December 28, 2007

In this issue …
Jan. 11–16 are Limousin days at NWSS
Social to kick off 40th anniversary
Annual Meeting will unveil new marketing opportunity
National sale to feature Corner Post package
Increase exposure with the online Exchange
3 copies, 3 destinations
NALF can help with regional advertising
Bottom Line: Registrations, transfers get it done
Junior activities benefit from annual fees
Need decorations, giveaways?
Denver program to explore global marketplace
Breeders’ donations support industry, breed
What’s news?
Limousin sales, events

If you need information about Limousin activities at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS), visit its “Livestock” page on the Web and select Limousin from the drop-down breed menu.

All Limousin exhibitors entering cattle at the NWSS must send a copy of their entry forms and $30 per head to the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) in addition to the forms and monies sent to NWSS. Check-in for both Hill and Yards cattle will begin Friday, Jan. 11, at 8 a.m.

On the Hill. The juniors’ heifer show starts Monday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m.; and the open show starts Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 8 a.m. The National Limousin Sale is Monday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. Contact Frank Padilla in the NALF office for sale information.

In the Yards. The pen and carload shows start Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 8 a.m., with the Lim‑Flex® female pen sale to follow.

The Doubletree Hotel Denver at 3203 Quebec St. will be the Limousin breed’s headquarters during the NWSS. Some rooms might still be available for $79 per night in the “North American Limousin Foundation” reservations block. Call (303) 321-3333 or 1‑800-222-TREE to inquire.

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Come to the NALF Member Social, which starts at 6 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Doubletree Hotel Denver. It will include the 2007 Medal of Excellence (MOE) show-awards presentations. As kickoff for the association’s 40th-anniversary year, Dale Runnion, NALF Hall of Fame recipient and publisher emeritus of the Limousin World, will reflect upon the Limousin breed’s first years in North America. NALF then will give special recognition to its 30-plus-year members. Call the NALF office to reserve your seats ($30 per person) by Jan. 8. You must be on the guest list in advance to be admitted.

You also can support the North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA) and the All-American Limousin Futurity (AALF) at the “Genetics on Ice” benefit auction after the social. The lots will include frozen embryos; semen; National Junior Limousin Show and Congress (NJLSC) shirt, awards and banquet-program sponsorships; ad pages in the NJLSC–AALF souvenir program; new special-services packages from NALF; and many interesting, unique items. For more information, contact Ken Holloway, (580) 597-2419.

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A highlight of the NALF Annual Meeting – which begins at 9 a.m. Jan. 14 in the Doubletree Hotel Denver – will be the installation of the 2008 Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee has slated Lance Sennett, Waynetown, Ind. (second term); Jerry Wulf, Morris, Minn. (second term); Mike Hall, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Brian Skaggs, Lexington, Okla.; and Tom Vaughn, Cavalier, N.D., as its candidates for the Board. The at-large nomination process did not add any candidates to the ballot; therefore, the committee’s slate stands as the complete list. Find the candidates’ biographies in the December issue of Limousin World.

The Annual Meeting also will include informational breakout sessions, a personal invitation to the 2008 International Limousin Conference (ILC) from the chief executive officer of the Italian Limousin breeders’ association, and an exciting announcement about a new marketing opportunity for Limousin-influenced calves.

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American Cattle Services, KK Seedstock Consultants and R&R Marketing Co. are the National Limousin Sale management team. Contact Ken Holloway, (580) 597-3006; Keith Kissee, (804) 353-2220; or Randy Ratliff, (615) 791-8982, for sale information.

The national sale begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 in the Stadium sale arena on the Hill with the second annual Corner Post Genetics Package. Counsil Family Limousin has donated the headline female. CFLX Cheerleader 002T is a Jan. 9, 2007, daughter of Carrousels Peak Power out of Logan’s Cheerleader 280G, the dam of multitrait leader JCL Lodestar 27L.

In addition to the headline female, the package will include free registrations for all of her natural calves; a farm sign; one in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and a genetic preservation package from Trans Ova Genetics; and the first $5,000 worth of insurance for the first year from Grassroots Insurance Associates.

Once it reaches a suitable principal, the Corner Post Fund will facilitate additional activities and scholarships for Limousin juniors.

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The Limousin Exchange online marketplace offers both a “Bull Listing Service” and a “Females for Sale” component. NALF directs seedstock buyers to the Limousin Exchange through its advertising and staff members’ personal contacts. Once on the NALF home page, potential customers can search for bulls or females by clicking the appropriate link. They then can identify a variety of criteria to obtain information about the animals that fit their specifications. They can sort the results according to specific traits.

Breeders can add bulls and females to the listings using the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site. Once logged in, click the appropriate link in the “Limousin Exchange” section. Both services are virtually free because NALF credits the $5 listing fees toward the animals’ eventual transfers.

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When you register embryo-transfer (ET) calves or submit DNA samples, be sure to separate the form’s three copies. Send one copy to the NALF office and one to the laboratory, and keep a copy for your files. If you forget to send a copy to NALF, it is impossible to match samples, which prevents registration.

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The Breeder Cooperative Advertising Program helps breeders share a cohesive Limousin message across the nation, making the most of their relationships with regional publications. In the program, NALF cost-shares 25 percent of qualifying ad expenses with groups of two to six breeders. Find the program guidelines, application form and qualified ad images in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site, or contact Brad Parker in the NALF office.

