January 2015                                 
Watch for the AAA on Location
Alberta Angus Association will be on location:
February 21 - Crossroads Beef Congress, Crossroads Centre, Oyen, AB.
   Enter with Lois Andrew - 403-779-2273
March 4-5 - Calgary Bull Sale at Stampede Park

AAA had a successful weekend at the Canadian Bull Congress in Camrose over the weekend. Alberta Angus captured the Best Beef and People's Choice in the Steak Challenge. 

A Message from your CAA President

Welcome to 2015.  The past year has been a great one in the cattle industry and 2015 looks to be even better.  I am so proud of the hard working; determined and innovative cattle breeders that have rode out the storm and are finally getting paid an honest dollar for their product.

I have been the President of the Canadian Angus Association since June 2014.  The time has flown by. It has been an interesting experience.  I sincerely want to Thank each and every member that contacted me personally to give me your views, comments and concerns.  Your association needs your voice.  I even want to Thank the members who felt the need to call me "special names" as a part of a constructive criticism - your voice is important too!  Without direct input - it is difficult to gauge the consensus of the membership - so we appreciate your direction.


 

As you may be aware, almost half of the Canadian Angus board were new directors this past year.  These new directors have hit the ground running and I have been very impressed with the enthusiasm they have all shown.  At our September meeting we did a lot of visioning for your association with many key goals set forth for the future. Goals such as the best customer service in the cattle industry; increased membership linkage, advanced tools and technology and improved communication strategies.  From that came the realization that to implement these goals we needed increased income and limited expense increase.  Plain and simple.  We have a brand new office that is creating member equity every day, but of course, we used our reserves to fund this sound investment.  So, with all of these things in mind and the fact that a comprehensive fee increase had not happened since 1989; we have increased many of the fees.  None of us like increases.  Least of all my husband! I am in this with you - with a lot of calves to register and my sole livelihood comes from Angus cattle.  However, I do not know of a single thing that is still the same price as it was in 1989 - not even the hairspray I used to used for my big 80's hair.  Please feel free to contact me, our CEO or any of your board members to discuss any concerns you have.  As, I said before, we sincerely want to hear from you.


 

So as I wrap up my year as President, we have some exciting things planned for the National Convention that will be held in Calgary at our new headquarters.  We hope to see many of you there.  In closing, I would like to share my new motto for the year: "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life".  Best of luck calving (my favorite time of year!)

 

Corinne Gibson

Canadian Angus Association President

Cell number 306-640-7970

 

Would you like to receive a DVD of the AC-TV Episodes? Click here for more information.
Attention Juniors!!!
UPCOMING EVENTS

February 14-16 - GOAL Conference

March 7 - Progress Steer & Heifer Show, Lloydminster, SK 

March 8 - Making Champions, Ponoka, AB

March 14 - Little Royal at Lakeland College, Vermilion, AB 
March 27-28 - Northlands Farm & Ranch Show, Edmonton, AB

April 8 - Chinook Junior Stock Show, Claresholm, AB 
April 18 - Canada's Richest Youth Steer & Heifer Show, Olds, AB 
April 19 - Olds Spring Classic, Olds, AB 
May 24 - Country Classic, Josesphburgh, AB

July 6-10 - Summer Synergy, Olds, AB

July 16-18 - Showdown, Olds, AB

August 9-11 - AJAA Junior Show, Bashaw, AB


 

APPLICATION DEADLINES

 

April 15 - Junior Angus Stockman of the Year

April 15 - Outstanding Young Angus Breeder Award

 

Showdown Travel Bursaries  

 

A Message from the CAA CEO
Happy New Year Canadian Angus Association members! And welcome to the best year in beef cattle industry history!


 

To prepare for this 'best year' and what we believe will be a number of ensuing strong years, your CAA Board of Directors has brainstormed and approved a new plan for our future. We couldn't be more excited about our collective future, but first, let's review the year that was 2014 with a list of the highlights of your CAA.


