The best site on the web for Scottish Highland Cattle pictures, classified ads with photos, information, breeder directory, tips and tools, coming events, and a membership invitation to Highland Cattle breeders in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. |
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MIDWEST HIGHLAND CATTLE ASSOCIATION Annual Membership Meeting February 18, 2006 Pottawatomie Inn, Angola, Indiana
The meeting was called to order by President Valerie White. Members introduced themselves. Minutes of the 2005 meeting were presented by Sec/Tres Tom Allan and approved as presented. The Treasurers report was presented by Sec/Tres Tom Allan. The 2005 year ending balance of $7764.61 was similar to the previous year balance of $7863. The MHCA appears to be is good financial shape. The Treasurers Report was accepted and approved. Tom Snyder, ACHA Director, gave the ACHA report of the Jan 19 meeting in Denver. There appeared to be some controversy on the rule change of cow /calf age from 250 day to 205 days. After much discussion a straw poll showed the 205 day age favored over the 250 day age by a 14 to 3 margin. The summer AHCA meeting will be at the International Gathering of Highland Breeders in June, 2006 at Sheridan, Wyoming. The 2007 summer meeting will be in mid-June (tentatively 13-17 June) near Madison, Wisconsin. There was a discussion on the issue of electronic ID tagging in addition to tattoos and regular ear tags. A lively discussion followed on the new DNA testing rule for registering bulls and the ACHA fees ($60 for bulls up to 24 month plus $35 for DNA test). A motion was made for the board to survey the membership on this issue Ballots were passed out for the election of the two board members. For the position of Sec /Tres, Tom Allan (Allan’s Acres, Sault , MI) was unopposed. For the position of Director, Travis Sheets (TGS Highlands, Frankfort, IN) was on the ballot. Nominations from the floor included Fred White and Adrianne Mishler. When the ballots had been counted by the ad hoc election committee, Tom Allan and Travis Sheets were elected to the board. Pat White DVM presented a very informative talk on First Aid Kit for your Cows. She discussed the 25 things (plus 1) that every cattle farm should have on hand, from colostrum and dental floss to antiseptics and syringes. A nominating committee of Bill Dotson, Valerie White and Tom Allan was approved to select candidates for next years open positions. Tom Snyder presented an informative talk on Abby Snyder’s ongoing research into Highland beef quality and Highland beef marketing. Included were current results of a study on beef customer preferences and continued analysis of pure bred, cross bred. grass fed and grain fed beef tenderness and quality. Dave Van Antwerp presented a summary of the MHCA website. There are 56 highland farms currently listed on the site. The site averaged 134 different visitors per day and 4076 visitors per month. The site currently contains 1,497 photographs and gets hits from all over the world. Marion Belding will be taking over the editor ship of Midwest Musing the MHCA newsletter. She will be looking for new material for the newsletter. Many thanks to Dave Van Antwerp for his years of work on the newsletter. Valerie and Fred White offered to host a barbecue at Fieldstone Farms in July this summer. Other possible sites were discussed Valerie discussed The Midwest Highland Show at the Centreville Fair . The dates are Sept 17-24 with a Sept 20 Highland show. LEA-White Farms (Pat and Larry) was awarded the Premier Breeder Award. This fall the AHCA International Show will be moved from Cambridge to the Goshen Fairgrounds on the second weekend of Sept. Adrianne Mishler will be the show coordinator. Larry Alber presented an update on Highland marketing efforts which were considerd to be very successful. This included a summary of our magazine advertisements in Hobby Farm Magazine and Countryside Magazine. We had 1200 full-color Highland cattle information cards (brochures) printed at a cost of $519. These have proven very popular. 100 card were distributed to the members present and 400 cards remain in inventory. Other marketing possibilities were discussed. As all members benefit form the advertising of the highland breed a budget of $1500 was approved for highland cattle marketing, and a committee was appointed to direct the expenditures of those marketing funds. Committee members are Larry Alber, Tom Allan and Bill Dotson. Possible meeting sites for next year were discussed, and Pat White will look in to a meeting site Lansing, Michigan. Minutes taken and presented by Tom Allan MWHCA Secretary/Treasurer
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