The Harris Brantley Challenge

 

GCA Members Challenged to Continue Donation Traditions

By Sarah Grogan, Georgia Cattlemen's Association summer intern
 

Harris Brantley, a 94-year-old cattleman from Thomaston, Ga., has always had a hand in different businesses over the years. Everything from the laundry business, school bus driving, egg farming and since 1958, raising cattle and hay -- and even fundraising to build the Georgia Cattlemen's Association headquarters in Macon, Ga.

"We asked people to donate calves. I believe it was 14 calves donated by Mid-Georgia," Brantley says. "I backgrounded. I raised $3,400 on those calves."

In addition to the money raised from selling the calves, GCA raffled off two Ford trucks and asked for cash donations to pay for the headquarters building project 26 years ago. For the latest renovation project , GCA hopes to use Brantley’s advice and not have to rely on membership money, but instead rely on donations.

It’s definitely an inspiration to hear the stories of individuals such as Brantley and how their hard work and dedication to the cattle industry over the years has not only benefited themselves, but has also benefited cattlemen throughout the state of Georgia.  As part of the GCA Executive Committee for the original headquarters building project, Brantley had a big responsibility in selecting both a convenient and desirable location as well as helping to raise money for the project. Brantley, who is a member of both the Mid-Georgia Cattlemen's and the GCA Hall of Fame, is always looking for ways to help GCA, and this most recent renovation is no exception.

The tradition of donating calves over the years has become a great non-dues revenue generator for GCA that we hope cattlemen will continue to carry on in the years to come. Brantley challenges fellow members to follow his lead.

"I’ve always believed a person should support what they are trying to make a living out of. ... I sold my calves recently, so I’ll be willing to give a cash donation and I encourage all of our members to either do the same or donate a calf. It’s going for a real good cause," Brantley says. "By not having to use membership money for the renovation project -- that is the way to go.”

Originally published in the July 2013 issue of Georgia Cattleman magazine.

House Farm Bill Fails; NCBA President Speaks Out

Courtesy National Cattlemen's Beef Association

BREAKING:

WASHINGTON  — The US House of Representatives failed to pass the 2013 Farm Bill, HR 1947, this afternoon. The vote was 195 to 234.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Scott George issued the following statement:

“Passage of a 2013 Farm Bill remains the top priority for NCBA. That is why we are extremely disappointed in the failure of many members of the House for not recognizing the importance of a full five-year farm bill. In the midst of the struggling economy, rural America has been one of the few bright spots. This failure by the House places cattlemen and women behind the curve on having agriculture policy which not only provides certainty for producers nationwide, but also incorporates priorities important to the cattle industry.

“We were very close in this legislation to providing disaster programs for our producers, which would have extended disaster assistance for five years and would have covered losses in 2012 and 2013. These disaster programs are essential to equipping producers with the necessary tools to manage the risks associated with catastrophic weather events. After the historic drought which has plagued the countryside for the last few years, livestock producers needed these programs now more than ever.

“NCBA appreciates the efforts of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota in attempting to move the 2013 Farm Bill forward. We continue to support passage of this legislation by the House and will work to ensure that producers receive the certainty they deserve. This was not a perfect bill for any industry, but in the end cattlemen and women made sacrifices in order to support this bill. We expected members of the House to do the same.”

GCA Convention Kicks Off with Forage Conference



 

By Dallas Duncan, Georgia Cattlemen's Association director of communications

 

The 52nd Annual Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention kicked off today in Perry with the second annual forage conference, featuring expert speakers from around the Southeast.

 

"I'm really pleased with how it turned out this year," said Dennis Hancock, University of Georgia forage Extension specialist. "A couple of years ago [GCA Executive Vice President] Josh White and I were talking about opportunities to kind of encourage more participation in the cattlemen's convention. One of the things we really focused on was the ability to merge forage programming."

Topics in today's presentation included weed management in the hayfield, round bale silage management, insect management and a session on economics and risk management. Speakers included Patrick McCullough, Extension weed scientist, Extension entomologist Will Hudson, Extension animal scientist Lawton Stewart and Extension livestock economist Curt Lacy.

Producers who attended could earn up to 1.5 hours of Beef Quality Assurance credit during today's session.

 

"It's a great opportunity to learn about the current issues in forage production, which all the livestock producers in my county are very interested in," said Lucy Ray, Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Morgan County. "I really enjoyed the talks on baleage. That's something that a lot of our producers are looking at, storing their own baleage, so that's information I can take back to the county."

