Events & Activities - National Cattleman's Beef Association Conference (NCBA)- Phoenix, Arizona - January 26, 2004

The last week in January found Senator Hoffmann at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona where she toured several agribusiness entities; attended "Cattlemen's College"; participated in meetings on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy); gave a presentation on New York's perspective on BSE, "downer cows" and animal identification; and met with United States Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman. Senator Hoffmann with United States Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman. Senator Hoffmann addressed the group on the issues of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as "Mad Cow Disease") and the proposals for national farm animal identification. She proposed that the Animal ID program be funded at the federal level so costs are not borne unfairly to farmers and cattleman. She presented a unique perspective, being both a beef producer and a state legislator, and was able to discuss the cost issues. New York is well-positioned to deal with animal ID, with the recent passage of Senator Hoffmann's bill expanding the very successful Cattle Health Assurance Program (NYSCHAPS) and the new and growing Horse Health Assurance Program (NYSHHAPS) to include other livestock. Triple G Dairy Farm Tour The Cattle Industry Annual Convention started with a 6:30 a.m., pre-conference tour of Triple G Dairy Farm located in Buckeye, Arizona, about 30 miles west of Phoenix. The pre-conference tours also included stops at Heiden Land & Cattle Company, Italian-American Pasta Company and Rousseau Vegetable Packing Facility. Senator Hoffmann specifically called for federal funding and a tax credit for producers who may be required to implement an animal identification system. "Farmers should not be forced to bear the costs of tags, radio-frequency scanner/reader, and labor to tag each animal if our competitors in other countries are not required to do so." Senator Hoffmann also called for compensation for "downer animals", which can no longer be sold, and for which disposal of the carcass is a costly process and an environmental issue. Click here to view Senator Hoffmann's full statement regarding BSE (Mad Cow Disease). The dairy barn at sunrise. "The Dairy barns are totally unlike those in Upstate New York, where we must protect animals, the feed and machinery from the weather. Farmers in Phoenix are more concerned with ventilation and keeping their cows cool." -- Senator Hoffmann. Tour guests viewing the calf barn. A calf, standing on a rubber mat. The rubber mats are supplied to provide extra comfort. This photo shows the open-air features of the calf barns. They have curtains which fold back, to provide shade during the heat of the day. Note the identical buildings in the background of the image above on the right. New York was well-represented at the meeting. Shown at the calf barns are Carole Gillis, Executive Director, New York Beef Industry Council and Bonnie Bargstedt, Secretary of the New York State Beef Producer's Association, both tireless workers for New York's beef industry. Calves eating feed. A watering truck drove by spraying water to keep the dust down by the hay storage. Tour bus beside the hay storage. Hay storage areas. Grain storage bins. Feeding 10,000 cows is a formidable chore. The farm has 2500 acres in crops, with 160 acres on the site of the dairy. Hay and grain are mixed in large mixer wagons. A pay loader breaks bales then loads hay into the mixer wagons. The Triple G Dairy Farm feeds its cows the Total Mix Ration (TMR). The TMR includes cottonseed, which is grown on the farm, distillers grain, corn, which Triple G Farm buys and barley. The cattle are fed corn for six months and barley for six months. Each TMR wagon has about 15 ingredients including molasses, rolled hay, 22 pounds of corn solage and green chop. A pay loader dumping grain into a mixing wagon. A pay loader breaking bales of hay. Notice the pay loader is on a recessed loading ramp. The recessed loading ramp makes it easier for the trucks to drive up on and be loaded by the pay loaders. The size of this operation is hard to comprehend. Above is a long shot of the barn, which is built in "California style". Notice the very flat horizon, and the level surfaces surrounding the building designed for maximum ventilation. The cooling system for the barns was developed at Arizona State University for Saudi Arabian-like desert conditions. The barn interiors are very orderly, and are designed for handling efficiency. The barns provide a bright and airy atmosphere for the cows. Each barn holds 1200 cows. A pyrethrin mist is used for fly spray. Senator Hoffmann chats with a long-time member of NCBA. Senator Hoffmann met with one of the owners of Triple G Dairy, Ben Gingg. Mr. Gingg is also chairman of the Arizona Agriculture Advisory Council. Bonnie Bargstedt demonstrates the head gate on the stanchions. One handle opens 400 stanchions. It only takes three handles in a barn to lock in 1200 cows. This is one of the two 48 cow milking carousels owned by Triple G Farm. The cows are milked three times per day -- 8:00 AM, 4:00 PM and 12:00 midnight. 