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 www.NALF.org North American (303) 220-1693 |
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NALF News 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 North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Board of Directors. The at-large nomination process did not add any candidates to the ballot; therefore, the committee’s slate stands as the complete list. Find those candidates’ biographies in the December issue of Limousin World. The Board invites input as it evaluates the current election cycle and decides whether to replace permanently the former system of nominations from the floor and proxy votes. Limousin check-in at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) begins at 8 a.m. Jan. 11, 2008. The sale-cattle parade starts at 3 p.m. Jan. 13. The junior show begins at 2 p.m. the next day, and the Limousin sale follows at 6 p.m. The Limousin open show starts at 8 a.m. Jan. 15. The pen and carload shows are the day after that, beginning 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 and for the NALF Annual Meeting. Rooms are available for $79 per night if you mention the “North American Limousin Foundation” when you call (303) 321-3333 or 1‑800-222-TREE for reservations. Find the complete schedule and more information in the December issue of Limousin World. NALF annually honors a Commercial Marketing Booster of the Year, a Commercial Producer of the Year and a Limousin Promoter of the Year during the NWSS pen and carload shows. Download a nomination form for each of the awards from the NALF Web site, or request copies from the NALF office. Nominations are due in the NALF office Dec. 5. Visit www.boelte.com/cards on the Web to order Limousin holiday cards. Several cover designs and inside greetings are available. A portion of the proceeds from each order will benefit the North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA). Also check out the promotional merchandise available on the NALF Web site. New luggage from the Limi Boosters, farm signs, business cards, jackets and caps are just some of the great gifts available. Counsil Family Limousin has donated the Corner Post Genetics Package female, which will sell during the National Limousin Sale at the NWSS. 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. Once it reaches a suitable principal, the Corner Post Fund will facilitate additional activities and scholarships for Limousin juniors. The National Limousin Sale begins at 6 p.m., Jan. 14, 2008, in the Stadium sale ring. Call Ken Holloway, (580) 597-3006; Keith Kissee, (804) 353-2220; or Randy Ratliff, (615) 791-8982, to consign cattle. The Italian association of Limousin breeders invites all NALF members to participate in the 18th International Limousin Conference (ILC), May 20–28, 2008. ILC participants will explore some of Italy’s most beautiful places and experience Limousin production amid the country’s history and culture. The Italians are proud to host the event so they can demonstrate the quality of their Limousin cattle and their professionalism as breeders. The ILC will be an opportunity to discuss the breed and its growing success around the world with representatives from many nations. Visit www.anacli.it on the Web for more information and to register. Avoid late fees by registering before Jan. 20, 2008. The LimMark tagging program helps Limousin producers identify their cattle and position themselves for greater returns by coupling reputable genetics with documented information. Only qualified, properly enrolled cattle may wear LimMark tags. Producers first must complete a LimMark agreement and send it to NALF. Guidelines and the enrollment form are on the NALF Web site, or contact Bo Sexson in the NALF office. 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 on the NALF Web site, or contact Brad Parker in the NALF office. If you are not receiving the semimonthly Partners e‑newsletter from NALF, confirm your e‑mail address is on file in the NALF office. Partners contains the timeliest reminders and updates for members. If you have an e‑mail address on file but are not receiving messages from NALF, your e‑mail program might be blocking them. Make sure limousin@nalf.org is in your address book and “white list.” The voluntary Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) helps NALF members lower their costs of doing business with their association. LIMS participants pay an annual fee of $15 per active cow and, in turn, are entitled to record performance for, register and transfer that year’s calf crop. That saves $12 off an animal’s least costly traditional registration and transfer. LIMS herds also contribute more complete and comprehensive production information that leads to inventory-proven genetics backed by more accurate expected progeny differences (EPDs). To enroll in LIMS, go to the sign-up page in the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site (www.nalf.org/members) by clicking the LIMS button at the top of any page. Breeders must enroll spring-calving cows by Feb. 15 and fall-calving cows by July 15 each year. Cow-inventory birth-report forms are available free of charge from the NALF office. The preprinted sheets include information about all active cows in a member’s herd inventory. The NALF office also will provide barnsheets for ultrasound scanning. The ultrasound laboratories require them to process scan data so not obtaining the sheets before scanning will result in processing delays. To request either form, call the NALF office. Copies of the quarterly Bottom Line newsletter are available to active members who call the NALF office. The publication is a great giveaway to potential customers because it provides current information about what is happening in the breed and the industry. If you have customers who you would like to receive the Bottom Line, call NALF for a subscription card. NALF has canceled the “Master Breeder” workshop it was planning in conjunction with the Range Beef Cow Symposium (RBCS) due to insufficient interest. The association still encourages its members to attend the RBCS, which will be Dec. 11–13 at the Larimer County Fairgrounds outside Fort Collins, Colo. The event includes educational programs, bullpen sessions with the speakers each evening, and a trade show. Nearly 1,000 producers and allied-industry representatives had registered by Nov. 1. The NALF office has a new telephone system, which offers several helpful directory features that help guide callers to the correct information or staff member. The improved voice-mail system is much more reliable than the old one so do not hesitate to enter anyone’s extension and leave a message. With nearly 40 percent of NALF paperwork now submitted electronically and with the increased costs associated with forms, printing and postage, NALF has discontinued automatic printing and distribution of weaning update, yearling update and yearling summary reports with returned paperwork. Those documents still are available by request, free of charge, from the NALF office. NALF reminds Medal of Excellence (MOE) exhibitors they must submit all performance data by Dec. 1. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the MOE year-end recognitions. It is the breeder’s or owner’s responsibility to submit that information; NALF will not request it.
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