Audio Interview:

December Convention Attracts Cattlemen from Around State: Kelsey

LINCOLN, NE - (Audio with Michael Kelsey, Executive Vice President of the Nebraska Cattlemen)

Next month cattle producers from throughout the state will gather in Kearney for the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Annual Convention and Trade Show. To be held at the conveniently-located Holiday Inn Convention Center, the event will take place Dec. 10 through 12.

Michael Kelsey is the executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen. He says Thursday Dec. 11 will be a key day for committee and council discussions of issues critical to cattlemen, such as the environment, taxes, animal health, private property rights and others. Events at the Cattlemen’s College the day before, however, will be more educational in nature.

Listen to the full interview here

Legislature Election Highlights. Many Nebraska Legislature races decided in the election have a large bearing on the state’s beef industry. Past NC Board member Ken Schilz of Ogallala will replace Sen. Phil Erdman in District 47. NC member and Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Sen. LeRoy Louden of Ellsworth won by a landslide. Sen. Lavon Heidemann of Elk Creek won decisively over a write-in challenger. NC member Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine, Chairman of the Transportation & Telecommunications Committee, was unopposed in District 43. Not up for election this year, but integral in the Legislature process is past NC President, Sen. Tom Hansen of North Platte. Unfortunately, NC member Carl Lorenzen of Blair in the District 18 was just 206 votes short of beating appointed Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh.

NC Tailgate - Second Verse

Those who attended last year’s NC Tailgate can tell you about it being one of the best ever. Well, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. So…Nebraska Cattlemen supporters are invited to the NC Tailgate Party on Nov. 8 before the Huskers vs. KU football game.

Serving of a beef-centered meal starts at 11:00 a.m. – well ahead of the 1:30 p.m. kickoff. Location - same as last year - The Apothecary building at 8th and P Streets (140 N. 8th ) in Lincoln’s historic Haymarket District. Enter the west side of the building off of 8th Street. If you don’t have tickets to attend the game, we will have the pay-per-view broadcast on a big screen TV.

The NC Tailgate and all the fix’ins will be sponsored again by Elanco Animal Health. 

Contact NC at (402) 475-2333 with questions.

Audio interview:

Beef Industry Issues Summit to Provide Economy, Financing Outlooks

Meet Now, Talk Later

The Ag Section of Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality has added some new faces to its inspector corps. So in the spirit of continued communication between NC and DEQ, we are providing an introduction of the new inspectors.

Michaele Oleson, Mark Henning and Waylon Hullinger are new program specialists with responsibilities for inspection of animal feeding operations for compliance with Title 130. Our article allows you to meet your inspector before you talk with them. Learn about the background and responsibilities of each inspector here:
Mark Henning
Waylon Hullinger
Michaele Oleson

Click map for larger image

The Nebraska Cattlemen Research & Education Foundation (NCR&EF) is seeking donations of steers for its 10th annual Retail Value Steer Challenge (RVSC) feeding competition. Because this is the 10th annual competition and fundraiser, the Foundation’s goal is to attract 100 steers and provide $10,000 in prize money.

The series of issue update meetings for cattle producers, hosted by Nebraska Cattlemen and University of Nebraska Extension, that began Aug. 18 in Hebron will continue through Nov. 1 at Tecumseh (visit www.nebraskacattlemen.org to see NC’s master calendar). Priority topics addressed at the meetings include Trich, COOL and Dealing with High Input Costs.

Renewable Fuels Mandates Are Bad Policy

The ethanol hearing to be hosted by Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Tom Harkin August 18 at the University of Nebraska – Omaha is a great opportunity to hear all sides of the energy debate. Unfortunately, very little livestock input will be heard from the panel as there is only one representative of any livestock entity, Dave Moody, president of the Iowa Pork Producers. Nebraska’s largest industry, Beef, has not been invited to speak, but we feel it is critical for the public to understand our position on this debate, said Michael Kelsey, Nebraska Cattlemen executive vice president.

Listen to the full interview here

Recent decisions by USDA and a U.S. District Court about the use of Conservation Reserve Program acres have answered as well as created questions for cattle producers.

Efforts by the Nebraska Cattlemen and other organizations have helped protect the interests of cattlemen who relied on a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture freeing CRP acres for use in haying and grazing. That decision had been challenged in court by the National Wildlife Federation.

A district court ruled in support of producers last week. Michael Kelsey, executive vice president for the Nebraska Cattlemen, says the ruling was good as far as it went.

