February 2021

The official newsletter of Kentucky's Beef Industry.
KENTUCKY FARM BUREAU BEEF EXPO GIVEN GREEN LIGHT FOR 2021
With sales approaching or exceeding the $1 million mark each year, the Kentucky Farm Bureau Beef Expo offers purebred cattle breeders one of the most unique and effective state-supported promotional events.

Now in its 35th year, the show has recently been given the green light for 2021 and is planned for March 5-7 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
QUARLES, FARM GROUPS HIGHLIGHT NEW FARMER-FRIENDLY UPDATE TO THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles and Kentucky farm groups are highlighting changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) benefiting Kentucky agricultural producers. PPP provides forgivable loans to small businesses to pay employees to keep them on the payroll. The Small Business Administration (SBA) opened an application round with new rules on Jan. 15 after Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package in December.
KANSAS CATTLEMAN AND VETERAN JERRY BOHN BECOMES NEW NCBA PRESIDENT
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today concluded its virtual Winter Business Meeting with the election of Jerry Bohn, a cattle producer from Wichita, Kan., as NCBA president.
NATIONAL FARM MACHINERY SHOW AND CHAMPIONSHIP TRACTOR PULL POSTPONES UNTIL 2022
National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) and Championship Tractor Pull announced scheduled events will be postponed until February 16-19, 2022. Despite initially planning to continue the shows this March, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has led show management to make the difficult decision to postpone events until next year.
USDA FREEZES $2.3 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL CFAP
USDA late Wednesday posted notice that $2.3 billion in supplemental Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments will be temporarily frozen. “In accordance with the White House memo, 
Regulatory Freeze Pending Review, USDA has suspended the processing and payments under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program -
Additional Assistance and has halted implementation until further notice. FSA local offices will continue to accept applications during the evaluation period,” said a notice on the USDA CFAP page.
Checkin' on the Checkoff
FREE VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS!
Join us on Monday, February 22 at 6 pm for their next Virtual Beef Cooking Class with James Beard Foundation Award nominee, Chef Ouita Michel, of Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants!

Chef Michel will be creating a HEARTy beef dish while showcasing how to perfectly prepare beef in the cast iron skillet.
Happening at Eden Shale Farm
EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE - JANUARY 2021
I want to start by giving credit to our Farm Manager, Greg Cole, for implementing an excellent grazing management schedule at the farm. This year we were able to graze both our mature cows (95 head) and our retained heifers (48 head) until January 15th without a single bale of hay fed! This was possible due to good forage management, proper stocking density, and a little cooperation from the weather.
EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE - DECEMBER 2020
The construction projects at the farm have continued up into December. We poured concrete on December 10th and that will have all of the projects completed.
Youth Activities
KCF YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS
Five $1,500 Scholarships are available through the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association and are funded by the Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation. Deadline for submission is March 31, 2021.
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
USDA TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS DEBT COLLECTIONS AND MORE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
Due to the national public health emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). 
KCA LIMITED QUANTITY POLOS
There are new KCA polos available for purchase. These will NOT be restocked once they are gone! Click the button below to visit the store. Online purchases can be paid with debit or credit card.
LIVESTOCK MARKETS RESILIENT A YEAR INTO PANDEMIC
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts expand and the economy begins showing signs of recovery, Texas A&M AgriLife personnel are tabulating the impacts of the pandemic on the U.S. animal agriculture product market. Leading the effort is Texas A&M University’s Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense, CBTS, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Center of Excellence.
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