Media Releases
American Gelbvieh Association Releases Genomic-Enhanced EPDs
The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has released genomic-enhanced EPDs with the fall 2014 international cattle evaluation. Genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE EPDs) combine pedigree, individual performance and genomic information to save time and money, reduce risk, and accelerate the rate of genetic progress.
GE EPDs provide more precise EPDs based on a combination of both phenotype and DNA. One major benefit of these EPDs is risk reduction through increased accuracies. These increased accuracies save time when assessing young breeding stock as well as deliver commercial customer confidence when buying seedstock. Herd improvement is accelerated when breeders can more accurately identify young individuals with the best genetics.
GE EPDs also give the chance to collect data on economically important traits, which are expensive or difficult to measure.
The information from the genomic data can be as informative as a bull’s first calf crop or a cow’s lifetime production record. Since the genomic data is incorporated directly into the EPDs, cattle producers will not have to learn how to interpret the new data.
Development of GE EPDs for Gelbvieh and Balancer® animals has been in progress at the AGA since 2012, starting with the Genomic Pioneers project. This project helped to build a diverse panel of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics to be the foundation genetics for the calculation of the GE EPDs.
“The AGA has been working closely with the scientific community over the past couple years to build the training population for developing GE EPDs for the Gelbvieh breed,” says Susan Willmon, director of breed improvement at the AGA. “Implementing genomic-enhanced EPDs is a high-priority goal in the AGA’s strategic plan and we are excited to be able to offer this tool to our breeders and their commercial customers.”
EPDs that are genomically-enhanced will show up on the new American Gelbvieh Association Registry Service as highlighted in yellow. All animals with these enhanced EPDs will also have the AGA GE EPDs logo on their registration certificate.
For more information on GE EPDs visit Gelbvieh.org or contact Susan Willmon at susanw@gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333.
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American Gelbvieh Junior Association Elects Board of Directors
Photo caption: These individuals will serve the American Gelbvieh Junior Association as their Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 year. (Seated from L to R) President Grace Hammer, Wallace, Kan.; Vice President Michael Ring, Oregon, Ill.; Vice President of Leadership Development Tiana Garcia, Las Animas, Colo.; Secretary Sydney Bigger, Media, Ill.; Treasurer Kelsey Shelley, Hillsboro, Ohio; (Standing from L to R) Kyle Vehige, Bonnets Mill, Mo.; Tanner Aherin, Phillipsburg, Kan.; Callahan Grund, Sharon Springs, Kan.; Carter Mitchell, Appleton City, Mo.; and Ex-Officio Van Tucker, Portis, Kan.
The American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) elected four members to serve on their Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 year. The election took place at the 2014 AGJA Barnyard Classic junior national show in Sioux Falls, S.D., on July 2. Elections for the 2014-2015 officers were also held the same day.
The AGJA Board of Directors consists of nine junior members and one ex-officio member. Directors serve two-year terms and must be 16 years of age as of January 1, and may not have reached his or her 20th birthday as of January 1.
Newly elected directors are: Tanner Aherin, Phillipsburg, Kan., son of Dennis and Joyce Aherin; Chisum Grund, Sharon Springs, Kan., son of Jerry and Christy Grund; and Kyle Vehige, Bonnets Mill, Mo., son of Tom and Stacy Vehige.
Michael Ring, Oregon, Ill., nephew of Skyler and Annette Martin was re-elected to a second term.
Grace Hammer, Wallace, Kan., daughter of Lyle and Christy Hammer, was re-elected as AGJA president. Ring was voted to serve another year as vice president.
Elected as vice president of leadership development was Tiana Garica, Las Animas, Colo., daughter of Keith and Teresa Garcia. Sydney Bigger, Media, Ill., daughter of Barry and Jody Bigger was voted as secretary. Kelsey Sheeley, Hillsboro, Ohio, daughter of Tim and Karen Sheeley was selected as the Association treasurer. Carter Mitchell, Appleton City, Mo., son of Kevin and Debbie Mitchell will continue to serve as AGJA director.
Van Tucker, Portis, Kan., son of Gregg and Sandi Tucker, will continue to serve on the AGJA Board as ex-officio. Van has served on the Board of Directors for four years and most recently as AGJA secretary.
“My favorite attribute of the AGJA is all the great people I have been fortunate enough to meet. Through our association, I have made connections both inside and outside of the breed that I know will last a lifetime,” said Hammer. “It has been an awesome experience getting to serve as a leader on our junior board, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for both our members and breed of cattle.”
The American Gelbvieh Junior Association serves more than 500 members nationally. The vision of the AGJA is to unify, educate, and develop leaders of the beef industry. To learn more about Gelbvieh or the American Gelbvieh Junior Association visit www.gelbiveh.org or call 303-465-2333.
