2004 National Junior Angus Show Prepared Speech Winners

Junior Division-Sarah Connolly ||Intermediate Division-Christina || Senior Division-Alex Tolbert


Junior Division
Put the Cards on the Table
by Sarah Connolly, Rogers, Ark.

According to science and my parents, kids my age are officially going through adolescence. I don’t care what you call it; all I know is that I am growing and changing every day. The stakes are higher now than ever before to fuel our bodies with healthy food. There’s no need to gamble when it comes to healthy choices.
Play your cards right and deal wholesome beef into your hand. It’s time to put our cards on the table and see how we stack the deck against ourselves, how to deal a full house of nutrition, to call the bluff on fat, and up the ante with Certified Angus Beef®.

A good hand
Kids my age stack the deck against themselves by not eating properly. Studies show that 55% of boys and 68% of girls are not eating the recommended servings of protein suggested by the Food Guide Pyramid, but instead are getting over 40% of daily energy intake from fat and added sugars. That means that our bodies are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to growing and maturing.
Although information on boys was hard to find, studies show that 60% of girls between the ages of 12 and 19 are not consuming the recommended levels of iron, nearly one-half don’t get enough zinc and one-third don’t eat foods that contain adequate levels of vitamin B12. I think that you can see that it’s time to discard the fats and sugars and fill our hand with nutrition.
Dealing beef into our hand assures us a full house when it comes to nutrition. One 3-ounce (oz.) serving of beef is loaded with zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins. Zinc boosts our immune system and is essential for cognitive development. Iron helps carry oxygen to our brain, and we all know how important that is in a strategy game. Iron from beef absorbs seven times faster than the iron found in vegetables, cereals, fruits and nuts. Finally, beef is a great source of protein. This important nutrient is needed for growth and repair of skin and muscles.
As if this wasn’t already a winning hand, beef also provides important B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin and B12. These vitamins are vital for the release of energy from food and aids in the growth of healthy hair, nails and skin. It doesn’t take a card shark to see that beef is our ace in the hole.

Up the ante
Let’s call the bluff on fat. On average, today’s beef is 50% leaner, 34% lower in calories and 21% lower in cholesterol than 20 years ago. It contains fat naturally and helps us maintain healthy fat levels in our diet. More than half the fat in beef is monounsaturated fat with cholesterol-lowering ability. This is the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil, but most importantly, one-third of beef’s saturated fat is stearic acid that does not raise blood cholesterol levels.
Up the ante with Certified Angus Beef.
Certified Angus Beef®, or CAB, is high-quality beef that uses the superior genetics of the Angus breed. All beef sporting the CAB label must meet stringent standards for marbling, maturity and leanness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Meat Grading and Certification Service evaluates carcasses for the stringent specifications. The CAB label guarantees quality and consistency.
The Certified Angus Beef Program knows that we all run short of time and has developed quick-and-easy products that can be dealt at the last minute. Corned beef, pre-cooked sirloin steak, prime rib, frozen burger patties and more can be made in minutes. So, you can eliminate fast-food dining and cash in on home-style meals in minutes with the Certified Angus Beef brand. Even when the "stakes" are high, up the ante with the consistent quality of Certified Angus Beef.
Now that the cards are on the table, discard fats and sugars, which stack the deck against yourself. Deal beef into your hand for a full house of nutrition; call the bluff on fat, and up the ante by drawing Certified Angus Beef.
Congratulations, the jackpot is yours. Your winning hand was made up of Certified Angus Beef, a smart choice for a nutrient-rich, low-fat, healthy diet.


Intermediate Division
‘It’s More Than Just Black ... It’s Angus!’
by Christina Egner, Shelby, Ohio

Oh my gosh! You wouldn’t believe it! Last night I was walking through a sale lot of cattle and noticed two lots of steers almost exactly alike, and the owner looks at me and says, "It’s more than just black ... It’s Angus." What was I gonna say?
Now, more than ever, Angus breeders around the country are working on selling our breed to commercial cattlemen. The best way for anyone to sell Angus or Angus-sired cattle is by using the AngusSource program. This is a new, exciting program that shows promising results for everyone.
AngusSource has just recently been starting to gain commercial cattlemen’s interest in the Angus breed. According to an article written by Matt Perrier in the Angus Beef Bulletin, "Permanent ear tags will be supplied to assist producers in setting these cattle apart from ‘commodity black calves.’" The AngusSource ear tags will be used to help potential buyers to distinguish feeder cattle and replacement females with known Angus origins.
What is AngusSource? Well, here’s the definition of AngusSource straight from the man who first headed up the AngusSource program, Matt Perrier from Eureka, Kan. "AngusSource is a program that enables commercial producers to document management, genetics and origin of their commercial feeder calves and replacement heifers." This is a broad definition, but tells it all.
What is included on the ear tag? The tag includes a herd location code, in-herd management number, the state of calf origin and a unique national ID number. This national ID number will be different for each animal. Each herd will be given its own code that will be used to tell which farm the animal came from.