Stacia Dana will be resigning from her position with Nebraska Cattlemen as the Northeast Field Staff effective September 1 in order to spend more time with her children. Nebraska Cattlemen is accepting applicants for the position. This is a part time position and does require some daytime work and some evening work. The applicant must live in NC Regions 3 or 4. Applications will be accepted until July 31. Those interested should send a resume and a cover letter to Melody Benjamin, 204 East 3rd, Alliance, NE 69301 or mbenjamin@necattlemen.org. Please contact Melody for a complete job description or to answer any questions regarding the position. Her phone numbers are (308) 762-3005 for the office or (308) 760-6464 for her mobile.

 S. Korea resumes U.S. beef imports despite protests

The Nebraska Cattlemen has planned a great line-up of activities and speakers for its Midyear Meeting. The event will be in the Ashland and Lincoln areas on June 12-13. It will kick off on Thursday, June 12 with the annual Golf Tournament to be at Iron Horse Golf Club in Ashland, followed by the NC Midyear Welcome Reception at the Double D Ranch that will include a New York Strip dinner and western music.

Nebraska Cattlemen welcomes Governor Dave Heineman’s lead in asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the Columbia and South Korea Freed Trade Agreements with the United States to a vote.

“We welcome and we want to reinforce the Governor’s request,” NC Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey said, “by pointing out that products enter the U.S. from Columbia tax free and that a free trade agreement would remove Columbian taxes on U.S. products such as Nebraska beef that exported to that country. This agreement would help Nebraska cattle producers and we are urging Speaker Pelosi to help approve this pro-American agreement.”

Nebraska Cattlemen welcomes today’s announcement by South Korea to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef exports. The Nebraska Cattlemen has high hopes for a dramatic increase of beef sales to South Korea. Beef sales from Nebraska to South Korea in 2003 were worth an estimated $200 million.

Last fall, UNL recorded 231 undergraduates in animal science, the first time enrollment topped 200 since 1998. Lots of people across Nebraska have worked hard to raise the number and NC is partnering with the University to grow that number. The simple question for anyone associated with the cattle industry is: Do you know of any prospective high school or transfer students interested in UNL and/or the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources?

Nebraska Cattlemen is applauding Sen. Tom Hansen, North Platte, for selecting LB 1022 as his priority bill. The proposed legislation would allow veterinary drug distributors to obtain a state license to sell animal prescription drugs to producers and veterinarians.

Nebraska was quite visible for the duration of the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show held February 6-9 in Reno, Nevada - the self proclaimed “Biggest little city in the world”. Pre-registration of Nebraska residents was over 200 and more registered on site. Those strong numbers were reflected in the 50-plus who attended the Nebraska Caucus held Thursday afternoon of the convention.

Nebraska Cattlemen has selected four bills as its priorities during this session of the Nebraska Legislature.

The NC Board selected the priorities after its leadership and staff evaluated 189 of 485 bills and legislative resolutions during the past three weeks. The Board received recommendations from its Legislative Committee and then took positions on 118 of the bills and decided to designate four of them as priorities.

(January 31, 2008) LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Cattlemen approved a resolution at its Jan. 30 Board meeting designed to increase beef exports to Japan and South Korea, as well as to other foreign markets. The resolution seeks to have U.S. officials negotiate opening of international beef markets for bone-in beef product from cattle under 30 months of age as part of a stair-step effort to eventual full World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) compliance.

As thousands of cattle producers convene in Reno next month for the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, discussions won’t just be focused on the Farm Bill and country-of-origin labeling.

Many U.S. cattle producers are feeling the pinch of rising feed prices and falling cattle prices. Economists across the ag sector are attributing this to a variety of factors that are hitting the cattle industry simultaneously. 

 

The discussions, crowd, weather and food were all good for the NC Convention and Trade Show in Kearney. NC membership conducted the association’s business with over 500 attendees participating.

Members discussed and then approved policy from six committees (Brand, Animal Health & Nutrition, Education, Marketing & Commerce, Natural Resources & Environment, and Taxation).

Among topics drawing the most attention, an Animal Health & Nutrition Committee policy calls for a nation-wide beef safety, quality assurance program that supports the cattle industry’s guidelines for the care and handling of cattle. NC supports the efforts of the Feedyard Self-Assesment Working Group that is furthering efforts in the area of beef quality assurance. NC has been and continues to be a leader in beef quality assurance in the United States.

In the Cattlemen’s College portion of the event,

Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee completed its debate on Farm Bill Title 2 amendments. An amendment that would increase the payment limits for Environmental Quality Incentive Program participants to $450,000 was passed by a vote of 13 – 8. Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson voted yes.

