Agricultural News
Angus Breeder Barry Pollard Believes Producer Education is Important
Fri, 07 Jan 2022 11:42:00 CST
The folks who serve on the boards of agricultural associations are producers themselves. It is a full-time job to be a producer, so deciding to give back in that big way is no small decision. Barry Pollard, treasurer for the American Angus Association, said he wanted to give back to an organization that has been good to him.
"I also like to learn, and I like to teach," Pollard said. "So, being on the board of the American Angus Association gives me an opportunity to be more involved."
Producer education is a large part of what the association does. At this year's Cattlemen's Congress, the association's Angus University hosted a producer education event: Bull Buying Strategies. The event consisted of three, 20-minute sessions that covered some key aspects of what can be a daunting endeavor.
Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) have changed the cattle industry since their inception in the 1970s. Today, EPDs allow producers to compare an individual animal's genetic makeup to the rest of the breed. The tool allows producers to calculate an individual's genetic value to their operation.
"We have like 21 EPDs - not everyone needs to look at every one of those EPDs," Pollard said. "If you are selling cattle at weaning, you want to look at weaning weights. If you are cattle all the way through the fat yard and selling them on a carcass grid, then you want to look at carcass weight, yearling weight, marbling (score) and ribeye (size)."
New EPDs continue to be added, according to Pollard. The newest EPDs for producers to consider are claw set, foot angle and hair shedding.
Hit the LISTEN BAR below to hear Ron Hays and Barry Pollard talk about the educational role the American Angus Association plays in its industry.
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