American agriculture is responsible for providing the necessities of everyday life – food, fiber, clothing and even fuel. It is interesting to note these statistics provided by the Agriculture Council of America. 

Today’s average farm is 441 acres compared to 147 acres in 1900. Today’s farmer feeds about 144 people in the United States and abroad. In 1960 that number was 46. Forty-one percent of the U.S. total land area is farmland. U.S. farmers account for 46 percent of the world’s soybean production, 41 percent of the world’s corn production, 20.5 percent of the world’s cotton production and 13 percent of the world’s wheat production.

Almost 99 percent of U.S. farms are operated by individuals or family corporations. Nearly 22 million people are employed in farm or farm-related jobs. 

U.S. consumers spend about 10 percent of their income on food compared with 22 percent in the United Kingdom, 26 percent in Japan, 28 percent in South Africa and 51 percent in India. 

Now here is the really great part. Farmers and ranchers are producing meat lower in fat and cholesterol. This has resulted in retail cuts that are 15 percent leaner, giving consumers better value for their dollar. For example, a pork tenderloin now has only one more gram of fat than a skinless chicken breast, one of the true fat “lightweights.” Also much leaner beef cuts are being produced than 20 years ago, resulting in 27 percent less fat reaching the retail case in 1985. 

We have always known that the Belted Galloway breed produces leaner beef as our breed is an excellent forage-based breed. Special thanks to Jon Bednarski (KY) of the Beef Marketing committee for sharing his knowledge of marketing the Belted Galloway. The Belted Galloway has not traditionally been a commercial feedlot breed, but through direct marketing, serves a health conscious clientele, desiring a product that is tender, lean, and flavorful. 

In previous columns, we have examined direct marketing to consumers.  In this issue, we will get more specific and address niche marketing and creativity in your selection of cuts.

Niche Marketing: By directing your sales efforts to a narrow target market, you can focus on a small but growing group of consumers that are unhappy with store-bought / mass-produced beef, and are willing to pay a premium for your products.

The Belted Galloway breed, and the way most of you raise your animals, goes a long way in reaching these particular niche markets.  Any or all of the points that follow will help you access this market segment:

Natural beef
No steroids or hormones
No antibiotics
Grass fed and grass finished
Lean, with lower fat and cholesterol
Certified organic
Humanely produced (several groups offer certification)
Locally raised on family farms

If you are selling most of your meat directly to the consumer and not through retail stores, you may want to limit your “natural” claims to your literature (keep it off the packaging) in order to avoid a lot of paperwork (contact your USDA processor for more details).

Once you have identified your niche, you will need to find ways to market to those buyers.  As discussed in a previous column, Farmer’s Markets are a great place to start.  Farmer’s Markets tend to cater to a more affluent and educated group.  Farmer’s Market shoppers are usually health conscious and have the ability to pay for your quality products. As you create a solid customer base, word of mouth advertising will be an important part of your growth. Other venues can include retail outlets.  If you can afford to sell your burger (not primal cuts) wholesale, look closely at health or whole food type stores. As you sell your beef, create a mailing list so you can send your established customers special pricing on excess cuts, or on new types of cuts as shown below.

Creative Beef Cuts: Whether you are direct marketing your beef by individual cuts or by quarters and halves, it is always a plus to offer some new cuts to your customers. Ask your processor about unusual or “trendy” cuts e.g. skirt steaks; chuck eye steaks and flat iron steaks. These cuts that would otherwise likely have become ground beef, can be priced significantly higher than burger and will give you the opportunity to offer wider variety to your customers. Your variety of cuts can also have some seasonality (your “winter” stew beef can be cut into larger pieces to become “summer” kabobs). A good year-round seller for us is a pre-seasoned fajita strip. Any of these cuts make a great presentation when they are vacuum packed on foam trays. Some other specialty items to consider are beef bratwurst, beef jerky and summer sausage. Not all processors will offer these items, but some do. When processing beef bratwurst, see about making yours without nitrates or MSG so that you can keep your “natural” claim in place. Beef jerky and summer sausage will usually contain preservatives for extended shelf life, and you may not be able to avoid this. Higher prices paid by consumers for jerky and summer sausage may make it profitable, but check with your processor on the additional cost to make these items.

