As more and more countries adopt regulations requiring that U.S. red meat exports include labels printed in the language of the country of destination, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program – has completed an International Nomenclature Guide of Beef Cuts.

The Range Beef Cow Symposium will be Dec. 3-5 in Rapid City, South Dakota, at the Rushmore Convention Center. The RBCS is held every two years on a rotating basis as a joint effort through South Dakota State, Colorado State, Wyoming and Nebraska universities. It is in-service training for cow-calf ranchers, with presentations and speakers focusing on industry issues, genetics, reproduction, range and forage management, cattle health, nutrition and more.

As a result of delays caused by the lapse in federal appropriations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday announced rescheduled dates for the remainder of a series of public hearings on two proposed rules — one to list the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies and delist the gray wolf elsewhere, and the other to improve recovery efforts for the Mexican wolf in the Southwest.

Halla Pfeiff of Briggsdale, Colorado, recently joined the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) as the special projects coordinator, and will focus her attention on RAAA’s DNA department submissions and other special projects. Pfeiff boasts both a seedstock and commercial cattle industry background. She grew up working for a 200-head registered and commercial Angus ranch as well as her family’s own operation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University (CSU) in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Years ago, while living in another country, I had the chance to break bread with an older couple. As a guest in their land, they offered an afternoon to visit their home to share a discussion about our lives – mine, which was relatively just starting, and theirs, which was coming to an end. I anxiously asked about memories from the monumental days when battles were fought in their villages and towns. Their tales of survival included years when they were isolated from the rest of the world. Likewise, they eagerly inquired about life as a young American. What did I think of their homeland? What was family life like back in the States? What did I study and do for work back home?

It’s that time of year as we move into the holiday season that we reflect back on the year and are thankful for the many things we have in life, whether it be our health, our family, our friends or our job. You and I may have different lists of items of things to be thankful for, depending on our circumstances. For example, in agriculture we may be thankful for rains, a successful crop or strong cattle markets; in agribusinesses, it may be a profitable year in sales.

Since 2002, when Dr. David Barker and colleagues proposed the hypothesis of maternal nutrition impacting post-natal characteristics, animal scientists have started to take a closer look into this area.

According to the 2007 census of agriculture, there was a 30 percent increase in the number of farms principally operated by women since 2002. Women now manage 14 percent of the nation’s 2.2 million farms. The complex task of balancing work and family makes concerns of farm and ranch women unique.

Despite recent price declines, relative high beef prices exist and threaten to curb demand, according to Rabobank’s global cattle price index report. Continued downtrend in cattle prices across the globe, notably in two of the most important export countries, Australia and Brazil, and the strengthening U.S. dollar also contributed to pushing overall global cattle prices down. However, according to Rabobank, the broader picture for demand indicates consumers are becoming increasingly reluctant to keep paying high prices for beef.