Are We Making Progress?
At a recent meeting run by our local Extension Agents the other day, the Ag Experts were making so much sense (as in dollars and cents), that a check of the program was necessary to be sure that Dick Diven and Dave Pratt hadn’t snuck in as ringers.
The subject was grass fed beef and they finally got around to stockpiling.
It makes a lot more sense than feeding hay, they said. About $126/calf in increased profit. And it’s a lot better, too. Stockpiled fescue is 36% higher in protein and 23% higher in energy than the average bale of hay around here. With those numbers, you don’t really need any supplements, particularly for dry cows. Heresy!
They strongly urged strip-grazing as a means of more than doubling the available forage. While they recommend moving your cows every 4 to 7 days, Jim Gerrish says 3. Of course, Gerrish has a wife who does all the work while he’s running around the country being a “star”. But the smaller the available plot for grazing and the faster you move them, the more useable grass you get.
One Ag agent also pointed out that the average acre of fescue will yield 1.5 tons of forage without doing anything to it. He wondered whether it was really worth it to spend extra to get more. These are profit decisions, he said, not production decisions.
Concluded one of the government men: “If you don’t spend any money, it’s not hard to get it back.”
Can implants be next?
Some Suggested Reading…
For the two or three of you who are not regular readers of the Stockman Grass Farmer, we didn’t want you to miss Allan Nation’s column last month on the sea-change (pasture-change?) in the cattle business. With the permission of SGF, you can read his views here. (click here)
And a somewhat longer reading assignment: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a must-read for anyone in the cattle business or anyone just interested in the food we eat. It’s been around for awhile and we thank Bakewell Reproductions for permitting us rto borrow their review (click here).
Finally, we mentioned Dick Diven a moment ago. His monthly Newsletter is probably the most thoughtful in the business. He, too, is on topic with Allan and even those Ag agents we mentioned. (click here)
Well, now for a change of pace….
Enough of the serious stuff, a correspondent in Germany (listen we even have a reader in the Seychelles!) sends us a joke that has been around for awhile but is somewhat revamped here.
Warning: there is something in this to offend everyone. Not the Muslims, though. We would never offend the Muslims. No, sir!
(click here)
Bulletin: We Are What We Eat….(update)…
Two stories today underscore questions about the food chain.
First, pass the chicken (well done please):
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/chicken-safety-1-07/overview/0107_chick_ov.htm
Then there’s the E. Coli outbreak in the New York area. (the one health officials didn’t announce because they didn’t want to “scare” the public):
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_338093100.html
Anyone for grass fed beef?
Fry and Gunnink Team Up for Grass Fed School....
NADA President Gearld Fry has announced a series of schools he'll be hosting with grass expert Doug Gunnink. There will be five hands-on sessions in all, starting right after the first of the year. Details here:
http://www.bovineengineering.com/itinerary.html
That looks to us like a pretty ambitious schedule for Fry, who also has solo appearances scheduled across the country.
Here's an opportunity to hear the two top men in their field...forage and
genetics...and we'd recommend a special effort to attend one of these sessions.
We Are What We Eat (continued)...
Reading stories about the dramatic decline in sperm count among American men in recent decades brought to mind a study conducted at a British bull test we reported earlier on this website.
The decline in human sperm has been blamed on everything from hormones and pesticides to tight jeans. But that British bull test indicated that grass fed bulls had consistently higher sperm counts...and of higher quality...than bulls finished on grain. Similar studies in this country have yielded the same results. So feeding bulls large amounts of corn prior to the breeding season may increase their energy but not their fertility.
We couldn't help but wonder whether the same thing was at work among men. Is declining fertility possibly linked to eating grains or feed lot beef and not to those tight jeans?
And now comes a thought-provoking communiqué from NADA member Steve Campbell of Trinity c Ranch in New Meadows, Idaho. Steve wonders whether copper deficiency, a serious problem in many of our herds, could also have a human dimension. He writes:
A study conducted by Dr. Sheldon Reiser and his colleagues at the USDA laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, investigated the effect of fructose consumption on the copper status of 24 men consuming a diet marginally low in copper. The men were maintained on a diet alternately containing 25 percent fructose and 20 percent starch. The effect was to represent typical American diets.
