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Blog writer: Lindsay Garrett 

According to bluemoo.net it takes approximately 3,000 cows to supply the 22,000 footballs the National Football League uses every season. That equates to a little more than seven footballs per cow. This makes me proud to be part of agriculture. This also makes me wonder if football players realize how much they depend on the beef industry to play the game they love? What about the 160 million plus that watch the Super Bowl, or any football game, do they understand the connection they have with agriculture?

      Sadly, most people see agriculture as a very nostalgic way of life or as a hobby. The truth is, everyone depends on agriculture. Vegan or omnivore, farmer or athlete, everyone is dependent.

      The cool thing about agriculture is that every country in the world has an agricultural industry. Without it, survival is not possible. Sadly, this industry, which is one of the largest worldwide, has lost its voice with its biggest audience-the consumer. We can’t depend on the next generation to tackle the lies that mothers are believing.  We have to do something. We have to start conversations. We have to tell our story.

      One simple and easy way to connect with consumers is through conversation. At the grocery store people are making their decisions, reading labels and questioning their food. One group in Illinois had mothers who farmed set up booths at the local grocery store and were available to answer questions from other moms and consumer. This built trust. This built a relationship. This put a face to our industry. This promoted the agricultural industry.

      Why can’t we do the same? We don’t even need the booth or “mom status” to build trust. Be on the look out for people eating. Be ready to spark a friendly conversation about their choices and also be ready to provide the facts. Tell your story and your connection to agriculture. Tell the consumer about the safety, care and healthiness found in agricultural products and the time producers and farmers put into their products.

       This idea is not the most profound one, but it is an easy one. You have no excuse but to get out there and share our story with your roommates, friends, coworkers and people you meet at the store. Every person is involved with agriculture, whether they know it or not.

Editors Note: This blog first was published on the TAMU Farmers Fight blogspot, which is an organization on the campus of Texas A&M promoting agriculture.

RFID Tagging: Government Mandate Or Breeders’ New Best Friend?

by Sam Hodges

Radio Frequency Identification, more commonly know as RFID, is a foreign concept to most of us in the cattle industry. Sure we have heard the term in the news and possible implementation by the US Department of Agriculture, but what can we as breeders gain from a business standpoint if this becomes a policy requirement to use RFID technology?

      First, let’s take a look at the government’s current usage of RFID. Since 2004, the Department of Defense has required all of its contracts to be RFID capable. Military bases worldwide have been implemented with RFID scanners and networks, tracking all deliveries to bases from something as simple as a pallet of uniforms, to heavy weaponry such as tanks and missiles. Using these networks has cut back on costs in supply management, maintained a much more accurate inventory, and virtually eliminated equipment loss. RFID has made it much simpler for everyone to know where what is, how long it has been there, and what has been done to it.

      That’s great, but how can we benefit? Imagine this. A client pulls up to your ranch and backs their trailer up to unload. You walk to the trailer, slide a paddle-like attachment RFID scanner into the trailer and over the cattle, push a button on your hand-held device, and a list is automatically generated including the cattles’ tattoos, registration numbers, and owner, all in about a minute. All of this information is stored in a RFID chip inside a scanable ear-tag (scanable ear tags are generally preferred because of the ability to physically write an ID number on the tag for visible identification).Unload the trailer, count the number of head to ensure you inventory is correct and everything was scanned, and turn the cattle out. If the client loads up other cattle they are picking up into the trailer, repeat the process. Scan them with the attachment, verify your inventory, and push a button. Your computer automatically has an inventory of what cattle came in on what date, what cattle left on what date, and where the cattle went for your records. This is also beneficial to sale-barn inventory and accounting, as well as feedlots.

     Still not satisfied? Put a cow in your chute, scan the RFID tag with your hand held device and her information pops up. She is in heat so you AI her and push a button. You select the bull you AI’ed her to on your device by pushing a button and turn the cow out. This is applicable with any services you perform on cattle, from AI, to embryo work, to simple vaccinations. At the end of the month, pull up the client’s file and all transactions you have performed on their cattle are listed chronologically with pricing. The computer automatically calculates the total and it is ready to print and be mailed. You could also print a list of all services you performed for the month in chronological order for your own breeding records.

