January 2020

The official newsletter of Kentucky's Beef Industry.
AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY PRAISES SENATE PASSAGE OF USMCA
The Senate on Thursday passed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) in a landfall vote of 89-10. As expected, the agriculture industry praised the passage and looks forward to President Donald Trump signing the bill into law.
COW-CALF PROFITABILITY CONFERENCES
This is a one day, intensive seminar on key topics for beef producers delivered by UK Ag. Economics Extension through the Kentucky Beef Network funded by the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board. You will hear from UK's extension specialists and go home with educational material and tools to make your operation more successful. New and experience producers are welcome!
Topics to include:
-Controlling production costs
-Improving winter feeding practices
-Optimizing stocking rates
-Managing the cowherd with profit in mind
-General farm management strategies
Morehead - January
Shelbyville - January
Monticello - March
Campbellsville - March
Bowling Green - March
Elizabethtown - March
Richmond - Spring 2020
Burlinggton - Fall 2020
Danville - Fall 2020
KCA CONVENTION RECAP
The 2020 KCA Convention was in Owensboro January 16-17, 2020. Approximately 900 producers, educators and industry professionals joined KCA for the 47th convention. During the evening banquet, the 2020 Hall of Fame class was inducted and the winners included: Nicky Baker, Caldwell County - Region 1; Royce Vincent, Edmonson County - Region 2; Jon Bednarski, Oldham County - Region 3; Preston Seals, Madison County - Region 4; and Gatliff Craig, Rockcastle County - Region 5. A full review of the 2020 KCA Convention will be in the February issue of Cow Country News.
NCBA: TRADE DEAL WITH CHINA A "GAME CHANGER" FOR AMERICAN BEEF PRODUCERS
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association today applauded the signing of a Phase-One trade agreement with China, saying this agreement will lay the groundwork for American-produced beef to be highly competitive in the world’s most populous market
CATTLE DISEASE TRACEABILITY CONTINUES ADVANCING
Multiple state cattlemen’s organizations from major beef producing regions have partnered together to form U.S. CattleTrace, a disease traceability initiative. The goal is to develop a national infrastructure for disease traceability and encourage private industry’s use of the infrastructure for individualized management practices.

The new U.S. CattleTrace initiative combines the efforts of CattleTrace, which includes multiple partners, including the Kansas Livestock Association and others in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington, as well as traceability pilot projects underway in Florida and Texas. Those projects are facilitated by Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association.
Checkin' on the Checkoff
Is running part of your New Years resolution? The Kentucky Team Beef is a team of runners focused on living healthy lifestyles by combining physical activity and a nutrient-rich diet full of lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat and non-fat dairy. Made up of runners from all over Kentucky, they believe in the nutritional benefits of lean beef and its vital role fueling their training.

Members will receive a Kentucky Team Beef Jersey, e-newsletters with recipes, fitness tips, etc. from Kentucky Beef Council. Members will also reimbursement for race entry fees up to $300 annually from the approved event list. Opportunities for cooking classes, farm tours, meat case crashes, and more!
Happening at Eden Shale Farm
BARN FLOORING OPTIONS - PART 1
Barn-floor design is critical to the physical and thermal comfort, health, and safety of cattle. Generally speaking, barn flooring is the surface on which an animal stands, lies down, and excretes its urine and manure. Therefore, to meet animal needs, it must be durable, not slippery, and well-drained as well as comfortable, warm, and dry. In addition to providing animal comfort, the flooring should easily be cleaned. No single material, from concrete to soil, meets all of these specifications. With these considerations in mind, a demonstration project at Eden Shale Farm, examined how four different materials could be used to provide comfort and make manure management and removal more effective, since one goal was to prevent a loader bucket from removing the rock flooring due to gouging into the flooring. This case study examines the positive and negative aspects of four different flooring options.
EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE - DECEMBER 2019
As we start the new year, I can’t help but think about both the challenges and successes of last year. Farming is hard, there are challenges everyday that we must address to remain on track, less we fall behind never to catch up.

But thankfully there are rewards as well. Rewards that outshine the challenges. Rewards such as watching a new calf run in the lush spring grass. Rewards such as watching a brilliant sunset over a freshly mowed hay field. Rewards such as knowing you have made your farm a little better than when you got it.
Youth Activities
HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
Five $1,500 Scholarships are available through the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association and funded by the Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation. Visit the link below for scholarship requirements and to download the application. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2020
In The News
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
BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE GROWTH
The Beef Quality Assurance program continues to grow significantly, with more than 100,000 cattle producers now certified through its online learning system. The online option was introduced by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in early 2017. Since the BQA program was initiated in the early 1990s hundreds of thousands have become BQA-certified through in-person and online training, with an estimated 85 percent of the U.S. fed beef supply now touched by BQA-certified operations.
RANCHERS APPLAUD ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW NEPA RULES
Ranchers across the country today hailed an announcement by President Trump that his Administration will promulgate new regulations to implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). When finalized, the draft rules announced today will relieve that pressure, clarify exemptions, and eliminate redundancies.
APHIS ANNOUNCES PROGRESS ON ANIMAL-HEALTH PROGRAMS
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the progress the agency is making to implement programs funded by the 2018 Farm Bill. Today, APHIS is awarding of $ 10.2 million to support disease prevention and emergency response training and exercise projects as well as targeted projects to enhance laboratory diagnostic capability.
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