April 2020
The official newsletter of Kentucky's Beef Industry.
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CATTLE MARKET SWINGS STILL PREVAIL IN VOLATILE COVID-19 ECONOMY
Cattle markets are swinging up and down amid the COVID-19 economy. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment economist Kenny Burdine said prices are constantly changing, “almost as fast as we can type.” “I can tell you what’s going on right now, but by next week, things could be very different,” he said. Cattle markets made some gains at the end of March but couldn’t hold them. Marketings increased quite a bit during the first week of April, which partly caused the decline. Price erosion continued despite reductions in sales across the state.
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KCA CORONAVIRUS UPDATES AND INFORMATION
KCA continues to be in constant contact with our state and national leaders and agencies, the Governor's office, national affiliate groups, livestock marketing groups, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to address the importance of keeping cattle moving during this situation. Click the button below for coronavirus updates and information from KCA.
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USDA UNVEILS TOOL TO HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled a one-stop-shop of federal programs that can be used by rural communities, organizations and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide
(PDF, 349 KB) is a first-of-its-kind resource for rural leaders looking for federal funding and partnership opportunities to help address this pandemic.
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REACHING OUT WHILE LOCKED IN: BEEF MANAGEMENT WEBINAR SERIES
This webinar series will be broadcast live every Tuesday in April and the first Tuesday in May at 8:00pm EDT / 7:00pm CDT. Each session will be recorded and posted for later viewing. No registration is necessary, however, if you send an email to
dbullock@uky.edu
with Beef Webinar in the subject line and your name and county in the message, reminders will be sent with a direct link to each meeting. The platform being used will be Zoom and you can join the webinar by entering the URL associated with that night’s topic.
Managing Calves for the Market
Kevin Laurent, Extension Specialist
Recipe for Profit Backgrounding and Stocker Enterprises
Jeff Lehmkuhler, Associate Extension Professor
Utilizing Technology to Enhance Cattle Management Practices
Katie VanValin, Assistant Extension Professor
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TEN HEIFERS AWARDED FOR 21ST ANNUAL DUSTIN WORTHINGTON "I LOVE COWS" MEMORIAL CONTEST
Organizers of the annual Dustin Worthington “I Love Cows” Memorial Contest have announced 10 winners of the statewide competition. The contest, which is open to all Kentucky FFA and 4-H members interested in the cattle industry, awards a heifer to each winner.
The award was established in 2000 after the death of Dustin Worthington, a Mercer County teen who was involved in the cattle industry. Worthington was killed along with his friend Dale Goodpaster in an automobile accident on April 4, 2000 near the community of Mayo in Mercer County. In 2000, his parents set up the Dustin Worthington Memorial Fund and gave away two registered beef heifers in his name. To date, 298 animals have been awarded to 4-H/FFA youth across the state.
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PROPER GRAIN BIN MANAGEMENT SAVES LIVES
This spring, grain producers across the Midwest, including those in pockets of Kentucky, are dealing with grain quality issues in storage bins that are causing problems during unloading. As producers address these issues, it is important they follow proper bin management techniques to ensure they stay safe, said Sam McNeill, agricultural engineer in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
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MEAT PRODUCTION THREATENED WITH DISRUPTION
The U.S. meat industry faces unprecedented threats as COVID-19 sweeps through labor forces at meat processing facilities nationwide. Production of beef, pork and poultry are simultaneously threatened as COVID-19 infections affect labor availability and processing capacity in multiple facilities across all meat industries.
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KCA & KJCA APPAREL NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
You can now purchase KCA and KJCA apparel through our online store! Click the button below to visit the store. Online purchases can be paid with debit or credit card.
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BEEF COLORING PAGES
Kentucky Beef Council has free coloring pages available to download and print! Click the button below to download the pages. Be sure to send us your finished pages on Facebook!
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BEEF BRAG
We appreciate all of those in our community making sure even in a time of uncertainty, our communities have access to the high-quality protein in beef.
