South Carolina Angus Association
Jan. 6, 2006
Windy Bartee
Time marches on. By now everyone should be used to putting 2006 on letters and checks. Before the postage rate went up on Jan. 8th, we sent out the 2006 SCAA directories to the members and advertisers. That was one way to get motivated to get the mail and thank you notes out. Now here we are in February.
February is the month of Valentines and Angus bulls. Somehow they just go together. We all love the Angus and the progeny that our Angus bulls produce. For those who are looking for a good Angus bull try going to the sales coming up this month.
• February 4: SCAA officers and directors will meet at 2006 Clemson Bull Test and Heifer Sale, T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena, Clemson, SC
• February 11: Black Crest Farm Bull Sale at noon, McLeod Family, Sumter, SC
• February 18: Yon Family Farm Bull Sale, Ridge Spring, SC
• February 25: Tokeena Bull Sale by McPhail Family at Seneca, SC
These families and Clemson have been instrumental in Angus production in South Carolina. Clemson has produced some great Angus. The Clemson bull test usually has the Angus bulls on the top of the testing. For this year Dr. Larry Olson reported that, “ Riverhill Farm’s 21 senior Angus bull had the high ADG of 5.04 lbs/day, the 3rd highest WDA of 3.56 lbs/day and the 3rd heaviest adjusted yearling weight of 1,349 lbs. Oak Hill Farm’s 3 and 4 senior Angus bulls had the 2nd and 3rd highest ADGs of 5.03 lbs/day.”
Clemson has been a big help in guiding our SC Angus Association members through the years. Many have been students at Clemson. Professor Dale Handlin taught some of our current Angus producers in animal science. Kevin Yon and Lewis Smith are two of his former pupils. Professor Dale Handlin, who is now retired from Clemson, has his own Angus herd at WillaDale Angus Farm. He can be found at most Angus events. The Carolina Futurity has been dedicated to him at a past event.
Mention of the Yons above, brings to mind their sale on February 18th. Kevin and Lydia have built up quite a business at Ridge Spring, SC with their Angus, Charolais and feed supply store. They involve all the children, Sally, Drake and Corbin, and all the rest of the family when they put on a sale. They don’t call it the Yon Family Farms for nothing.
Billy and Lee McLeod will put on a great show at their sale on February 11th. All the family and neighbors turn out to get the cattle in the right chutes. If you can get to Sumter before the sale, you’ll get to eat some good food (my bet is Angus beef from Piggly Wiggly) and see the Angus bulls. The SCAA dedicated the Carolina Futurity to Billy and Lee McLeod for their contribution and service to the SC Angus Association in 1999.
The McPhail Family has a bull sale on February 25th at the Tokeena Angus Farm in Seneca, SC. Last year the Tokeena Angus Farm was presented the Historic Herd Award by the American Angus Association. The McPhail patriarch, W.H. McPhail, purchased his first Angus cattle in the early 1930s, and joined the American Angus Association in 1937. The Tokeena herd is the oldest registered Aberdeen-Angus herd in South Carolina. The American Angus Association presents the Historic Angus Herd Award to Angus herds that have been in the continuous production of registered Angus cattle by the same family for 50 years or more.
History repeats itself every March with the Carolina Angus Futurity. This will be SC Angus Association’s thirty-fifth. Our annual meeting and banquet will be March 17th in the ballroom of the RAMADA Inn in Clemson. The social hour will begin at 6:00 PM with the banquet and meeting to follow at 7:00 PM. The Carolina Futurity will be at noon on Saturday the 18th at Clemson’s T. Ed Garrison livestock barn next to the arena. We have some rooms blocked off under SC Angus Association at the Ramada Inn (1-864-654-7501) at a rate of $68 and the James Martin Inn (1-888-654-9020) Clemson Conference Center at a rate $89.
This year we will have a semen sale chaired by Danny Winchester and a silent auction to benefit the juniors chaired by Stephanie Clark. Ted Bourne is in charge of the Angus sale with the American Angus Hall of Fame.
• March 17: SCAA Annual Meeting and Banquet, 6 PM Social Hour and 7 PM for the Banquet and Meeting at the Ramada Inn, 1310 Tiger Blvd., Clemson, SC 29631
• March 18: SCAA Carolina Futurity, noon, T. Ed Garrison Livestock Barn, Clemson, SC.
Our SC juniors are our future and are an important part of all our activities. Juniors take notice of these deadlines:
• Summer internship deadline Feb. 1
The Association offers two summer internships to college students who want to learn more about breed association work. The paid internships will begin approximately June 1, 2006, and conclude in mid-August. The application deadline is Feb. 1.
The Junior Activities Department employs a college sophomore, junior or senior to assist in the planning and execution of junior Angus shows and leadership events. Applicants for the junior activities internship should have an agriculture-related major.
• Feb. 1 is the ownership and entry deadline for juniors planning to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Junior Angus Classic (MAJAC) regional preview show, set for March 10-12 in Harrisonburg, VA.
• March 1 is the ownership and entry deadline for the Western Regional Junior Angus Show, which will be April 22-24 in Reno, NV.
• March 1 is also the nomination deadline for Advisor of the Year and Honorary Angus Foundation inductees.
Remember you can look up SC Angus at www.scangus.org. We sell banner ads there for $50 per month plus the set up fee. If you want your advertisement included in our newsletters the fee is $100 to our members. The American Angus Web site is www.angus.org.
Now we will march our Angus into March and the history of the Carolina Angus Futurity. See ya’ there.
If you have any news that should be included in the SC Angus news, please contact Windy Bartee at 803-222-7533 or tumblet8@bellsouth.net.