      Of course, the government isn’t primarily focused on the personal benefits of RFID tagging. USDA is more interested in the ability to identify animals quickly in the event of a disease outbreak. If there was a disease outbreak, within seconds authorities could trace the animal, the property it came from, and every movement the animal has made.  This enables them to isolate the specific region while the rest of the country continues trading. No policy is currently in effect, primarily due to concerns about privacy and protection of information; however, new RFID tags provide encryption capabilities to only allow general information to be read from the tag, such as name, tattoo, and ownership, with all other information requiring a pass code. This would protect sale price, health records, and any other information stored on the tag.

     With the current economic climate, government projects in relation to animal RFID tagging are not top priorities so don’t expect to see anything passing through Congress anytime soon. What you can do is research the topic further and perform a cost/benefit analysis. The cost would be considered expensive by most, but the benefit would be less headaches at the end of the month when billing, wondering who 245U is and what she’s doing on your place, or figuring out which 555T cow this is since duplicate tattoos are a recurrent issue. The industry is gearing up for a major change and advancement. Will you be ready?

Heart Felt

August 29, 2011

By: Victor G. Guerra

I had the opportunity this past weekend to give a motivational speech on leadership at the 5W Cattle Company Field Day and judge showmanship.  From the moment I stepped foot on the grounds I was impressed with the group of kids that had made the decision to spend this hot summer day learning and improving themselves through their beef cattle projects.  I know that for some the decision was not theirs, so to all those parents that made the decision to get them there, I commend you. 

I spoke to the kids about how each of them is a leader, if nothing else they are the leader of their lives.  I urged them to build a solid foundation, as someone would when building a house.  This foundation was made up of their morals and ethics, what they believed to be right and wrong.  I also told them that in formulating their morals they must ask as many questions as possible, because along the way there would be several individuals challenging them to stray from these standards and crack the foundation their lives were built upon.  I used the most famous ten two letter words (“If it is to be, it is up to me”) to encourage them to set clearly defined goals and take initiative in accomplishing them.  I shared a story with them about how I acted out of line one time after being placed 4^th with my steer my junior year at our local show.  When I thought no one was looking back at the trailer, I threw my show stick in anger and shook my head looking back at the show ring.  In no time, Mrs. Susan Brown came over to the trailer and had me by my neck collar telling me how I better shape up because rather I knew it or not, some of the kids there looked up to me.  I told these kids that exact thing, that somewhere someone looks up to them and that they needed to take this responsibility of being a role model seriously.  Finally, I told them to volunteer for the leadership opportunities that are all around them and that their actions often speak louder than their words.

The very first Heart of Simbrah Show was held at the conclusion of the field day and it was a great one.  The quality of kids and cattle were impressive and the show was well attended.  Both Javier Moreno, a fellow Simbrah breeder and Mando Correa, a well respected local Ag teacher both did a fine job of judging the kids and cattle.  I believe that it is a great testament to this breed to see new events like this show being created; it is a clear sign that the breed is growing and growing in the right direction, by developing our youth through our cattle.  One of the many highlights for me was seeing Klarissa Cantu still smiling at 11 pm as they were loading out after a full day of participating in the field day, showing in two showmanship contests and a heifer and steer show.  Attitude is everything.  With our hearts in the right place by focusing on these kids, I am determined that the breed and the future of it, is headed in the right direction.

I highly recommend attending the 5W Cattle Company Field Day and Heart of Simbrah Show next year, as it was a fun and educational day had by all.  A BIG HEARTY THANKS to the Ron & Rhonda Wells Family for all that they did to make yet another great Simbrah event possible.        