In an effort to show our appreciation we are encouraging people to make a post on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #beefbrag to nominate your local restaurants, grocery stores, or local beef producers so we can send them a beef swag bag.
This initiative will run from April 13th to May 8th, 2020.
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Happening at Eden Shale Farm
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12 OBJECTIVES TO IMPROVE BEEF CATTLE FARM FUNCTIONALITY AND PROFITABILITY
Prior to 2012, Eden Shale Farm was a demonstration farm controlled by the University of Kentucky (UK). Nine hundred acres (450 acres in trees and 450 acres in arable land) were purchased in 1954 to assist the agricultural producers in the area with agricultural enterprises that could be profitable on the Eden Shale soil series. At one time, the farm raised grapes, strawberries, fruit trees, shitake mushrooms, Christmas trees, sheep, beef and dairy cattle, plus typical row crops grown in the bottoms to support the livestock operations. At one point, when it was controlled by UK, the farm employed nine year-round workers and up to eight day laborers. Today, the farm is strictly a beef cattle operation managed by one and a half full-time employees working for the Kentucky Beef Network.
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EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE - MARCH 2020
As if March in Kentucky is not challenging enough, we had to add the coronavirus debacle into the mix. Between closing schools, restaurants, and churches, it has definitely caused us to change our daily routines. However, this is one of those events that is out of our control, and we just have to adapt and proceed the best we can.
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FREE ONLINE BEEF EDUCATION RESOURCES
Several online resources are being offered for FREE while students are quarantined at home. Check out some of the available beef resources you can use to beef up your knowledge during this time!
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Cattlemen's College
For a limited time, you can access Cattlemen's College Online Campus for FREE. Click the button below, then follow the directions in the images to access.
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Masters of Beef Advocacy
Masters of Beef Advocacy is your go-to program for training and resources to be strong advocate for the beef community.
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Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University
Iowa Beef Center is offering a 4 part breeding management webinar series. Click the button below to register.
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Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a national program that raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. Click the button below to become BQA certified online
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KJCA APPAREL
Get your KJCA apparel today support junior programs! These popular hoodies will
only be offered until May 1st!
Click the button below to order yours today and to view more KJCA apparel options.
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RETAIL INSIGHTS
What's happening with Beef at Retail? These monthly articles leverage scanner data and other sources to inform retailers and other channel audiences on key beef industry trends and measures at retail. The topics may vary by month. We welcome your feedback, and if you are interested in a specific topic, please let us know by contacting
BeefNewsNow@beef.org
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ZOETIS ACQUIRES PERFORMANCE LIVESTOCK ANALYTICS
Zoetis announced April 8, 2020, the acquisition of Performance Livestock Analytics to enhance its animal health solutions across the continuum of care for beef producers. The addition of Performance Livestock Analytics, a technology company that simplifies data and analytics for the livestock industry, will help Zoetis to accelerate progress in precision livestock farming and improve sustainability of producers’ operations.
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NCBA REQUESTS PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPAND USDA MARKET INVESTIGATION, EXAMINE FUTURES MARKETS
On Wednesday, April 8th, NCBA President Marty Smith sent a letter to President Donald Trump, requesting the government to act quickly to investigate the striking disparity between boxed beef prices and cattle prices in the futures and cash markets during the current COVID-19 crisis and following the packing plant fire in Holcomb, Kan., last August.
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COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF CHECKOFF, DISMISSES R-CALF SUIT
The Beef Checkoff program and fifteen grassroots-led state beef councils won a major court victory as the United States District Court of Montana ruled in favor of USDA and the Montana Beef Council in the matter of R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue and USDA. NCBA praised the court’s decision, which ends a legal battle that has spanned more than three years and interrupted beef promotion functions in Montana. The case had threatened local input and promotion efforts at the state level across the country.
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Read past Issues of The Kentucky Cattlemen Newsletter:
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