The Red Angus Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) has had a tremendous year supporting the Junior Red Angus Association, financially supporting educational programs and funding impactful research. RAFI has been serving the Red Angus breed since 1996, when it was incorporated as a non-profit 501c3. It was initially designed to strictly help support the Red Angus juniors, while allowing donors to receive a tax write-off for their philanthropy. However, in 2010, RAFI had the foresight to reincorporate the foundation with the expanded mission of also supporting research and education.
With the generous donation of over $1 million by the late Charlie Jackson of Vermont to the Sal Forbes Research Fund, RAFI has been funding an aggressive research program. The RAFI board spent many months studying and discussing the Red Angus Association of America’s (RAAA) strategic plan to determine the areas within the plan that could best be impacted with RAFI-funded research. This was followed by a call for grants, which was distributed to the research community.
A strict application process was implemented, which covers the hypothesis; access to needed human, laboratory and data resources; experimental design; budget and budget justification; and expected timeline and deliverables. The process also incorporates a peer review of the proposals by three scientists with expertise in the subject area. Not every priority area has been researched yet, but this rigorous process does ensure the highest quality research for those that are funded.
Three years ago, RAAA made clear to RAFI that their highest priority was the collection of foot scores, with the ultimate goal of producing a genetic prediction. Taking RAAA’s lead, RAFI funded a program for $16,853 to collect a large amount of data. After two years of preparation, RAAA hired an individual to gather foot scores. To date, he has visited six herds over a three-month period, collecting a total of 1,882 records. The project has utilized $6,285 of the $16,583 of the prepaid funds, so RAFI looks forward to the continuation of this program and the further data it will collect.
Another RAAA priority identified three years ago was the collection of dry matter intake (DMI) records. RAFI has made several proposals to achieve this mutual goal. RAFI will be offering RAAA the funds needed to pay a $35 subsidy to help offset the cost of genomics for animals with DMI and genomic records submitted from the current calf crop, or $17.50 for new records to the RAAA database from previous calf crops. RAFI has allocated $82,500 to this project, with a maximum annual payout per year of $7,000 to a single producer. It will then be up to RAAA if they want to take advantage of this opportunity.
Research projects solicited and funded by RAFI include a completed projected with Colorado State University (CSU) to explore functional genomics (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) that could add accuracy to the genetic predictions for Heifer Pregnancy and Stayabilty. In the process of discovery, CSU found three highly informative SNPs associated with Stayability and one less informative SNP associated with Heifer Pregnancy.
CSU also screened the Red Angus population for the significant number of SNPs discovered in the Holstein breed that are associated with early embryonic death loss and found good news. Although these previously identified SNPs were found in the Red Angus population, their frequency was so low as to not impact Heifer Pregnancy or Stayability.
Regarding DMI, RAFI funded a project with Dr. Matt Spangler at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as well as scientists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service Meat Animal Research Center, to explore pooled DNA and pen intake data to improve the accuracy of a DMI genetic prediction. The data for this project has been collected, and a Ph.D. student will be starting on the analysis.
The next project RAFI has funded is a genetic prediction for breeding soundness exam (BSE) under the guidance of Dr. Megan Rolf at Kansas State University. They currently have a master’s degree student working on collecting data and analyzing the individual traits, with a Ph.D. student starting in the fall to design the genetic prediction. Any producer that would like to participate in this project by submitting contemporary group BSE data should please call a member of the RAFI board for assistance.
The last ongoing project is a general “tune-up” on IGS’s Stayability EPD. Various parameters used or not used in the model are being tested to make sure they improve, or have the potential to improve, the accuracy of the prediction. This project is largely being done in-house, but RAFI will assist with funds if outside expertise is needed.
In terms of education, RAFI supported the Red Choice project being run by the University of Missouri with $18,000. The program was based on the long running and highly successful Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Replacement Program. The RAAA launched the program, “To promote improved heifer development, increase marketing opportunities for Red Angus females and create reliable sources of high-quality replacement heifers for cattle producers.”
Juniors have remained a focus of RAFI. Last year, RAFI increased its annual scholarship funding by awarding six collegiate scholarships for $2,000 each. In addition, RAFI will again be providing a $1,000 scholarship for a member of the JRAA to attend the International Genetic Solutions Beef Leadership Conference. This across-breed program is held every other year and is very similar to the junior Roundup.
In addition to the scholarships, over the past two years, RAFI has also supported the juniors with $50,000 to their general fund. This is not all. RAFI was proud to contribute $4,500 to fund the inaugural Elevate program. Geared for college students, it provided participants with opportunities to hone their skills to allow them to excel in interviews, internships and, ultimately, their career. This inaugural Elevate Collegiate Leadership Conference was held in conjunction with the National Red Angus Convention. RAFI envisions using its junior funds to target special projects and activities in the future.
For more information on RAFI and to donate tax deductible funds to the foundation, contact Cam Forbes, RAFI president, at becktonredangus@gmail.com. — Dr. Bob Hough
