Steele named president of American Meat Science Association student board

The American Meat Science Association student membership recently elected its 2018-2019 Student Board of Directors, including naming Chandler Steele, of Texas A&M University, president. Steele grew up in Central Michigan on her family’s farm raising and showing livestock. She is currently pursuing a master of science degree in animal science with a focus in meat science and food safety at Texas A&M University under the guidance of Dr. Jeff Savell and Dr. Kerri Gehring. Steele completed her bachelor of science degree in animal science with an emphasis in… Read More →

The Art and Science of Grilling Steak

The grilling season is in full swing and we decided to talk with a meat scientist about what it takes to have a good steak grilling experience. What we found was that good tasting beef is both a science and an art. The scientific part is picking the right cut. The art part is what you do with it once you take it home. Dan Hale is a Professor and Texas A&M Agrilife Meat Specialist. “You want to pick a steak that’s at least medium in tenderness or… Read More →

Epigenetic Programming of Heifer Puberty Through Perinatal Nutrition

Nationally and internationally, research on the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) has taken the old saying “you are what you eat” to levels of importance that even its originator, nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, never imagined. The DOHaD hypothesis, set forth originally by epidemiologist David Barker, was the first to suggest a link between prenatal nutrition and late-onset coronary heart disease in humans. We now know that a variety of developmental and health-related outcomes can result from changes in the character of the maternal and postnatal environment, including… Read More →

Welcome to BBQ University

By: Bill Heavey Armed with a notebook, a hairnet, and appetite, and plenty of Dr. Pepper, a novice backyard warrior enters the hallowed halls of meat science for an intensive lesson in fire, wood, smoke, and plain old great Texas ‘cue. The secret to making great barbecue is simple—good airflow. Without steady airflow through your cooker, you get dirty smoke and bitter meat. A guy like Bryan Bracewell, who runs Southside Market & Barbeque in Elgin, Texas, knows several blocks before he arrives at the store what kind… Read More →

AMSA honors Dr. Davey Griffin with the 2018 AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award

AMSA has announced that Dr. Davey Griffin is the recipient of the 2018 Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award.  The award is sponsored by Food Safety Net Services and Agri-West International.  Dr. Griffin will be honored at a special awards banquet at the AMSA 71st Reciprocal Meat Conference on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Davey Griffin attended Texas A&M University where he received his B.S. in 1978, M.S. in 1981, and Ph.D. in 1989. Dr. Griffin judged on the Texas A&M University Meat Judging… Read More →

64th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 6-8 in College Station

Writer/Media Contact: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Jason Cleere, 979-845-6931, jjcleere@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – The 64th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 6-8 at Texas A&M University in College Station will highlight a cattle market outlook as well as issues affecting beef producers. The short course is the largest beef cattle educational event in the country and attracts more than 1,600 beef cattle producers from Texas and abroad, according to organizers. The short course is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the department of animal… Read More →

Texas A&M Summer Horsemanship Schools enter 46th year

Media contact: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu  Contact: Chelsie Huseman, 979-845-5264, chelsie.huseman@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – More than 100 former Texas A&M University Summer Horsemanship School instructors gathered as part of a reunion weekend to celebrate 46 consecutive years of the program at Texas A&M University. The event was held on the university campus and included guests of honor B.F. Yeates, Dr. Pete Gibbs and Dr. Gary Potter, all former founders/directors of the program that began in the 1970s. “This was the first-ever instructor reunion for the Summer Horsemanship School Program and… Read More →

Cow with better body condition has stronger calving process

Writer: Dr. Joe Paschal, 361-265-9203, joe.paschal@ag.tamu.edu Body condition scoring refers to evaluating the amount of body fat in a cow (or any other animal). Under normal grazing conditions, cows carrying more body fat are more efficient because they are more adapted to their environment. Cows (and bulls) that are more adapted to their environment are more fertile and productive. The value of body condition scoring has been known since at least the early 1960s when Dr. J. N. Wiltbank reported that cows in better body condition, or that were… Read More →

The Top 4 lessons learned at Camp Brisket

By: Jeff Savell, 979-845-3992, j-savell@tamu.edu & Kerri Gehring, 979-862-3254, kbgehring@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION, Texas –  Camp Brisket, a joint venture between Foodways Texas and Texas A&M Univ., has evolved since the inaugural event held in 2013, to what is now an always sold-out, dream-come-true annual opportunity for pit masters of all experience levels to immerse themselves in beef. It is a great companion to the annual Barbecue Summer Camp, which has also developed a cult-like following and has drawn hundreds of attendees from around the country to Texas A&M. As… Read More →

Horn flies can damage cattle skin, need to be controlled

Writer: Dr. Joe Paschal, 361-265-9203, joe.paschal@ag.tamu.edu The other day when I was turning out the cows to a rested pasture full of green grass and winter weeds, I noticed many of them had several horn flies and other cows had quite a few. I guess it is going to be an early season. The horn fly, which seems to be a misnomer since they congregate on cattle without horns, too, were introduced to the U.S. from Europe in the late 1800s. They were called horn fly because they clustered… Read More →