From cattle handling to overall management, staffing is a key factor for any feedlot and has a direct impact on the bottom line.

A comprehensive study that evaluates the nation’s efforts to enhance beef quality is nearing completion, and results will be distributed at the cattle industry’s summer conference in July.

The extended drought in the southern Plains and Southwest throughout 2010 and 2011 forced the dispersion of numerous cow herds.

Citing concerns raised in “thousands of comments,” the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced April 26 that it will withdraw its proposed rule regarding youth in agriculture. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President J.D. Alexander commended the administration’s action and said farmers and ranchers made their voices heard on the proposed rule, which could have restricted, and in some instances totally prevented, America’s youth from working on farms and ranches.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced April 11 that it is taking three steps to promote the judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals. Based on a consideration of relevant reports and scientific data, FDA is proposing a voluntary initiative to phase in certain changes to how medically important antimicrobial drugs are labeled and used in food-producing animals.

Four months after its inaugural meeting, the Consortium of Western Regional Colleges of Veterinary Medicine announced that it has established a new Teaching Academy to identify, share and leverage expertise across the five colleges in the Consortium. The Teaching Academy will support the development and implementation of best practices and scholarship in veterinary medical education.

The initial upset over Tuesday's announcement of the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the U.S. in six years has started to subside.A dairy cow at a rendering facility in California was determined to have the disease based on samples sent to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) has launched “Meet America’s Farmers,” a YouTube channel of videos featuring today’s farmers. The channel was developed to offer consumers the opportunity to observe the commitment of today’s farmers to raising safe, healthy and affordable food. Individual farmers and farm organizations are invited to create their own videos for the channel, using a shared values approach to connect with consumers.

American Agri-Women (AAW) recently drafted resolutions to address issues and threats to agriculture. Representatives from this all-volunteer coalition of more than 50,000 farm, ranch and agribusiness women will deliver these resolutions to elected officials in Washington, D.C., in early June. The group’s resolutions, which are reviewed each spring, cover ag business and economics, commodities and natural resources.