Sennett Elected President

The North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) 2010 Annual Meeting was Jan. 11 at the Doubletree Hotel in Denver, Colo., in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show (NWSS). Nearly 100 members and guests attended.

With NALF President Bob Millerberg of Utah presiding, the main order of business was the Board of Directors election. NALF Secretary and Nominating Committee member Lance Sennett, Indiana, presented six nominees for the five open positions.

Jack Glendenning, Missouri; Richard Hefner, Oklahoma; and Jay Straight, Iowa, won second terms on the Board. Chad Settje, Nebraska, and John Tobe, Kentucky, also earned seats on the 2010 Board, which met afterward to elect officers.

Sennett will lead as president for the coming year. Mike Smith, Kansas, will serve as vice president. Mike Hall, California, will be secretary. Hefner will continue as treasurer. The Board elected Charles Linhart, Iowa, as the Executive Committee’s member-at-large. Millerberg will serve as an ex officio member of both the Board and its Executive Committee.

The other 2010 Board members are Harley Coleman, Montana; Mat Lewis, Colorado; Harris Mosher, Pennsylvania; Brian Skaggs, Oklahoma; Tom Vaughn, North Dakota; and Jerry Wulf, Minnesota.

During the Annual Meeting, Millerberg recognized retiring Board members Bob Mitchell, Wisconsin, and Wendell Geeslin, Colorado.

 
Annual Meeting Includes Strategic Planning

Millerberg opened the Annual Meeting with a brief look at the last year. A full year-end summary is in the 2009 Annual Report, which attendees received. Active NALF members may request copies from the home office at any time.

Next, Executive Vice President Bob Hough, Ph.D., presented his first State of the Breed address. He included an overview of NALF’s staffing situation and an update about the organization’s soon-to-be-installed computer system. He then reviewed the last 15 years of registrations, new memberships, revenues and expenses; recent data submissions; and the breed’s genetic trends. He concluded by outlining the challenges and opportunities in breed improvement and marketing.

Jim McKinlay from the Haines Centre for Strategic Management then facilitated comprehensive strategic planning exercises. After an introduction to the process, he led two bouts of roundtable discussions. The first focused on NALF’s vision, mission and core values. The second dealt with the organization’s core strategies. He concluded by outlining the rest of the process, which was to include an Emerging Leaders Academy in February and final Board approval in April.

 
Committee Assignments Announced

Sennett has appointed the NALF committees for 2010.

• Commercial Marketing and Advertising: Smith, chairman; Wulf; Geeslin; Austin Hager, North Dakota
• Finance: Hefner, chairman; Glendenning; Millerberg; Settje; Tobe
• Junior Activities: Hefner, chairman; Settje; Skaggs; Greg Blaydes, Kentucky
• Membership: Hall, chairman; Coleman; Mosher; Skaggs; Straight; Ron Schilling, Kansas
• Performance: Lewis, chairman; Glendenning; Linhart; Joey Freund, Colorado; Gary Gates, Montana; Charlie Hunt, Nebraska
• Rules and Regulations: Coleman, chairman; Hall; Smith; Vaughn; Bart Mitchell, Wisconsin
• Shows: Linhart, chairman; Wulf; Jerry Blankers, Washington; Greg Blaydes, Kentucky; Bruce Lawrence, Texas; John Pence, Colorado; Donnie Robertson, Oklahoma; Ron Schilling, Kansas

 
Spring EPDs Available

The expected progeny differences (EPDs) from the spring 2010 International Limousin Genetic Evaluation are available through various features of the NALF Web site.

Users can employ the “Sire and Dam Selector” tool to specify EPD-selection criteria in searching active Limousin and Lim‑Flex® sires and dams. The lookup allows them to search for information – including available DNA-test results – about a particular animal.

The spring sire summary – which includes the general sire listing, the proven and young sire trait leaders, and the dam trait leaders – is available for download in portable document format (PDF) from the site’s “Genetic Evaluation” section. The NALF office also can mail a printed or CD-ROM version of the sire summary for $10.

Active NALF members can view their whole-herd EPDs via the Web site’s secured, members-only portion. They also can request EPDs from the NALF office free of charge. New performance records are available for $2 per head or $25 for a whole herd.

 
ET Calves’ Dams, Sires Must Be DNA-Typed

A breeder must provide DNA case numbers (not blood-typing case numbers) for both the sire and dam on the DNA-typing form when submitting a DNA sample from an embryo-transfer (ET) calf for parentage verification. The parentage-verification laboratory will not test a sample if those DNA case numbers are missing. Before collecting and mailing samples from ET calves to MMI Genomics, contact the NALF office to verify the sires and dams have been DNA-typed and to obtain the proper case numbers.

 
NALF Form Required to Accept Igenity Results

When conducting color and polled tests at Igenity, NALF members should use the Limousin-branded order form (available on the NALF Web site) so the billing goes through the NALF office. Otherwise, NALF no longer can include the animals’ Igenity® test results on their performance records and registration certificates.

 
Order Barnsheets Before Ultrasound Scanning

As you schedule your ultrasound-scanning sessions, do not forget to order barnsheets from the NALF office, or print them for yourself from the “My Reports” section of the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site. A barnsheet is a preprinted form provided free of charge that lists all of the animals you intend to scan. It gives identification (ID) information for each animal and has blanks to record weight and management data chuteside. The ultrasound laboratories require barnsheets to process scan data so failure to obtain one before your scanning session will result in processing delays.

When calling NALF to request barnsheets, be ready to provide complete tattoos or registration numbers for the animals and a fax number or e‑mail address to send the barnsheets.