“This is of major importance to the state of Nebraska,” Nebraska Cattlemen Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey said. “Nebraska Cattlemen appreciates Senator Nelson’s understanding of the extreme expense that many producers must endure just to keep their business in operation.  Senator Nelson has shown time and again that he is a friend to Nebraska beef producers when it comes to environmental law and regulation by advocating common sense.

The Nebraska Cattlemen has thanked Sen. Chuck Hagel for his role in persuading the U.S. Treasury to grant tax deferment on capital gains to producers who were forced by drought to sell livestock since January 2003.

Emergency haying and grazing of CRP has been approved for producers in four Panhandle counties: Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux and Dawes County.  In addition, the Farm Service Agency is allowing producers within 210 miles to hay their CRP acres and charge normal custom harvesting rates (swathing, raking, baling, loading, delivering) to producers in the four drought-designated counties.

Nebraska Cattlemen is offering to help match those in need with those who have hayable CRP acres. Producers in either situation can contact the NC office in Alliance at 308-762-3005 or call NC Member Service Committee Chair Scott Reynolds at 308-870-0970. Reynolds has helped a producer near Chadron obtain hay from CRP acres in Custer County.  “The hay was delivered to the Chadron rancher for $55/ton.

Hay quality is generally good because the CRP ground has been hayed in recent years and we have received good rains this year,” Reynolds said. 

The Nebraska Cattlemen Board of Directors has endorsed Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture’s new 100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage program.

The unique program starts with NCTA’s degree program in beef cattle management, which includes the development of a business plan.  Each student’s plan, just prior to graduation, will be presented to USDA’s Farm Service Administration and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture for funding of the 100-cow herd.  In addition to the degree program, students and their parents, employers and landowners will be required to attend a series of seminars to fine tune the individual student business plans to make them function in the environment in which the graduate will be working.  The 100 cows is an arbitrary number but very feasible within the FSA and NDA financial guidelines. 

The key to the program is to have NCTA graduates return to rural Nebraska with a large enough asset that they will be a partner in an agricultural enterprise.

Sand County Foundation and Nebraska Cattlemen are proud to announce the finalists for the 2007 Leopold Conservation Award in Nebraska.

The Leopold Conservation Award, named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, is comprised of $10,000 and a Leopold crystal. The award is presented annually in seven states to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management.

“These finalists were chosen from a number of exceptional, well-deserving candidates,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “This is proof that Nebraska ranchers’ long-standing ethic of conservation continues to flourish.”

The 2007 finalists (in alphabetical order):

The Nebraska Cattlemen, in collaboration with Sand County Foundation, is seeking nominations for the Leopold Conservation Award.  The partnership provides a $10,000 prize to a Nebraska land owner who has demonstrated responsible stewardship and management of natural resources.

The line up of speakers for the Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting keeps getting stronger, according to NC President Jay Wolf.  “The strength of the speakers for our six committee meetings will be bolstered by the three we have now confirmed for our General Session, which will be held at the at the Central Community College in Columbus,” Wolf said. 

Chuck Lambert, USDA’s No. 1 person on trade issues is returning from Europe and Asia just in time to speak at the NC Midyear. Complementing Lambert’s comments, NCBA Chief Economist Greg Doud will provide an update on beef exports and imports, and he will talk about the effects of ethanol on livestock prices. The debate in Washington, D.C. right now is about substantially increasing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Doud will address the implications of doing that.

The Nebraska Cattlemen will host a strong lineup of speakers to address priority cattle industry issues during its Midyear Meeting to be held in Albion and Columbus on June 7-8.  

Issues will include volatile grain and beef trade markets, the state’s water agreement with Kansas, new and changing environmental regulations for ranchers and feeders.  All cattlemen are invited to participate in the discussion of these and other issues that will be held in the Nebraska Cattlemen’s six committees: animal health, brand, education, marketing, natural resources and tax.

The 2007 Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting is scheduled to be held in Albion and Columbus on June 7-8.  Albion, the home of current NC President Jay Wolf, and the Boone-Nance Nebraska Cattlemen affiliate will host the Midyear Annual Golf Tournament and Welcome Reception & Steak Fry on June 7.  The Platte Valley Nebraska Cattlemen affiliate will host the NC meeting events on June 8 at the Central Community College in Columbus. Cattle producers from all across Nebraska are welcome to attend the events.

Topics will include animal health, brand, education, marketing, natural resources and tax issues.  They will include:

Nebraska Cattlemen is applauding the Environmental Protection Agency for proposing to extend the July 31 deadline by which newly defined concentrated animal feeding operations are to seek a national Pollutant Discharge Elimination System p