| Venison Cooking Competition 2009 Students from the Sullivan University Arts Program recented tested their cooking skills in the second annual venison culinary competition hosted by the Cervid Livestock Foundation (CLF), the research and education foundation of NADeFA. This event was held in conjunction with the NADeFA's annual convention held in Lexington, Kentucky on March 2, 2009. To find out more about the competition winners and to see photos, please click here.
Trophy Bucks Go To School
Steve is a chief deputy of the Kittson Country Sheriff’s Office and took most of his vacation days to educate kids about deer farming, hunting and the positive effects both have on building family relationships. Steve’s goal is to get kids motivated enough to turn off the computer, put down their cell phones and venture out into the outdoors. Porter’s presentations touched on a wide range of deer and hunting topics, including deer behavior, antler development and the family bonds formed when families hunt and farm together.
The remaining 30% of the funding was paid by some of the participating schools, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) and local sportsman’s clubs. Mark Johnson, Executive Director of the MDHA in
The Steve Porter Trophy Whitetail project has concluded its 2008 school visits in
Your Executive Director has been busy applying for grants for future funding of our educational projects including the new deer farming seminars and the Steve Porter traveling deer display. We should be getting the results of the grant applications very soon. In October, CLF board members Carolyn Laughlin, Brad Thurston, Charly Seale and your Executive Director attended the national FFA convention in
The CLF has a busy schedule planned in 2009 with the sponsoring of the venison culinary competition and a new deer farming seminar at the NADeFA conference which will be held in
We are continuing to seek funding for the TB blood test research being conducted by Chembio and Pritest. Chembio has done a substantial amount of research on cervids and is ready to apply for the license to sell their product. They recently approached industry representatives at the USAHA conference asking for a $10,000 grant to validate the cervid portion of their new stat pack. The new and improved stat pack is showing more accurate sensitivity and specificity test results than their current test and will increase the chances of getting the test licensed for use. Pritest has finished Phase I of their TB blood test research with the funding they received from the CLF and the Elk Research Foundation. After completing Phase I, Pritest determined that a better antigen is needed to increase the accuracy of the test, so now they have moved on to that portion of the research which is estimated to cost $10,000. Once they have completed this work, they will move on to Phase II of the research which will require at least another $50,000. There is some possibility of USDA/APHIS funding some of this research, but with funding in
If you need a tax deduction before the end of 2008, please remember any donation to the CLF is 100% tax deductible and we have several other projects that you can donate to.
This year’s
The consensus among the conference attendees was that the money would be better spent on research to develop a better test for TB. Dr. John Clifford supported the request from industry and the research companies for more research dollars and the need for more positive samples to be collected for validation of the TB blood test. However, with the funds in
Chembio, one of the TB blood test research companies, has done a substantial amount of research on cervids and is ready to apply for the license to sell their product. They estimate the time to get this test licensed to be about 6 months. Any producer who has done any TB testing knows how important this blood test is to the industry. Because of the lack of TB positive samples in the past, there is no guarantee the test will be approved for use. The regulators may ask for more test results and that is why the need to continue with the research is so necessary. At the conference, Chembio also presented data on a new stat pack test they are working on that is even more accurate than the current stat pack used for the original TB research. The new and improved stat pack is showing more accurate sensitivity and specificity test results and will increase the chances of getting the test licensed for use. Chembio approached the cervid industry representatives at the conference asking for a $10,000 grant to validate the cervid portion of their new stat pack. There were updates from USDA/APHIS on when we can expect the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR’s) we have all been waiting for. The CWD CFR is scheduled to be released for public comment December 2008. The TB CFR has been put on hold indefinitely because of all the problems mentioned earlier in this report. They need to develop policies and solutions that actually work to reduce the spread of the disease. There was no word on when the Brucellosis CFR’s will be released either. In the committee meeting on Captive Wildlife & Alternative Livestock, Dr. Kurt VerCauteren from the
Pete Squibb, a wildlife consultant from Michigan, gave a presentation during the Committee on Wildlife Diseases on the scavenging behavior patterns in deer. He and Dr. Brad Thurston conducted research that showed numerous slides of deer checking out gut piles and some interesting photos of a deer chewing the ears and legs off of a dead rabbit. Does any of this play a factor in the spread of diseases? More research is the only way to answer the question. Updates on the TB issue in
