bite. If this happens in heifers, the bacteria can cause an infection during udder development.
To manage horn flies for pastured animals, pour-ons, sprays, dust bags, feed additives, and insecticide ear tags can be used. Feed additive products contain insecticides that pass through the animal’s digestive system and kill horn fly larvae in the manure.
Other fly control prevention methods include maintaining weeds and ensuring dry, clean bedding in all animal housing to deter
breeding sites for the flies.
Monitor Fresh Heifers - The calving period and the transition period two weeks prior and two weeks after calving can be stressful for a first lactation cow. Monitoring her milk can be a way to detect any mastitis early and make treatment decisions. One way to check the milk is using a California Mastitis Test (CMT). On the fourth day of milking post calving, use a CMT paddle to determine if any quarters have elevated Somatic Cell Counts (SCC). Quarters with high SCC can be cultured to determine the pathogen and potential treatment.
Keeping Records - A good goal is to aim to have less than 10 percent of your milking herd have new infections. In Figure 1, this graph from PCDART shows an example of a herd with the rates of healthy cows, cured mastitis cases, chronically infected cows, and newly infected cows. When monitoring your whole herd, aim for the following:
• Greater than 70 percent of the herd should be healthy cows (under 200,00 SCC)
• The percentage of cured animals should be greater than the percentage of new infections
• Less than 10 percent of your herd should have new infections
• Less than 10 percent of your herd should have chronic infections
If you are testing your milk through DHIA, you can use this graph or other reports to determine the different rates of infection in your herd.
Aside from housing and management, other factors, such as proper nutrition and a vaccination program, can also play a role in mastitis prevention. Working closely with your nutritionist and veterinarian can be useful to help reduce the chances of your heifers becoming infected with mastitis.
1Arnold, Michelle, Lee Townsend. “Preventing Summer Mastitis in Heifers Begins with Horn Fly Control.” University of Kentucky Extension.
2Nickerson, S. (2019) “Importance of Dry Cow Management in the Control of Mastitis.” University of Georgia Extension.
3Ruegg, P. (2011) “Heifer Mastitis: How to Help Heifers Calve Clean.” Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
By JILL PEINE
Ensuring proper nutrition for your cows during calving and early lactation is crucial. Nutritional status throughout these stages can have a significant impact on the cows’ ability to breed back in a timely manner, as well as the overall health and productivity of the herd.
Importance of nutrition at calving – During calving, cows can undergo a significant amount of stress during the transition from gestation to producing milk for their calves, and the stress can deplete their nutrient reserves. It’s essential to provide them with adequate nutrition to keep them in healthy body condition, helping them recover quickly and supporting both their health and the health of their calves. Having them in a body condition score (BCS) of at least 5 at calving is recommended. First calf heifers are still growing themselves, and it is recommended that they be in a BCS of 6 at calving.
Leading up to and through calving, Bio-Mos 2 can be supplemented to reinforce a healthy gut microbiome. Bio-Mos 2, available in a variety of formulas, is derived from a select strain of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and promotes good bacteria. It also supports gut integrity, colostrum quality, and overall performance.
Inadequate nutrition at this stage can lead to delayed breeding back, poor milk production, and increased risk of health issues that may be detrimental in the long term. By meeting the nutrient requirements of cows at calving, you can help set them up for success in early lactation and beyond.
Nutrient requirements in early lactation – During early lactation, cows continue to have high nutrient requirements, to support milk production as well as their own maintenance and overall health. Inadequate nutrition in early lactation can lead to decreased milk production, poor calf growth and delayed breeding back, which can have long term consequences for the productivity of your herd.
A beef cow’s highest energy requirement is at peak milk production, about 60 days post calving. This coincides with getting her bred back in a timely fashion. Here again, healthy body condition is important as it has been shown to impact the interval from calving to the first estrus, known as the postpartum anestrous interval. Cows that are thinner at the time of calving generally have a longer postpartum anestrous interval compared to those in adequate body condition.
By providing proper nutrition to your cows at calving and early lactation, you can help ensure that they are able to breed back efficiently and maintain a consistent calving interval. This can have a positive impact on the overall productivity of your herd, as well as your bottom line. From protein to minerals, supplementation for your cows at this critical time can pay major dividends.
Six Cattle Technology Trends That Continue to Push Boundaries.
New technology in the cattle industry offers a lot of potential, some drawbacks, too. The cattle industry has seen a sharp rise in technology in recent years. While new high tech tools are promising, they also have to be practical, user friendly, and offer a solid return on investment before cattle producers invest.