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Gelbvieh and Limousin Juniors Participate in the 2014 “Continental Undivided” POWER Conference
Photo caption: A total of 45 members of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association and the North American Limousin Junior Association participated in the first-ever POWER (Peers Organizing Winning Effective Results) Conference held August 7-10, 2014 in Denver, Colo. Photo taken at Jumping Cow Gelbvieh, Ramah, Colo., by Jennifer Scharpe, American Gelbvieh Association.
The American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) and North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA) joined together to host the first POWER (Peers Organizing Winning Effective Results) Conference in Denver, Colo., August 7-10.
Board members from both junior associations partnered up to plan and host the event. Twenty-two members of the AGJA and 23 members of the NALJA took part in the four-day conference. While in Denver, participants were able to connect with other AGJA and NALJA members, learn more about the beef industry, and enhance their leadership skills.
“The first POWER conference was an incredible experience for the junior members who attended,” says Grace Hammer, AGJA president from Wallace, Kan. “Each activity allowed junior members to network and make connections with other juniors and industry leaders, while acquiring valuable knowledge that will position these young leaders to be successful in the agriculture industry,” she added. Grace not only was able to attend the four days of activities but also played a major role in helping to plan the event.
The conference featured many speakers including Kevin Ochsner, a Limousin breeder in Kersey, Colo., and host of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s “Cattlemen to Cattlemen.” Motivational speakers Eddie Slowikowski and Cole Smith engaged the participants in different team building and leadership activities. Former AGJA president, Travis Arp, also spoke. He is currently a technical services manager at the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Also during the conference, participants made several industry visits including Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., where they participated in a ropes course team building activity, and toured campus and the agriculture research facility. Magness Land & Cattle, a Limousin operation in Platteville, Colo., gave the POWER participants a tour of their facilities and put on a mini judging contest. A visit to the Denver Aquarium, and tours of Rocky Mountain Sire Services in Bennett, Colo., and Jumping Cow Gelbvieh in Ramah, Colo., rounded out the weekend activities.
“The POWER conference was a great success and we look forward to making this a permanent part of both junior associations’ program activities by hosting the conference every other year,” says Carrie Tilghman, junior activities coordinator for the American Gelbvieh Association.
For more information about the American Gelbvieh Junior Association contact Carrie Tilghman at carriet@gelbvieh.org.
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American Gelbvieh Association Releases New Search Tools
The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has released new search tools on its registry service. These tools include a ranch search, an animal search, an EPD and genetics search, plus a breeder map. All tools are available to cattlemen and women to help locate Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics and breeders.
The ranch search can be used to find active Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders, either in a general area or when looking for contact information for a specific breeder. Ranches and members can be searched by herd prefix, member number, name, city or state. When a member is searched, phone numbers, addresses, and contact information are displayed.
The AGA registry service also contains a breeder map function, allowing breeders to be found in a particular region or state. The map is interactive making it easy to find seedstock breeders in a desired location.
The animal search option allows a quick way to look up information on an animal’s pedigree, EPDs, performance data, ownership and more. An animal can be searched using registration number, tattoo or name and can be narrowed down by bull or female. This search ultimately brings up an animal detail screen where information on the animal can be viewed. This is a great tool for looking up current EPDs on herd bulls to help producers evaluate their bull battery to determine if replacements are needed.
The EPD search is a tool can be used to find animals with a desired set of EPDs. Producers can use the EPD search to find animals with the genetics that will meet the goals of a program. Within the EPD search, all AGA EPDs and indexes are listed, including AGA’s maternal index the $Cow, the carcass index labeled the feeder profit index (FPI) and the feed efficiency index named the efficiency profit index (EPI). Minimum and maximum values may be set on each EPD and index allowing producers to locate animals with the genetics to fit any environment.
An additional search tools feature is located on the AGA registry service and can be used to find animals with other search filters beyond EPDs. Use the search tools feature to search by breed (Gelbvieh, Balancer, Southern Balancer®, fullblood, or percentage), color, horn/polled status, to find AI sires or to search females who qualified for AGA’s Dam of Merit and Dam of Distinction programs.
All search tools can be found on the Association’s home page at www.www.gelbvieh.org by clicking on the Animal and Member Search banner. These tools are available to the public and do not require login information. To learn more about these search tools, video tutorials are available and are located on the Registry Service Tutorials page on the Gelbvieh website.
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Myron Edelman to Lead American Gelbvieh Association
American Gelbvieh Association President Rob Arnold and the Board of Directors would like to announce the hiring of Myron Edelman, Douglas, Wyo., as its executive director. Edelman officially begins his responsibilities August 1 and will be located at the Association’s headquarters office in Westminster, Colo.