 

Prior to reviewing our highpoints, however, I apologize to you for our most significant challenge of the past year, the worst situation we've experienced in recent memory: issues with services regarding genetic testing, primarily the achievement of parentage verification. It was a complete disaster for too long as we continually found ourselves failing you in the provision of this essential service. It was because of this failure to adequately serve that the Board of Directors decided in June to postpone implementation of the new Parentage Verification policy for one year affecting sires (who will sire registered offspring) born on or after January 1st, 2015... moved now to 2016. There is a 'bright side' however; we worked through the performance issues and successfully transitioned to Delta Genomics as your new DNA technology provider. I can and will never be able to say this enough nor with adequate emphasis: THANK YOU for your patience and understanding through the better part of 2014.


 

So now... the Top 10 CAA Highlights of 2014...


 

For complete CEO message click here.


 

NAAC News
NAAC Summer Tour - June 7! Watch for more details to come!
SAAC News

Mark your calendars! SAAC Golf Tournament - July 24, Medicine Hat

In This Issue
Coming Events
Click here to see the coming events. To be included in the coming events send your info to the office.
Angus Angle Deadlines
September Edition 
Deadline - August 1

February Edition
Deadline - December 1

Prices are as follows:
- 1 page black and white ad: $150 + gst
- ½ page black and white ad: $84 + gst
- ¼ page black and white ad: $42 + gst

Please send camera ready ad copy to the office.
Lead With Your Bulls

By Steve Suther, Director of Industry Information, Certified Angus Beef LLC

 

Does it pay to target commercial calves for the premium quality beef market?


 

At Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), we get that question a lot.  Now that all calves are worth so much more than they were a few years ago, what difference does it make if we aim for quality, or not?


 

In the short run, it probably doesn't matter a great deal, but it makes sense to get in position for the long run now, when you can afford to.


 

Several U.S. producers have discovered that stacking generations of above-average marbling genetics can build commercial herds capable of producing 30% Prime or better, often at $200 per head premiums.


 

When you sell bulls this year, they may bring half-again or even twice what they did a couple of years ago. Of course you try to put yourself in the buyer's boots. They trust you. They study the numbers ahead of the purchase and try to make sure the bulls will improve their herd.


 

You earn that trust not by "people skills" alone, but through leadership and foresight that anticipates demand in light of genetic research and the latest selection tools. You stand behind your bulls and your customers know that. What more can you do?


 

Read the signals that say it's time to join in the market trend toward higher quality beef, and lead your customers there with bulls that are above breed average in marbling, while balanced and strong in other economically important traits. You have already read the research reviews, so you know there are no negative correlations, no price to pay in terms of functionality. All you do is add marbling as you build the best genetics for the next generation.


 

You and your customers may be somewhat disconnected from the "grid marketing" world in which more and more feedlots sell finished cattle to Canadian packers, especially if they sell calves at weaning. But with the rise of information technology, buyers increasingly keep track of sources. They know where the high-grading cattle are and they will come back to bid more next year.


 

Cattle feeders want uniformly predictable growth and grade, so one emerging area of customer service is to become proactive in building relationships with feedlots, channeling feedback to your bull buyers and helping them cull from the bottom end as they build on the best.


 

A typical pen of cattle 

has $1,000 difference in value from top to bottom these days, but the most valued strings of cattle cut that in half.


 

You're fortunate to be producing a breed of cattle that can literally do it all, even without cross breeding, although many customers will continue that practice for several good reasons. Recent discussions in the U.S. have concluded there are legitimate reasons for choosing to maintain a product-focused straightbred Angus program, just as there are for crossbreeding. The key is that either approach must follow a plan from start to finish.

 


CAA Coming Events
Click here for a complete list of CAA coming events!
COMMERCIAL HEIFER PEN SHOW WINNERS 
Congratulations to the following Commercial Heifer Pen Show winners at Farmfair International, Medicine Hat Pen Show and Peace Country Beef Congress! Each winner received a $1000 bull credit towards the purchase of a purebred Black or Red Angus Bull.


Medicine Hat Pen Show Champion Pen of Bred Heifers
Travis Armstrong of Eastend, SK. 
Alberta Angus Association | | office@albertaangus.ca | www.ablertaangus.ca
p. 403-556-9057  f. 403-556-3333