500 cows per hour are milked by 5 handlers. Cows are generally milked 5-6 years. The farm uses BST. Triple G Farm produces 77 lbs per cow, with a 22,000 + lb herd average. Jim Lewis of Arizona Cattlemen was the tour guide. Jim is standing in front of artwork of a Swiss chalet, prominently displayed in the viewing room above the dairy parlor. The Gingg family, owners of Triple G Dairy Farm, cherish their Swiss family heritage. Ben Gingg, Triple G Dairy owner at the dairy carousels. "Monsanto has cut back on its BST since developing production problems. 25% of the cows in the country are reportedly using it right now and we are all having a hard time getting it. It would be a good thing to pull off BST completely." said Gingg. Heiden Land & Cattle Company Tour The tour continued to the Heiden Land & Cattle Company feedlot, which runs 5,000 head of mostly Holstein cattle. This feedlot, which has been in business since 1947, has animals available year-round. The majority come from California, west of the San Jaquin valley. Heiden Land & Cattle Company uses implants to promote weight gain and feeds a total mix ration (TMR) which includes 14% hay, grown on the farm, plus wheat. Back on the bus after touring the Triple G Dairy Farm, Bonnie Bargstedt rested her legs before heading to the next pre-conference tour destination. Note the massive mountain of hay outside the window belonging to the Triple G Dairy Farm. Cows in the feedlot. Bunk feeders. The cattle handling facility at the Heiden feedlot. The facility is constructed of wood. NCBA member Bruce Forrest (l) of Thunder Bay, Ontario with Les Heiden of Heiden Land & Cattle Company. Italian-American Pasta Company Tour The next stop was the Italian-American Pasta Company, which makes 300,000 pounds of pasta per day, using Arizona wheat. They produce for 85 different labels. For production confidentiality, no photos were allowed to be taken inside the facility, which used to employ 450 people, but modernized and now employs 45. They make extensive use of robots. Rousseau Vegetable Packing Facility Tour The next stop was the Rousseau Vegetable Packing Facility, which advertises "128 ways to process carrots". The entrance to the packing facility. Conference Activities Among the program activities offered at the conference was the Cattlemen's College, a series of short courses in modern beef production. Courses offered included: Bull Selection -- Genetics for cowboys Key Leverage Points for Profits Consumers -- Their Beef Expectiation Beef Cow Reproduction These programs were funded by a generous grant from Pfizer. Senator Hoffmann commented, "We buy bulls by the numbers, based on their EPD's (expected progeny development)." The Genetics for Cowboys seminar explained how this is done. At the beginning of the session, an interactive test was given to the participants. The graph above on the screen displays the results of the test answered by the participants. Senator Hoffmann stands at the entrance to one of the Cattle College classrooms, offering "Consumers, Their Beef Expectations." Senator Hoffmann chats with Dr. Taylor H. Haynes, M.D., from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Dr. Haynes, whose family has been in agriculture continuously for 150 years, has 10,000 acres in Wyoming. Dr. Haynes, who has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering as well as an M.D. is Vice President of Wyoming Stockgrowers and is on the Board of Trustees at the University of Wyoming. Entertainment for the meeting was provided by Baxter Black, "Cowboy Philosopher", a former veterinarian who regaled the audience with homespun tales of life as a cowboy veterinarian. He posed with Senator Hoffmann following his presentation. Many of the booths at the trade show dealt with animal identification -- a very hot topic. While there, Senator Hoffmann was interviewed by Randy Rasmussen, Manager of Event Sponsorship and Broadcast Service for the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. Senator Hoffmann chatted with United States Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, who delivered the keynote speech. Senator Hoffmann urged that the government fund the major portion of the proposed mandatory animal identification, so that farmers are not put at a competitive disadvantage in the international market Secretary Veneman's speech was well-received, especially when she advocated permanent repeal of the "death tax". In discussing the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), she complimented the NCBA (National Cattlemen's Beef Association) for providing immediate, complete and honest information after the discovery of a BSE infected cow in the United States. As a consequence, consumer confidence remained high. She described the proposed mandatory animal identification system as "uniform, national and consistent." At a discussion of BSE, a spokesperson from the NCBA suggested that BSE research be financed by Beef Checkoff funds. Beef producer Abbie Nelson, owner of Five Star Land and Livestock, a family-owned farm, located in Wilton, California that specializes in raising Angus cattle, enjoyed a informal get-together following one of the sessions. Grammy award winner Lee Greenwood entertained the audience with his extensive repertoire of country music. Return to Events Listing