 

Morgan County cattleman Alan Verner was one of many producers who attended today's conference. He said though many of the issues discussed have been issues for years, there is always new information to learn.

 

"If they don't hear it firsthand, they hear it secondhand or they don't hear it at all," Verner said. "It's best to hear it yourself and talk to the professionals and the people who really know the information well."

 

Compared to last year, Hancock says the 2013 Forage Conference was up 15 percent in attendance. He called the program "a resounding success."

 

"I think one of the big things is for us to recognize the cost of doing business and how much of that is owed to the forage production enterprises," he said. "A lot of our producers feel like they're in many ways grass farmers, taking grass and turning it into a meat product that is very desirable and very nutritious."

 

The 2013 Forage Conference continues tomorrow with presentations from Auburn University assistant professor Jennifer Johnson and University of Florida Ph.D candidate Kim Mullenix.

Beef Products, Inc. Files Lawsuit Against ABC News

Lean Finely Textured Beef is back in the news.

Beef Products, Inc., a company that manufactures LFTB, announced yesterday it had filed a lawsuit against American Broadcast Companies, Inc., ABC News, Inc., three ABC News reporters and others for "knowingly and intentionally publishing false and disparaging statements regarding BPI and its product," according to a company news release.

Lean Finely Textured Beef

BPI is suing the parties for false and disparaging statements about LFTB, which caused more than 700 people to lose their jobs when the company closed three of its facilities after public backlash from ABC News reports on LFTB this spring.

According to the release, BPI alleges the parties "launched a concerted disinformation campaign" against the company.

"For more than 30 years, our family has built and operated companies that are committed to providing consumers with wholesome, safe and nutritious beef. We've created thousands of good jobs for Americans and our Lean Finely Textured Beef has made the leaner ground beef the consumers desire more affordable," Eldon Roth, BPI founder and chief executive officer, said in the release. "The blatantly false and disparaging statements made about our lean beef have done more than hurt my family and our companies, they have jeopardized the future of our employees and their families."

According to the release, BPI and other organizations sent ABC News factual information concerning LFTB and its production, including conclusions from the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Food and Drug Administration and food safety organizations, yet ABC News allegedly "made false, defamatory and disparaging statements" about the beef product. Public reaction to the news reports, which used the term "pink slime" to refer to LFTB, resulted in product sales declining roughly five million pounds per week. The company later closed three production facilities and laid off hundreds of employees. In addition, according to ABC News, several major restaurant chains, grocery chains and school lunch programs announced they would no longer purchase ground beef containing LFTB after the reports aired.

The reports included interviews with former USDA scientists and Kit Foshee, a former BPI quality assurance manager. In an Associated Press story published today, a "whistle-blower advocacy group" that worked with Foshee called The Food Integrity Campaign said in a statement Sept. 13 that "Foshee was fired from BPI because he refused to participate in the company's 'misrepresentation of the product's safety to the USDA and to consumers.'"

The lawsuit counters that, claiming Foshee was fired from BPI "because he disagreed with, and refused to

follow through on, BPI’s decision to promote more rigorous safety procedures in the beef industry."

Amanda Hill, director of The Food Integrity Campaign, said it was only because of ABC News that Foshee and others involved were able to share "their concerns about BPI."

""Doing so took enormous courage for which they should be honored, not attacked," Hill said in the AP story. "We believe that this product is questionable."


In an ABC News story, Senior Vice President Jeffrey Schneider said the lawsuit is "without merit" and will be vigorously contested.

The AP story quotes Bill Marler, a lawyer for Gerald Zirnstein and Carl Custer -- a former USDA microbiologist and federal food scientist, respectively -- as saying his clients were considering a counter-suit against BPI.

"Our view is that the lawsuit against them, especially as public employees doing their job for food inspection, is completely bogus, without merit and frivolous," Marler said.

After ABC News' stories on LFTB aired, BPI reacted by creating the www.beefisbeef.com website, which strove to correct and clarify statements made against LFTB.

Dan Webb, chairman of Winston & Strawn LLP, said in the news release that BPI filed suit because its business was "severely damaged" by the conduct of ABC News.

"As a result, we will be asking a jury to award BPI more than $1 billion in compensatory and statutory damages, plus punitive damages," Webb continued.