Over the next several months, I will be working with national and regional publications on editorial opportunities for our breed. Again, I ask for your feedback on any interesting stories about your family farm or unique hobbies that other readers would enjoy learning about. Please email me at info@sherwoodacresbeef.com.

If you haven't already made plans to attend the Fall Annual General Meeting, now is the time!  In addition to the appeal of South Carolina and Driftwood Plantation of Awendaw, the city of Charleston is in close proximity with many national wildlife areas to enjoy. If that is not enough to entice you, the chance to visit Beltie friends old and new is certainly the icing on the cake!  So, keep your eyes posted to the newsletter for the meeting registration form. Meeting dates are October 24-26, 2008 at Driftwood Plantation. The event will include the Lowcountry Fall Classic Sale. 

Mary Calletto Rife died peacefully in her home March 6, 2008. Mary and her husband, Corwin, practiced organic farming and raised Belted Galloway cattle in Gobles, MI. They shared a holistic approach to life, health and medicine. After her husband’s death, she sold her herd to Ray and Carolyn McLean, MO. Mary was a librarian for more than 50 years in New Jersey, Michigan and Oregon. She touched many lives because of her passion for children and literacy. She was known to put her heart into her work, whether planning an Italian meal, a book signing or arranging for a volunteer to read to children. She often dressed as Mother Goose to encourage children to read. Mary is survived by 4 stepchildren, 16 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

In March the World Galloway Congress was hosted by Barry McAlley and the New Zealand Galloway Association in Auckland.

Eighty-eight Galloway Breeders from eight countries attended as follows 15- Australia; 5-Germany; 2-Uruguay; 6-USA; 5- Austria ; 4-U.K.; 2-Canada ; 49-New Zealand. Andre LeMaistre (ME), Dick and Lisa Williams (SC) and solid Galloway breeders, Charles and Marilyn Burns (WV) were the American attendees.

Before arriving in New Zealand, most visited Australia and attended the Royal Canberra Show. There was a good range of Galloways and Belted Galloways being shown. Several dinners and events were enjoyed by those visiting Australia. A Galloway and Beef Marketing Association dinner was held at The Green Herring Resturant, a wooden slab hut built in 1860. We enjoyed great ambiance and a fun evening with the "Piping in the Haggis."

Barry McAlley and the Galloway Cattle Society of New Zealand hosted a well planned meeting and tour in New Zealand. There were wonderful meals and informative meetings in Auckland and technical sessions with a "hands on" cattle demonstration and judging at the Clevedon Fairgrounds. Afterwards, there was a three day tour of Galloway farms and breeders on the North Island. It was a great way to meet and interact with the different breeders and get an inside look at how they manage their farms.

Some of the attendees then proceeded to the South Island for an informal farm tour hosted by members in that area. All who attended found New Zealand a beautiful country with magnificent landscape, farms and the most hospitable people! It was a memorable event and the country exceptional.

2008 Annual World Congress. Belted Galloway breeders, Andre LeMaistre (ME) and Dick and Lisa Williams (SC) represented the United States. [Photo courtesy of Lisa Williams, SC].
 
 
 
 
 

Belted Galloway cattle graze at Mrs. Kernohan’s Tatua Ma Belted Stud Farm, Horotiu, northwest of Hamilton City, New Zealand, during a World Congress farm tour. [Photo courtesy of Lisa Williams, SC.]

The Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association is hosting two summer events and would like to invite all breeders and Beltie enthusiasts to attend.

On Saturday, July 5, 2008 the annual Blow and Go Show will be held. The one-day-event will be held at the Pecatonica Fairgrounds in Pecatonica, IL. For entry information contact Superintendent Lisa Lovett (815) 652-3789 or antietamfarm@dishmail.net.

On Saturday, August 2, 2008 GLBGA will be hosting their annual field day at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, in Iowa City, IA. Morning activities will include the annual meeting and educational activities followed by the show Belties Unlimited. The show will follow the same guidelines of the annual Blow & Go — no adhesives. For more information contact event planners, Greg & Pat Hipple (319) 624-2812 or sbelties@southslope.net, for entry and hotel information.

Often the Society office receives questions about Appendix recordations from members who want to know how the system operates. Appendix recordations include all purebred females who are mismarked plus crossbred (percentage) females who are properly marked and mismarked. All Appendix recordations begin with an A before their number.  Crossbred or percentage females are ½ blood, ¾ blood, and 7/8 blood who were sired by a purebred registered Belted Galloway bull.