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There are many reasons to register the bulls you plan to sell and to transfer their registration papers after the sale. Registration documents performance for potential buyers through the expected progeny differences (EPDs) on the registration papers, and that information adds value to seedstock animals. Colorado State University (CSU) research shows registered Limousin and Lim‑Flex bulls bring $437 more than those without the backing of NALF’s performance programs. That is a 25-to-1 return on the average NALF registration fee.

Among the benefits of transferring registrations is the quarterly Bottom Line newsletter, which goes to all commercial producers who have had registered Limousin and Lim‑Flex bulls transferred to them in the last three years. Besides each issue’s current information about the Limousin breed and what it provides to the beef industry, the mailing panel credits you – the seller – for providing the “subscription.”

Note: When transferring animals, be sure to include the buyer’s full name and current, correct and complete address. That information not only guarantees your customers receive the Bottom Line, but it also ensures NALF can process the transfer correctly.

You can promote your genetics further by placing a business-card-sized “Breeder Spotlight” advertisement in the newsletter. For just $350, you can speak four times over the next year to nearly 10,000 commercial cattle producers. Contact Frank Padilla in the NALF office by Jan. 20 to reserve your space.

Also consider giving the Bottom Line to potential customers. Copies of the publication are available by calling the NALF office. If you would like to add certain influencers (such as veterinarians, Extension agents, auction markets and feedyards) to the mailing list, share their contact information with NALF.

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The winter issue of NALJA News mailed just after Thanksgiving, along with a notice requesting payment of the 2008 junior activity fee. All revenue generated from the activity fee goes directly to NALJA to help fund its programs, services and events. The $15 fee is due March 15, 2008. NALJA members who do not pay by that date will incur an additional $15 late fee ($30 total due).

Submit your activity fee promptly to ensure you can take advantage of all NALJA programs and services in the new year. It also is required for you to enter and participate in the regional and national junior shows next summer.

Juniors, if you did not receive your newsletter and fee notice, contact the NALF office.

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NALF has promotional materials that make great decorations and giveaways at sales or shows, including glossy fliers that are available free of charge (in limited quantities). They are an excellent complement to the “Fight Fat, Flat & 4s” posters, which offer space for your own information. To request posters, fliers or any promotional literature, contact Erica Clark in the NALF office.

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“Global Beef Opportunities: Blazing New Trails” is the theme of the next International Livestock Congress-USA (ILC-USA), which will be Jan. 15, 2008, in Denver, Colo. Beef producers, students, retailers, packers and other industry leaders will gain insight into global beef supply and demand. International leaders will help participants understand what goes on in the global marketplace and how beef producers are facing challenges from competing proteins in the United States and abroad.

Take the opportunity to attend ILC-USA 2008 and discover where you fit in the global beef production picture and how you can turn its challenge into your opportunity. The timely, informative sessions will assist you in the global marketplace, and the tours on Jan. 14 will cover segments of the beef supply chain from a large commercial cattle-feeding enterprise to a packing plant and a major retail beef distribution center.

Find more details and registration information on the International Stockmen’s Educational Foundation (ISEF) Web site.

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One of the highlights of the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Reno, Nev., will be the third annual National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Political Action Committee (NCBA-PAC) All-Breed Bull Auction. Donating a bull or sale credit to the auction is a great way to publicize your breeding program to an extensive, national audience of prominent cattle producers through the sale catalog, the National Cattlemen magazine, event signage and a name-badge ribbon. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the NCBA-PAC, which helps support congressional candidates who understand and support the cattle industry.

To donate a bull or sale credit, contact Lindsay Bowman, (202) 347-0228, by Jan. 4. The auction will be during the trade show welcome reception – 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST), Feb. 6, 2008.

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NALF has issued the following news releases since the last issue of Partners:

• Dec. 21 – 167 Head Begin Limousin Visions Quest Round 3
• Dec. 21 – Special Limousin Feeder-Calf Sales Conclude

Limousin news releases are archived in the Web site’s “What’s New” section. NALF encourages its members to share them with their local news outlets.

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Jan. 12 • Magness Land and Cattle Female Sale, Platteville, CO
Jan. 14 • National Limousin Sale, Denver, CO
Jan. 14 • National Western Stock Show Junior Limousin Show, Denver, CO
Jan. 15 • National Western Stock Show Open Limousin Show, Denver, CO
Jan. 16 • National Western Stock Show Limousin Pen and Carload Shows, Denver, CO
Jan. 19 • Fort Worth Stock Show Junior Limousin Show, Fort Worth, TX
Jan. 25 • Cowtown Classic Limousin Sale, Fort Worth, TX
Jan. 26 • Fort Worth Stock Show Open Limousin Show, Fort Worth, TX
Jan. 26 • Liberty Ranch Annual Production Sale, Plainville, KS
Feb. 1 • Black Hills Stock Show Limousin Show and Sale, Rapid City, SD
Feb. 7 • 16th Annual UGA Focus on EPDs Bull Sale, Athens, GA
Feb. 9 • Washington–Oregon Joint Limousin Sale, Eltopia, WA
Feb. 9 • Dixie National Limousin Sale, Raymond, MS
Feb. 11 • Dixie National Livestock Show Open Limousin Show, Jackson, MS
Feb. 13 • Iowa Beef Expo Limousin Sale, Des Moines, IA