But the study had to be abruptly terminated when four of the 24 men developed cardiac problems, ranging from severe tachycardia to mild heart attacks within the first weeks of the study. (Am J Clin Nutr 1985
42:242-251).
The first evidence that fructose interfered with dietary copper absorption was demonstrated with rats and other laboratory animals. Severe copper deficiency in animals and people results in increased blood cholesterol levels, increased blood pressure, change in bone structure, damaged heart and arterial muscles and neurological disorders. As Linda Joyce Forestall pointed out in her article, many Americans are low in copper.
Several copper-dependent enzymes that help maintain cardiovascular system integrity include lysyl oxidase, superoxidase dismutase and lipoprotein lipase. Copper deficiency can compromise functioning of these enzymes.
In severe copper deficiency, the heart muscle can be weakened to the point where copper-deficient animals die from spontaneous heart rupture. A Mayo Clinic study observed heart rupture in a number of acute ischemic heart attack victims. When examined, all were found to be low in copper.
The study concluded, "Evidence to date suggests that copper deficiency is the leading cause of ischemic heart disease." The link between copper deficiency and ischemic heart disease has been demonstrated both in human studies and in laboratory animal studies.
It seems then that humans eat a food not "designed" for our systems and develop heart disease (among other things). A person with heart disease has a compromised immune system and is therefore more susceptible to other "challenges to the system" that come along.
We know that cattle eating a food that was not intended for their system (grain/fermented foods) wind up with long term damage to their bodies. If we as humans are already copper deficient and then eat an animal that is ripe for "heart disease", does it not follow that it would make us more likely to "catch" that same disease?
Look at the number of people shying away from commercial beef today because they do not want to ingest the "hormones" or "antibiotics" routinely given to most cattle. I suggest they should also be shying away from those animals because they have grown up in less than perfect health because of a deficiency of copper.
We think Steve raises some interesting questions. We would be glad to hear your comments. Write us at contact@northamericandevon.com
It's the ratio of rump width to...
New NADA member Cathy Cochran of Palmyra, VA gets a briefing on linear measurement from Association President Gearld Fry. While living in England for a number of years, Cathy admired the Devon cattle on a neighborhing farm. Back in the States on her Oakhill Plantation, she has started her own herd and finding consultation with Fry one of the benefits of NADA membership.
Restaurants Fight New York Ban on Trans Fats…
There’s a fight underway in New York City with the potential for a major impact on the grass fed beef industry. Restaurants there are trying to block---or at least delay---a health department ban on trans fats. (click here)
In the news....
NADA board member Mike Scannell garnered important publicity for the Association in two papers in his area. Working from a press release
provided by the Association, he "customized" it to fit his Harrier Fields Farm.
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Click to enlarge article. |
Mike and Joan Harris will be hosting the annual North American Devon Association meeting next October. Watch for a profile of their operation here right after the first of the year. (And don't forget to order a Devon calendar from Joan.)
The Association was also featured in an article this month in the Stockman Grass Farmer. You can read it by clicking here.
An Important New Voice…
We have the pleasure in recent months of listening to talks by Dr. Tilak Dhiman, a professor at Utah State College. And now comes Alan Nation in Al’s Obs in this month’s Stockman Grass Farmer with liberal quotes from Dr. Dhiman in his ruminations about grass fed dairying.
Most recently we heard Dr. Dhiman at the Weston Price conference in Virginia and again enjoyed his presentation which has just the right blend of Eastern philosophy with his basic scientific approach. His wry sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.
Dr. Dhiman focuses, although not exclusively, on CLA…maintaining that pasture fed animals have 5 times more CLA than he finds in feed lot animals. That is important, of course, because CLA is an anti-carcinogen and builds good bones and improves the immune system.
He also says pasture grasses give twice as much Vitamin E and Vitamin A and more Beta Carotene. E Coli is present in all cows but it is so much reduced in grass fed animals that the E Coli levels are low enough for the human body to manage. High grain diets, on the other hand, are acidic which spurs the growth of E Coli.
Dr. Dhiman adds that grain also produces an acid which damages the rumen wall. And he warns that alfalfa silage destroys up to 25% of the CLA which a cow would otherwise have.