In an effort to increase the numbers of Belted Galloway cattle, an upbreeding program was initiated in the United States in the mid-1960s. If a breeder intends to start an upbreeding program on achieve a purebred herd … patience will need to be practiced. It will take approximately 11 years to achieve, if each generation produces females.

 A base cow from a breed that is polled, solid colored, or a belted beef type breed with no extraneous white must be used to begin an upbreeding program. The breeder must always use a purebred registered Belted Galloway sire to begin his/her program.  Again, only female offspring may be recorded in the Appendix.  Males produced are used for meat only.

For example, a breeder purchases 4 Angus cows and breeds them to a purebred registered Belted Galloway bull. Four black heifers are born and the breeder may record them as ½ blood Belted Galloway. The Society will issue a number beginning with A for Appendix, followed by the Society recordation number, plus ½ for the designation of Belted Galloway blood, and will include the breed of the base cow or AN for Angus only if the base cow is registered. (If the base cow is an unregistered other breed then the suffix with be XX.)  The resultant numbers for each heifer will be A9002B½BGAN, A9004B½BGAN, A9006B½BGAN, A9008B½BGAN.

The next generation of females produced by these ½ Belted Galloway heifers and a purebred registered Belted Galloway sire will be recorded as ¾ blood Belted Galloway. The ¾ blood females who are bred to a purebred registered Belted Galloway bull will produce females that may be recorded as 7/8 blood Belted Galloway.  The 7/8 blood females who are bred to a purebred registered Belted Galloway bull will produce 15/16 blood Belted Galloway females who will be allowed in the purebred registry if properly marked and will have a PBXX designation behind their registration number.

A 15/16 blood Belted Galloway female will gain purebred status in the Herd Book and her offspring (both male and female) sired by a purebred registered Belted Galloway bull, will be considered purebred.

In 2007 the Belted Galloway Society recorded 99 animals into the Appendix.

About mismarks. Absolutely no male mismarked animals are allowed into the Herd Book. A breeder who wishes to show steers may record any mismarked, castrated male for the purpose of obtaining a steer certificate. Steer certificates are only issued for castrated males sired by purebred registered Belted Galloway bull and will have the designation of STEER following the recordation number.

Mismarked females. A code will appear on each Appendix recordation (after the recordation number) signifying what type of mismark appears on the female.

Purebred females registered in the Herd Book with white on one or more feet or hooves below the level of the dewclaw(s) will be designated with the letter ‘W’ as part of the registration number. If your bull has a white striped hoof he is not eligible for registration. If your female has a white striped hoof, it must be designated at the time of registration. Extraneus white is defined as any white other than a belt. 

We welcome the membership to always call or write with any questions prior to registering/recording their animals. If you read this article and realize that you have registered an animal in error … papers can be amended for accuracy.

Use the letter U as the official Year Code when tattooing animals born in 2008. The letter T applies to animals born in 2007. 

18th National Belted Galloway Sale
Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Fryeburg, ME. 
Contact Brud McCabe (802) 748-5107 (VT), (603) 694-2101 (NH), (603) 694-2103 (Fax) or nwgrange@fairpoint.net.

Spring Council Meeting 
April 25-27 at Fryeburg, ME.
Contact Laura Glassmann (717) 677-9655 or beltiecows@aol.com.

Northeast Livestock Expo
May 16-18, 2008 at Windsor, ME.
Contact Kim Mackay, (207) 453-7890 or cnkangus@roadrunner.com.

Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association Blow and Go Show
July 5, 2008, Pecatonica, IL. 
Contact Lisa Lovett (815) 652-3789 or antietamfarm@dishmail.net.

Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association Annual Field Day and Show
August 2, 2008, Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City, IA. 
Contact Greg & Pat Hipple (319) 624-2812 or sbelties@southslope.net.

Union Fair/Maine Wild Blueberry Festival
August 17-23, 2008. Show August 21. Union, ME. 
Contact Loraine Prock (207) 832-4715 or prockfrm@midcoast.com.

Windsor Fair 
August 24 – September 1, 2008, Windsor, ME. 
Contact Curtis Prime (207) 621-4167.

Secretarial Office Phone Hours ...
Phone hours are Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST). A detailed message may be left at any time. 
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