One of the damages was the public belief that LFTB was unsafe, countered in the lawsuit with the passage, "In more than 20 years, there has not been a single reported food-borne illness caused by LFTB." According to the lawsuit, BPI received "nearly every significant food safety and innovation award" that could be presented to a food producer. In addition, the lawsuit claims ABC News "knowingly misled the public into believing that LFTB was not beef at all, but rather was an unhealthy 'pink slime' 'hidden' in ground beef as
part of an 'economic fraud' masterminded by BPI."

The term "pink slime" was allegedly picked up from Zirnstein, who referred to LFTB as such in a 2002 email sent to colleagues, ABC News reported. However, according to Agribusiness Freedom Foundation Executive Vice President Steve Dittmer in a column published today, "Webb noted that while [former USDA scientist Gerald] Zirnstein has claimed authorship of the pejorative term 'pink slime' that ABC used to smear the product on its broadcasts, he has not seen the email in which the term is alleged to have been copied by Zirnstein ... USDA, on [Aug. 1] informed BPI that it could not locate a copy of any 2002 email that used the term. In addition, USDA said no such email had been previously produced in response to a Freedom of Information Act request."

LFTB is produced by taking beef trimmings from whole muscle cuts and ground beef and further processing them in a centrifuge to remove the remaining fat. The beef that is left is 94 to 97 percent lean. That is put back into already ground beef to make ground beef products leaner, allowing consumers to purchase a variety of lean-to-fat ratio varieties of ground beef, including some as low as 95/5 and 97/3.
This infographic, published online by the group People for the Truth and also on the www.beefisbeef.com site, gives an illustrated description of the LFTB production practice:

Because LFTB undergoes further processing and is therefore more likely to contain bacteria, it is treated with a puff of ammonia gas, which combines with the moisture in lean meat to form ammonium hydroxide, a naturally occurring compound in mammals, according to the BPI website. Adding more ammonium hydroxide raises the pH of LFTB, killing any harmful bacteria that could be present.
According to BPI's website, "ammonia-based compounds are naturally occurring and can be found in every component of a bacon cheeseburger," as illustrated by this graphic:

GCA Wraps Up First Region Roundup in Calhoun

The annual statewide tour for Georgia Cattlemen's Association staff began Aug. 16 in Calhoun at the Gordon County Extension office.

GCA President Chuck Joiner led the meeting, assisted by Jason Johns, a member of the tour committee, Eddie Bradley, Gary Autry and Ben Hicks. Bradley gave an update on the cattle industry investment working group and Autry, a member of the Tri-County association, reviewed his group's Pay it Forward campaign. Hicks, a chapter relations officer on the 2012 to 2013 Georgia Junior Cattlemen's Association officer team, gave a GJCA update and reported excellent discussion on the future of the cattle business and the importance of youth involvement.

Josh White, GCA executive vice president, says participation was solid. Thirteen of the 16 chapters in Regions 1, 2 and 4 were represented.

"The conversation was positive and lively," White said. "I also want to mention that all three regional vice presidents were a big help, attended and did a great job getting their chapters out. GCA Executive Committee member Dean Bagwell also attended, setting a good example for the EC."

The meeting was sponsored by Barenbrug Seed Company's Mike Lee, and Gordon County 4-H's dairy judging team help serve the meal of brisket and creamed corn casserole. The team recently won the state judging contest and is raising money to help with travel to the national competition.

There are several Region Roundup meetings coming up, and GCA hopes to see many of its members at one of them:

• Aug. 21, Athens
• Aug. 28, Camilla
• Sept. 6, Lyons
• Sept. 11, Macon

Juniors Kick Off 2012 - 2013 Year

This week kicks off another exciting year for Georgia Junior Cattlemen's Association. The association achieved many goals during 2011 to 2012, including that of reaching 500 members, a feat everyone is very proud of!

GJCA ended the 2011 to 2012 year with its annual Field Day on July 12 -- PERRY 2012 Cattlemen's Olympics -- which was a wonderfully successful event! Dozens of junior members, friends and volunteers came to Perry to enjoy a day of agriculture-themed games: Corn hole, full-noodle jousting, hula hoop contest, an AG-ility course, stockman's quiz and more. At each station, participants received a stamp on their passport. Prizes were given out for winning certain stations as well as for completing the "Meat Up" ice breaker sheet!

There were also little bits of education mingled in as well. Ronnie Silcox of the University of Georgia did an animal handling demonstration with some help from "cow" Katherine Throne, demonstrating cattle senses, point of balance and movement to the crowd.

