Angus at Work

While estate planning is likely to rank low on activities that bring most of humanity joy, agriculturalists need to devote time to getting their transition plan right.

But how do we go from broaching the topic of estate planning with loved ones to setting in motion an iron-clad transition when the time comes? Luckily, Shannon Ferrell - professor of Agriculture Economics specializing in Agricultural Law at Oklahoma State - has more than a few ideas. On this episode, we discuss: 

• The estate planning essentials everyone needs
• Assembling your team of transition experts
• Reasons to update your policies after big life events
• Why transition is an area of concern in agriculture
• Why no plan is a bad plan
• Rural mental health
• And much, much more!

Additional resources: 

• OSU Farm Stress
• Angus Convention estate planning feature

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

While policy related to the cattle industry is undeniably important, as producers we typically fall into one of two camps: those of us who understand the importance of beef policy but who have seemingly one million things also requiring our attention back at home and those of us who derive great pleasure in the happenings related to beef in our home states and in Washington.

No matter where your preference lies, every four years like clockwork one event comes along that turns everything related to the inner workings of government on its head: the election of a new president.
 
With the inauguration and first few days of a new presidency fresh on our minds, this episode is devoted to all things policy. We are joined by Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to discuss: 

• The state of affairs over the last four years in our capital
• The typical transition of power
• How NCBA’s policy direction is developed
• The role that we all play is directing beef policy here in the U.S.
• And much, much more!

Additional resources: 

• NCBA's Policy webpage
• The NCBA Policy Book

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

Welcome to a brand new season of Angus at Work! To kick off this year we visited with two individuals who are very familiar with cattle markets and customer service. 

On this episode we travelled to Beaver, Okla., to sit down with Jeff Slatten, owner of Beaver County Stockyards, to hear his opinion on the current cattle markets, what is going well when it comes to cattle marketing, what producers can do to capitalize on the value of their cattle and how the staff at Beaver County keep their buyers and sellers coming back for more each week.

Later in the episode we also took the opportunity to visit with Layne Conkle, voice of the Beaver County Stockyard market report, to hear more about how marketing cattle has changed at Beaver over the last several years.

For more information about cattle markets or the stockyard itself, please visit the Beaver County Stockyards Youtube channel.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

We’re smack dab in the middle of a season of celebration and the beef industry certainly has its fair share to be thankful for.

On this episode - as part of a new quarterly market update feature - we chatted with Troy Marshall, Director of Commercial Industry Relations, about current trends in the cattle market, how Angus feeder-calf sales in several states got their start as well as an update on recent feeder-calf sales held in December, and where we see the cattle markets heading as we celebrate the new year and head into 2025.

We thank Purina Mills for their support of this episode.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

When considering the genetics you're currently using in your own herd (or those you're planning to use moving forward), a major challenge arises when bulls from multiple breeds are considered for the role of herd sire.

While in the past across breed expected progeny difference (EPD) comparisons might have been valid cause to pull your own hair out, researchers at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Neb., have flipped the script.

On this episode our host, Miranda Reiman, visited with the American Angus Association's Esther Tarpoff, director of performance programs, regarding: 

• Cross breed EPDs and how they're calculated
• Why having data comparing multiple breeds is revolutionary 
• The role MARC plays in strengthening the U.S. cattle herd 
• And much more! 

Additional Resources:
Across Breed EPD Adjustment Factors
Making Comparisons Across Breeds
U.S. Meat Animal Research Center

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

With the holidays upon us, 2025 will be arriving before we know it. Keeping that idea in mind, our team wanted to switch things up to give you a sneak peek at our January 2025 edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin. 

On this episode, Lynsey McAnally checked in with your Angus regional managers Casey Jentz (Region 4), Will Harsh (Region 7), Quanah Gardiner (Region 12) and Shawn Gray (Region 13) - on the road - to discuss key thoughts to keep in mind when it comes to bull buying and the questions you might ask your seedstock provider to ensure the best possible fit for your own operation.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

Here at the Angus Beef Bulletin, our staff works to provide you – our subscribers – the most up-to-date information regarding health, nutrition, marketing, genetics and management. When we had the opportunity to interview a Kansas veterinarian at Angus Convention about a company working to provide effective vaccinations for immediate animal health concerns, we knew we had to bring you the information. 

On this episode, we are joined by Bob Gentry, key account manager with Medgene Labs, along with our very own Shauna Hermel, to discuss: 

• How Medgene's "platform technology" allows vaccines to safely and easily adapt to multiple animal disease targets
• Why a quick response to newly emerged illnesses in critical
• Which vaccinations are currently available from Medgene
• And much more!

 We thank Purina Mills for their support of this episode.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

When it comes to the vehicles used on cattle operations, one could say they’re the modern-day workhorse. But unlike nearly all the equipment we use in day-to-day operations, our pickups aren’t always purchased from a salesman who understands the unique needs of farmers and ranchers. Enter the Certified Agriculture Group, an entity set on changing the landscape when it comes to purchasing your next farm or ranch vehicle. 

On this episode, we are joined by Pat Driscoll, CEO and founder of the Certified Agriculture Group, along with our very own Shauna Hermel, to discuss: 

• The catalyst for forming the Certified Agriculture Group
• The unique needs farmers and ranchers have when it comes to vehicles
• How a pickup dealership driven model like that of tractor dealerships could work for producers
• And the exciting new vehicle developed by farmers for farmers

We thank Norbrook for their support of this episode.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

Whether cattlemen are marketing their calves through a sale barn, selling strictly through video sales or retaining ownership through the feedlot, one commonality shared by every producer is the desire to continue developing high-quality fat cattle.
 
On this episode we are joined by Chad Barker with National Beef, along with our very own Miranda Reiman, to discuss: 
 
- What cattle buyers are looking for
- Branded beef programs
- The thought behind growing heavier cattle without getting animals too large
- And more!

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected]. 

Did you know the current red meat yield equation was rolled out in 1962? While our cattle have certainly changed over the last 60 years, the calculations used to compensate producers haven’t kept up with the times. Enter Dr. Dale Woerner and his team at Texas Tech University who are determined to find a better way to calculate true red meat yield using state-of-the-art technology.
 
On this episode, we are joined by Woerner – Cargill Endowed Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech. Tune in as Dale and our very own Shauna Hermel discuss: 

• The future of red meat yield calculation 
• How yield could be predicted with 90% accuracy using x-ray technology
• The relationship between ribeye area and true muscling
• Why putting on the right pounds to increase quality is important to consumers
• And more! 

We thank Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health for their support of this episode.

Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Find more information to make Angus work for you in the Angus Beef Bulletin and ABB EXTRA. Make sure you're subscribed! Sign up here to the print Angus Beef Bulletin and the digital Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact our team at [email protected].