To read more about Dr. Dhiman, including tips on winter supplements which maintain the advantages of grass feeding, scroll down to the story “All Star Speakers”.
Fry Speaks to Major Health Food Convention…
It was a perfect fit: the Weston A. Price Foundation and the North American Devon Association.
The Foundation, dedicated to developing the optimum human diet, hosted more than a thousand members at its annual meeting this month IN Chantilly, Virginia. And one of the featured speakers was Gearld Fry, introduced for the first time as the president of the North American Devon Association.
In addition to Fry’s presentation, NADA Secretary Ridge Shinn manned our new (if interim) booth and introduced the health-conscious attendees to the benefits of Devon grass fed beef. It was a crowd that did not need to be convinced. The mission statement of Weston Price Foundation emphasizes that “the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats is necessary for the optimum human diet”.
Fry’s speech was interesting to watch both because he had his highly-knowledgeable audience nodding vigorously in agreement and because they were delighted with his down-home manner. The common sense approach and hands-on experience of this Arkansas cowboy confirmed their more academic approach and it was a fun “bridge across the cultural divide” experience.
The NADA president’s topic was “Genetics for Grass Fed Beef” and, in addition to theory and cattle conformation, he offered 13 practical tips for what to look for in selecting animals; among them:
…a large escutcheon indicating high butterfat, essential for growing calves and an excellent indicator of fertility
…a highly functioning glandular system which reveals itself on the calf’s hide
…fine, dense leg bones indicating tender, fine-textured meat
Fry decried the development of land grant colleges which, after their founding, moved their focus from the study of animal “husbandry” to animal “science”. Not only had generations of practical wisdom been lost, he said, but animal “science” was turning out to be a false god. He quoted a recent statement, a confession really, from the Certified Angus Beef people:
“New technologies and increased knowledge have done little to curb the number of sick cattle. In fact, long-term industry data show an opposite trend, one of increasing health problems and death rates.”
Fry blamed that trend on the feed-lot/corn-finishing mentality, the over-reliance on drugs, and the dilution of strong, pure bred gene pools…all in the name of increased production. He noted that research at England’s Lethbridge Research Centre indicated that bulls raised exclusively on forage demonstrated increased sperm production, sperm reserve and greater efficiency of the sperm.
It was an important opportunity to tell the Devon story and, not only in his talk, but in two days of conversations at the NADA booth and in convention hallways, Fry and Shinn made the most of that opportunity. Fry said afterwards that he hoped the groundwork had been laid for a lasting relationship between the two organizations.
Membership rolls rapidly growing….
Membership rolls of the Association have exploded in the month following our first meeting. Allison White, at NADA headquarters, reports she has been enrolling an average of almost one new member a day. Among our new colleagues:
Joe Dillon
Newman, GA
John and Pamela Trent
Mineola, TX
John Forelle
Millerton, NY
Dennis Bruce
Westlake, OH
William Walker
Anderson, SC
We welcome all our new members. Let us hear from you, volunteer your services, and make plans now to attend our annual meeting in Albany, NY next October.
Do you remember…..
Probably not Pretty Maid here, winner of 1st prize at Bristol, England in 1842. Well okay, maybe Gearld remembers. But when the rest of us look at these old engravings of cattle from back in the 19th century, we’re tempted to think “that was the artist’s style”…”primitive art”…”they didn’t really look that way”.
But could this actually be an accurate representation of Devon just 150 years ago? A big box of meat on very fine-boned leg. We know now those fine bones are an important indicator of the quality of the meat. Maybe they really did look that way and, in selecting for our “eye”, we have modified the Devon to match those other, feed-lot breeds?
We have protected the purity of the gene pool, but have we possibly altered the animal through selection? For some evidence of the “evolution” of Devon, you can come forward about 100 years…to the 1960s and 70s and see what the ideal Devon looked like then.
NADA President Gearld Fry comments on prize-winning Devon from our lifetime. (click here)
Welcome Milking Devon folks....
