Angus — The Business Breed


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Fire-relief

Fire Relief Opportunities

Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation launches a fire relief fund for western Oklahoma cattlemen.

A relief fund has been established by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation (OCF) to help cattlemen who have been affected by ongoing wildfires in western Oklahoma.


“Oklahoma wind and drought conditions spurred several large fires on the western side of Oklahoma (April 12), affecting many cattlemen,” said Tiffani Pruitt, coordinator of the OCF, a charitable arm of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. “One thing we’ve learned from the wildfires in the past few years is that folks are quick to want to help those in unfortunate situations, and that is truly humbling. The OCF is happy to provide a place for funds to be held. We will coordinate with the Extension offices in the affected areas to organize relief efforts and to identify ranchers that are in need.” Read more.


Alex Tolbert Alex Tolbert

Association Perspective

Financial considerations.

I love the cattle business — always have, always will. The Angus cow, for me, is the most intriguing and the most resilient animal on the planet. Her ability to turn grass and corn into a mouthwatering Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand ribeye is nothing short of a miracle. No matter the environment, no matter the demand by the consumer, no matter the fad … she keeps coming back and asking for more. I love her!


Problem is, she doesn’t always love me back. Aside from her attitude at calving, she’s not always willing or able to return thanks for providing for her — endlessly. That point is where her real lack of love is so evident. Maybe it’s not so much her lack of affection for me, but certainly a lack of affection for my wallet. Read more.


Finding Opportunity in the Imperfect

Former Major League Baseball player Jim Abbott inspires cattlemen.

“So much depends on our ability to adapt to challenges. Life comes with disappointments and struggles. No matter what comes your way, you have to answer, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ ” Former Major League Baseball player Jim Abbott inspired attendees of the second General Session at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Phoenix, Ariz.


Abbott had an incredibly successful career as a baseball pitcher. Growing up in Flint, Mich., he took his high school team to the state championship. After graduation, he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and earned a scholarship to play baseball for the University of Michigan. After his junior year of college, he was chosen to play on the U.S. Olympic team for the games in Seoul, South Korea. He ended up pitching the championship game to beat Japan 5-3 and earn a gold medal. That was his last amateur game. Read more.


Measuring Up

Feedyard greenhouse gas study analyzes emissions, mitigation factors.

A week spent in a feedyard pen is helping researchers gain a better understanding of greenhouse gas emissions. Their goal is to improve the national inventory of greenhouse gases and determine potential mitigation measures.


Texas A&M AgriLife Research and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are collaborating to analyze nitrous oxide and methane emissions from an area feedyard pen. Using six automated chambers, more than 575 automated flux measurements were taken, as were 60 manual flux measurements from separate static chambers, to help monitor nitrous oxide and methane gas emissions. Halfway through the experiment, a half-inch of water was applied to the pen surface within the measurement chamber bases to simulate a rainfall. Read more.


What’s Inside …

In this April edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month’s entire offering by category. A few select features include:


News Briefs …

The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry, as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive available in the API Virtual Library.


BQA Programs Update

Online training modules offer more opportunities for people to become BQA certified.

“The right way is the only way” announced Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) leadership at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix this past winter. “It’s not quite the golden rule, but it’s up there,” said the narrator in the promotional video created by BQA. Watch the video here.


BQA produced the video to highlight who beef producers really are, explained Chase DeCoite, director of BQA programs, because that’s what BQA is. Read more.


Your Health

Lack of Sleep May Be Linked To Alzheimer’s Risk

Preliminary NIH study shows increased levels of beta-amyloid.

Losing just one night of sleep led to an immediate increase in beta-amyloid, a protein in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a small, new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In Alzheimer’s disease, beta-amyloid proteins clump together to form amyloid plaques, a hallmark of the disease.


While acute sleep deprivation is known to elevate brain beta-amyloid levels in mice, less is known about the impact of sleep deprivation on beta-amyloid accumulation in the human brain. The study is among the first to demonstrate that sleep may play an important role in human beta-amyloid clearance. Read more.