Daily News Update, Aug. 20, 2007 


Cattle Raisers to meet in Marfa Sept. 12-14

Beef producers will delve into the details of several current issues during Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association's fall meeting Sept. 12-14 in Marfa, Texas.

Primary among them will be considering policy relative to recommendations of the Beef Checkoff Study Group. Bill Brandenberg, National Cattlemen's Beef Association member from El Centro, Calif., who chaired the study group, will discuss the findings during the general session on Friday morning, Sept. 14.

The study group was formed to examine a 2006 proposal by the Industrywide Checkoff Task Force to increase the $1-per-head beef checkoff. Group members have considered the potential benefits of a checkoff increase, looked at additional ways the checkoff can benefit producers and identified critical success factors that need to be addressed to achieve a checkoff increase.

Several TSCRA committees will meet on Thursday, Sept. 13. Beginning at 8:10 a.m., the Natural Resources and Environment Committee will learn about converting waste into natural gas from Norm Sendler of Microgy Inc.

At 9:15 a.m. the Association Promotion Committee will review the membership marketing plan. At 10:30 a.m. Colin Woodall, staff director of NCBA's Public Policy Group, will provide a legislative update to a joint meeting of the Brand and Inspection and Legislative and Tax Committees.

At 12:45 p.m., the Marketing Committee will get the latest information on export markets from Paul Clayton, senior vice president of export services for the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

At 2 p.m. the Wildlife Committee will hear about the falcon conservation program from J. Peter Jenny and Angel Montoya, president and field operations manager, respectively, of The Peregrine Fund.

At 3:15 p.m. Barry S. Jackson from the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives has been invited to update the Labor Committee on immigration reform.

"Committee sessions are open to everyone registered for the meeting," says TSCRA President Jon Means. "And you don’t have to be a TSCRA member to register. We encourage non-members to come and find out what TSCRA is all about."

There will be opportunities for meeting participants to visit with each other and enjoy the Marfa area. These include a welcome dinner and The Marfa Roundup Western Art Show at the Hotel Paisano from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, a special star party and dinner at McDonald Observatory on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and chuckwagon breakfasts on Thursday and Friday mornings.

Spouses may enjoy a Thursday morning tour of four sites at the Chinati Museum and a catered lunch at Hotel Paisano.

Sponsors for the fall meeting include Fort Davis State Bank, Bayer Health Care—Animal Health, Hargove Crop Insurance, Dow AgroSciences; Fort Dodge Animal Health, Texas Range Minerals, Capital Farm Credit, Cauthorn and Griffin, First Ag Credit, Greely Hat Works, Matlock & Associates, The Plexus Groupe, Texoma Nutritional Ag and Gordon Richardson—Estate Planning.