Our colleagues at the American Milking Devon Cattle Association have been kind enough to put a link to our web page on their site. We don't have a links page (yet) but we wanted to return the favor.
www.milkingdevons.org
Scientists plan human-cow embryos
Some stories defy comment. We might ask why anyone would want to spoil a perfectly good cow egg...but that would just be "smart-alecky". British scientists say human-cow embryos would help stem cell research. Not everyone agrees. Here's the link.
Beef is better for you than chicken?
That’s the report of one research study. Dr. Susan Duckett of Clemson University provides the information in a speech we came across recently. Dr. Duckett came up with the surprising information that while grass fed beef is superior for all the well-known health reasons, all types of beef are equally better to chicken in cholesterol content. She also says that a good eating experience for beef is more affected by the aging process than the fat content.
Here are the notes from Dr. Duckett’s speech:
Visit...
One of the many benefits of being a member of North American Devon Association is the time spent with our president, Gearld Fry. Here Fry visits with Johnny Yates at his Harl's Creek Farm near Cameron, TX. In his visits, Fry takes time to review the cattle and develop breeding plans for NADA members.
Watch for a profile of Harl's Creek Farm coming soon. Fry is finalizing an intensive series of appearances in the next several months and we'll be posting that soon, too.
Even John Deere is on board….
You wouldn’t expect to find this in a magazine devoted to selling tractors. But here’s a paragraph from the Deere publication “The Furrow” discussing the importance of historic pure bred animals of all kinds:
“Every animal has something to contribute. Every breed has something the others don’t, and once they’re gone, you can’t make ‘em back.”
Devon breeders alone have the unique advantage of a pure gene pool to build on. But we’ve still got to do the building…and not get side-tracked!
Something in Common: Fine Wine and Devon
There’s a moral in this story but we’ll save it to the end. You’ll probably guess it pretty quickly anyway.
We were reading a beautiful little book about French wine the other day: “Mon Docteur le Vin”. It is a delightful appreciation of the grape with watercolors by Raoul Dufy first published in 1936. Marshall Petain wrote the introduction and credited French firmness in the trenches in World War I to a daily ration of wine.
Intended as an advertisement, it extolled the health benefits of fine
wine. But it has been updated with an introduction that includes a brief history of the French wine industry.
Many of us, aware of the glorious heritage of wines that trace back centuries and could recite the trivia (just what was it Napoleon preferred) have always believed that it has been a straight line of triumph without any setbacks.
Not so. As “Mon Docteur” makes clear, after that auspicious beginning, French wines fell into disrepute in the 19th century due to cheap bulk wine, hybrids, inferior grapes, careless processing. The words on the label soon had little to do with the content of the bottle.
By the 1920s, serious French vintners were in serious trouble and, with the support of their government, instituted new rules governing purity and standards. As the book puts it:
“Regulations defined appellation borders and a host of viticultural and oenological practices. The rules applied to only a small percentage of the wines. But these were the best wines, the ones that for centuries had made French wines famous, and would do so again.”
World War II interfered with progress but by the 1950s, the French wine industry finished the job it had begun: the rules governing purity were vigorously enforced, thousands of gallons of wines were destroyed, grapes were plowed under. As “Mon Docteur” concludes:
“Thanks in no small measure to the rules that guaranteed authenticity and eliminated fraud, France was once again the country to which all others looked when trying to make fine wine.”
So the North American Devon Association Board of Directors, in insisting on maintaining the purity of the Devon breed and rejecting up-breeding programs, was following the French wine-making example. Not a bad recipe.
Ruby Red Devon…fine wine…mais oui!
Profile: 688 in Retirement
Any fan of Devon will be gratified to know that 688 is enjoying his retirement very much, thank you. The Rotakawa bull, of course, was a key factor in the resurgence of Devon in recent years. As NADA President Gearld Fry says: “Few bulls ever live long enough to become a legend; even fewer are so genetically superior they stamp virtually every son they produce.”
A 688 daughter this year won not only Champion Female at the Royal Show in England, she went on to beat the Champion Bull to be named Supreme Animal at the Show.
This picture shows 688 in his prime.