Tim Marshall of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Brice Nelson of UGA hosted a seminar on collegiate experiences in agriculture, talking about majors, classes, social opportunities and Greek life. The third seminar was taught by Rebekah Bowen, a graduate of ABAC, UGA and University of Tennessee. She shared ways students (and parents!) can get involved in social media AG-vocacy.

GJCA would like to thank all of its sponsors, volunteers, guest speakers and participants for helping to make Field Day 2012 such a successful event. We hope everyone wears their Field Day shirts, designed by Merritt Daniels, proudly!

Field Day culminated with revealing the 2012 to 2013 GJCA officer team. Congratulations to Callie Akins, chairwoman; Merritt Daniels, field day coordinator; Jordan Harrison, Convention/Summer Conference coordinator; Gibson Priest, chapter relations officer; Walt Lipham, chapter relations officer; and Ben Hicks, chapter relations officer. We look forward to working with you this coming year!

From left: Akins, Daniels, Dallas Duncan (GJCA advisor), Priest, Lipham and Harrison.

2012 Farm Bill Passes Senate

After several days of debate, a consensus has been reached concerning the 2012 Farm Bill. The bill passed the Senate today by a bipartisan vote of 64 - 35. Both Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson voted against the bill feeling that it is a "Midwestern Farm Bill" that did not do enough for Southeastern crops such as cotton, peanuts and rice.

Georgia Cattlemen's Association and National Cattlemen's Beef Association were concerned with several of the 73 amendments.

First, we would like to thank every constituent who contacted their senator and shared with them the views regarding the proposed agreement between the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers. That amendment did not make the cut for Senate debate. For more information on that proposal, read our past blog post here.

Other amendments of note:

• #2276: To prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs
• FAILED 20-79
• Proposed by Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
• Opposed by NCBA and GCA
• #2479: To improve the livestock forage disaster program because of the elimination of NAP from the 2012 bill
• PASSED voice vote
• Proposed by Max Baucus, D-Mont.
• Supported by NCBA and GCA
• #2289: To reduce the Market Access Program by 20 percent
• FAILED 30-69
• Proposed by Tom Coburn, R. Okla.
• Opposed by NCBA and GCA

Also important are that the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the research title came through in good shape, according to a message from GCA Executive Vice President Josh White.

"I was pleasantly surprised by the bipartisan efforts made to move this bill through the Senate very efficiently and without much partisan rhetoric," Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for NCBA, said in today's Beltway Beef newsletter. "Both Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Minority Leader Pat Roberts, R-Kan., should be commended for their leadership on this very important piece of legislation. Their transparency and willingness to listen to all vested interests was very refreshing for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and other like-minded organizations. NCBA stands firm in our commitment to support this legislation."

The Farm Bill now moves on to debate in the US House of Representatives.

2012 Georgia Beef Month Update

Georgia Beef Month is half-over, but that doesn't mean Georgia Beef Board isn't busy! Brooke Williams, GBB director of industry information, went all over the state in June to promote the beef community and its beef product.

Beef Month kicked off with several media stops, including these on WTOC-TV in Savannah. Part 1 (top) is a sit-down segment where Williams and Georgia Cattlemen's Association Region 12 Vice President Ray Hicks discuss facts about the beef community, and part 2 is a cooking demonstration.





GBB was also in charge of a tour for dietitians and food service personnel that visited Mid-Georgia Livestock sale barn in Jackson, Ga., Honeywood Farms in Barnesville, Ga., and Buckhead Beef. Participants also ate lunch at LongHorn Steakhouse and had a wonderful time learning about the beef industry from the producer, marketing and retail perspectives.



For two Sundays, GBB and GCA staff and volunteers braved rain and heat to serve nearly 1,500 star-spangled cheeseburgers to hungry Braves fans at Turner Field! We would like to thank our partners for these two Beef Up Your Game Plan events: Big Green Egg, Colavita Olive Oil and Publix! Everyone had rave reviews about the burgers and people were excited to see new recipes and possibly win gift cards to the grocery store.





For more information and the latest updates on the activities of Georgia Beef Board, check out their website or follow them on Facebook!

Roger and Janet Greuel, GCA's 2012 Seedstock Producers of the Year

We've already posted about our outstanding commercial cattleman of the year. Today, we want to celebrate our two seedstock producers of the year: Roger and Janet Greuel of Greuel Family Brangus in Brooks, Ga.

