June 14, 2007

In this issue …
Tomorrow is deadline for genetic data
NALF introduces online transfers
Change passwords frequently for added security
DVAuction to host Limousin webcasts
Service fee benefits ads, staffing, more
‘State Associations’ page offers contact information
Request MOE status, nominate judges this month
Fullblood breeders to gather in West Monroe
Board extends trial bylaws amendments
Be a contender in VQ Round 3
Coop applications due Aug. 1
LIMS participants encouraged to report heifer retention
Industry’s summer conference coming to Denver
Limousin sales, events

The deadline to submit data for the next international Limousin genetic evaluation is tomorrow, June 15. To facilitate last-minute reporting, members should use the online recording tools available in the secured, members-only portion of the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Web site.

Submitting data by 11:59 p.m. tomorrow is especially important for producers wanting expected progeny differences (EPDs) for Lim‑Flex® cattle from Angus or Red Angus sires that have not been included in a previous Limousin genetic evaluation.

New EPDs will be available around Aug. 1. NALF will post the fall sire summary in the “Programs” section of its Web site in mid-August.

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Members who can access the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site now can go there to submit transfers for their and their linked members’ recorded animals. Find the new tool in the “Recording” section of the member site’s home page. Contact Mary Zilk in the NALF office for more information.

Transfers are the lifeblood of NALF’s commercial programs. They provide NALF with contact information so it can keep breed information before Limousin users throughout the year in the Bottom Line (which recognizes you – the seller – on the mailing panel), Limousin World commercial cattleman’s issue and other vehicles. The LimMark tagging program also depends upon properly transferred bulls. Submit your transfers in a timely fashion so NALF can add value to your seedstock sales.

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If you activated your secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site more than a year ago, it probably is a good idea to change your password now. Changing online passwords every 12 months or so offers added protection against hackers.

The best passwords are a combination of letters, numbers and symbols that appear to be a random string of characters. Microsoft Corp. offers some great suggestions for creating passwords.

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NALF is excited to be partnering with DVAuction.com to provide free producer-outreach webcasts. Each will be from 7 to 8 p.m. (Mountain Time).

• Aug. 14 – Visions Quest Round 2 Postharvest (members only; sponsored by Five Star Cattle Systems)
• Aug. 28 – Value-Added Production (sponsored by Bovitrak)
• Sept. 18 – Visions Quest Round 3 Recruitment (sponsored by MMI Genomics)
• Sept. 25 – Data Collection & Online Recording (members only)
• Oct. 2 – Breed Improvement (members only; sponsored by Limousin World)
• Oct. 9 – Nutrition
• Nov. 20 – Basic Marketing (members only; sponsored by R&R Marketing Co.)
• Nov. 27 – Advanced Marketing (members only; sponsored by KK Seedstock Consultants)
• Dec. 11 – Crossbreeding Strategies
• Dec. 18 – Bull-Buying Strategies

For more information about the webcasts’ contents, contact Frank Padilla or Bo Sexson in the NALF office.

Find instructions for participating in the webcasts in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site.

NALF encourages its members to spread the word to their commercial customers and their fellow breeders who might not have e‑mail addresses on file at NALF. Members who have an e‑mail address on file at the NALF office by noon the day before a members-only webcast will be able to register and participate in it.

For help with registration, contact Brad Parker in the NALF office.

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Thanks to the loyal support of those who pay their member service fees, NALF has maintained breed advertising and staff representation at events while developing extensive Web-based tools and new member-outreach programs.

Those who participate in the annual plan may register animals at half the inactive-member rates; enjoy free access to the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site; and activate complimentary subscriptions to the quarterly Bottom Line newsletter for themselves and their bull customers. While those who do not pay this year’s assessment by July 31 will have those benefits suspended, they may reactivate their memberships any time before July 31, 2008.

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The “State Associations” page on the NALF Web site now reflects the latest officer listings on file with the NALF office. If your state or regional association listing is missing, outdated, incomplete or incorrect, contact Lorrie Taylor or Brad Parker in the NALF office.

As state and regional associations elect new officers throughout the year, they should share complete contact information for each officer with the NALF office so the Web site and internal mailing lists can be kept current.

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State and regional associations can petition NALF for permission to host a Medal of Excellence (MOE) show. Association leaders have received petition forms, rules and approved-judges lists. If there is a local or state show you would like counted for MOE points, submit the petition form – which is available in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site – by tomorrow, June 15.

