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Mid-America Feed Yard Yardage Reduction Program

Don't forget to place your cattle before August 31st to take advantage of Mid-America Feed Yard's yardage reduction program!! Contact us today to see how you can participate!!

Certified Angus Beef LLC Applauds The Efforts Of The Beef Connection

Certified Angus Beef LLC applauds the efforts of The Beef Connection and its pursuit of high quality beef. Consumer demand for great tasting, premium beef is on the rise and The Beef Connection helps producers meet this demand. They provide great services and educational resources that help producers improve the quality of their cattle and qualify for the premiums that reward those who hit a high quality, end-product target.

American Angus & Biozyme Inc. Debut Educational TV Program

American Angus Association^® in partnership with Biozyme Inc. — makers of Vita Ferm^® and other industry-leading animal nutrition products — will host an educational television program this spring on RFD-TV.

The Vita Ferm Angus Hour will debut at 7:00 p.m. (CST) / 8:00 p.m. (EST), April 12. The one-hour program will feature live interviews of Angus and industry representatives, as well as a question and answer session. The program will focus on how producers can unlock the potential of their cow herds for greater profit and expanded marketing opportunities.

Segments will feature tips for improving quality grade and profit potential; nutrition management and its impact on reproduction, performance and beef quality; and opportunities in providing age and source verification.

Industry experts appearing on the first-ever program include: Dr. Howard Jensen, nutritionist for BioZyme Inc.; Dr. Larry Corah and Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef; Sara Snider, AngusSource; Bob Sand, The Beef Connection; and Ron Rowan, Beef Northwest.

Bryce Schumann, American Angus Association chief executive officer, said the program will provide viewers with timely production and marketing information while also sharing the benefits of the Angus breed, Association programs — such as AngusSource^® — and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

“This television platform offers a unique opportunity to share the Angus message with thousands of viewers on a regular basis,” Schumann said. “The partnership with Biozyme Inc. aligns well with our initiative to expand our communications with those who use Angus genetics — and those who could be.”

Bob Norton, president of Biozyme Inc., said The Vita Ferm Angus Hour will equip cattle producers -- regardless of herd size or location – with critical information for maintaining competitiveness and economic strength.

“We’re proud to partner with the Angus community on this valuable program,” Norton said. “But the issues and industry insight discussed will be universal and can incorporated by viewers of any breed of cattle for the benefit of their own businesses and the long-term economic position of their cow herds.”

Additional episodes are scheduled to air on RFD-TV later this year. For more information, visit www.angus.org or check your local listings. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com.

To submit questions for the show’s panel, send inquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Alltech & KABA/Select Sires join The Beef Connection

to help cattle producers improve their return on investment

March 18, 2010 Union, KY – Robert Sand, CEO, announced today that two prominent Kentucky companies are now corporate members of The Beef Connection, LLC. Alltech, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky with offices and distributors in 120 countries, is a world leader in natural animal health and nutrition products. KABA/Select Sires, Inc. located in Louisville, Kentucky is part of the Select Sires, Inc. federation. Select Sires is the premier supplier of highly fertile, superior genetics, as well as effective reproductive and herd management products and services.

According to Mr. Sand, “The Beef Connection is delighted to have these two industry leaders as corporate members. It demonstrates our shared interest in helping cattle producers get the best price for their animals and improve the quality of their herds over time. To do this they must develop healthy, predictable, feed efficient, age and source verified, carcass quality cattle, as proven by hard data. Both of these companies take sound scientific and data-driven approaches to their products and services.”

Alltech's mission is to improve animal health and performance by adding nutritional value to feed, naturally. The company uses yeast fermentation and enzyme technology to provide natural alternatives to the multiple challenges facing the animal feed industry, such as the search for alternative raw materials. Alltech is celebrating its 30th year and is a proud sponsor of the 2010 World Equestrian Games to be held in Lexington beginning September 25.

One of 10 farmer-owned and controlled cooperatives that comprise the Select Sires Inc. federation, headquartered in Plain City, Ohio, KABA/Select Sires services Kentucky, Missouri and Southern Indiana. Select Sires, Inc. is now North America’s largest semen provider. The federation employs strict quality controls to ensure a highly fertile product and the best genetics at a reasonable cost.

Alltech and KABA/Select Sires join other corporate members of The Beef Connection including feeding operations Pratt Feeders, Cattle Empire, Sellers Feedlot, Shaw Feed Yard, Mid-America Feed Yard and Decatur County Feed Yard, and supplement supplier BioZyme.

To learn more about membership in The Beef Connection, LLC, visit www.thebeefconnection.com or call 502-347-5050. For more information about Alltech visit www.alltech.com, and see www.kabaselectsires.com to learn more about KABA/Select Sires and Select Sires, Inc.

Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Approves Support

For Expansion of The Beef Connection, LLC Programs

By granting a no-interest loan of $500,000 to The Beef Connection, the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board reconfirmed its support of the organization’s successful cattle producer programs. Members of The Beef Connection are also included in the County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP) technology section that provides 50% cost share benefits.

According to the Agricultural Development Board, “The goal of this project is to offer data management services to a greater number of producers. The services offered include member enrollment as a certified product supplier of age and sourced verified cattle in a USDA Process Verified Program, acquisition and analysis of formal feed performance and carcass merit data, as well as expansion of marketing options beyond traditional methods. Utilization of these services will provide Beef Connection members the opportunity to increase the return on investment of their cattle operation.”

Robert Sand, CEO, founded The Beef Connection in 2004 after successfully applying data collection and analysis techniques, process standardization, and marketing planning to his own cattle operation. Sand states that, “The mission of The Beef Connection is to provide better tools to cattle producers so they can get the best price for their animals and improve the quality of their herds over time. To do this they must raise predictable, feed efficient, age and source verified, quality carcass cattle – and have reliable data as proof. Our members have access to everything they need to achieve these goals, and with Age & Source Verified (ASV) certified cattle currently getting premiums of $35 - $50 per head, it’s in their best interest to take advantage of these programs. With the loan from The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board we can expand our operation and, therefore, offer our memberships to more producers.”

In addition to individual cattle producer members, The Beef Connection has a number of corporate members and affiliates that share its vision for making high-quality cattle production more efficient and profitable. Feeding operation corporate members include Pratt Feeders, Cattle Empire, Sellers Feedlot, Shaw Feed Yard, Mid-America Feed Yard and Decatur County Feed Yard. Feed and feed supplement suppliers Alltech and BioZyme, and genetics specialist Select Sires, Inc. are also members.

“In the future,” Sand continues, “we plan to offer members of The Beef Connection the opportunity to become equity owners by purchasing stock in the company. This will not be a requirement for membership, of course, but it will be an opportunity for those who choose to participate.”

Click here to see the February 19th Press Release from the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy

The Beef Connection is partnering with the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Under the State's County Agricultural Investment Program (C.A.I.P.) you could receive:

50% of the cost of your membership in The Beef Connection.
50% of the transportation and handling expense to ship your cattle to finishing facilities.
50% of the fee to place cattle into finishing facilities.
50% of the cost of Electronic Identification (EID) Tags.
50% of the cost of participating in the Heifer Development Program.

Visit the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy website or contact your local county extension agent to learn more about the program and to receive your application.

Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy Website