Tour Gets Under Way

National Angus Tour kicks off with stops at UGA Double Bridges Farm and Partisover Angus Ranch.

 

by Katie Gazda for Angus Productions Inc.

 

ATHENS, Ga. (Sept. 6, 2011) — Attendees of the 2011 National Angus Conference & Tour (NAC&T) made their first farm tour stops following the completion of speakers Tuesday afternoon.

 

The conference took place Sept. 6-8 less than one mile from the campus of the University of Georgia (UGA), one of the nation’s first land-grant institutions. To celebrate the school's land-grant history and the its deep agricultural ties, the NAC&T group made its first tour stop at UGA’s Double Bridges Farm.

 

Double Bridges Farm rests a few miles outside of the hustle and bustle of campus, and is the result of campus expansion, which is ultimately pushing the University’s farms further from the city.  The farm, which is still under development, will play host to cattle, swine and sheep.

 

The UGA Angus herd provides hands-on learning experience for students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Animal and Dairy Science program. The herd was started in the 1970s and today includes 140 purebred and 30 commercial Angus cows.

 

Following the tour of Double Bridges Farm, the busses caravanned to Colbert, Ga., to Partisover Ranch. Owned and operated by Dan and Randy Daniel, Partisover also works hand-in-hand with the university to provide local UGA students the opportunity to live and work on the ranch, which is home to 270 registered Angus and SimAngus cattle. In addition to the herd in Georgia, Partisover Ranch operates a partnership herd in Oklahoma.

 

While at Partisover, the group had the chance to view a selection of cattle from several members of the Georgia Angus Association, including Partisover Ranch, Poe Farms, Gazda Cattle Co., Cloud Brothers, Throne Stock Farm and High View Farms. Additionally, Gary Black, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, joined the group at the ranch and welcomed them to Georgia.

 

Black, a native of Commerce, Ga., is no stranger to the agriculture or cattle industries. Prior to his election as the state’s 16th Commissioner of Agriculture, Black served as president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. When he isn’t busy in his office in Atlanta advocating for the industry, he can be found on his commercial cattle farm with his two children, Ward and Caroline, and his wife, Lydia. Both Ward and Caroline grew up in the showring, participating in both 4-H and FFA, and are UGA graduate.

 

“We couldn’t ask for a better commissioner,” Randy Daniel bragged on Black, who took office in 2010. He replaced Tommy Irvin in the role, who retired after 10 terms and 40 years as Georgia’s Commissioner.

 

Before giving grace over the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) meal served by members of the Georgia Angus Association and Georgia Angus Auxiliary, Black praised the American Angus Association, its staff and its members, and thanked them for choosing to take time out of their busy schedules to visit his state.

 

“Agriculture remains the number one industry in our state, and we are proud of it,” Black said. “We welcome you to Georgia.”

 

Editor’s Note: This article was written by staff or under contract for Angus Productions Inc. (API). It may not be reprinted without the express permission of API. If you would like to reprint or repost this article, request permission by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.