EHD research has recently become a national concern. Whitetail producers in
It is my opinion as a whitetail deer producer and industry representative that we must maintain our presence at this all important conference and give as much input as possible to all potential regulations affecting our industry. Laurie Prasnicki
Laurie Prasnicki 2008 is proving to be another exciting year for the Cervid Livestock Foundation. With the success of the NADeFA conference and the Venison Culinary Competition behind us, we are moving on to more exciting projects for the deer industry. We are currently in the process of funding research for the validation of a TB blood test. This blood test has been developed by a company called Pritest and validation of the test will be accomplished using cervids. The research already done by this company on other species is showing great promise for validation. All cervid producers know how critical a blood test is for the entire industry. The CLF, along with The Elk Research Council, funded stage I of the research for a total of $25,000. The CLF is seeking additional funding for stage II of the research which will require an additional $100,000. If your farm/business is interested in donating to this worthwhile cause, please contact me for more information. Public education of the cervid industry is also of vital importance in preserving the right to raise cervids in this country. In 2007, the CLF funded two projects aimed at educating thousands of young students attending the Future Farmers of America Convention. The CLF Board of Directors recently approved another educational project that will educate thousands of additional students. Grant money will be going to school districts interested in participating in educational seminars. These seminars will be taught by Steve Porter, a cervid farmer from
The CLF recently hired a public relations firm. By going nationwide with news releases about the projects we sponsor and with positive articles written about the industry, we will be presenting this industry in a positive light. At the same time will also make the general public more aware of the cervid industry. A project we are working on for this summer entails working with state associations to co-sponsor new deer farming seminars around the country. There is an influx of new farmers to the industry and now is the perfect time to renew this project. The CLF will also be sponsoring a new deer farming seminar at the NADeFA conference in March, 2009. The CLF continues to look for new and exciting projects for the future. I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss any of these projects with you in more detail should anyone have any questions or concerns. Also, if you have ideas for other worthwhile projects, please let me know. As always, any donation to the Cervid Livestock Foundation is 100% tax deductible. Contributions can be made to the CLF by contacting me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 715-314-0455.
CLF Venison Competition – February 2008 The Cervid Livestock Foundation (CLF), promoting research and education through the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA), sponsored the first annual venison culinary competition. This event was held February 29, 2008 at the Ivy Tech Community College Campus in
The competition, which was limited to six teams of two students each had three hours to plan and prepare two courses, one appetizer and one entrée, incorporating venison as the primary protein source in each course. Cash awards were given to the top teams on Friday evening at NADeFA’s conference. “We were extremely pleased with the competition and the quality of students aspiring to be future chefs,” stated Laurie Prasnicki, Executive Director of the CLF. “We believe that future chefs should know the nutritional and dietary benefits of venison and by sponsoring this competition, have introduced these future culinary experts to the venison industry and a whole new healthy world of venison, an experience they will take with them when entering into the restaurant profession”.
The CLF gives special thanks to Chefs Alan Eyler of the Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne and Jeff Bricker of the Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis who organized the competition, the judges for the competition, the Exotic Wildlife Association and Broken Arrow Ranch from the state of Texas who provided the venison for the competition, and the following people who sponsored the cash awards for the various winning places: 1st place - John Behrmann of Highbourne Deer Farms, Pennsylvania; 2nd place - Richard Spanton of Golden Monarch Elk Farms, Wisconsin; 3rd place Laurie Prasnicki of Maple Hills Farms, Wisconsin and Charly Seale of the Medera Ranch, Texas; 4th place - Brian Cahill of Dream Chaser Farm, Pennsylvania; 5th place – Dr. Sam Vainisi of Eaton Highland Farm, Wisconsin; 6th place - Joel Espe of Hawk Hills Elk Farm, Wisconsin.
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Students from 25
All 25 schools received grants for the Porter project. 70% of the funding came from the Cervid Livestock Foundation (CLF), the research and education foundation of the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA). The CLF’s mission is to facilitate public education about the agricultural and economic value of raising deer. The CLF is proud to support a program that promotes the non-traditional farming of alternative livestock to our future farmers. This educational program also educates non-farmers, helping them to make informed decisions concerning the non-traditional livestock industry, thus insuring the future success of the industry.
The six teams were made up of students of the Ivy Tech Community Colleges from