Here's the video proclaiming their accomplishment, originally aired at the 51st Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention & Trade Show and 15th annual Beef Expo.

If you know a deserving cattleman - or producer family! - to nominate for the 2013 awards, download an application here.

We Need Your Help!

On June 12, US Sen. Dianne Feinstein filed an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill.

This amendment, No. 2252, is joint legislation created by the Humane Society of the United States and United Egg Producers.

HSUS and UEP legislation could be a dangerous precedent for other agricultural industries

Josh White, executive vice president of Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, is putting the call out for YOU to call your state senators and ask them to oppose the amendment. Neither of Georgia’s senators (Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson) have come out publicly with a stance on the amendment, and we are not sure at this time when it will hit the Senate floor for a vote. At the earliest, it could be this Thursday — tomorrow.

Passing this “one size fits all” legislation will take away producers’ freedom to operate in a way that is best for their animals and it will ultimately limit consumer choices and increase food costs for American families. Cattle industry leaders believe such legislation will set a dangerous precedent and will encourage other special interest groups who want to influence animal production practices without scientific bases, resulting in higher production costs and job losses.

Commodity organizations including the Egg Farmers of America, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau and others have serious concerns about any federal legislation mandating production practices.

“Bottom line, we don’t want the federal government passing specific animal production mandates into law!” White said.

To contact Sen. Chambliss, call 202-224-3521 or visit his website.

To contact Sen. Isakson, call 202-224-3643 or visit his website.

We encourage YOU to contact your state senators in Washington. Here’s some bullet points you can share with them:

·      More than 90 percent of all US farms are owned by individuals, families or family corporations. Any legislative mandate will add financial burdens on these family businesses.

·      Government mandates will negatively affect niche producers who receive premiums for their chosen more expensive production practices.

·      The World Association for Animal Health is developing international species-specific animal care standards guided by scientists and veterinary experts. The guidelines are based on outcome requirements, not prescriptive housing, which US industry guidelines are also based on. It is important for US guidelines to be consistent with those of this organization.

·      Farmers recognize and follow their moral obligation to provide healthy and humane environments for farm animals by utilizing the latest research and modern techniques and training.

·      Federally mandated animal welfare production practices in other developed nations haven’t shown a measured improvement in animal welfare. Many of these countries have over-regulated their farmers out of business and are now net importers of meat protein to feed their consumers.

·      Legislation such as this will limit scientific research and industry innovation that could benefit animals.

·      Commodity groups have developed animal care standards, such as Beef Quality Assurance, based on science that are continuously updated and are audited by trained third-party assessors. They can be quickly modified and improved, unlike a legislative mandate.

Additional pertinent information can be communicated via this prepared handout courtesy of NCBA. It’s got great facts about the cattleman’s commitment to cattle care, the effects of the European Union’s mandated production practices and more details on the future of animal agriculture if this legislation passes. Click HERE to access that PDF online.

For questions or assistance about contacting your government leaders, call the GCA office at 478-474-6560 or email josh@gabeef.org.

Charles Floyd: GCA Commercial Cattleman of the Year

Each year, Georgia Cattlemen's Association selects one commercial producer who stands out from the rest of the herd. This year the honor went to Charles Floyd, a member of the Mid-Georgia Cattlemen's Association chapter. Floyd is from Smarr, Ga., and owns a commercial Angus operation.

This video played at the 51st Annual Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention & Trade Show and 15th Annual Beef Expo in Perry, Ga., on April 6, 2012.

Charles Floyd, right, receives his Commercial Cattleman of the Year award from GCA Past-President Steve Blackburn

GCA congratulates Floyd on his accomplishment! You can read more about him and his operation, Double F Farms, in the May issue of the Georgia Cattleman magazine.

Welcome to Georgia Beef Blog!

Welcome to Georgia Beef Blog! We're so glad you found us. GABeefBlog will be the news hub for everything happening with Georgia Cattlemen's Association, Georgia Beef Board, Georgia CattleWomen's Association and Georgia Junior Cattlemen's Association.

"Like" our pages on Facebook and find us on Twitter: @GACattlemens and @GABeefBoard. You can also visit our YouTube channel.

We'll use this blog to post relevant stories, links and who knows what else, but our No. 1 goal is to keep you informed of news and recipes from Georgia's beef industry! For questions or post suggestions, contact dallas@gabeef.org.