Industry Events

Industry Events
Jan. 5, 2006

Small Farm College
January-March, Ohio

Ohio State University (OSU) Extension is offering a nine-week short course on starting and managing a small farm, including business planning, production options and marketing of products.

Featured topics will include goal setting, resource inventory, business planning, identifying sources for financial assistance, natural resource management, legal issues, recordkeeping, crop and animal production options, and marketing alternatives.

The course will be offered one night per week, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at three separate locations. Courses will be offered Jan. 16-March 13 at the Ross County Extension office in Chillicothe; Jan. 18-March 15 at the Der Dutchman restaurant in Waynesville; and Jan. 19-March 16 at Morgan Local High School in McConnelsville. A field day highlighting successful small farms is scheduled for March 11.

The course costs $150 per person and $50 for each additional family member. The fee includes a Small Farm College notebook of coursework materials.

For more information or a registration form, contact the Clinton County Extension office at (937) 382-0901.

Animal Agriculture Opportunities Summit
Jan. 10-11, Mandan, N.D.

The summit will take place at the Seven Seas Inn and Conference Center in Mandan, beginning with registration from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday. Scheduled topics include lessons learned from industry leaders, animal agriculture in North Dakota, a regional analysis, market trends and more. Panel discussions and survey findings will also be presented.

Registrations, at $50 per person for the entire conference or $25 for one day, are due Jan. 5. Registrations can be mailed to Sandy Leingang, PO Box 727, Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727; faxed to (701) 663-3745; or e-mailed to sleingang@ndarec.com.

Make reservations at (701) 663-7401 or 1-800-597-7327.

Local food systems conference
Jan. 11, Columbus, Ohio

A one-day conference, titled “The Case for Local Food Systems,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Agricultural Administration Auditorium in Columbus. Conference speakers will address the economic, social and environmental reasons why encouraging consumption, production and distribution of local foods makes sense.

The conference costs $25 per person and includes all materials and a local foods-based lunch. Student registrations are free. The event is sponsored by the Social Responsibility Initiative of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at OSU.

For more information visit http://sri.osu.edu/events.php or contact (614) 688-8798 or bean.21@osu.edu.

Four-State Beef Conference
Jan. 11-12, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa

The 22nd annual beef conference, designed to update cow-calf and stocker producers on current industry topics, will begin in Tecumseh, Neb., Jan. 11, then it travels to Holton, Kan. On Jan. 12, the conference will begin in Savannah, Mo., followed by Lewis, Iowa, in the afternoon.

Topics during the sessions will include sire selection and expected progeny difference (EPD) interpretation, marker-assisted selection for tenderness and marbling, minimizing calf health losses, and summer feeding alternatives for the cow herd.

Registration, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. for morning sessions and at 3:30 p.m. for afternoon sessions, is $25 per person and is due Jan. 6. Registration includes a meal and a copy of conference proceedings.

For more information or to register, contact your local county Extension office or the Jackson County Extension office at (785) 364-4125. Visit www.extension.iastate.edu/feci/4StBeef for further information.

NDSA Feeder Council meeting
Jan. 12, Bismarck, N.D.

The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) Feeder Council will host a free educational seminar, titled “Beyond the Bunk: Advice for the Cattle-Feeding Professional,” beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Doublewood Inn in Bismarck.

Program topics will include financial programs available to producers, new programs available for cattle feeders from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), feeder procurement and marketing alternatives, managing operational margins, current nutrition trends in the feeding sector, and more.

Registration for the free seminar will be taken on site. For more information call Scott Ressler at (701) 223-2522.

MU calving clinic
Jan. 21, Linneus, MO

The University of Missouri (MU) will host a calving clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday at the Forage Systems Research Center in Linneus.

Topics will include handling calving problems, brood cow nutrition and getting cows rebred.

For more information contact Tamie at the Forage Systems Research Center at (660) 895-5121 or carrta@missouri.edu, or Jan at the Sullivan County Extension office at (660) 265-4541 or swearengenj@missouri.edu.

Kentucky Beef Conference
Jan. 24, Lexington

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture will host the conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fayette County Cooperative Extension office in Lexington.

The event is geared toward helping producers plan for future markets. Speakers include Randy Blach, executive vice president of Cattle-Fax, and Harlan Hughes, professor emeritus at North Dakota State University. In addition, participants will also hear about animal ID, value added marketing programs and more.

Registration is $10 and can be paid the morning of the conference. For more information or to preregister, contact a county Extension office by Jan. 20.

2006 Intermountain Nutrition Conference
Jan. 24-25, Salt Lake City, Utah

The eighth annual Intermountain Nutrition Conference will take place at the Red Lion Hotel, at 161 W. 600 S., Salt Lake City. The conference will provide current information on nutrition and nutrition-related management issues pertaining to the dairy and beef industries.

Topics to be addressed include selenium (Se) nutrition, understanding cow behavior, variations in silage quality, fat and fatty acid digestion in ruminants, and feed management.

The conference is approved for eight American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) credits. Registration is $100 if received by Jan. 7, and $120 thereafter. The early registration fee for students is $30. It is $50 for regular, on-site student registration. Registration for farmers and ranchers is set at $50.

