Prime_Time_winter_2019

Cattle Tales Kaci Carrales | Executive Director | kcarrales@akaushi.com EXECUT I VE DIRECTOR’ S MESSAGE H appy New Year! I hope 2019 is off to a great start!

fers, which makes everyone’s production system more efficient. We want to grow breed awareness through factual data and then use that data to create information for members to make breeding decisions. By doing this, Akaushi breeders worldwide will continue to grow; however, we must remain committed to the fundamentals that brought us integrity – DNA verification of every animal that gives our customers the ability to buy with confidence. Seeing Akaushi on the menus of the greatest steakhouses in America, as well as other restaurants that demand better prod- uct, shows us that Akaushi is not just a niche or a fad but is a proven product that our beef consumers demand. Since the very beginning, growing the breed has been a true team effort, and it will take each and every one of us working together to continue that momentum. The membership is who the association serves, but the association is only as strong and progressive as its members. As a staff, we are committed to pro- cessing DNA in a timely fashion. We are also available to answer questions, sup- port field days, attend industry events to

Allow me to introduce myself – I’m Kaci Car- rales, the American Akaushi Association’s (AAA) new executive director. It is such a won- derful opportunity to lead

such a strong and progressive beef breed association and develop lifelong friends in the process. I would like to personally thank our outgoing executive director Bubba Bain and office manager Janie Bain for the tremendous amount of time and effort they dedicated to establish Akaushi as a breed and promote Akaushi to the cattle industry. Over the last nine years, they have done an excellent job getting our breed association started and headed in the right direction. I would like to acknowledge them for believ- ing in this breed and running a successful breed association. Before joining AAA, I worked for Heart- Brand® Beef where I oversaw the com- pany’s fullblood herd and was committed to learning about the Akaushi breed, genetics and how the cattle performed in different environments. Additionally, I learned how the cattle excel in carcass quality traits while maintaining functional production traits. I was responsible for logging all our cattle in DigitalBeef, so I am well-versed in how the program works and the value it provides to individual breeders and the association. It is my hope that you also rec- ognize DigitalBeef’s value and continue to utilize all of its features. I am so excited for the opportunity to continue moving this breed to its great- est potential. It will take all of us working together to make this happen. I want the association to be the best service provider to its members by providing timely and accurate DNA results and registry trans-

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