09-06-11 Over Half-a-Million People Enjoy 139th Colorado State Fair

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“The Colorado State Fair has stayed true to its mission of honoring youth and agriculture.  I appreciate the hard work and dedication of those who participated in this year’s event.”  –Chris Wiseman, General Manager

PUEBLO, Colo. –The 2011 Colorado State Fair has come to a close; 515,995 people attended the 11-day event in Pueblo, Colo.

“This year’s attendance numbers were only 1,145 people less than last year.  I’m pleased with the attendance and look forward to introducing more people to our State Fair next year,” said General Manager, Chris Wiseman.  “The Colorado State Fair provides more than entertainment and educational opportunities; it also contributes to the economy across the state.  I would like to thank all the attendees of this year’s Fair for helping make it a success.”

Highlights from the 2011 Colorado State Fair: 

09-06-11 NCBA Urges President Obama to Include Trade Deals in Jobs Plan

— Pending Trade Agreements Will Create Jobs, Stimulate Economy

President Obama is expected to address the nation on Sept. 8, 2011, to announce a new plan to rejuvenate the U.S. economy by creating an environment conducive to job growth as 14 million Americans are out of work. NCBA points to pending trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea as an immediate action the president can take to generate wealth and create jobs.

WASHINGTON (Sept 6, 2011) – Labor Day is a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of U.S. workers. A day after Labor Day and just two days before President Obama is expected to address the nation with a plan to jumpstart the U.S. economy and create jobs in the United States, National Cattlemen’s Beef AssociationPresident Bill Donald calls on the president to send the three pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress immediately.

“If the president is serious about creating jobs, we expect the three trade agreements to be sent to Congress this week. There is absolutely no conceivable reason to delay these job-generating trade pacts any longer,” said Donald. “Since President Obama took office, these trade agreements have been collecting dust on his desk. A lot of finger pointing is going on while our competitor’s capitalize on our inability to act on these trade deals.”

09-06-11 *CO Angus News* Colorado Angus Association Announces Fall Ranch Tour Sept 17th

The Colorado Angus Association (CAA) invites you to attend their Fall Ranch Tour on Sept. 17, 2011. The tour, which is free and open to the public, will feature ranches and Angus cattle from the Steamboat Springs area — you won’t want to miss this terrific opportunity to visit the Yampa Valley and get to know Angus breeders from across Colorado.

Ranchers and farmers, adults and children, and anyone with an interest in agriculture and the history of ranching in the Yampa Valley is welcome.

Tour participants are asked to gather in the parking lot adjacent to the Rabbit Ears Motel in Steamboat Springs at 9 a.m. (MDT) on Saturday, Sept. 17. The group will carpool to the Banning, Belton and Gittleson ranches. A complimentary lunch — sponsored by MJK Sales and Purina — will be served at Coyote Creek Ranch. Throughout the tour, Angus cattle from several CAA members will be on display.

CAA Annual Meeting & Banquet

09-06-11 Part 5 – Your National Beef Checkoff Program: 25 Years and Counting

Part 5: ‘Industry Information’ is sometimes the best news you never heard

(Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a six-part weekly series featuring 25 years of beef checkoff successes. A high-resolution 25-year anniversary logo is available HERE for your use.)

It’s often referred to as “the cow that stole Christmas.” Frankly, it could easily have been the cow that stole the U.S. beef industry altogether. Oh, and while there’s no denying that this cow did its share of damage, and there were casualties along the way, it didn’t take the industry down. Why not? Well, few would argue with the claim that it’s thanks to your Beef Checkoff Program that the industry averted across-the-board destruction of cattle producers’ livelihoods.

Of course, twas the night before Christmas Eve, nearly eight years ago, when discovery of a single dairy cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington state put holiday celebrations for much of agriculture on hold and fixated global attention on the U.S. beef and dairy industries and the issue of beef safety.

In the spirit of the season, though, it was something of a miracle that followed. Immediately, an informational, myth-busting, science-based website lit up to help answer consumers’ – as well as USDA’s and the food industry’s – frenzied questions about whether they should stop eating beef and, literally, if they were going to die from beef they had already eaten. And that website was just one of a slew of resources that your Beef Checkoff Program kicked into action and fed literally around the clock throughout the holiday season and beyond.

Oh sure, most producers knew that BSE was not a human-health issue, but the majority of the population in this country jumped on the immediate bandwagon call of “Danger, Danger!” set off by consumer media who knew nothing of the cattle disease and had quickly assumed it was a threat to everyone who as much as laid their eyes on beef in the supermarket meat case. Add to the mix a rather ecstatic anti-meat faction, part of which took the case as an opportunity to further its cause, and the beef industry had itself a frenzied mess.