by Tim Clark, North Central Region
We have all heard the saying, “change is inevitable, progress is optional.”
No truer words have been spoken for the current beef industry, and the American Simmental Association as well. Life is full of changes; it is up to us as individuals to deal with them as they present themselves.
The ASA has seen a number of changes over the past year, with a new EVP in place, new ASA Geneticist, and new Director of Commercial and Industry Relations. All of that plus several new and updated EPD. How do you as an individual want to look at these changes? Is the sky falling? Are we doomed for failure? Or do we look at it as progress? Is there a brighter future? Are there new and exciting ideas going forward? We also have changes in Trustees year after year, so nothing stays constant in this ever-changing world of Simmental.
The Simmental breed is in a tremendous spot, no matter what segment of the industry you look at. We hear of the industry updating the current yield grade system. The update will increase the accuracy of predicting the overall red meat yield vs. the current system. Simmental again will be in the driver’s seat, because of the muscle and red meat yield we provide the beef industry.
Over the past year, the ASA has introduced the Dry Matter Intake EPD, along with the $Gain index. More recently, Mature Cow Weight and Cow Energy Requirement EPD were released in research format. In late November, we saw an update in Calving Ease and Maternal Calving Ease. From the beginning, we have been a breed based on science. As an Association we will continue to strive to use data and science to lead this breed forward. Do we look at these as new opportunities or as more data to shed a bad light on our genetics? New EPD give us additional tools to evaluate individuals on what they offer us as breeders and to the beef industry. Updates are needed as science develops tools to evaluate more data and incorporate data in a more efficient way. With these updates we provide our members with more reliable data along with more accurate EPD.
Let me leave you with some additional words on change. First, from John F. Kennedy shared, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Benjamin Franklin contributed this cogent observation: “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” And finally, Warren G. Bennis claimed, “In life, change is inevitable. In business, change is vital.” .
