March 2021

The official newsletter of Kentucky's Beef Industry.
FSA DISASTER RELIEF AVAILABLE FOR LIVESTOCK DEATHS IN WINTER STORM
Producers who suffered livestock deaths during the recent winter storm may be eligible for federal disaster assistance. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), available through the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency, compensates commercial livestock owners for losses in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather.
COW-CALF PROFITABILITY CONFERENCES
Our wildly popular Cow-Calf Profitability Conferences have been reformatted to a series of virtual mini-conferences over 3 days. Conferences will be hosted March 23rd - 25th from 7:00 - 9:00 PM EST daily. Conferences are delivered by UK Agricultural Economics Extension faculty and staff through the Kentucky Beef Network funded by the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board. 
FEEDD ACT TO ALLEVIATE LIVESTOCK FEED SHORTAGES
Currently, under the Federal Crop Insurance Program, producers unable to plant a crop due to adverse weather conditions are eligible to receive a small indemnity but prohibited from growing a cash commodity due to a missed window in the growing season. A new bipartisan, bicameral bill - the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters with Cover Crops Act (FEEDD Act) -- would create a clear emergency waiver authority for USDA to allow producers to graze, hay or chop a cover crop before November 1st in the event of a feed shortage due to excessive moisture, flood, or drought. With this waiver, producers would not have to take a further discount on their crop insurance.
NCBA OPPOSES CATTLE MARKETS TRANSPARENCY ACT IN CURRENT FORM
Last week, Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the Cattle Market Transparency Act in the U.S. Senate. If enacted, this legislation would direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish regional mandatory minimums for negotiated trade of fed cattle.
DONATE TO EASTERN KENTUCKY FLOOD RELIEF
Thank you to everyone who has contacted us on how to help the Eastern KY flooding effort! KCA now has a donation button on our website to take monetary donations. All proceeds will go directly towards purchasing fencing and other supplies needed in the area. Please click the donate button below if you would like to help.
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.
CATTLEMEN SUPPORT THE DEATH TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2021
The Death Tax Repeal Act of 2021 was introduced this week by U.S. Senator John Thune of South Dakota and U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA) and Jason Smith (R-MO). The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) issued the following statement in support of bipartisan legislation to repeal the federal estate tax, commonly referred to as the death tax.  
Checkin' on the Checkoff
2021 DERBY BURGER CHALLENGE
Kentucky Beef Council and Kentucky Derby Festival are seeking a prize winning recipe to crown the 2021 Derby Burger Challenge champion. Eight preliminary finalists will be chosen for online, public voting taking place March 15th - 21st. 
MARCH VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS
Cook along with Registered Dietician, Janine Faber, as she creates delicious and nutritious Spicy Korean Beef & Cucumber Appetizers and Ground Beef Kofta Power Bowls on Monday, March 22 at 6 pm ET via ZOOM. She will also be talking about how beef fits into the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines.
Happening at Eden Shale Farm
LARGE BALE FEEDER UPDATE MARCH 2021
The Large Bale Feeder (LBF) is quickly becoming my favorite winter feeding structure on the farm. If you are not familiar with this structure, check out the video of the structure when it was first built. In the video Dr. Higgins discusses the design elements and the how the structure functions. Please note that this video was shot during the testing phase so the barn is not filled with hay to its full capacity. Also note, the hay in the video is wet wrapped sudan grass, not poor quality hay that has been stored outside.
EDEN SHALE FARM UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2021
Last month I teased about a new water harvesting project at the farm. As you recall, we had issues getting gutters on an old tobacco barn and we ultimately had to scrap our original design all together. This challenge turned into one of the most simplistic, yet functional designs we have implemented to date.
Youth Activities
KJCA LACE UP HOODIE ORDER
We will be placing another order of the KJCA lace up hoodies! Orders close April 1st. Visit the KCA online store to purchase yours. Be sure to also check out the other KJCA apparel items for sale!
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
STUDY COMPARES CONSUMPTION OF BEEF TO PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES
Consumers who prefer beef over plant-based protein alternatives said they are willing to pay nearly two dollars more per meal for a burger when dining at a restaurant, according to a study from Kansas State University.
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