Simbrah And The Summer Of 2011

by Beth Mercer
 

I’ve lost count of the number of days, or maybe months at this point, with temperatures over 100 degrees.  The days start off at about 80 degrees and move up quickly.   No rain has fallen for months and we can’t even get a heavy dew.   You sweat through your clothes by 9:00 a.m. and learn to live with it until supper.   Dust covers everything.  It’s a good day when the wind blows.  It’s a bad one when it doesn’t because you can barely breath.  You get the picture.   Historically high temperatures and dry conditions have become the norm and there is no change in sight for Texas and other parts of the country. 

Our Simbrah cattle, on the other hand, seem to be taking the high temperatures and drought in stride.  They graze on and off all day and I’ve yet to catch any of them breathing hard due to the heat.   Their calves aren’t suffering from lack of milk and the bulls kept up their work pace during the breeding season without falling apart.   In other words, Simbrah cattle with as little as 1/8 Brahman blood are bred to adapt to these adverse conditions. 

One characteristic of heat tolerant cattle is their ability to shed their winter coat in spring and summer.  As a general rule, Simbrah are slick haired with many staying slick all winter.    They have a little more hide surface area or extra leather that also keeps them cooler.

With lush grass a distant memory on most ranches, Brahman influenced Simbrah cattle browse and make a meal out of whatever is available.   Biting flies and ticks don’t seem to slow them down and even in this heat, the females breed back while nursing a calf.    The heat tolerance of Simbrah contributes to the success of feeding steers in the summer months as they continue to gain and tolerate the high temperatures in the feedlot.

The ability of cattle to adapt to the environment in which they live is of the utmost importance for any cattle operation to have a chance to be successful.    Simbrah cattle thrive in many environments but their true worth comes when the temperatures are high and the grass becomes scarce.  

Printed courtesy of the Register

Youth Prepare For Summer Shows/Contests At Smith Genetics

by Sam Hodges

Memorial Day Weekend, Tim Smith of Smith Genetics hosted juniors and parents at Cow Camp at the Smith Genetics Ranch in Giddings, Texas. I had the privilege of attending this outstanding educational program and experiencing the fun-filled weekend. Friday afternoon through Saturday morning was designated as move-in time with camp starting at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

The first class began at the show barn with a presentation by Michael Grahmann, sponsored by Purina. Mr. Grahmann went over heifer selection, halter breaking, and general tips for maintaining show cattle. This presentation was followed by wash rack etiquette with Rodney Finch, as well as hints about which soaps and shampoos to use, the fundamentals of washing, and how to properly dry cattle with a power blower. Mr. Finch then continued to conduct a demonstration for all campers, covering the basics to clipping, fitting, and maintaining hair.

Traditionally, all campers and participating adults attend class in one large group, meeting in the lab, the show barn, or the catch pens behind the lab. Due to an increase in campers, three classes were formed based on age breaks. Ages 15 and under were classified as Junior Campers, 16 to 21 were Senior Campers, and 22+ were Adult/Parent Campers.  After the morning demonstrations by Mr. Grahmann and Mr. Finch, camp moved down the hill to the lab for breakout sessions. One group went into the lab for class with Ms. Lesli Garrett, winner of many TJSSA, AJSA National and Regional, and AJSR speech contests. Lesli taught campers how to improve their Sales Talk, Public Speaking, and Extemporaneous Speaking presentations. Another group met with Ms. Martha Garrett where she shared a wealth of information on building a scholarship resume, filling out applications and general ag scholarships. The Adult/Parent campers thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the tricks to this trade. Up at the show barn, the third group honed in on their showmanship skills with MR. Finch and Richard Foster III. Mr. Finch began by giving his infamous speech pertaining to show ring attire, jewelry, and "bling." The kids then grabbed a heifer, entered the ring, and received one-on-one training to further develop their style. After this rotation ended, everyone met at the show barn for a closing showmanship session. Taylor Rutledge and Caleb Rodenbeck were the showmanship champions in the evening showdown. 

