Listen to an audio version of the 09-07-22 Front Page articles

American Angus Association names new regional manager
Quanah Gardiner hired to serve Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The American Angus Association welcomes Quanah Gardiner of Ashland, Kan., as regional manager for the Northwest. A fifth-generation Angus breeder, Gardiner brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to the position.

The American Angus Association welcomes Quanah Gardiner of Ashland, Kan., as regional manager for the Northwest.

“I am eager to learn how to best assist Angus producers in the Western U.S. and help them achieve their goals,” says Gardiner. “Beef production in the West may slightly differ from the production environment in the Midwest; however, the goal across all production sectors is the same — producing the very best Angus beef in a sustainable environment.”

Gardiner will work with breeders in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Hawaii to promote Angus cattle, improve management practices, inform producers about Association programs and services, and help locate Angus seedstock. He can also advise producers on marketing opportunities available through the Association, including advertising in the Angus Journal, the Angus Beef Bulletin, electronic extensions of the publications, and other avenues.

“The regional manager position combines three things I enjoy most,” says Gardiner, “working with cattle, working with people and, most importantly, the opportunity to serve others.”

David Gazda, Association director of field services, says he’s thrilled to have Gardiner as a part of the regional manager team. “Quanah has a unique combination of seedstock experience and the ability to connect with commercial cattlemen that makes him a great fit.”

Gardiner graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. After completing a year as a rural high school teacher and athletics coach, he says, he wanted to return to his passion of the cattle industry.

Gardiner’s experience began on his family’s seedstock operation, Gardiner Angus Ranch. Growing up, he participated in several National Junior Angus Shows and learned firsthand the responsibilities and value of the regional manager position. — by Briley Richard, Angus Communications

Walmart announces equity investment in Sustainable Beef LLC
Walmart and Sustainable Beef LLC announced Aug. 31 Walmart’s signing of an agreement to acquire a minority stake in Sustainable Beef LLC, a rancher-owned company based in North Platte, Neb. Walmart’s equity investment is part of a broader strategic partnership to source top-quality Angus beef from Sustainable Beef LLC’s new beef-processing facility.

According to the news release announcing the agreement, the partnership helps supplement the current beef industry and provides additional opportunities for ranchers to increase their business. As part of the investment, Walmart will have representation on Sustainable Beef’s board.

Walmart’s investment will help Sustainable Beef LLC open its beef-processing facility in North Platte, Neb. The facility is expected to break ground this fall and open by late 2024, creating more than 800 new jobs and increasing capacity for the beef industry.

“At Walmart, we are dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable beef to our customers, and an investment in Sustainable Beef LLC will give us even more access to these products,” said Tyler Lehr, senior vice president of merchandising for deli services, meat and seafood, Walmart U.S. “We know Sustainable Beef LLC has a responsible approach to beef processing, one that includes creating long-term growth for cattle ranchers and family farmers. This investment provides greater visibility into the beef supply chain and complements Walmart’s regeneration commitment to improve grazing management.”

Sustainable Beef LLC will work with cattle feeders and ranchers to understand critical elements of the supply chain cycle, such as grain-sourcing and grazing management. Animal care will follow the Five Freedoms, and there will be a consistent approach to antibiotic use and reporting across herds in line with Walmart’s Position on Antibiotics in Animals, which asks suppliers to adopt and implement American Veterinary Medical Association Judicious Use Principles of Antimicrobials.

“We set out on a journey two years ago to create a new beef processing plant to add some capacity to the industry and provide an opportunity for producers to integrate their business of raising quality cattle with the beef-processing portion of the industry and do it in a sustainable manner,” said David Briggs, CEO of Sustainable Beef LLC. “During this journey we found that Sustainable Beef and Walmart aligned on continuing to improve how we care for our animals and crops and provide consumers the positive experience of enjoying quality beef.”

Court grants ag coalition intervention in gray wolf lawsuit
Aug. 24, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) and other agriculture coalition members commended a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that will allow the coalition to intervene in the case Defenders of Wildlife v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and defend the previous administration’s delisting of the gray wolf.

“Livestock producers are directly impacted by the species management decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, especially when it comes to species with significant federal footprints. The decision to allow the coalition to intervene in this case demonstrates what we have known all along: livestock producers deserve to have their voice heard on delisting the gray wolf,” said Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of PLC and NCBA Natural Resources. “We look forward to engaging in this case to defend the delisting of a species that has so clearly recovered.”

“AFBF appreciates the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for recognizing agriculture’s interest in defending the delisting of the gray wolf. Farmers and ranchers share the goal of a healthy and thriving ecosystem, and when the gray wolf exceeded recovery goals, it became an Endangered Species Act success story,” said American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall. “With populations now thriving, management of the species should be the responsibility of the states, which can more effectively determine the most appropriate actions to manage gray wolf populations.”

