KANSAS CITY, Mo. U.S. Premium Beef, Ltd. (USPB) con ducted its first annual stockholder meeting on May 20 in Garden City, Kan. USPB stockholders heard an update on the company’s year-to date performance and also elected the company’s first permanent board of directors. “Since December 1, when USPB began operations, we’ve continued to improve both our program and our cattle as our members have received individual carcass data on their cattle,” Steve Hunt, USPB CEO, told attendees. During that time USPB bought more than $133 million worth of cattle and paid out more than $1 million in premiums on approxi mately 195,000 head of cattle. “In spite of the market chal lenges, our program has worked as we hoped and believed it would,” Hunt said. “In the coming months and years, as the market condi tions return to more normal levels and USPB members breed, buy, and produce cattle designed for our grid and consumer markets, our program and premiums paid out will grow.” In the first six months of opera tion, USPB’s interim board of directors made several improve ments designed to encourage Since 1972... The Original & The Largest POURED SOLID CONCRETE SPECIALISTS Premium Beef Conducts First Stockholder Meeting members to produce the right quality of cattle to earn the highest return from those cattle. “Specifi cally, we increased our transporta tion credit from $.50 to $.55 per cwt, introduced a forward con tract, removed the discounts on yield grade 1 and 2 carcasses, low ered the heavy and light carcass discounts, and developed an un branded hides premium,” Hunt said. “We are encouraged that our members have earned significant premiums on a quality-based grid in spite of the narrow lect spread the industry has faced for most of this year,” he said. “Tracking our premiums on a weekly basis has been encourag ing. We’ve seoi significant im provement since we began opera tions on December 1, which we believe is due to producers getting individual animal carcass data (at no charge) on their cattle and mak ing changes based on that knowledge. “In fact, our best week of pre miums paid on all USPB cattle was in early May when our pre miums averaged $17.23 per head,” Hunt noted. “During that week the top 25 percent of our cat tle earned $34.45 per head over the cash market and the middle 50 percent earned an $18.69 per head premium to cash. Overall the top 25 percent of our cattle have aver aged $24.21 per head over the cash market and the middle 50 percent were $7.28 per head over cash. “It’s important to remember that we’re stil in the infancy of our FREDERICK, Md. A Frederick County Pasture Walk is scheduled Wednesday, June 17 from 10 a.m.-noon at Holterholm Farms on Holier Road. Pasture walks show livestock producers how rotational grazing can increase agricultural profit ability. Discussions will include ‘The Grazing Wedge” and the economics of rotational grazing systems, as well as plant growth information for the 1998 season will also be available. Clean burning turbocharged Cummins B 3 9 liquid cooled diesel engine Low for iie wnn Muni mo beiohgs n * kn muni mill i lie imim mi work. Because it was born tough, the new 85 PTO hp 6510 has what it takes to make things easier on you The extra roomy cab keeps noise levels to a minimum and boosts comfort to the maximum, with climate control, improved visibility and more A 12 x 4 synchro transmission is standard, and there’s a reliable, clean burning Cummins B 3 9 diesel under the low profile hood Come take a test drive today, and get to know the born-tough new generation of White tractors WITMER’S INC. Box 368 Columbiana, OH 44408 330-427-2147 HERNLEY’ S FARM EQUIPMENT, INC. 2095 S. Market St Elizabethtown, PA 717-367-8867 Pasture Walk June 17 MILK Where's your mustache ? “ 12x4 partial synchro transmission and optional 12 x 12 synchro shuttle MILLER EQUIPMENT CO. RD 1 Bechtelsville, PA 610-845-2911 STANLEYS FARM SERVICE IMPLEMENT CO., INC. "V 700 E. Lindens Richland, PA 717-648-2088 717-866-7518 development process,” Hunt re minded USPB stockholders. “It’s easy to overlook what we have in USPB. We own a successful beef company with branded labels in place. We market our cattle on a competitive grid when they’re ready and receive carcass data at no charge. We get a transportation This is the fourth year of graz ing for Holterholm Farms. The dairy herd consists of 57 Hol steins, 25 Jerseys, and two cross breeds. The entire 200-acre farm is seeded to permanent pasture. The herd is milked seasonally, with the dry period running from late December until mid February. A variety of perennial grasses is established, including orchard grass, fescue, ryegrass, prairie grass, and reed canary grass. In ad credit to get them to the plants. And we have a staff in place to help improve the quality of cattle you deliver to USPB. There will be more exciting developments in the coming year which we believe will more consistently reward USPB members for producing higher quality beef.” dition, white clover, red clover, al falfa, and chicory are used across the farm. Water is available in every paddock and an all-weather cow lane was installed in 1996 us ing several different geotextile fabrics. To reach the farm from Jeffer son, Md. go east on Jefferson Pike and make a left onto Holler Road. Go two miles to the farm on the right. From Middletown, Maryland go south on Rl 17. Take an im mediate left onto Franklin Street (this becomes Holter Road). Go three miles to the farm on the left Look for pasture walk signs. For more information, contact Stanley W. 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