May

1VOLUME
THE UTAH
58 NUMBER
CATTLEMAN
5
MAY 2012
The Utah
Cattleman
The official monthly publication of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association and the Utah Beef Council
“Do you like green Jell-O here or there?,” as would say Dr. Seuss. It may not be common
knowledge that Utah Senator Mike Lee serves green (or whatever) gelatin at his office
in Washington D.C. on Wednesdays, inviting the public to a Jell-O reception. I was there
on behalf of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association at the annual Public Land’s Council and
NCBA’s Spring Legislative Conference. We also met with Congressman Bishop and staff
from the offices of Congressmen Matheson and Chaffetz. After these visits, I believe the
interests of Utah ranchers are represented rather well by our senators and congressmen.
As I watched a long-tailed rat run across the D.C. hotel valet at 5am this morning and now watch sparrows fly
free through the JFK Airport, I wonder if that is what most easterners perceive as wildlife. I have come to realize
that we have it made as ranchers in the west. Everyone wants to be me. I ride the range all day long and sleep
under the stars while these folks re-run their fast-lane lifestyles each day, drinking their gourmet coffees and
wondering how many Jersey cattle (I was actually asked that) we run.
Some of the issues:
Wild Horses – I recall a Salt Lake Tribune article about problems with mustangs penned up at the BLM’s Herriman holding yards. An easterner commented, “I always like to see wild horses when I come out West.” What if
200 wild horses and a few burros were allowed to run on Washington’s Capitol Mall for a summer, letting the
nation witness first-hand the “romance of the west?” I can just imagine that once the lawn was over-grazed,
the public could (for a crisp $5 bill) feed the horse a day’s ration of $200/ton hay from a vending machine. The
BLM’s response to the growing horse overpopulation and the cost to manage the wild herds is that every plan
or decision they formulate, they have to cut a deal with the environmentalists and animal rights/welfare groups
or they will get sued. It appears that horse science is more governed by political science than sound science.
Utah Cattlemen’s Association
150 S 600 E #10-B
SLC, UT 84102-1961
801-355-5748
www.utahcattlemen.org
Change Service Requested
Waters of the US Guidance - If the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers
had their way, farmers and ranchers could be required to obtain permits for everyday practices such as working around ditches or grazing
cattle near waterways that are determined as “navigable.” Do you have
a canoe? Legislation has been introduced to defeat this guidance.
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
PERMIT NO. 3933
Death Tax - Did you know this Public Land Council fact? 96 percent of
American farms and ranches are owned and operated by families. Eliminating the death tax is an important step in stimulating the nation’s
economy. It is thought that serious discussions on this issue will be
delayed until after the 2012 elections. Just to make sure you are paying
attention, the first email I receive from any reader who is not a current
member of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association, I will pay $50 towards
their renewal. ([email protected])
Message continues on page 2
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
Upcoming Events
MAY 31
DEADLINE FOR CALENDAR
PHOTO SUBMISSIONS
JUL 25-28
NCBA SUMMER
CONVENTION
DENVER, COLORADO
AUG 1-3
UCA SUMMER
CONVENTION
BRIANHEAD RESORT
SEP 6-16
UTAH STATE FAIR
SEP 14
BEEF FEAST AT STATE FAIR
CONTENTS
Human Nutrition Research
and The Beef Checkoff...........................4
“March Madness”
Burger Bracket Competition................5
USDA Confirms 4th Case
of BSE in the United States
NCBA Statement on Recent
U.S. BSE Case.............................................6
UCA Membership Application............8
MAY 2012
Message Continued from Page 1
Endangered Species Act - They say the sage grouse, if listed as an
endangered species, will put public lands graziers out of business.
This would do the same thing that the spotted owl did to the northwest’s logging industry, but on a much larger scale. The Public Lands
Council has submitted recommendations for ESA reform calling for,
among other things, a “greater focus on working with landowners
and operators to incentivize species recovery and protection plans.”
Deseret Land and Livestock, in Rich County, has demonstrated that
by proper management, ranching can be a means of actually increasing the numbers of sage grouse.
Abe Lincoln - This great president once said, “Public perception is
everything.” Cattle ranchers must constantly convince the consumer
and government regulators that we are good stewards of the land,
resources and livestock. The consumer may not know the difference
between a dairy or beef cow, but with instant media coverage, terms
like “pink slime” or “animal welfare” influence their decisions.
