Do you know a Montana rancher or two who is a leader in stewardship, implementing conservation practices to ensure the social, economic and environmental sustainability of their operation? If so, encourage them to apply for the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award, presented by the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA). Applications for the 2014 award are due June 30.

A South Dakota circuit court judge has ruled that Beef Products Inc. can proceed with its $1.2 billion lawsuit against ABC and its news department for its 2012 coverage referring to its beef product as “pink slime.”  

With the 2014 drought looming, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) has partnered with other agencies to help Nevadans prepare for and cope with the drought by launching the Living With Drought website, a one-stop shop where ranchers, farmers and others can find information to help them respond to their various drought-related challenges.

“With record high beef prices, it’s a great time to be in the cattle business,” Scott Brown told a meeting of Miller County, Missouri producers. The University of Missouri beef economist’s outlook shows a $250 return per cow in the coming year. In the previous beef cycle, returns topped at under $100 per cow. “We’ve never seen anything like current prices,” Brown said.  

The beef checkoff, through its Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI), facilitated a culinary school tour of Old Line Custom Meats Co. March 15 in Baltimore, Maryland. A culinary purchasing class from Howard Community College (HCC) of Columbia, Maryland, spent the morning exploring an unfamiliar aspect of the cattle industry: beef processing.

Dr. Jack Whittier, an associate professor and extension beef specialist at Colorado State University, will be the new research and extension director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center and the Panhandle Extension District, starting June 1. "We are very pleased to bring a seasoned research and extension professional to the Panhandle," said Dr. Chuck Hibberd, dean and director of UNL's extension.

Mizzou Collegiate CattleWomen (CCW) is planning its 5th annual Meet Your Meat, a program focused on promoting the beef industry to Mizzou students. The program will provide beef industry educational resources to the Columbia, Missouri, community 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29.

U.S. beef, pork and lamb exports all opened the new year on a positive note, although market conditions suggest 2014 could be a challenging year for U.S. red meat exports, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Progressive Cattleman asked NCBA attendees, "What's the most important piece of equipment on your ranch?" We've split the responses into two groups, and two videos, for your viewing convenience. Group 1  

Finally agriculture has its own index ranking competitive factors in the world of business, thanks to a new study released by Colorado State University economists. Called the Agribusiness Friendly Index, the rankings were formed by a two-year study conducted by Greg Perry, professor and department head of agricultural and resource economics at CSU, and James Pritchett, also a professor of agricultural and resource economics, and an extension agricultural specialist at CSU.