In the decision the Court of Appeals wrote, “the district court abused its discretion by denying permissive intervention.”

With intervention granted, NCBA, PLC, AFBF and other ag interests will now be full participants in the case defending the gray wolf delisting.

Building better markets through investments, technical assistance
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on Aug. 31 announced an additional $21.9 million of funding is being awarded to 111 grant projects through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program (MPIRG), bringing total funding to $54.6 million. This year’s awards will fund projects in 37 states. The funding will help strengthen and develop new market opportunities for meat and poultry processors throughout the United States. To further these efforts, AMS is also encouraging MPIRG awardees and eligible participants in USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives to request assistance through the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). Launched in March 2022, MPPTA connects participants to a nationwide network of resources and expertise.

“The Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants will help meat and poultry processors make necessary facility improvements, expand their businesses, and strengthen the nation’s food supply chain,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “These grants are one part of USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives and will contribute to our efforts to transform our food system.”

Examples of projects funded this round include:

• Homegrown LG OK, a small processing plant in Locust Grove, Okla., will use MPIRG funding to modernize, expand, and comply with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) protocols. The funding will allow the plant to purchase new machines to increase weekly production in a rural and low-access area.
• The Fork Food Lab, a shared-use kitchen incubator in Portland, Maine, will utilize MPIRG funding to expand into a 42,000-square-foot facility that meets the requirements for a Federal Grant of Inspection (GOI). The project is helping Fork Food Lab procure specialized equipment, assist five processors obtain Federal GOIs for wholesale distribution, support startup operations, and provide ongoing training and technical assistance to processors positioned for wholesale.
• The Wall Meat Processing plant in Wall, S.D., has been awarded MPIRG funding to purchase equipment to improve humane handling and enhance food safety measures and efficiencies. The project will help the plant seamlessly deliver service operations in protein manufacturing to their producers and customers under the Cooperative Interstate Shipping program (CIS). Participating in the CIS program will open the plant to larger markets and add another resource to the food supply chain.

Facility improvements and expansions funded through MPIRG will help processors obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or qualify for a state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. Achieving a Federal Grant of Inspection or operating under a Cooperative Interstate Shipment program allows meat and poultry processors to ship products across state lines, develop new markets, increase capacity, and better meet consumer and producer demand along the supply chain.

MPIRG recipients and other eligible participants, especially small and underserved stakeholders, in USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives are encouraged to take advantage of the broad technical assistance offered through MPPTA. AMS has cooperative agreements with six organizations to form the MPPTA network, which has already provided valuable assistance to more than 300 businesses and organizations across the United States and its territories since its launch earlier this year.

For more information about MPPTA and the organizations involved, and to initiate a request for assistance, visit the AMS MPPTA webpage. To view the list of this year’s MPIRG awardees, visit the MPIRG award page. Additional information on MPIRG can be found on the AMS MPIRG webpage.

Coleman Angus to donate female headlining 2023 Angus Foundation Heifer Package
Coleman Angus of Charlo, Mont., will donate the heifer headlining the 2023 Angus Foundation Heifer Package. Coleman Chloe 173 (registration No. 20076459) is the Coleman Chloe female with the highest maternal weaned calf value ($M) in the ranch’s herd. She is backed by a pedigree represented by the operation’s most notable cow families.

The heifer headlining the 2023 Angus Foundation Heifer Package will be donated by Coleman Angus of Charlo, Mont. The offering will sell Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, prior to the start of the 84th National Angus Bull Sale during Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla. Pictured are (from left) Larry Coleman, Dee Coleman, Erica Coleman, Jenny Haag and Jeremy Haag.

The heifer will be offered in January at the 2023 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla., to support the Angus Foundation’s mission of furthering Angus education, youth and research efforts.

“We are honored to donate the female for the 2023 [Angus] Foundation Heifer Package,” says Larry Coleman, owner of Coleman Angus. “To be able to give back — because we’ve been so fortunate — is exciting.”

Coleman Angus is a family operation that takes pride in placing emphasis on the power of the Angus cow. Through meticulous selection for maternal traits, they have grown a loyal base of customers who value their herd’s genetics. The ranch hosts an annual bull sale each February, offering 175-200 bulls, and a female sale each October.

“We are thrilled Coleman Angus has offered this female from the iconic Chloe cow family,” says Jaclyn Upperman, Angus Foundation executive director. “The Coleman family recognizes the importance of the Angus Foundation’s mission as we work to ensure a bright future for the breed.”

The sale of the Angus Foundation Heifer Package will take place Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, prior to the start of the 84th National Angus Bull Sale during Cattlemen’s Congress. The sale will start at 2 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, Okla. For more information about the 2023 Angus Foundation Heifer Package, contact Upperman at jupperman@angus.org or visit www.angus.org/foundation.

— by Peyton Schmitt, Angus Communications