Mother’s Day - Saludos to my dear wife for minding the shop while
I spent some time working on the “big picture.” She says she gets
to do things her way in my absence. Give your wives and mothers a
hug on her day.
Don Anderson
UCA 1st Vice President
Calling All Cattlemen & Cattlewomen Shutterbugs!
The Utah cattlewomen are going to make a calendar
featuring you/your family & your ranch.
Please submit your digital photos covering all the seasons.
Submit as many photos as you would like! The deadline is
May 31, 2012. We will print the winning photos in a sample calendar so that orders can
be placed at the UCA summer convention; to
be picked up at our winter convention. We
will let you know of the cost in June and will
possibly offer a CD of photos submitted if there is interest.
Please e-mail photos to [email protected], or
you can mail a CD of photos to:
Nichole Taylor/657 Mountain View Drive/Moab, UT 84532
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
Utah Cattlemen’s Association officers in Washington D.C.
1st Vice President - Don Anderson, President - Wallace Schulthess
Federal Lands Chairman - Mark Wintch
MAY 2012
UCA Executive Vice President - Brent Tanner, 1st Vice President
Don Anderson, Utah Senator Mike Lee, President
Wallace Schulthess, Federal Lands - Chairman Mark Wintch
Not Everyone Can Be Replaced
By Jim Keyes - Extension Range Beef Cattle Expert
This past month the ranchers, as well
as everyone else who lives in San Juan
County, said goodbye to an individual
who cannot be replaced, at least not
very easily. Dr. Clyde Watkins, the long
time and only veterinary practitioner in
San Juan County passed away suddenly
from a stroke. Words cannot express
how much he will be missed.
Clyde was a hard individual to describe.
I remember the very first time I met
him. I would have never guessed that
he was a veterinarian at first glance. He
looked more like he should be working
on the engine block of a John Deere
tractor, and not performing delicate
surgery on animals. But, he did and he
was good at it.
Professionalism is probably not a word
that would be used in a depiction of Dr.
Watkins and his veterinary practice. He
drove vehicles that looked and sounded
like they should be roaming the streets
of Tijuana and he carried his tools in a
plastic lunch box. Most of his career you
could count on him being late for his
appointments. But all of that was not
important to those of us who used his
skills and loved him as a human being.
When I first came to San Juan in the
1980’s I spent many hours riding with
Clyde and visiting ranches in the area.
We tested bulls, did small animal surgery,
and he introduced me to every rancher
he could. He helped me get my feet on
the ground. When it came to pregnancy
testing cattle, no one was better. He was
fast and he was accurate. Even in his late
sixties, he could stand all day in a blizzard
checking one cow after another as they
came down the chute.
His veterinary practice covered a huge
area of wide open spaces. He knew every dirt road, and where every squeeze
chute was located. He drove those backroads at all hours of the night and in all
kinds of weather bringing help and comfort to animals in need, and reassurance
to the people who cared for them. I have
been told that many of the new veterinary students are not interested in large
animal practices. Why spend your time
in the cold and the mud doing something
that can be very dangerous when you
can make far more money taking care of
someone’s poodle?
Clyde will be missed. He was an icon in
San Juan County. He was a representative of an age gone by when veterinar-
ians were good old farm boys with
an education. He was a good vet, but
he was a great man. He never turned
anybody down that needed help. How
will we ever replace him? Eventually
someone will come to the county with
a DVM and take care of our livestock
and small animal needs, but it won’t be
Clyde. There was only one Clyde Watkins, and he can’t be replaced.
*Editors Note
Over the past couple of years, several
veterinarians in the state have left their
practices through retirement etc. This
article stands as a tribute to
the long hours and hard work of one
man, but we recognize that this story
could have been told of numerous
veterinarians throughout the state.
Thanks to all those veterinarians who
serve our industry.
cattlemensad.prosper.pdf
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
MAY 2012
Human Nutrition Research and The Beef Checkoff
Benefits of Adding Beef to the Diet
Because of beef checkoff efforts,
the beef industry now has research
showing that incorporating beef can
not only improve the typical American diet overall, but can also further
improve a diet that is already more
healthful than average.
fat and saturated fat, Americans
were becoming overfed but undernourished.
The checkoff Nutrition Research
program showed that beef is a
naturally nutrient-rich food that
provides 10 of the 50 nutrients essential to good health.