The surge of new technology brings both optimism and skepticism. We talked to cattle producers and related experts about seven tools they’re excited or concerned about, think have value, or are considering for their operations.
Electronic identification (EID) tags – Individual animal identification is top-of-mind for many producers.
Missouri rancher Matt Poindexter hopes for complete birth to butcher traceability. “We should be able to keep records from the day a calf is born to the day it’s hanging on the rail and have the information move back and forth across the supply chain,” he says.
If cow/calf producers used more EID technology and passed data to backgrounders, finishers, and packing plants, it would improve management practices, protocols, and production strategies, Poindexter says.
“I’d know what shots were given and when, solving commingling issues by pairing groups with the same vaccines,” he says. “I could even isolate bloodlines more susceptible to sickness to improve my
herd.”
South Dakota rancher Chris Howard’s interest in individual identification lies in pasture management. He would use the added data to confirm correlations between movements and rotational grazing timing.
“My theory is that at a certain threshold, cows move more to attain the same level of forage intake. If I identify this threshold, my rotational grazing will be more efficient,” he says.
On a simpler note, he’d also welcome ‘The cows are out!’ alerts.
For producers considering or already using EID tags, here are a few ideas to make sure you’re getting the most out of your tag
investment.
• Performance tracking through the chain – Many producers show interest in pairing performance tracking software with EID tag systems for better decision making.
Iowa based Ryan Brothers Inc. buys 700–800 pound calves and feeds them to finish.
“If I could share EID information with a cow/calf guy and continue the data to finishing and slaughter before it returns to them, it would be huge,” says co-owner Pat Ryan. “If there is enough good information on the tags to track performance, we’d know next year when they’re selling those calves again if they were a good or poor buy.”
He thinks this historical information, including accurate finishing weights, would guide purchasing and sorting strategies.
Nebraska rancher Paul Johnson agrees that receiving data back on the steers, replacements, and bred heifers he sells each year would be beneficial.
“We don’t get any data back as we don’t have the facilities to finish our cattle,” Johnson says. “It would be nice to know how they do. We see what they gained, but that’s it. With more information, we’d put extra value on carcass merit for our herd.”
• Herd management software – Many cattle feeders have long relied on handwritten notes to manage feeding, inventory, health, marketing, and more. Pen and paper have obvious limitations, including human error and physical degradation.
North Carolina feeder Brandon Pardue wanted to stop passing scraps of paper to the loader operator mixing ingredients, who then
transferred them to the feed truck driver.
Pardue picked Performance Beef from Performance Livestock Analytics to help him manage details that could otherwise get lost. “I love the simplicity and handiness of it,” he says. “When tallying up a group, we aren’t worried about every number and date we wrote down. What went into the group is right in front of us.”
He loves how the software removes inventory automatically and puts it directly where it’s supposed to go. “You know a group’s cost every day,” he says. “Having the accuracy of feeding, weights, and inventory numbers has saved us time, improved efficiency, and added profit. Plus, the detailed analytics and reports assure our clients.
• Feed bunk management - Reading and responding to feed bunk conditions is often considered an optional task. If done at all, it typically falls to a feedlot employee scribbling down a few notes while traveling past the bunks. This “unofficial” task can make or break profitability as bunk mismanagement leads to extra days on feed, bloats, average daily gain valleys, and feed conversion pitfalls.
“I wanted to view remotely when bunks were going clean, as I’m often away,” says Lance Hamman, Iowa feedlot owner and new Precision Livestock Technologies user. “I needed 24 hour monitoring to eliminate the wild swings in feeding and stay ahead of the trend curve for what my pens were doing.”
Precision Livestock Technologies’ machine vision system tracks bunks and feeding behavior via 24/7 camera monitoring. Hamman believes this tool has increased average daily gains and improved feed efficiency.
“It provides enough information even the novice can use to make more accurate decisions, but there’s plenty to keep the experts busy.”
• Feed efficiency – “Feed efficiency is our next low hanging fruit,” says Wisconsin beef producer Jared Geiser. “Days on feed and actual feed costs are the two biggest drivers of profitability. Getting a jump on selecting the most efficient animals for our environment sets us up for success.”
He appreciates that some companies measure feed intake through smart bunks weighing feed consumption. Startup costs can be high, though, which prevents most average producers from accessing this tool.