His semen is still being tracked down all across the US and Canada but, sorry, we have no leads. Joan Harris sends along a clipping (we believe they call it a “cutting” in the English-speaking world) which shows 688 at ease recently at his New Zealand homestead. Breeder Ken McDowall, something of a legend in his own right, is also pictured. (Click here)
Early Returns: Carcass Data on Devon/Angus crosses
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Rotakawa cow enjoys
the grass at Bakewell |
Most Devon breeders are confident of the purity of their product. Fewer are sure just how well it will stand up in the commercial marketplace. Data has been woefully short on that score.
Retailers such as Hardwick beef have always had testimonials from their customers raving about their grass fed beef. But now they’ve taken it one step further: reliable carcass data certified by an independent agency. Here’s a summary of the exciting study from Hardwick’s Ridge Shinn.
Article: DEVON ARE TASTY AND TENDER
If you’d like a copy of the actual report, contact the Association by clicking here.
Haven’t we been this way before….
This item from the Cow-Calf Weekly caught our eye. First we subsidized increased corn production, that we subsidized reduced production, now we want to increase production again and keep the prices artificially high through subsidy, while we subsidize ethanol production, while we pay….
We’re confused, if not thankful we don’t depend on corn prices. Here’s the report:
Cattle-Fax Sees Higher Corn Prices Continuing
Higher corn prices are here to stay, says Randy Blach, vice president of Cattle-Fax. Speaking at last week's joint convention of Texas Cattle Feeders Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Amarillo, TX, Blach said the ethanol boom and continued feed demands will pressure feed costs at feedyards.
"This isn't a short-term thing," he said, noting U.S. ethanol production will likely see its corn usage increase from nearly 3 billion bu. to about 6 billion bu. within a few years. In addition, feedyard capacity increased by 22% from 1990-2004, "and we're still adding pens," he says.
"The need for good fundamental market information is greater today than it's ever been," Blach says.
Clayton Yeutter, USDA Secretary from 1989 to 1991, said the government's 51¢/gal. subsidy for ethanol production allows an ethanol plant to "pay for itself in 18 months. So ethanol is the real wild card for beef production costs."
Yeutter projects higher corn prices in the short term, and possibly the intermediate term. He believes increased ethanol production could foster more flexibility in the next farm bill, as some want more Conservation Reserve Program acres put back into production to help meet the demand for more corn.
-- Larry Stalcup
A Devon Cover Boy....(do we dare say "beefcake"?)
A young bull from Thistle Hill Farm in Virginia made the cover of the recent Grass Genetics Showcase in Kearney, Nebraska. He's Goldie...more formally Thistle Hill 64N and in his first breeding season he not only bred every Devon female in sight but all but one of the too-large Angus cows. His F-1s have just brought a 30-cent premium over market prices. Thistle Hill is hanging on to all the pure Devon.
A Man and his Dog…an oft-told tail….
Sure this is a Devon website. But from time to time we plan to broaden our horizons just a bit to note special stories which are not too far afield. Bill Roberts sent along this heart-warming link to a very true shaggy dog story.
Windows Media File (6.9 megs)
Family Farms the Only Answer....
Sustainable is a buzzword in agriculture today but it's been popular in
business for some time. The phrase is: "sustainable competitive advantage". Writing in Small Farm Today, John Ikerd says corporate agriculture is simply not sustainable and the toll it has taken on a way of life cannot be calculated. The only hope for American agriculture, he says, is a return to the family farm.
At the recent North American Devon board meeting in Dallas it was clear in the discussions that the directors felt survivability of Devon and the family farm were intertwined. Here's Ikerd's opinion piece.
Fry reacts to Dallas Board meeting
Dear Devon Enthusiast:
What a start! The energy and excitement of the first meeting of our Board in Dallas was palpable. Hopefully you’ll share the enthusiasm when you join us for our first total membership meeting in Albany, NY next year.
Harrier Fields Farm will be hosting the program October 27 and 28,
2007. In addition to an informative meeting, we’ll be taking a bus tour of Devon farms in the northeast. Keep an eye on our website for details.
The Board has laid the groundwork for an aggressive promotional and educational campaign in coming years and also entered into an agreement with a major university for a research project that will help us to more factually tell the story of Devon cattle. We’ve also put the finishing touches on our on-line registry and it will give you access to the entire Devon herd..