Much of the research conducted in
the late 1990s and 2000s focused
on substantiating the importance
of beef’s package of nutrients to
the American diet. The nutrition
community was shifting emphasis
from concern about which nutrients
to limit in the diet to understanding the importance of including a
wide variety of nutrients to support
overall health. To a great extent, as
a result of the emphasis on limiting
In 2001, multiple international
studies in infants and children
were being conducted by various
researchers to assess the benefits
of beef’s naturally occurring zinc,
iron, B-vitamins, and protein in
terms of cognitive development.
For example, in light of research
findings that breast milk provides
only 10% of the iron and zinc
needs of infants, and that common complementary foods such as
cereals, fruits, and vegetables may
leave infants short of optimal iron
and zinc levels, checkofffunded research at the University of Colorado
School of Medicine determined that
pureed meat is well accepted by
infants as a complementary food,
and markedly improves their iron
and zinc levels. After seven months
of feeding pureed beef
versus fortified cereal, infants in
the beef group were receiving 90%
of their zinc needs, as opposed to
less than half for the infants in the
fortified-cereal group. Therefore,
the results of this study show that
feeding pureed meat as a first food
can have significant benefits. The
study is summarized on the checkoff’s health professional website,
www.beefnutrition.org.
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
MAY 2012
‘March Madness’”Burger Bracket Competition
The Utah Beef Council teamed up
with 1320 KFAN Sports radio in
March to sponsor a “Burger Bracket” competition to coincide with
the NCAA basketball tournament.
Restaurants featured their burgers
from around the state to go headto-head, and listeneres voted to
advance their favorites.
During this promotion 1320 KFAN
had over 175,000 page views from
March 12 to April 2. Of those page
views, there were over 107,000
clickthroughs to the Burger
Bracket competition page. With
over 44,000 votes from the Elite 8
through the KFAN Championship,
Taggarts Grill took home the title
of 1320 KFAN’s favorite burger!
Their Garlic Blue Burger was the
champion. The other burgers in the
final four were, Scaddy’s Wayne
Burger, Warren’s Big Steakhouse
Burger and Taggarts Grill Jalapeño
Burger. Over 300 tweets/pictures
from listeners at participating burger restaurants using the hashtag:
#KFANburger.
In conjunction with
the
Burger
Bracket
competition, radio ads were
purchased to play on KFAN radio.
Some of these were played during
Utah Jazz basketball games. The
in-game ads were played over the
entire Jazz radio network, which
covers the entire state of Utah, as
well as sections of Idaho, Wyoming
and Nevada.
The beef council also received the
following during the burger bracket
competition: 30 second recorded
promotional announcements, live
promotional mentions, a front
page contest logo and link on
1320kfan.com and a rotating beef
council logo and link that directed
people to the beefitswhatsfordinner.com website.
Taggart’s Grill - Garlic Blue Burger
1st Place Winner
The remaining Final Four:
Warren’s Big Steakhouse Burger, Taggart’s Grill Jalapeno Burger
and Scaddy’s Wayneburger
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
MAY 2012
USDA Has Confirmed the Nation’s Fourth Case of (BSE) in a Dairy Cow From Central California
APHIS’ laboratory results confirm that this is a case of atypical BSE
The animal was sampled for testing for BSE at a rendering
facility in California. The animal in question was 10 years and
7 months old and came from a dairy farm in Tulare County,
Calif. The animal was humanely euthanized after it developed
lameness and became recumbent. The animal’s carcass will be
destroyed. It was never presented for processing for human
consumption so at no time presented a risk to the food supply.
Atypical BSE is a very rare form of the disease not generally
associated with an animal consuming infected feed. This detection in no way impacts the safety of our nation’s food supply.
The positive animal was never presented for processing for
human consumption so at no time presented a risk to the food
supply. Further, the safety of our food supply is assured by the
removal of specified risk materials – those tissues known to be
infective in an affected animal – from all human food. These
requirements have been in place since 2004.
This detection in no way affects the United States’ BSE status
as determined by the World Organization for Animal Health, or
OIE. The United States has in place all of the elements of a system that OIE has determined ensures that beef and beef products are safe for human consumption: a mammalian feed ban,
removal of specified risk materials, and vigorous surveillance.
Consequently, this detection should not affect U.S. trade.
At the time of this printing, most international markets, including those of our largest beef importers, are remain stable.