“Feed efficiency is the next logical step for selecting highly functional and profitable cattle,” Geiser says. “The industry is behind the rest of the world in traceability and advanced reproduction. We must step up and use advancing technologies when they become more available, practical, and affordable.”
• Genetic testing and selection – Genetic testing isn’t a new idea. However, more commercial cow/calf operators now want testing data for bulls they purchase.
Troy Rowan, assistant professor and beef genetics extension specialist at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, says widespread use of genetic tests is the largest technological leap of the last two decades.
“Historically, commercial buyers made purchases with limited information and minimal data,” he says. “Genomics and genetic testing have instilled more confidence as large amounts of accurate data become available. Integrating genomic evaluations to help reduce the risk associated with these large investments creates a major advancement.”
Shared concerns – Technological advances are exciting, but government interference and regulation worry many.
Poindexter is hesitant about mandated animal identification. “I know there is demand for it, and when voluntary, then fine. If enforced, then no. It needs to be our option.”
Ryan agrees. “It’s a changing industry. We’re fighting rules and regulations we don’t necessarily like.”
Johnson adds, “The line we must walk is that it would be nice to do all these things but I’m not a fan of government overreach. For my sake, I’d love GPS trackers on every cow, but the possible consequences scare me.”
Geiser is concerned about secondary selection pressure and missing the big picture when focusing too much on feed efficiency. “Does relying on this technology cause an antagonistic relationship with marbling, milk, foot health, docility, and more? Do we spend too much money and effort chasing technologies and miss opportunities to contract/hedge profitably in search of the next dollar down the road?”
Cost and ROI play major roles in how a technology is perceived.
“Either we adapt or die as an operation. It’s how it goes,” Johnson says. “If something specific becomes cost effective, we need to take a long, hard look at it and not just automatically rule things out.”
Howard says, “Dollars are the potential drawback with anything. If it’s something I’m interested in, I’d try it if it’s financially feasible.”
To the future and beyond – Cattle producers are interested in technologies that improve efficiency, reduce labor, and provide useful data. Many are opening their minds and, occasionally, their pocketbooks for the right opportunities.
The future will reveal which technologies get adopted and stick around for the long haul.
About Performance Livetock Analytics . PLA is a technology company that simplifies data and analytics for the livestock industry. Our team used practical insights from producers and data engineers to create the industry’s first cloud based platform. We provide livestock producers with powerful analytics to make better marketing and management decisions, improve sustainability, and boost profitability.
The 1,500 lb question — Are your cows too big? The Beef. It’s Expert advice for identifying and managing the right size cow for your operation. Cow size has been on the rise for decades. Cows today weigh 1.4 times as much as their predecessors in 1980. In fact, cow weight is rising 100 pounds every 10 years.1
Why has this occurred? “Producers get paid for pounds, so ‘growth bulls’ are selected, and the biggest heifers are retained,” says Ron Scott, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition.
This has achieved positive outcomes as producers aim to maximize profit by increasing pounds of production and selling heavier calves each year. While this breeding and management strategy has shown its merits, on the output side of the equation, larger cows aren’t always as profitable as you might think.
“Larger cow size can come with a larger price tag when you factor in higher inputs and reduced efficiency in pounds weaned,” says Scott. “To maximize profit potential, finding the middle ground between the cost of raising larger calves and their value at sale time can be important.”
Here are three tips to help you find the optimal cow size for your operation and manage it to improve efficiency:
1. Consider both inputs and outputs — It’s important to account for all profitability aspects when evaluating the right cow size for your operation.
On the input side, larger cows eat more than smaller cows, resulting in higher costs for feed and forage. The good news is that cows get slightly more efficient per pound as they grow. A 1,500 pound cow is 50 percent larger in weight, but her energy requirements are only approximately 36 percent greater than those of a 1,000 pound cow.2
“However, the accuracy of this, in practicality, is debatable because of the ‘boss cow’ effect,” says Scott. “Those bigger cows are the dominant cows, and they always will be first on the pecking order for feed resources. In other words, they take more than they need, and that ‘extra’ is taken away from the smaller cows.”
On the output side, you’re selling bigger calves and getting paid for their increased weight. However, it might cost more to raise those calves. With larger calves, you must respond to their nutritional needs, ensuring they can keep up and continue gaining weight.
“Another consideration is that while cow size has been increasing, the percentage of weaning weight for calves hasn’t equally adjusted
its ratio to make up for the larger size,” says Scott.