Since 2009, Edelman has been with the Red Angus Association of America, initially as the director of value-added programs and most recently as the director of breed growth. He led their Feeder Calf Certification Program (FCCP) providing age and source verification and traceability for Red Angus influenced feeder calves, among other responsibilities.
Prior to his breed association work, Edelman was the cattle and feedlot manager for Wagonhound Land and Livestock, a 2,000 head cow-calf and 4,500 head feeder operation in Wyoming. A native of Sabetha, Kan., he grew up on a small grains and feeding operation. Edelman attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., earning a degree in agriculture education and animal science. For eight years, he taught vocational agriculture in Douglas.
“Myron has established an outstanding record for building demand for superior beef genetics, leading a team and establishing relationships within the beef industry,” says American Gelbvieh Association President Rob Arnold, Minot, N.D.
Edelman may be contacted at 303-465-2333 or by email at myrone@gelbvieh.org.
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American Gelbvieh Junior Association Names 2014-2015 Ambassadors
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Photo Caption: (L to R) Jessie Lowe, Adrian, Mo., AGJA Junior Ambassador; Taylor Vavra, Nisland, S.D., AGJA Intermediate Ambassador
Two junior members were selected at the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) 2014 Barnyard Classic to represent the AGJA as ambassadors. Jessie Lowe of Adrian, Mo., was selected to be the 2014-2015 AGJA Junior Ambassador. Taylor Vavra, Nisland, S.D., was chosen to be the 2014-2015 AGJA Intermediate Ambassador.
Jessie is the nine year old daughter of Raymond and Melissa Lowe and she is excited to share her love of Gelbvieh throughout the coming year. In addition to this new role, she is very active in several other junior associations including Altona 4-H club, Missouri Junior Cattlemen’s Association, and Heart of America Gelbvieh Junior Association, just to name a few.
“I thought it would be great to help other people love Gelbvieh as much as I do,” says Jessie. “I think if people knew more about Gelbvieh and what they can do for them, more people would love them as much as I do. This is the first goal I have as Junior Ambassador.” She has even started a Facebook group page called Missouri Gelbvieh where people can post pictures and other news about all things Gelbvieh.
Jessie currently raises Gelbvieh and Balancer®cattle along with her brother, Baxter and sister, Isabel. She obtained her first Gelbvieh heifer, named Sweetheart, in March 2013 and has gone to 23 shows with her so far, including the Missouri State Fair, American Royal, and National Western Stock Show. She looks forward to going to even more Gelbvieh events in the next year and spreading her love for the breed.
Taylor is the 15 year old daughter of Brent and Eve Vavra. She is currently involved in 4-H, FFA, cheerleading, golf, community band, and has been a member of the AGJA since 1998.
“When I was first registered as a member of AGJA, my grandparents gifted me with my first Gelbvieh cow,” said Taylor. “Gelbvieh has opened many doors for me, and has helped me to meet many new people.” Taylor is also very involved with her own heard and shows her animals all over including at the National Western Stock Show, Northern International Livestock Exposition, Black Hills Stock Show, Butte-Lawrence County Fair, and AGJA junior national show. Her herd currently consists of 11 cows where she handles everything from money management to late night calving checks.
Taylor’s younger sister, Carlee, was the 2013-2014 AGJA Junior Ambassador and having learned things from her sister, is excited to promote the AGJA herself. “As the older sister, I have seen behind the scenes of Carlee’s ambassadorship and it fuels my fire,” added Taylor.
The ambassador competition was held during the junior national show, which took place June 29 through July 4 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Junior Ambassador must be eight to 11 years of age and the Intermediate Ambassador must be 12 to 15 years old.
The AGJA created the ambassador program to encourage youth involvement in the breed’s activities. The ambassadors represent the AGJA at Gelbvieh functions throughout the year including Gelbvieh and Balancer shows held at the American Royal, the North American International Livestock Exposition and the National Western Stock Show, along with many state fairs and other events.
The ambassador candidates are judged on their notebook, an oral interview, a speech given at the AGJA annual meeting and overall conduct during the annual junior national show. The notebook includes information and photographs on activities, awards and organizations as well as an essay on the candidate’s background and experiences with the Gelbvieh breed. A committee is appointed to conduct the interviews and select the AGJA Junior and Intermediate Ambassadors.
The American Gelbvieh Junior Association serves more than 500 members nationally. The vision of the AGJA is to unify, educate, and develop leaders of the beef industry. To learn more about Gelbvieh or the American Gelbvieh Junior Association visit www.www.gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333.
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