If you have questions about ultrasounding, refer to the Guide to Ultrasound in the “Genetic Evaluation” section of the NALF Web site, or request a copy from the NALF office.

 
Online Directory Renewals Due

It is time to renew listings in the NALF online member directory, which is a great resource for customers seeking Limousin cattle or services in your area.

Members already listed in the online directory should have received invoices for their 2010 listings by now. If you want NALF to remove you from the directory, contact the office.

If you do not have a directory listing yet, you can register your enterprise by completing the form on the NALF Web site.

 
E‑mail Data to Correct Address

When e‑mailing data to NALF, use the edata@nalf.org address. Staff members check that account daily. Other NALF accounts can go unread when staff members are out of the office.

 
Partner Up for Electronic Updates

Are you among the more than 3,000 NALF members who get electronic updates twice a month from their organization? NALF maintains an e‑mailing list to facilitate timely, cost-effective communications. If you are not on the list, send an e‑mail message that includes your name, postal address and herd prefix to limousin@nalf.org – that is all it takes to join the NALF Partners online community. Just be sure to send the message from the account you want to receive the semimonthly, electronic newsletter.

 
Keep in Mind Your Customers’ Bottom Line

Copies of the Bottom Line newsletter are available by calling the NALF office. The publication is a great giveaway to potential customers because it provides current information about the Limousin breed and what it provides to the beef industry. If you would like to add customers or influencers (such as veterinarians, auction markets, feedyards and Extension agents) to the mailing list, share their contact information with the NALF office.

In addition, take advantage of the opportunity to promote your enterprise by placing a business-card-sized “Breeder Spotlight” advertisement in the Bottom Line, which mails to about 18,000 addresses, including more than 8,000 nonusers of Limousin genetics with 500 or more head. For just $350 per year (three issues), you can speak directly to commercial cattle producers coast to coast. Contact Brad Parker in the NALF office right away to reserve your space.

 
Registrations, Recordings Made Easy

With spring calves hitting the ground, keep in mind that complete, accurate data collection and reporting are fundamental to keeping your production information and the entire Limousin herdbook up-to-date. Calves’ performance data contribute to EPD calculations for your active dams and sires, and they enable NALF to provide the most accurate information on a variety of reports. Further, it is best to start with a current herd inventory. For performance data and birth information to be included in the next genetic evaluation, you must submit it error-free by June 15.

If thinking of all that paperwork gives you a headache, consider NALF’s user-friendly alternatives. Online recording and the Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) are available through the secured, members-only portion of the Web site. Record cattle; update your herd inventory; and submit birth, weaning and yearling performance data. See the “NALF Line” column in the January issue of Limousin World or in the “Limousin Library” section of the NALF Web site for a description of the online features.

If you prefer to put pencil to paper, contact the NALF office to request free, preprinted applications, which list all active cows in your inventory.

 
Fee Supports NALJA

The winter issue of NALJA News mailed with a notice requesting payment of the 2010 junior-activity fee. All revenue generated from the fee goes directly to the North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA) to help fund its programs, services and events. The $25 fee is due March 15. NALJA members who do not pay by that date will incur an additional $25 late fee ($50 total due).

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

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

 
Juniors: Note Upcoming Deadlines

Start planning now for this summer’s junior events.

• May 1 – Early deadline for the Heartland Regional Junior Show, June 4–5, Council Bluffs, Iowa
• May 1 – Early deadline for the Eastern Regional Junior Show, June 11–13, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
• May 1 – Early deadline for the Western Regional Junior Show, June 17–19, Klamath Falls, Ore.
• May 15 – Early deadline for the National Junior Limousin Show and Congress (NJLSC), July 3–10, Hutchinson, Kan.
• June 10 – Late-entry deadline for the NJLSC

The Kansas breeders will host the “Fireworks on the Frontier” 2010 NJLSC. The Grand Prairie Hotel in Hutchinson will be the headquarters. For reservations, call 1‑800-362-5018.

The “Juniors” section of the NALF Web site offers information about and the applications for the NALJA Board of Directors, Leonard and Vi Wulf Scholarship, Awards of Excellence, and Limi Boosters scholarships and grants. They all are due May 15. Anyone with questions about the Limi Boosters’ offerings should contact Kris Greenawalt, (937) 364-3489, or Julie Ocshner, (970) 351-6008. Contact Kate Maher in the NALF office with questions about the others.

 
Lists Requested From Affiliate Organizations

State and regional associations need to keep NALF’s records current by notifying the office when they select new leaders. That is the only way to ensure all information – including that regarding cooperative marketing, junior activities and news releases – gets to the correct contact people. What is more, those updates are the basis for the state information on the NALF Web site. Share your leaders list with Brad Parker in the NALF office today.

 
Promotional Merchandise Is Effective Local Advertising

A line of farm signs, vehicle magnets, banners and short-term signage is available via the NALF Web site’s “Promotional Merchandise” section. You also can order personalized, full-color business cards. Contact Brad Parker or Mary Zilk in the NALF office to place your customized orders.

 
Board Meeting Scheduled for Next Month

The NALF Board has scheduled its next meeting for April 7–8. Contact a Board member or Bob Hough in the NALF office to suggest agenda items.

 
Missouri to Host BIF Convention

The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) annual meeting is North America’s leading forum for discussing genetic evaluation and improvement, and NALF encourages its members to attend. This year’s event will be in Columbia, Mo., June 28–July 1. Visit www.beefimprovement.org/convention.html on the Web for information about registration and the program.

 
The year-letter code for 2010 is X.
The year-letter code for 2011 is Y.