Data from North Dakota State University shows that a 1,000 pound cow weans 48.5 percent of her body weight compared to 43.6 percent for a 1,400 pound cow.3 Essentially, calves born from larger cows aren’t as efficient as calves born from smaller cows.
“Getting a complete picture of inputs and outputs can help you find the sweet spot when it comes to cow size for your operation to maximize profits,” says Scott.
2. Maximize forage resources — While cows have become larger, stocking rates have not kept up with genetic gain in cow size. Many producers are running the same number of cows on the same number of acres as they always have.
“Overstocking can be problematic because cows may not get the nutrients they need from forage,” says Scott. “Traditional stocking rates are based on a 1,000 pound mature cow size, yet many cows surpass that threshold today.”
Consider this: A 1,500 pound cow is 1.5 times larger than a 1,000 pound cow. This means the larger cow needs about 1.5 times more nutrients than the smaller cow. To meet her forage needs, you would need to increase your stocking rates by 1.5 times.
“Adjusting stocking rates
can ensure cows aren’t short changed on nutrients and that pasture resources are used more efficiently,” says Scott. “Since most producers can’t easily weigh their cows, it can be challenging to know how much to increase the stocking rates for your specific operation.”
Consider investing in a digital or portable scale. This year is a great time to reinvest in your facilities with the added profits from the bullish cattle market. If an on-farm scale isn’t in the cards, consider weighing your herd on the trailer at a local cooperative when hauling your cows to pasture or evaluating cull cow weight using the weights listed on the sale bill.
3. Avoid nutrition gaps — While increasing stocking rates can help support nutritional needs, we can’t expect cows to get by on forages alone. Across the industry, particularly on the cow side, producers run the risk of not optimizing their profit potential by not fully meeting the nutritional needs of larger sized cattle.
“Bigger cows have more significant nutritional requirements,” says Scott. “Meeting their increased nutritional needs can have cascading effects that could lead to improved profitability.”
Cows managed for optimal body condition scores at calving have been shown to rebreed with 88 percent or greater conception rates. 4 And, by providing adequate nutrition to cows during each stage of gestation, you can better support the calf’s birth and weaning weight, immune function, finishing growth, and value to the herd if the calf is kept back. A nutrition program that meets your herd’s requirements helps ensure your genetic investment can be fully maximized, regardless of your average cow size.
“Free choice tub, block, or liquid supplements can help you more efficiently meet any nutrient gaps cows might face,” says Scott. “Monitoring intakes can also help you manage forages and stocking rates.”
If cows are eating more of the supplement than the target, dig in and ask some questions. Do I have enough forages? Is the forage quality high enough? Do I have an accurate pulse on my cows’ nutrition requirements? Free choice products help give you a barometer for your nutrition program overall.
“Bigger cows can mean bigger costs, but also bigger
profit potential,” says Scott. “Finding the right cow size for your operation and managing cows to help maximize efficiency may lead to greater profit potential.”
Visit www.purinamills.com/cattlecare for more information on how you can best manage your cows.
References
1 National Agricultural Statistics Service. United States Department of Agriculture. 2019.
2 NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). 1984. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 6th ed. The National Academies Press.
3Dhuyvetter, J. 2009. Focusing on cows in a high cost world. North Dakota State University. Accessed August 21, 2024.
4 Rasby, R.J., Stalker, A., and Funston, R.N. Body condition
Purina News continued on the next page
scoring beef cows: A tool for managing the nutrition program for beef herds. Accessed August 21, 2024.
About Purina Animal Nutrition. Purina is a national organization serving producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other large retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest
potential in every animal, the company is an industry leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients, and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn., and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc. For more information, visit www.purinamills.com
earning how to navigate legal and legislative activism at the 2025 Stakeholders Summit. Activist groups are increasingly using legislation and litigation to target animal agriculture. The current state of policy and legal landscapes presents challenges for animal agriculture, as animal rights groups continue to target how, and if, animals can be raised and processed for food. Three experts with unique perspectives discussed this topic on a panel at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2025 Stakeholders Summit. The theme of the 2025 event was “Food for Thought: Dishing on Sustainability.”
In this panel discussion, speakers shared their experience with activism in the legal and legislative process and how farmers and ranchers, industry leaders, and company executives can position themselves for continued success. Dayna Ghirardelli of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau explained how her organization helped counter a ballot measure to end large scale farming in the county. Ryann Glenn, a partner at Husch Blackwell, shared how attendees can ensure their sustainability narratives withstand legal scrutiny and avoid “greenwashing” accusations. Pet Advocacy Network’s Mike Bober took a look at the challenges and opportunities for animal agriculture under the new administration, offering strategies for navigating change and uncertainty. Attendees left better equipped to navigate ongoing challenges in this area to ensure a sustainable future for animal agriculture.