Commercial recordkeeping
The main goal for the AngusSource program is to give information needed to potential and past buyers. It is important to cattlemen to have proper information to produce a quality product. When the cattleman goes to sell his product, he earns money back. AngusSource is a reward to the producers for keeping records on their animals. This is a reward for Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen.
One of the hardest things for a commercial cattleman to have is records on his or her crossbred cattle. AngusSource allows commercial cattlemen to have some type of record of the management and genetics of their animal. This program was made to help the commercial cattlemen who raise feeder calves or replacement heifers out of registered Angus bulls. In the long run, this will be beneficial to the commercial cattlemen more than it will be for anyone else.
How can this help the registered Angus breeder? Don’t they already have the records? They do, but marketing their animals to a commercial cattleman is a little harder than you would think. Some Angus breeders could buy their customers AngusSource tags to help them market their animals, thus bringing back a satisfied customer and making more money for the Angus breeder.
What would you say to having a huge billboard in your yard telling everyone what great cattle you have? Well, the AngusSource ear tags are almost the same thing. They are a smaller version that let potential buyers know that there is information on these animals. And according to Sara Moyer, director of industry and member communications for the American Angus Association, "Information is worth money."
The last thing you would expect is a twist. But, thanks to the American Angus Association, they have figured out a way to make this remarkable program even better. Now out is the matched pair. Along with the AngusSource ear tag will be an RFID tag, also known as a radio frequency ID. "Unlike the Source ear tag, the RFID tag will not be for everyone," said Jim Shirley, the new head of the AngusSource program and vice president of industry relations.
The RFID tag will have the same 15-digit code as the AngusSource tag and will be used to reduce the number of mistakes when transferring numbers. When you run an animal into a chute, the tag will give frequencies off to a scanner; then they will be read by a computer. From there, you can put in all the information on the calf. When transferring numbers without the RFID tag, there is a chance for mistakes. But with it, the animal’s exact numbers will be transferred to the records without problems.
Now that you know how AngusSource will benefit you and your customer, I bet you are asking yourself, how can I get started with AngusSource? Well, that’s easy. Just go to www.angussource.com, or call the American Angus Association’s Commercial Programs Department at (816) 383-5100. From there, they will help you get your herd started. To enroll your cattle, each potential calf must be at least 50% Angus. And you must be willing to make some money.
But how much will this cost me? That was the biggest question that I had on my mind while talking to Jim Shirley. He told me it would cost $1 per ear tag (or per cow) for the AngusSource tag, and it would be $3.25 for each RFID tag. You can order them together or separate, whichever your herd is ready for.

Building value
This new program is amazing and, over time, will add value to your herd. In fact, over time, this could increase the value of our customers’ cattle, which are sired from our Angus bulls. Many of our customers have already said that they would love to use the AngusSource ear tags and maybe in the future try the new RFID tags. Hopefully, this will go over well with many cattlemen, just like it has in my area.
"They’re worth more if they’re black." This was the slogan given to the American Angus Association as a new marketing campaign. In 1959, everyone knew precisely which breed was being encouraged, although using the same phrase today, consumers might get a little confused on which breed was being endorsed. It is time for commercial Angus cattle to be distinguished by more than just color, but by genetics.
It is time for commercial cattlemen to cash in on what they have been working on for years — their Angus-sired cattle. Start allowing Angus bulls to breed more profit into your animals, and remember … It’s More Than Just Black, It’s Angus.


Senior Division
What Tomorrow Holds
by Alex Tolbert, Nicholson, Ga.

I remember it like it was yesterday; I was making my way across the pasture for my usual a.m. heat check. The dew glistened in the rays of morning’s first light while a soft breeze swept across the terraces. The cows were calmly grazing tender new growth of fescue, and it appeared that 1155 was the only one in heat.
As I made my way out of the pasture, I turned the radio on and heard Garth Brooks’ words:
And now, I’m glad I didn’t know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go.
Our lives are better left to chance.
I could have missed the pain,
but I’d of had to miss the dance.
It occurred to me that this song applied to my life. Now, I’m no Casanova, but the love and passion that I have for the cattle industry can easily fill this void.
As cattlemen, we all identify with this, in good times or bad; there’s not a thing in the world we would let come between us and this industry we love so much. Today’s cattlemen have overcome challenge after challenge, and now we are faced with a new challenge, or question if you will, "Where is the market headed?" To answer this question we must look at where we have been, we have to determine where we are, and then we can have an idea to where we are headed.

