Barzona_Bulletin_Fall_2020

From Our Association Secretary

By Alecia Heinz, Golden Hz Farm, BBAA Secretary T he 2020 Barzona Breeders Associ-

ation of America (BBAA) Conven- tion was hosted In Montgomery, Ala., by member Raymond Boy- kin. Financially, the association has gained a little bit of ground in the last year, and we hope to continue to do so. The No. 1 topic of discussion was the idea brought up mid-summer during a conference call about having an Annual BBAA Breed Auction. There was a lot of discussion about the idea, and I will do more research on cost, auctioneers, transport options, advertising, sale criteria, etc. It was agreed perhaps a bi-annual sale would be best, probably starting late in 2021 or 2022, and holding it every other year thereafter. The thought was that animal numbers would be better if both yearlings and 2-year-olds were offered at the same time, increasing availabil- ity and numbers in breeding stock (although for feeder calves this wouldn’t be ideal). That works hand-in-hand with most buy- ers saying they would only be purchasing when they need new stock. The survey that was sent out also suggested that registered stock is all that will be allowed to sell, with the exception of feeder calves. Bulls are always sold as singles, but some infor- mation and testing requirements will be enforced. Females will be sold individually or in sets of three, and may also have minor requirements. Videos or slideshows will be used, and the most widely accepted format was an online auction. We will be using our Facebook page and the Barzona Bulletin newsletter lists to circulate most of the sale catalogs publicly, Weichman Feedyard, L.P.

and more will be offered through individual requests. The pos- sibility of holding the sale jointly with another group or breed might be necessary, depending on how costs are billed. We will continue to investigate options before making any final decisions on whether to move forward or not. PLEASE con- tact me with your input as a buyer/seller so we have an expan- sive base to work from. The wider the base, the higher the peak can be. There will be future conference calls about the sale, so watch Facebook and your emails for links and numbers. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Barzona Bulletin news- letter email giveaway due to lack of participation (we had only one entry). Everyone agreed the effort in moving the newsletter viewership to digital failed. We are also looking for any interest- ed parties to run some advertising in the newsletter. We have a circulation of more than 800, so even a one-time ad can be worth your while. Ad rates are listed in the newsletter, so please take a look. I will be sending out questionnaires to members and will be having small articles introducing each operation pub- lished on our website homepage! We have some new breeders in Kansas and are going to po- tentially have the 2021 BBAA Convention in Dodge City, Kan., next June. There are several opportunities in that area, which we hope to take advantage of. Officer elections were held at the end of the business por- tion of the convention. We welcome Matt Heinz of Iowa as our new BBAA president, and Garey Fischer of Oregon as BBAA vice president. Your local points of contact are: Eastern Director, Raymond Boykin, Alabama; Central Director, Dodd Carmichael, Texas; and Western Director, Ron Erjavec, Colorado. BB Raising Quality Barzona Cattle for 46 years. Bulls & Females Available Two-Year-Old Bulls Available Now F & F Cattle Company

We have more than 30 years’ experience finishing cattle and more than 10 years’ experience finishing Barzona cattle. We offer a value-based marketing systemwith a history of premiums for Barzona cattle. Give us a call (620) 874-5231

Mike & Pat Fitzgerald 130 Fitzgerald Lane, Mosquero, NM 87733 (575) 673-2346 ffcattleco@plateautel.net

4030 Highway 83 North Scott City, KS 67671

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