“Animal rights and activist groups are increasingly using legislation and litigation to impact animal agriculture. Oftentimes, these efforts are focused on raising the cost for farmers and ranchers to stay in business while also raising the cost of animal-based foods in the grocery store,” said Abby Kornegay, Alliance director of issues and engagement. “As these efforts ramp up, it’s crucial that the food
and farming communities take proactive steps to make themselves harder targets. This session equips attendees with the insights needed to navigate ongoing challenges in this area.”
Security experts address biosecurity, cybersecurity, activism at 2025 Stakeholders Summit. Attendees at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2025 Stakeholders Summit had exclusive access to a security panel discussing response gaps in cybersecurity, biosecurity, and animal rights activism.
Security experts from the Bioeconomy Information Sharing and Analysis Center, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory took the stage to share best practices and fresh insights with attendees. Panelists discussed why 2025 marks a crucial turning point in addressing key security issues and the opportunity to create a unified defense against potential threats. Speakers also addressed the importance of empowering local law enforcement agencies that play a vital role in protecting agricultural communities.
“As the age old saying goes, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ When it comes to animal rights extremists, it’s better to prepare for potential threats than to only react after they occur,” said Abby Kornegay. “Our panel of security specialists shared expert advice and recommendations to make farms and facilities harder targets from extremist activity.”
The 2025 Summit would not be possible without the support of sponsors, including U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Farm Journal , Meatingplace, Watt Global Media, Cargill, Merck Animal Health, Zoetis, American Feed Industry Association, United Soybean Board, Agri-Pulse, CoBank, Dairy MAX, Farm Credit Council, National Pork Producers Council, Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, AdFarm, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Veal Association, Aviagen, Cobb, Kemin, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Board, N.C. Farm Bureau, Progressive Dairy, Trans Ova Genetics, Tyson Foods, United Egg Producers, Vivayic, and Eggland’s Best.
About the Animal Agriculture Alliance . The Alliance safeguards the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation. For more information, visit www.animalagalliance.org
By PHILLIP LANCASTER, Ph.D., Kansas State University
Determining the nutritive value of grazed forage is difficult, and producers generally make assumptions about when forage nutritive value is low enough to warrant supplementation. The assumptions are not always correct because forage nutritive value is dynamic depending upon climate conditions and grazing management. Thus, cows are sometimes over or under supplemented.
Fecal consistency can provide clues as to the nutritive value of forages. Cows grazing lush green forage in the spring generally have very loose feces, indicating low concentrations of fiber and high concentrations of protein. In contrast, cows grazing dormant standing forage in the winter will have very firm and dry feces, indicating high concentrations of fiber and low concentrations of protein. These two extremes are easy to identify that the cows with loose feces do not need supplementation, and the cows with firm dry feces need protein supplementation and maybe energy supplementation, which is more difficult to discern from visual observation of feces.
A more detailed evaluation of feces can provide more information, leading to better supplementation strategies and timing. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a tool to quickly determine the chemical composition of a feedstuff or a fecal sample. Chemical analysis of fecal samples for protein and digestibility using NIRS coupled with a simple nutrition model can improve supplementation strategies of grazing cattle. This can be done with the help of the Grazingland Animal Nutrition Laboratory.
A recent study evaluated the use of the NIRS and a nutrition model in a cow herd in west Texas. The study compared two NIRS calibration analyses — a U.S. scale calibration and a west Texas calibration. The U.S. scale calibration poorly predicted the forage
protein, but the west Texas calibration prediction of protein was much better, indicating that regional calibration may be necessary for accurate prediction. The west Texas calibration coupled with the nutrition model was moderately accurate and precise in predicting body condition score of the cows. Possibly more importantly, the west Texas calibration coupled with the nutrition model was able to estimate changes in body condition score over time.
Forage nutritive value would change before body condition score. Being able to monitor changes in forage nutritive value through fecal analysis coupled with the nutrition model prediction of body condition changes would allow implementation of supplement strategies before changes in body condition occur. In conclusion, fecal analysis can be useful in determining supplementation strategies, but care should be taken that the NIRS calibration matches the local conditions.
