Sept. 9, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Carrie Heitman, communications coordinator, at 816-383-5100 or cheitman@angus.org; or
Robin Ruff, director of activities, events and education, at 816-383-5100 or rruff@angus.org.
PHOTOS: Available upon request at prphotos@angus.org.
VIDEO: NAC&T highlights on The Angus Report.
National Angus Conference & Tour Visits New York
Regional Angus farms and history were on display during the annual event.
Traveling the winding roads of rural New York, more than 220 Angus breeders from 27 states and Canada, visited farms and historical attractions during the 2013 National Angus Conference and Tour (NAC&T), held Aug. 27-30. The event was sponsored by Purina Mills.
“I don’t think people were expecting what they saw,” says Phil Trowbridge, American Angus Association® president and tour host. “When they arrived, I think they realized how much agriculture is in the state, and how big, beautiful and vast New York really is.”
Trowbridge says New York was an ideal setting for the NAC&T because of the region’s nearly 130-year history with Angus cattle, and also the invested interest in agriculture shown by communities scattered among the rural areas.
The rolling Catskills and the twisting Hudson River set the stage for the NAC&T themed “Angus Along the Hudson.” A stop at Garret Farms, Hillsdale, N.Y., began the official cattle tour. From there, the group spent the afternoon at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockdale, Mass., and concluded with dinner at Trowbridge Farms, Ghent, N.Y.
“I enjoy coming out to the NAC&T to converse with other Angus producers, see old friends and make new friends,” says fifth-time attendee Myron Kennedy, Brookeville, Md. “It is interesting to see different geographic regions, and learn about each respective operation and what practices work for them.”
Other stops on the tour included breakfast at Heathcote Farm, Amenia, N.Y., and lunch at Walbridge Farms, Millbrook, N.Y. From there, tour goers had the option to visit the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt or the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. The tour concluded at Rally Farms, Millbrook, N.Y.
Prior to the tours, an educational conference was held at the Marriott in Albany, N.Y. Speakers focused on the business side of raising Angus cattle; discussing topics ranging from managing employees to marketing cattle.
“The information you can gain here is extremely valuable in terms of taking it back home and using it in your program,” Kennedy says.
Conference speakers were Chef John Doherty, formerly of the Waldorf Astoria and now an independent contractor; David O’Diam, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB); Debbie Lyons-Blythe, Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch blogger; Eric Grant, Association director of public relations; Kip Palmer, Palmer Foods; and Scott Vernon, Vernon Communications.
Attendees also heard from Angus Genetics Inc. staff members, conference sponsor Purina, Association President Phil Trowbridge and Association Chief Executive Officer Bryce Schumann. To learn more about their presentations, visit www.nationalangusconference.com.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.ANGUS.org.
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