Perhaps most important, the Board has decided to limit our registry to pure blood animals only. That’s an important stand when other associations are taking short-cuts in up-breeding cattle hoping to swell their membership and their treasuries as well as benefit some of their members to the detriment of the others. And that is an insult to our breed and the people who are truly dedicated to restoring Devon to their former glory.
I’m gratified that two committees and then the full Board, after ample debate, took a stand for historic Devon standards of purity and excellence. This may be a more deliberate route but it is the right one. Breeders and consumers alike have a right to full confidence in the purity of Devon.
If you haven’t already, please join us and begin registering your cattle. You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping re-establish not only of an historic breed, but of a way of life.
Gearld Fry
President
North American Devon Association
Land EKG: An Inexpensive Rain Gage
Charlie Orchard, who runs Land EKG in Montana, has spent some time designing a good, but reasonably priced, rain gage. Thanks to Kit Pharo for spotting it. Here’s what Charlie has to say:
EKG RAIN/SNOW GAGES
Many people know each part of their place gets differing amounts of precipitation. Yet 95% of them don't broadly track (5-10 gages) this moisture because they have to "mother" their gages so much. I have battled with several different methods over the years ranging from store bought tapered plastic rain gages, to glass gages, to coffee and juice cans to plastic bottles. All have worked somewhat, but consistently failed over time.
We started serious "rain gage" research a year ago and found that you can't find gages that withstand physical factors, cow brutality, freezing, 110 degree heat and still provide reliable rainfall information year in and year out for less than $300 per gage. That is ridiculous.
Our goal was to give people a simple, reliable, low maintenance way to accurately and broadly track moisture – that can be read once a week, month, or even just once per year. We wanted a gage that would not: boil out, break from freezing, become brittle from the sun, and/or break from a cow rubbing on it or a horse chewing on it.
Our testing began in January using various materials (rubber, PVC, Polyethylene, steel, stainless) and designs, and we have come up with an entirely simple concept that provides accurate long term precipitation information and withstands every temperature and physical abuse, except a high-power bullet and very extreme heat (range fire).
We now have a limited quantity of introductory precipitation containers ready to go – and now is the perfect time to put them out. There are currently two designs:
1) EKG Plains Precip Gage (14" moisture capacity) -- $20 plus S+H
2) EKG Mountain Precip Gage (24" capacity for mountain and heavy snow environments) -- $25 plus S+H
We are offering them cheap because, we haven't decided on the best hardware design or dip stick yet, and that will add to the cost. I have found the best mounting option is to simply wire them to a wood or steel post or an H-Brace so that the top is at least 6" is above the support post. Don't worry; they are tough enough to suck them down hard if you want. You will want to dump them once per year – preferably in the fall.
These gages are not posted on the web page yet, but if you want information or to order go to www.LandEKG.com and “Contact Us”. You can also give us a call at 888-450-5354. We are set up to take credit cards.
Board Meeting: Down to work in Dallas….
In a two-day meeting in Dallas Oct. 7-8 that was by turns, serious, spirited, fun and even electric, the new Board of the North American Devon Association charted an exciting course for its future. Elections for the initial group of officers, important as it was, was quickly accomplished with the group anxious to move on to establish the standards for what it clearly cared about most: Devon!
In addition to the photos at the right, there is also a special photo
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Gearld Fry gavels meeting to order |
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New officers: Barto, treasurer; Fry, president; Sydnor, vice-president; Shinn, secretary |
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Board: (standing, l-r) Cope, Minto, Barlow, Moore, Roberts, Scannell, Schoumacher
(seated, l-r) Wobeser, Barto, Fry, Sydnor,
Shinn |
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Bill Roberts makes a point. Barto, Fry, Barlow and Sydnor in background. |
album of this historic meeting you can access by clicking here.
Gearld Fry, a veteran cattleman from Rose Bud, AK and virtual godfather of the Devon resurgence of recent years, was elected president of NADA. Also elected unanimously were Vice-president Charles Sydnor, Snow Camp, NC; Treasurer J.J. Barto, Dallas, TX; and Secretary Ridge Shinn, Hardwick, MA. For profiles on the entire board you can click here.