References
1Adapted from Tolleson et al. (2025) https://doi.org/10.1016/j. rala.2024.11.004
Joe and Robin Hampton
Withrows Creek Lane Mt. Ulla, NC 28125 704-880-2488
1320 Old Manning Rd., Sumter, SC 29150 803-983-0816 wrricky@ftc-i.net • www.blackcrestfarm.com
Breeding
Walter D. Shealy III and Family 20977 US Hwy 76 • Newberry, SC 29108 803-924-1000 • 706-590-0451 walter@blackgrove.com www.blackgrove.com
ANGUS
May 3 — Springfield Angus Complete Dispersal, Louisburg, N.C.
May 3 — Whitestone Farm 32nd Annual Pasture Performance Tested Angus Bull & Female Sale, Aldie, Va.
May 17 — Chessie Creek Farm 3rd Annual Bred Heifer Sale, Walterboro, S.C.
Sep. 27 — Biltmore Livestock Production Sale, Asheville, N.C.
Oct. 11 — Chessie Creek Farm Angus Female Sale, Walterboro, S.C.
Oct. 18 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C.
Oct. 24-25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots Fall Female & Bull Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.
Nov. 8 — Chessie Creek Farm Angus Bull Sale, Walterboro, S.C.
Dec. 6 — 50th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2026
Jan. 3 — 17th Annual EBS Farms Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Feb. 7 — 50th Annual Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C.
BRAHMAN
Jun. 7 — Carolinas Brahman Breeders Association 45th Annual Sale, Laurens, S.C.
BRANGUS
Oct. 24-25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots
Fall Female & Bull Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. 2026
Feb. 7 — 50th Annual Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C.
GELBVIEH
Dec. 6 — 50th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C.
HEREFORD
May 3 — 5th Annual S.C. Hereford Association • Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Joint Hereford & Red Angus Sale, Pendleton, S.C.
May 24 — Four B Farm Fields of Gold Female Sale, Shelby, N.C.
May 26 — The Mead Program Sale, Midville, Ga. 2026
Feb. 7 — 50th Annual Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C.
RED ANGUS 2026
Feb. 7 — 50th Annual Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C.
SANTA GERTRUDIS
May 10 — 52nd Annual Breeders of the Carolinas Sale, Monroe, N.C.
SIMMENTAL
Oct. 18 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C.
Oct. 24-25 — Yon Family Farms Maternal Roots
Fall Female & Bull Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C.
Dec. 6 — 50th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2026
Jan. 3 — 17th Annual EBS Farms Annual Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Feb. 7 — 50th Annual Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C.
Nov. 1 — Wilders Wagyu StayWILD ‘25 Production Sale, Turkey, N.C.
OTHER EVENTS
May 6-7 — Student A.I. School, Goldsboro, N.C.
May 9 — Central Cattle Reproduction School, Reidsville, N.C.
May 15 — WNC Cattle Reproduction School, Waynesville, N.C.
May 16 — Mid-Central Cattle Reproduction School, Bahama, N.C.
May 17 — Replacement Cow Sale, via DVAuction.com
May 27 — Southeast Cattle Reproduction School, Chadbourne, N.C.
Jun. 10-13 — 57th Annual BIF Research Symposium & Convention, Amarillo, Tex.
Jun. 25-26 — Extension Agent A.I. School, Clinton, N.C.
Jul. 16-17 — Tri-State Ag Expo, Clemson, S.C.
May 15 — WNC Cattle Reproduction School, Waynesville, N.C.
Dec. 6 — N.C. BCIP Waynesville Bull Test Sale, Canton, N.C.
Dec. 13 — N.C. BCIP Butner Bull Test Sale, Oxford, N.C.
LIVESTOCK MARKET SALES
May 5 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
May 5 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
May 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
May 8 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
May 12 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
May 12 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
May 14 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
May 19 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
May 19 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
May 20 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
May 21 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
May 26 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
May 26 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
May 28 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Jun. 2 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
Jun. 2 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Jun. 3 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Jun. 4 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Jun. 9 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
Jun. 9 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Jun. 11 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Jun. 16 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
Jun. 16 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Jun. 17 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction, via macsvideo.com
Jun. 18 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Jun. 23 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
Jun. 23 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
Jun. 25 — Stanly County Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Norwood, N.C.
Jun. 30 — Harward Brothers Livestock Market Weekly Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.
Jun. 30 — Saluda Livestock Exchange Weekly Sale, Saluda, S.C.