Classes began Sunday morning with Livestock Judging and Oral Reasons by Richard Foster III in the pens behind the lab. The Adult/Parent group opted to move this session to a pen with a lot of shade to try and beat the heat. Inside the lab, Mrs. Annette Hill educated campers on Meats Judging, including retail and wholesale cuts, yield grade, and quality, while Mr. Jayson Hill taught nutrition and feedstuffs. Jayson and Annette teach Ag at Brazos High School in Wallis, Texas and they are always a great addition to camp. After lunch, Jayson went over the Sire Summary and EPDs. In the other room, Tim Smith taught Cattlemen's Quiz definitions, genetics and inheritance, and Skill-A-Thon items. 

Camp adjourned around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon after a mock Skill-A-Thon contest for all campers.

This year's camp was truly amazing. The parents were highly involved in classes and were eager to learn as much information as possible for the sole purpose of helping their children succeed. When asked what they wanted to learn from camp, the junior group said, “As much as we possibly can”, and they lived up to this goal, actively participating in all events. The depth and level of questions posed by the Senior group was stimulating, and they continue to raise the bar for the contests they will be participating in this summer. Good luck to all participants at State, Nationals, and Roundup and thank you to everyone who helped make Cow Camp the great success that it was!

Junior Programs Develop Young Exhibitors

¡Ven a la fiesta con TJSSA este verano en Tyler!
(Come and party with the TJSSA in Tyler this summer!)

By Charley Martinez, TJSSA President

Can  you believe the Texas Junior Simmental/Simbrah Association (TJSSA) had eleven members place in the Beef Skillaton in San Antonio in 2011?  Along with TJSSA director Morgan Tindle placing in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Superintendents Heifer Challenge and TJSSA director Mallory Mobly winning the challenge in 2011.  I can answer that for you, or you can find out for yourself by attending the Texas Junior Simmental/ Simbrah Association State Futurity this year and participate in not only the cattle show, but all the leadership contests. Not only do the contests help a young mind develop into a young cattleman or cattlewoman, but gain knowledge that will help win scholarship contests, succeed in college, as well as being competitive at American Junior Simmental Association (AJSA) Nationals!

There are many opportunities for a participant to take home awards and buckles from this show.  Features of the State Futurity include winning cash prizes; winning one (or more) of the 37 belt buckles; the Simmental and Simbrah shows, cow/calf show, bred and owned show, percentage heifer show; showmanship; judging and oral reasons; public speaking; sales talk; cattlemen’s quiz;, beef skill-a-thon; family barbeque and fun games; annual membership awards breakfast; scholarship opportunities; queen/sweetheart contest; state director elections; and bronze merit leadership award.

New changes to the show this year are a stall decorating contest for this year’s theme ¡Fiesta! The cattle shows will all be progress through performance (PTP) shows, meaning EPDs will be used along with live cattle evaluation. The percentage heifer show is open to half blood Simbrahs. The State Futurity’s cattle judge will be Mr. Doug Pierce of Blinn Junior College. Another highlight is the State Futurity is open to all out of state participants who want practice for the AJSA Nationals!

So if you want to have fun and be a part of this show please print off entry forms from tjssa.com and join us for the great kids, great cattle, and great fun!

 Editors Note: In addition, to TJSSA Futurity, there's also the American Junior Simbrah Roundup June 17-19 and the AJSA Classic in Sedalia, Missouri in July. ALL GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP, CHARACTER TRAITS, LEARN ABOUT THE BEEF INDUSTRY AND MAKE FRIENDS.

We're Growing

It may not all be about numbers, but wow haven't the numbers been awesome at the major shows?

Fort Worth 66 junior entries!

National Open Simbrah Show at San Antonio 141 entries!

Superbowl-200 total, of which 149 were Simbrahs!

San Antonio Junior Show-192 entries, the largest  of any breed!

International Show at Houston 99 entries!

Lots of interest, growing demand and enthusiasm for Simbrah. . . and the numbers prove it!

You could say Simbrahs have been coming and going!