Industry Events

Industry Events
March 2, 2006

K-State Cattlemen’s Day
March 3, Manhattan, Kan.

The 93rd Cattlemen’s Day will take place at Weber Hall at Kansas State University (K-State) in Manhattan. The annual event will feature a symposium on animal identification (ID) systems, technology and implementation; traceability; and value of individual animal ID. Breakout sessions are also scheduled, including such topics as estrus synchronization strategies; bovine viral diarrhea (BVD); cattle management strategies’ effect on retail, yield and carcass value; agricultural and food biosecurity; future of cow-calf research; beef market updates; and adoption of technology in the beef industry.

An open house of the research and teaching units is available, and the annual Special K Bull Sale will begin at 3 p.m. at the Purebred Beef Unit, following educational activities.

Registration is $25 per person. Morning refreshments and lunch are included.

A 2006 Stockmen’s Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, March 2 at the Kansas Farm Bureau Auditoriums in Manhattan. Contact Aaron at (785) 532-7528 or aaron@found.ksu.edu for more information.

For more information regarding Cattlemen’s Day or to register, visit www.asi.ksu.edu/cattlemensday. For more about the sale, visit http://asi.ksu.edu/bullsale.

NFU Convention
March 3-6, Denver, Colo.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) will host its 2006 convention, themed “Fuels From the Farm — Our Nation’s Future,” in Denver. The organization’s 104th convention is scheduled to include appearances from former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Sen. John Edwards and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

New NFU leaders will be elected at the convention, and members will decide on 2006 policy objectives. Members will also participate in workshops and breakout sessions about renewable energy, the new Farm Bill, trade and consumer-producer cooperation. Entertainment is also scheduled.

Visit www.nfu.org for more information.

2006 Meat Conference
March 12-14, Dallas, Texas

The American Meat Institute (AMI) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) will host the 2006 Meat Conference at the Gaylord Texas Resort and Conference Center in Dallas.

The conference, meant to bring together meat and poultry retailers and suppliers, will highlight leadership skills, how to determine consumer needs and future purchasing trends.

For a complete schedule of events, registration details and additional information, visit www.meatconference.com.

Heifer development short course
March 13, 14, 21, 25, Ohio

Ohio State University Extension is offering the Ohio Beef Heifer Development Short Course to Ohio producers throughout March. The multi-session course will explore aspects of adding replacement heifers to beef herds and how to make effective selection and management decisions. Topics will include targeted mating systems, reproductive soundness, replacement rates, defined breeding seasons, nutrition, disease incidence and prevention, conception rates, and more.

Sessions scheduled for March 13 and March 20 will begin at 7 p.m. and take place at the Fairfield County Extension office in Lancaster. Sessions scheduled for March 14 and March 21, also beginning at 7 p.m., will take place at the Highland County Extension office in Hillsboro.

A hands-on field day session is scheduled for March 25, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station in Jackson. Topics to be addressed during the hands-on session include managing female groups, condition and frame scores, target weight concepts, records and data management, mating and breeding philosophy, and buying and/or selling bred heifers.

The program costs $50 for the first participant, and $25 for each additional person from the same operation. Reservations are required.

For more information contact John Grimes at the Highland County Extension office at (937) 393-1918 or grimes.1@osu.edu. For the Fairfield location contact Al Gahler or Stan Smith at (740) 653-5419 or gahler.2@osu.edu or smith.263@osu.edu, respectively. Additional information is available at http://fairfield.osu.edu.

Southwest Arkansas Cow-Calf Conference
March 21, Hope

The 2006 Southwest Arkansas Cow-Calf Conference will address a wide array of topics, including estrus synchronization, artificial insemination (AI), round bale silage management, and trace mineral and program feeding research. Three tours stops are scheduled at the University of Arkansas Southwest Research and Extension Center.

Presentations after lunch will feature a market outlook for 2006, management of pastures with high fertilizer prices, and improving marketing potential by source and age verification.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Extension center in Hope. For more information contact the Clark County Extension service at (870) 246-2281, the Nevada County Extension service at (870) 887-2818 or the Sevier County Extension service at (870) 584-3013.

TAHC commissioner meeting
March 23, Round Rock, Texas

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) will meet at 8 a.m. at the Marriott North Hotel in Round Rock to address proposed regulations for registering sites where livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl and exotic fowl are held, managed or handled.

The meeting is open to the public. More information and a map to the meeting site are available at www.tahc.state.tx.us.

School for Successful Ranching
March 25-26, San Antonio, Texas

The 12th annual School for Successful Ranching will take place in conjunction with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) 129th annual convention.

A daylong workshop will kick off the event Saturday at the San Antonio Stock Show Barns, beginning at 9 a.m., with a variety of live cattle demonstrations scheduled.

A half day of classroom sessions, scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday at the San Antonio Convention Center, will encompass 12 classes, three in each of four tracks that include marketing, feeder cattle issues, range management and general management. Participants may specialize by attending three different classes in the same track, or they may choose three courses from any of the tracks.

Educational credits will be offered for the Texas Beef Quality Producer Program and the Society for Range Management.

Registration is $100, or $60 for TSCRA members, and includes all presentations and a hot lunch on Saturday. The deadline for registration is March 15. A 250-exhibit trade show will also be available.

Visit www.texascattleraisers.org to register. Contact Mark Perrier at 1-800-242-7820, Ext. 118, for more information.

NIAA Annual Meeting
April 3-6, Louisville, Ky.

The 2006 Annual Meeting of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) will take place at the Galt House Hotel and Suites in Louisville.

The event will bring together producers, veterinarians, business executives, scientists, academicians, government officials and other stakeholders to discuss the latest issues in animal agriculture.

Twelve seminars addressing animal agriculture are scheduled. For more information, including registration, hotel and sponsorship details, visit www.animalagriculture.org or call (270) 782-9798.

Association Plans Outreach Seminars

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

Outreach Seminars currently scheduled include:

Saturday, March 11, Indianapolis, Ind. The seminar will take place in conjunction with the Indiana Angus Information Futurity at the Farm Bureau Building. The seminar will begin at 1:30 p.m.
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^® 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.

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.