Where we’ve been
Before we take a look at the cattle market of the past year, I find it is necessary to take a deeper look into where the market has been. Around 1976, for the first time in history, the beef product experienced a decline in demand. Unfortunately, this would be the trend for the next two decades. It wasn’t until 1998 that the beef industry recaptured its lost share of the meat industry. "The turnaround in demand was due largely to a change in consumer tastes and preferences." (Curt Lacy, University of Georgia economist).
"This boost in sales can also be attributed to the beef checkoff program and the introduction of value-added and convenience products," says Nikki White of the Georgia Beef Board. Since then, demand for beef has only escalated.
In the spring of 2003 we saw (the) Atkins® diet and other high-protein diets surge our demand, while export markets were soaring. To top it off, Cattle-Fax reports that supply was down from recent years.
Then it happened.
In May of 2003, acting as a catalyst to the United States market, Canada announced the discovery of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), closing Canadian borders, only adding to the shortage. The increased demand, coupled with soaring exports and tight supplies, resulted in the highest cattle prices that the world had ever seen. Prices remained strong through the fall season and continued to stay above average until Dec. 23, 2003.
Just two days before Christmas, the USDA announced the finding of a single case of BSE in a dairy herd in Washington state — "the cow that stole Christmas." Luckily, the markets were closed, gifting the government about a week to answer as many questions as possible. Within days, 100% of our export markets were closed. The following months proved trying, but the strength of the producer and continued consumer confidence has delivered us safely through.
This brings us to the current situation. A May issue of (the) Angus e-List shows that demand increased 10.4% on the Beef Demand Index. The report also stated that "a study conducted in April shows 89% of U.S. consumers remain confident in the national beef supply." Yesterday, five weights were bringing about $1.24, with August futures trading at $110 per hundredweight (cwt.).
It is easy to say that today is a great day to be in the cattle business; however, as producers we need not become complacent. It’s a fact that this is the strongest market we have ever seen, but just as importantly, this is as volatile a market as we have ever seen. The current volatility of the cattle market can be attributed to fundamentals and uncertainty.
With the closing of export markets in December, according to Cattle-Fax, we are now only exporting about 10% of year-to-date shipments. We are faced with an abundance of byproducts and retail cuts like the hide, tongue, skirt steak and tallow. Uncertainty and sensitivity could be the most important factor in the volatility.
When the markets reopened after Christmas, futures closed limit-down several days in a row. Only a few weeks ago, when a mere inconclusive result was announced, futures again went limit-down. While our market continues its growth, let us not forget how fickle the market can be.

Where we’re headed
Before I expose my thoughts on the future market, I would like for you to tell me with 100% certainty if it is going to rain tomorrow. My point exactly; none of us can do that. Just as we don’t know with 100% certainty if it is going to rain tomorrow, I cannot honestly stand up here and say that, "Yes, the market is going to be favorable," or "No, the market is not going to be favorable." If I could, I would be at home preparing an early retirement. So, I don’t know where the market is going or what it is going to do, but I can tell you some of the determining factors.
They teach us in economics that a market is based on two basic principles, supply and demand. If we up the supply too much, the old supply law kicks in, and as supply goes up, demand along with price goes down. So it is important as producers that we keep supply in check and protect ourselves from overproduction.
The next factor is demand. In order to continue with the favorable prices, we must see a steady to increasing domestic demand and regain overseas markets. Other factors that will affect prices include the North American market and the Canadian influx of live cattle. The National Animal Identification System will play a pivotal role in continued consumer confidence and control of disease epidemics.
Another very important factor is the Supreme Court’s decision on the livelihood of the beef checkoff program, a program that has been influential in research and development of over 1,500 different products. This could change our industry.
So, you ask, do I think that the market is going to be favorable? I don’t know, but I sure hope it is, for your sake and for mine.
The market has seen its highs and its lows. Today, we are faced with one of the strongest, but also one of the most volatile markets that we have ever faced. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, where the market is going or what it is going to do. But no matter where the market takes us, as cattlemen, we live those words of Garth Brooks. Many times we are glad we didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. We see it best that our lives are better left to chance; we could have missed the pain and loss of those years of hardship, but there is no way on God’s green earth that we would ever, ever missed the dance.