A survey of the Board revealed the strength and impressive background of the organizers of the new Association. Among them, the 12 have 391 years of experience in raising all breeds of cattle. Their combined herds would total just over 4000 animals.
The youngest Board member is 33; oldest, 72 and they have been raising cattle for an average of 31 years. They come from all regions of the US as well as Canada. Together they expect to register 368 purebred Devon calves within the next year.
Not only in the formal meetings, but in the coffee shop, the lobby, and side rooms, excited Board members and their guests discussed what they wanted to see accomplished. President Fry quickly channeled the energy into a number of standing and special committees which just as quickly began smaller working sessions with orders to report back the next morning with an indication of the job ahead from their perspectives.
For a list of committee assignments click here.
Much of the Focus was on the Mission Committee under J.J. Barto of Dallas. The deliberations of this group were the foundation for the decisions of the other committees and provoked the longest discussion the next morning. There were more than 30 elements, unique features of Devon cattle that were considered, refined, eliminated, or combined as the group moved to a consensus on a Mission statement.
The final wording was left to the committee but the outline was clear and the focus can be summed up in one word: purity. The Board members seemed determined on preserving the unique genetics of Devon, one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world and one that has maintained the purest gene pool.
The Standards committee had come to almost the same conclusion although several members, noting the shortage of purebred Devon females, argued for some form of up-breeding program to try to meet the demand. But the discussions eventually resulted in a recommendation to the board that the Association insist on registering only pure blood Devon. They also noted the problem facing some Devon breeders who, through accident or inattention, had let registrations lapse. For them, a rescue registry will be provided and technology and field visits will be used to restore their standing.
The full Board quickly endorsed the decision to limit NADA’s registry to pure bloods and decried the movement among other associations to dilute the breed bloodlines in order to increase their registries and their treasuries. President Fry took no part in the committee debates but was clearly pleased with the outcome.
Some committee members said afterwards they had come to the meeting convinced an F1 registry and up-breeding program was necessary but became more convinced in the discussions that there had to be a dependable source to turn to for pure bred Devon genetics. These were large, commercial cattle operators who use Devon in their cross-breeding but finally decided they needed to block any shortcuts to diluting the historic Devon gene pool.
Board members agreed that the hallmark of the meeting was the enthusiasm and cooperative spirit evidenced in all of the discussions. A basic philosophy evolved that NADA’s “customer” is not the consumer, not even the breeder, but the Devon. And that lead to very obvious decisions without any politics or trace of ill-will afterwards.
Before adjourning, the Board also set the dates for the next two annual meetings with the board meeting on the first day, general membership meeting on the second day and Field Day on the final day:
2007 Oct 26-28 Albany, NY hosted by Harrier Fields Farm.
2008 Oct 24-26 Greensboro, NC hosted by Braeburn Farm
Seen at Grass Genetics Showcase...
Two North American Devon board members talk things over with grass fed bull producer Kit Pharo at Grass Genetics Showcase in Kearney, Nebraska. (note we refrained from saying "shoot the bull")
Jeff Moore of Dixie, GA and nephew Tommy Moore interrupt their conversation with Pharo (center) and Glenn Barlow of Gillette, WY and son Duce to pose for the camera. For complete coverage of Grass Genetics Showcase, keep reading.
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All-Star Speakers for Genetics Showcase
More than 200 farmers and ranchers packed the Buffalo County Fairgrounds at Kearney, Nebraska for the 2006 Grass genetics Showcase, September 29th and 30th. A highlight of the show was a judging of Devon cattle that came from across the country, their breeders determined to strike deep into the heart of the Corn Belt.n Bel
The Showcase was keynoted by Bill Kurtis, a longtime CBS Newsman and now president of Tall Grass Beef Company, a leader in the burgeoning grass fed meat industry.
Kurtis urged cattlemen to keep three critical consumer groups in mind as they promote and market their beef: boomers who started the healthy foods movement; mothers, who have always been concerned about the health of their children; and young adults, who “want to make a difference”
Kurtis said the grass fed market is exploding. His company is limited only by supply. But his major point was to emphasize the right genetics. As he put it: “You can’t put any old cow on grass and get a tender, tasty product.”
