Sustainability is a new target for producers. While there are no plans to meet these goals yet, there is interest in how cattle can be part of the solution. It comes down to the adage, “trust but verify,” and verification will need to come from those raising beef.
The health of an animal is important at every level of production. Researchers have found a way to select cattle for disease-resistant genetics and strong immune systems.
In a world where producers select for any production traits, why not start focusing on health genetics? The American Angus Association is collaborating with scientists in Canada and Australia to get at the genetics of immunity.
Beef Quality Assurance eases consumer concerns about how their food is raised. BQA is common sense backed by science and research like animal welfare, health, record keeping, biosecurity, transportation and worker safety.
Control what you can and deal with the rest. Cattlemen can’t stop drought or hurricanes, but they can set their herd up to be successful during “everyday” challenges. “We can manage their feed. We can manage their health protocol. We can’t manage their stress,” said Kelly Sanders, Westway Feed Products. “From my feed standpoint, how do I mitigate that problem the best I can?”
It’s a Cinderella story that never seems to grow old. An Ohio Angus breeder went out to eat and ordered an Angus steak that turned out terrible. The experience sparked an idea for a certified brand of beef that would be enjoyed 40 years later, in the U.S. and 50 other countries around the world.
It takes a powerful start and decades of focus to get harvest groups that regularly qualify 100% for the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand. What about 97.7% at CAB Prime brand and that one steer “only” hitting the traditional premium Choice CAB mark? Not too good to be true, that’s just the mark of a Champion. To be precise, it’s the Champion pen of 40 enrolled in the 2018 Angus Value Discovery Contest (AVDC), produced by Jack and Bill Boyer, Boyer Brothers Angus, Perryville, Mo.
What’s relevant today isn’t necessarily so tomorrow. Investing in the future pushes everybody forward. That was the motivating think piece Mark McCully shared with cattlemen as part of the National Angus Convention’s opening session Saturday, Nov. 3, in Columbus, Ohio. As farmers and ranchers attended breakouts designed to make their own herds better, McCully’s point held its weight. Anything that could make it above the Select line was once considered “on target” for satisfying consumer demand.
For the staff, it was a big family reunion, getting to show extended kinfolk from across the United States the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand’s Wooster, Ohio, home. For Angus breeders, it was a bit like drawing back a curtain to see what happens behind the logo.