Basse says beef consumption in the U.S. is at its lowest level in 12 years, but demand around the world is increasing with population and wealth from India to China. Until 1998, the average Chinese person made less than $1,000 a year. Today, its $3,900 and rising.

Despite blizzards and snarled air traffic nationwide, a diverse crowd of cattle producers, range scientists and government agency employees from across the country turned out to attend last week’s Fourth National Conference on Grazing Lands held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel in Sparks, NV.

National Beef Inc. said that it would indefinitely postpone its initial public offering (IPO) of stock last week as a result of the soft market environment in New York. Today, National Beef postponed its planned initial public offering due to current weakness in the IPO market, a spokesman said after the announcement.

Topics will include feeding programs; feeds and animal requirements; optimizing nutrient use; carcass quality; facility management; diseases, treatments and health programs; feed delivery; bunk reading; waste and nutrient management; ration...

If landowners plant trees to the extent the model suggests, this would be disruptive to agriculture in some regions of the country, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. I dont believe the results ... are necessarily an accurate depiction of the impacts of climate legislation.

Even at this time of year when American farm families are typically looking forward to planning for the new year, some are struggling. A spouse may have lost an off-farm job, a family member may not fully know his place in an operation, and others have been hit by low prices for what they produce.

Houston, and his wife of 59 years, Nita, have owned the Aristocrat Angus Ranch west of Platteville, CO, since 1965. But that is only part of the reason they will be named the 2010 Friend of the National Western Stock Show by the Red Meat Club of Denver at the stock show next month.

Recently, Kobe Beef America (KBA) proudly announced that R.L. Freeborn, president and founder, was awarded the American Wagyu Association 2009 Producer of the Year Award. Freeborn pioneered the development of Wagyu cattle in the U.S., taking the famous animal typically used for Japanese delicacies and creating an American-style Kobe beef.

USCA Executive Vice President Jess Peterson presented the keynote address at the Women Involved in Farm Economics 33rd annual convention in Syracuse, NY, on Nov. 12 and on Nov. 14, Peterson joined USCA Director Danni Beer at the Independent Beef Association of North Dakotas annual meeting in Bismarck, ND.

Finding broad solutions to the states ongoing water problems drew plenty of discussion last week as delegates to the California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF) Annual Meeting fine-tuned the organizations water policy.