The NALF Show Committee will accept nominations for the approved-judges list until June 30. Active annual and lifetime members can send them via mail, fax or e‑mail. Provide your member number or herd prefix and the nominee’s address and phone number. The Show Committee will vote on the nominees at its July meeting, which will be in conjunction with the National Junior Limousin Show and Congress (NJLSC).

Direct all MOE questions to Lorrie Taylor in the NALF office.

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NALF is planning a special workshop for fullblood breeders in conjunction with the All-American Limousin Futurity (AALF) in West Monroe, La. It tentatively is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, July 26. For more information, contact Frank Padilla in the NALF office and read future issues of Partners.

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To strengthen the election process for new directors, the NALF Board of Directors approved three bylaws changes a year ago. They were put into effect for a one-year trial to enhance the nominations and voting processes. At its April meetings, the Board voted to extend that trial through the next election cycle.

The changes address the structure of the Nominating Committee, at-large nominations and absentee ballots. The Board invites ongoing input from NALF members as it evaluates their effectiveness.

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NALF will conduct a third round of the Visions Quest (VQ) cattle-feeding and carcass-discovery project at the Colorado State University (CSU) Ag Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC) north of Fort Collins, Colo. NALF and CSU will need at least 300 head for the trial.

Enrollments are due to Bo Sexson in the NALF office by Sept. 1, and cattle owners will get credit on their feed bills for the nonrefundable $20 per head entry fee. NALF will attempt to coordinate trucking so the cattle arrive in early to mid-November.

A members-only webcast to share lessons from the first two rounds of VQ is scheduled for Aug. 14.

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NALF encourages all state associations to take full advantage of the funds available to help them promote Limousin genetics through print and radio advertising, direct mail, displays at industry events, and other marketing tactics. The key provision to getting reimbursements from NALF is that the project communicates directly to commercial producers.

Participating state associations need to develop detailed marketing budgets and schedules and submit the completed forms to NALF by Aug. 1. State-coop contacts should have received the 2007–2008 guidelines and application form by now. If not, they should call the NALF office or see the bottom of the “State Associations” page on the NALF Web site.

In addition, groups of two to six breeders can join forces with NALF by applying to be part of the Breeder Cooperative Advertising Program, which is entering its third year. Groups of active breeders can submit applications that specify their desired national advertisements, regional publications and publication dates through Aug. 1 for priority consideration. NALF will have approved advertisements customized with the breeders’ logos or names, Web or e‑mail addresses or phone numbers, and sale dates or private-treaty information if applicable. The home office then will handle all insertion orders and mechanical requirements.

NALF pays 25 percent of the cost for placing the “breeder coop” ads. The cooperating breeders will divide equally the remaining placement costs and all of the customization costs. (The publications will bill NALF, which will bill the members’ accounts in turn.) As a result, breeders can leverage their partnerships into multistate advertising for a fraction of the usual cost. Complete details are in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site. Contact Brad Parker in the NALF office with questions or to request an application.

Approved at the Board of Directors meeting in April, breeder and state coops now have the option of using the NALF trade dress (the red and black bulls) in their approved print advertising.

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The heifer-retention reporting tool now is available for Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) participants. To access the tool, log on to the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site, then click the LIMS button in the upper right corner of the screen. Once on the LIMS home page, scroll down the list of options and click “Heifer Retention Tool” to display your current heifer inventory.

LIMS participants have until Aug. 15 to report heifer-exposure information. The optional reporting will give NALF the data it needs for genetic evaluation of heifer pregnancy. It also will help ensure active LIMS inventories accurately reflect incoming replacement heifers and eliminate the need to report disposal codes for culled heifers later.

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NALF encourages its members to participate in the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, July 16–20, in Denver, Colo. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has mailed the preregistration brochure to all of its members, but you do not have to be an NCBA member to participate. If you have questions or would like additional information about the conference or NCBA membership, call (303) 694-0305.

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June 15–16 – Oklahoma Field Day, Sand Springs, OK
June 15 – Western Limousin Expo Junior Limousin Show, Klamath Falls, OR
June 16 – Western Limousin Expo Open Limousin Show, Klamath Falls, OR
June 16 – Eastern Regional Junior Limousin Show, Murfreesboro, TN
June 17 – Southeast Summer Classic Open Limousin Show, Murfreesboro, TN
June 23–24 – Missouri Field Day, Montgomery City, MO
July 13–14 – Georgia Field Day, Athens, GA
July 14 – Tennessee Field Day, Shelbyville, TN
July 22–27 – National Junior Limousin Show and Congress, West Monroe, LA
July 25 – Sale of Sales, West Monroe, LA
July 27 – All-American Limousin Futurity, West Monroe, LA