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Showing posts from April, 2019

Left The USA Again!

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First let's take a look back at a little story from 2014 and now an update. We never take group tours just grab a map, pin some places and go.  Most of June in 2014 my wife and I took a little trip to England yes the County. Like most Texas cattlemen I have not had the opportunity for world wide travel, as there are always cows needing tended to and horses to feed. During my rodeo days the extent of my travels was Texas (13hrs to cross) and Oklahoma, but nothing like what I was about to experience.   For those who have been to England or travel the world often this might seem silly to you, but for me it was scratching a lot of first off my list. During our travels we stayed in a few places from downtown London to spending time in York then in North Yorkshire on an Sheep & Cattle farm. From the people we stayed with and others we met most of them were nice and got a kick our of the Texas accent.  My wife being a history buff this was mainly a trip to places off the beaten p

USDA advancing animal disease traceability: The transition to electronic ID

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  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently working with federal, state and industry partners to strengthen its traceability system to protect the long-team health, marketability and economic viability of the U.S. livestock industry.  While there are several steps USDA needs to take in order to do this, the most essential one is to move from metal identification tags to electronic identification tags in beef and dairy cattle, as well as in bison.    “The transition from metal identification tags to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags will not happen overnight,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) executive director and state veterinarian. “The transition is projected to take four years and we want to use this time to educate and encourage Texas cattle, dairy and bison producers to start taking steps toward electronic identification.”  Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, only individual official RFID tags will be accepted as officia

Walmart creates beef supply chain, bypassing Tyson

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Walmart Inc. is getting into the beef business. The nation’s biggest grocer has partnered with a Texas cattle rancher and other industry-related businesses to provide a steady supply of no-hormone-added Angus beef to 500 of its U.S. stores beginning later this year. The move comes two years after Walmart upgraded its steaks and roasts to higher-quality Angus, part of a broader push to improve the quality of its fresh foods amid intensifying competition in the $840 billion grocery sector.  Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. currently provide Walmart with most of its beef, and will continue to do so. But Scott Neal, who runs Walmart’s meat business, said the retailer also wanted to form its own supply partnership in response to customer demands to know more about who actually grows the food found in supermarket aisles and where it comes from. The company estimates the effort will trim costs and create about 450 jobs.  “We are creating a supply chain from the cow-calf s

Kerrville, Texas Couple Arrested for Mail Theft and Forgery After Missing Cattle Payment

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  Two Kerrville residents are in jail for mail theft, forgery and other charges after a missing check for the sale of cattle led investigators to their doorstep. The investigation into the missing payment was conducted by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Mike Barr. Barr initiated the investigation in November 2018 after he was contacted by an employee of the Gillespie County Livestock Auction. According to the complainant, a rancher from Boerne had sold cattle at the auction market but never received the check that was mailed to him. It was quickly determined that the check was cashed at a Fredericksburg bank. Surveillance video showed a male and female entering the bank lobby, and bank records identified Tyler Benjamin Gustafson, 30, of Kerrville, as one of the individuals who cashed the check. The other individual in the surveillance video was later determined to be Gustafson’s girlfriend, Faith Jillian Mahaffey, 21, of Kerrville. The

Beef Quality Assurance Certification and free Herd Management software

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    Free Certifications and Free Herd Management Software, Why Not?  Every year we become more advanced in technology and it happens in the cattle word too. Consumers today want more transparency and information where there beef comes from.  So now you ask yourself what can I do help the consumers that fits into my cattle budget. For starters you can become BQA ( Beef Quality Assurance) certified currently  FREE  of charge online and in person at select locations. www.BQA.org   There are a few different certification you can get from cow-calf  to transportation all information is list on their website. If your not sure ask the nearest kid to you I'm sure they have a  smart phone and would be happy to pull it up for you.  Something new that recently released was from a company called Agex  with digital traceable ear tags for you cattle. This is where it gets helpful,   start by   downloading the free application called Agex Herd  www.AgexHerd.com   on your sm

FAN EXPO DALLAS May 3 – 5 2019

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FAN EXPO DALLAS (May 3 – 5, 2019) continues their commitment of bringing the best fan experiences to North Texas with their announcement of the Masters of Cosplay International at this year’s event. Featuring special guests from Mexico, Italy, Brazil and the Philippines making their Dallas debut, Fan Expo is giving fans the chance to truly discover what the entire world of cosplay has to offer. The impressive and growing list of international guests include Liui Aquino, who transformed his lifelong love for anime and games with his experience as a model to become a signature online and on the cosplay circuit; Mexican cosplayers Banana Cospboys Luis and Lalo, the duo who won World Cosplay Summit Champions in 2018; Italian Leon Chiro, a professional cosplayer and model from Rome and Brazilian Cosplayer Shermie Cosplay who credits the craft with changing her life; saying “being a part of the cosplay world is like a dream come true.” Cosplay is a global phenomenon and we are excit