Indonesia has suspended imports of boned meat and innards from U.S. beef but boneless meat remained unaffected,
authorities have said. Reports of concerns are minimal. The
government of South Korea is proceeding with caution while
it awaits the outcome of USDA’s epidemiological studies on
the dairy cow. The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a
contractor to the Beef Checkoff, and NCBA’s policy team, with
NON-checkoff funding, continue to monitor this situation.
The BSE surveillance program is not for the purposes of
determining food safety. Rather, it is an animal health surveillance program. USDA’s BSE surveillance program allows USDA
to detect the disease if it exists at very low levels in the U.S.
cattle population and provides assurances to consumers and
our international trading partners that the interlocking system
of safeguards in place to prevent BSE are working. A system
of strong interlocking safeguards protects human and animal
health, as well as food safety, in the United States. These safeguards include the removal of specified risk materials (SRMs)
– those tissues that may contain the BSE agent in an infected
animal – from the human food chain. This requirement has
been in place since 2004.
Inspectors from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service
prevent non-ambulatory disabled cattle from entering the human food supply. In addition, they prevent certain slaughter
practices that might present a risk of transmission of BSE. FSIS
inspectors also condemn any cattle that display clinical signs
of neurological disease or central nervous system disorders. To
prevent the disease’s transmission to people, the single most
important food safety measure is to avoid human consumption of SRMs. Inspectors in every slaughterhouse in the United
States work to ensure these and other food safety standards
are met. USDA will continue to communicate findings in a
timely and transparent manner. To find up-to-date information, visit their website at www.usda.gov/bse.
NCBA Statement on BSE Case in California
By Tom Talbot - NCBA’s Cattle Health and Well-being Committee Chairman
USDA confirmed a positive test result as part of its targeted
surveillance program to test cattle for BSE. USDA has confirmed
this dairy animal was discovered at a rendering facility and was
never presented for human consumption and poses zero risk
to human health. The bottom line remains the same – all U.S.
beef is safe.
America’s cattle producers’ top priority is raising healthy cattle.
As such, the U.S. beef community has collaborated with and
worked with animal health experts and government to put
in place multiple interlocking safeguards over the past two
decades to prevent BSE from taking hold in the United States.
This effort was recognized in May 2007 when the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the leading international
body for animal health, formally classified the United States
as a controlled risk country for BSE. The controlled risk classification recognizes that U.S. regulatory controls are effective
and that U.S fresh beef and beef products from cattle of all
ages are safe and can be safely traded due to our interlocking
safeguards.
USDA’s ongoing BSE surveillance program tests approximately
40,000 high-risk cattle annually, bringing the total of tested
animals to more than 1 million since the program began. BSE
is fast approaching eradication worldwide. According to USDA,
there were only 29 cases of BSE worldwide in 2011, which is
a 99 percent reduction since the peak in 1992 of more than
37,300 cases. We commend USDA and animal health experts
for effectively identifying and eliminating the potential risks
associated with BSE.
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THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
MAY 2012
Proud Supporters of Utah Cattlemen’s Association
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8
THE UTAH CATTLEMAN
MAY 2012
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Application
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Name _________________________________
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Utah Cattlemen’s Association
(State Dues)
Cow/Calf Producers:
Cattle Owned:
Dues
0 to 50 head............$75
51 to 100 head......$105
101 to 200 head....$135
201 to 300 head....$165
301 to 400 head....$195
401 to 500 head....$225
501 to 750 head....$300
750 to 1000 head..$375
Over 1000 head....$100 + .30/hd
Feedlot Operators:
$150 plus 10 cents/hd
one time capacity
Associate Business
Member
NON-VOTING
(MAY NOT OWN CATTLE)
State Dues..........$100
National Dues...$150
Cattlewomen’s Dues
$10 of the state
cattlemen’s membership
will be contributed to the
cattlewomen for women’s
state membership.
Optional ANCW (national)
dues are an additional
$50
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
(National Dues)
Cow/Calf Producers:
Cattle Owned:
Dues
0 to 100 head..............$100
101 to 250 head.........$200
251 to 500 head.........$300
501 to 1000 head.......$400 + .25/hd
1001 to 1500 head....$550 + .25/hd
1501 & up.....................$750 + .25/hd
State Dues: _______
Feedlot Operators:
12.5 cents/hd marketed annually
TOTAL: __________
National Dues:_____
ANCW Dues: ______
Make Checks Payable To:
Utah Cattlemen’s Association ∙ 150 S 600 E, Suite 10-B ∙ SLC, Utah 84102
(801) 355-5748 ∙ www.utahcattlemen.org