Contact the Red Lion Hotel at (801) 521-7373 to make reservations.

For more information visit www.usu.edu/trdhiman/IMNC/Imnc.htm or contact Karma Wood at (435) 797-2145 or karmaw@ext.usu.edu.

Heart of America Grazing Conference
Jan. 25-26, Cave City, Ky.

The Heart of America Grazing conference, which moves annually from state to state, targets producers in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Missouri. This year’s conference will take place at the Cave City Convention Center.

Conference topics include extended grazing to lower animal feed costs, the potential for year-round grazing, hay and silage quality, and information on improved grazing strategies for livestock.

The conference begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and continues throughout the following day. Registration, which includes dinner, lunch and proceedings, is $15 per person for one day and $25 for both days. Preregistration is encouraged.

For more information or to register, visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage or contact Garry Lacefield at (270) 365-7541, Ext. 202.

Beef Marketing and Management 2010
Jan. 26, Canyon, Texas

A series of educational activities for beef industry personnel in the Texas panhandle, Beef Marketing and Management 2010 will give participants an opportunity to follow cattle through the feeding and packing process and learn more about factors influencing beef quality.

The program consists of two components: Beef 2010 educational meetings and Beef 706.

In Beef 706, participants select feeder steers at the kickoff meeting Jan. 26. The steers will then be placed on feed and finished in July, followed by a hands-on grading and cutting session.

Beef 2010 is a series of seven monthly meetings and seminars supported by Beef 706. Topics will include feeder cattle and carcass evaluation, influence of genetics and management on carcass merit, marketing on carcass grids, and tradeoffs between live and carcass marketing.

All activities will be at the Herbert F. and Jeannie Kuhlman Extension Center and West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

Preregistration, at $50, is required and due by Jan. 15. Individuals must register for the entire program to participate in Beef 706, for which seating is limited. Registration forms are available at Extension offices or at http://amarillo.tamu.edu and should be mailed to Randall County Extension Office, 200 N. Brown Rd., Canyon, TX 79015.

For more information contact Ted McCollum at (806) 677-5600 or Danny Nusser at (806) 468-5543.

Saskatchewan Beef Symposium
Feb. 8-9, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada

The symposium is intended to help producers increase production efficiency, explore alternative markets, improve land stewardship and produce better beef at lower costs. The event will highlight ethanol production, grazing and wintering options, improving carcass quality, niche marketing, and discussion of the Kyoto accord and its effects on participants.

Registrations received prior to Feb. 1 will cost $90 (Canadian), and $110 thereafter. Student registrations are $60 each, and additional banquet tickets cost $30. The fee includes all sessions, two lunches, a banquet and refreshment breaks.

The event will begin with registration at 9 a.m., Wednesday, and will take place at the Travelodge Hotel (Circle Drive West) in Saskatoon. Standard room rates are available for $89.95 plus taxes prior to Jan. 8. For additional accommodation information, call 1-888-278-4209 or visit www.travelodgesaskatoon.com.

For more information contact Murray Feist at (306) 694-3492 or mfeist@agr.gov.sk.ca, or John McKinnon at (306) 966-4137 or John.McKinnon@usask.ca.

Association Plans Outreach Seminars

In a continued effort to communicate with its members at the local level, the American Angus Association will conduct a series of Outreach Seminars for the third year.

Outreach Seminars currently scheduled include:

• Thursday, Jan. 5, Redmond, Ore. The seminar will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Comfort Suites, 2243 S.W. Yew Ave.

• Saturday, Jan. 7, Fort Smith, Ark. The seminar will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Downtown.

• Friday, Jan. 20, 10:30 a.m., Fort Worth, Texas. The seminar is in conjunction with the Fort Worth Stock Show and will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Cattle Barn #1 Dorm.

• Friday, Jan. 27, 11 a.m., Red Bluff, Calif. The seminar will take place during the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale in the Don Smith Pavilion.

• Thursday, Feb. 9, Madison, Wis. The seminar will begin at 2 p.m. at the Rodeway Inn South, 4916 E. Broadway (formerly the Quality Inn South).

• Saturday, March 11, Indianapolis, Ind. The seminar will take place in conjunction with the Indiana Angus Information Futurity at the Farm Bureau Building. Seminar times are to be announced at a later date.

• Thursday, March 23, Clemmons, N.C. The seminar will begin at 4 p.m. at the Village Inn Golf & Conference Center.

Association staff and directors will be on hand to discuss current Association programs, including the AngusSource^SM marketing program and genetic selection tools. They will also discuss the future of the beef industry and the role the Association and its members will play in the future of the beef business.

“These seminars were designed so our staff can visit with the membership in their own backyard. In addition to informing the membership about current Association programs, we also want to know what ideas are on our members’ minds,” says Jim Shirley, Association vice president of industry relations and director of commercial programs.

The Association is in the process of finalizing the details for several additional Outreach Seminars. Visit www.angus.org for additional information about future seminars as they become available. For more information contact Shelia Stannard, Association event coordinator, at (816) 383-5100.