Dr. Dick Diven followed the Tall Grass chief and began by emphasizing his own three key points for success in raising a grass fed calf:
1. improving body condition at calving; at least a 6
2. adjust the time of calving to be in synch with nature
3. provide precise nutrition
Weaning, he said, should be based entirely on the body condition of the cow. If she’s fat, don’t wean. The important thing, Diven emphasized, was to have a cow cycle three times in the 85 days after calving. To do that, she has to begin cycling within 40 days.
Next up was Dr. Allen Williams, the Tall Grass ultra-sound and cattle expert. Dr. Williams predicted that, within 5 years, 80% of beef will be branded. Put another way, “story beef” is the wave of the future. Consumers will want to know the background of the food their eating.
Dr. Williams said the important factors consumers will be looking for in their beef are:
1. hormone free
2. source verification
3. anti-biotic free
4. fed no by-products
5. care of the animal
6. environmental stewardship
Day two of the conference began with a talk by Dr. Tilak Dhiman, who grabbed the hard-boiled cattlemen’s attention with an introduction with a Far Eastern twist, emphasizing our unity with nature. In fact, he said, we and the animals as well as plants get nutrition (energy) from each other.
Dr. Dhiman told the story of the son of a prince who sat under a tree to gain enlightenment. The (apocryphal) story may not have been a fairy tale. The young prince apparently was sitting under the ficus religiosa, the only plant known that gives oxygen 24 hours a day.
But Dr. Dhiman had plenty of practical information, too. He warned against feeding grain to ruminants, spelling out the damage done to the rumen as well as to human health. And he listed supplements cattlemen can use to keep their animals grain-free. These include:
Molasses
Fat
Minerals
Fibers:
Soy hulls
Beet pulp
Cotton seed
Standing grain
And emphasizing the growth to come, Dr. Dhiman pointed out there are now 800,000 individual cattle farms grossing $175-billion. But he estimates there are now just 2,000 grass fed farmers or .25 of the total. A big job yet to be done.
Devon pen show and judging
A highlight for the 25 or so Devon fans in attendance was a showdown among six breeders who brought more than a dozen animals to display to a Nebraska audience…and to compete against each other as well. Andre Boening of Linwood, Nebraska took open heifer honors and Jeremy Engh showed both the top bred heifer and bull.
Pharo: Angus says Whoops!
Bull breeder Kit Pharo has discovered a surprise admission by the Angus people: in their search for the bigger animal they’ve finally gone too far. Read the statement by Certified Angus Beef and Kit’s commentary. Then there’s a follow-on discussion with Alan Nation of the Stockman Grass Farmer who assesses the significance. Finally, keep reading for Kit’s p.s. Some really shocking information. (Click here)
The Quest for the Devon Female…
Several times a week we get requests from cattlemen desperately looking for Devon females. We’ll be glad to hook you up with these potential buyers if you drop us an email at contact@northamericandevon.com In fact, we’ll even put your “heifers for sale” right here to make this a kind of clearing house. Might be better put on the Forum though. Better yet, why not place an ad on our website?
Marian Burros, a veteran reporter for the New York Times, revisited the “grass-fed story” recently and found the experience even more rewarding than before. She visited some well-known farms, but better yet, some even better-known restaurants to background her report. You may want to make copies for your friends and customers. (Click Here)
Rhode Island Devon breeders Don and Heather Minto had forage expert Doug Gunnink in for a consultation and are moving, carefully, toward using fish oil enriched with minerals suited to their pastures. Don has already sprayed half of a 10-acre paddock and reports that while he can’t “see” the difference between the treated and untreated sections, the cows certainly taste it. After a brief tour of the entire paddock, they settled down for serious grazing in the treated area.If you want more information, you can email Don at watsonfarm1796@yahoo.com.We had much the same experience with a fish oil/kelp mixture on our farm. It was disappointing that there was no apparent difference to the eye. In fact, nothing showed up in either soil tests or forage sampling. But two years later, it’s still the area the cows head to---and stay in---whenever they have the chance. On the tried and true maxim that “a cow knows everything she needs to know to be a successful cow” we have to conclude there’s something to this fish story.
