April 22nd marks Earth Day - a day to celebrate America's beef
producers and their commitment to the environment.
The beef industry is marking the 2009 Earth Day celebration under the
theme, America's Farmers & Ranchers ... Everyday Environmentalists. The
campaign goal is to educate today's consumer about the steps farmers and
ranchers take every day of the year to sustain agriculture and ensure a
healthy beef supply for the United States and abroad.
One outreach program features Scott Stone, 2008 Environmental
Stewardship Award Program winner from Yolo County, CA, serving as the
national spokesperson for a radio media tour. Stone will be heard on 11
metro area stations with an audience of about 3.2 million listeners
during the week leading up to Earth Day. He runs both conventional and
grass-fed beef operations on his 7,500-acre ranch.
"For America's beef-producing families, our land is not just where we
raise cattle; it's also where we raise our families. That means we have
a personal stake in the quality of our environment. We always are
looking for new ways to improve the air, land and water on or near our
property. Scott is a shining example of that," says Austin Brown III,
Cattlemen's Beef Board member, cow-calf producer from Beeville, TX, and
vice chair of the industry's Joint Information Committee. "As producers,
we know what we do every day on the farm, so while the nation is
thinking about the environment on Earth Day, it's important that we use
our checkoff-funded resources to share our story with the consumer."
In addition to the national efforts, state beef councils have a kit
containing six weeks of campaign materials for producers to use
proactively and reactively around Earth Day. The checkoff is engaging
producers across the country in spokesperson training; a PowerPoint
presentation has been created for producers to use when speaking to
local consumer and/or cattlemen's groups; and videos of two Colorado
producers are featured on YouTube highlighting the steps they take to
care for Colorado's natural resources.
"On average, each beef producer has 13 different practices in place to
accomplish environment goals such as nurturing wildlife, preventing
erosion or conserving and protecting water," continues Brown. "It's
critical to our business. We're using fewer natural resources to provide
an abundant supply of safe, nutrient-rich beef. Our checkoff investment,
through the Issues and Reputation Management program, is helping educate
consumers about how farmers and ranchers are everyday
environmentalists."
Producers interested in getting involved on a local level in Earth Day
activities should contact their state beef council. More information
about environmental practices can also be found at www.explorebeef.org.
For more information about checkoff-funded programs such as this, visit
MyBeefCheckoff.com.
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With this issue, BEEF magazine will suspend publication of
new issues of American Cowman Update. The BEEF magazine
editorial staff was proud of the twice-monthly newsletter dedicated to
production and lifestyle issues of smaller-sized beef operations not
served by our regular print product, and particularly proud of the job
performed by Kindra Gordon in researching, writing and preparing the
e-newsletter content and its accompanying website – www.americancowman.com.
Unfortunately, the economic climate doesn’t support this otherwise
very worthy venture and we’ve decided to cease publication of the
newsletter, at least for the time being.
However, all the archives for American Cowman Update and
americancowman.com will remain available at beefmagazine.com/americancowman/index.html.
They can also be accessed from the www.beefmagazine.com homepage by
clicking on the “American Cowman” tab near the top of the opening
page.
I’d like to thank our regular readers of American Cowman
products for their support of the past few years. And I would invite
those who haven’t already done so to go to www.beefmagazine.com and sign up
for our BEEF Daily and BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly electronic products. Lastly,
I’d like to thank Kindra for the stellar and heartfelt job she did in
nurturing the American Cowman franchise. Hopefully, we can work together
on this project again soon.
It’s appropriate that this final issue of American Cowman Update deals
with the April 22 observance of Earth Day because, like most involved in
this business, Kindra and her husband Bruce embody the caretaker spirit
of those who live and raise their families on the land, teaching them
how to care for their animals and preserve nature’s beauty and
productivity for the next generation.
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When is the last time you went to a pie social? That’s a question
Kari Fruechte likes to ask the audiences she visits with. Fruechte is a
community innovation and leadership specialist with the South Dakota
Extension Service, of which her duties include the Horizons
program.
She explains that Horizons is a community leadership program aimed to
help reinvigorate economic and social development in rural towns with
populations of fewer than 5,000. So, what does Fruechte’s job have to
do with pie? Fruechte points out that pie socials are not totally a
thing of the past, but we tend to get together with relatives, friends
and neighbors for social time much less often now than we did in
previous generations. Fruechte says that while technology has many
benefits, it can also be a detriment to our social networks within
communities – and this in turn can impact the vibrancy and well-being
of community spirit. To read the complete article, click on the
headline above.
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It’s frequently said that “you gotta have goals;” and I firmly
believe that. Through my upbringing in 4-H and FFA activities setting
goals was a mantra that was regularly preached. I think many people do
have goals, but they make a common mistake of failing to follow through.
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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After reaching a peak of over 33 million cows in 2006, the U.S. beef
cowherd inventory has been declining by about 2% per year. In 2009,
there are fewer than 32 million beef cows – the smallest inventory
since 1964.
The recent decline has been the sharpest drop in beef cow numbers since
the mid-1990s, when financial losses were widespread among cow/calf
producers. Interestingly, the current beef cowherd is generating the
smallest U.S. beef calf crop that has occurred in 5 decades, which will
likely result in stagnant or reduced beef production as well.
Thinking optimistically, it’s a really good thing that the decline in
beef cattle numbers coincided with the current economic recession and
softened domestic demand. However, if looking at the situation as an
opportunist, the next 2 to 5 years in this industry could offer a
tremendous possibility for widespread profitability among cow/calf
producers. To read the complete article, click on the headline
above.
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Whether you are thinking of starting an agritourism entity or you
already operate one, two handy checklists are now available to help you
ensure safe and efficient activities when you have visitors on your
farm. To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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They say what’s old is new again – and that certainly seems to
be the case with the Timberline Range Camps, which are a new version of
the old sheepwagons. Manufactured by the Spring City, Utah-based company
called Timberline Range Camps these efficient wagons are designed with
the modern sheep herder, rancher and sportsman in mind. To read the
complete article, click on the headline above.
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Looking for a good book for your next reading adventure? Following
are some reads that come highly recommended:
Matt DeMarco, director of leadership development with the American Farm
Bureau, has found interesting research on the topic of communication –
specifically how men and women communicate differently. For example,
it’s common to see women apologizing for no specific reason, while men
tend to like being the devil’s advocate. Understanding some of these
differences can enhance communication efforts and improve working and
personal relationships.
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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If you’ve got expired CRP acres that you intend to use as pasture
or hay, those acres often need several preparation steps before they
meet growers’ needs. These include remove old litter, thicken stands,
and develop fence and water. To read the complete article, click on
the headline above.
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With snow, rain and flooding in many parts of the country, it is
tough to think about drought. But, drought is still plaguing many areas,
and can quickly return with the heat of summer.
But, early spring is a time you can take action that can minimize some
of drought’s problems. To read the complete article, click on the
headline above.
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It’s been said that a weed is a plant we haven’t yet found a use
for. If that’s the case, western juniper – often viewed as
undesirable because of its invasion onto Western rangelands – could be
earning a new reputation as a bioherbicide used to kill other weeds.
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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