Industry Events
March 16, 2006

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.

Cattle Growers’ Short Course
March 23-24, Clovis, N.M.

New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association will sponsor the Cattle Growers’ Short Course at the Clovis-Carter Public Library in Clovis.

The sessions will include topics such as animal identification (ID), disease tracking and the use of byproduct feedstuffs. A tabletop exercise, unique to this year’s conference, will simulate foreign animal disease outbreak and the step-by-step processes of controlling the spread of disease. Other course highlights will include the use of genetic markers for beef carcass characteristics and their economic relevance and cattle market outlook and issues.

Registration for the program is $35 at the door. For more information contact Clay Mathis at (505) 646-8022.

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. 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.

Auburn University annual conference
April 6-9, Auburn, Ala.

Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host its 99th Annual Conference at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center in Auburn.

The conference will offer many opportunities for alumni and colleagues to learn about medical advances and to catch up on the latest veterinary news. The conference will include class reunions, a golf classic, veterinary education classes, a trade show and more.

Conference registration for veterinarians includes 25 hours of continuing education credits, a certificate of attendance, a CD-ROM of notes, some meals and receptions, and admission to the exhibit hall. Class reunion members and golf classic participants may register separately.

To register, visit www.vetmed.auburn.edu, complete the appropriate registration form and bring it to the conference for on-site registration. Contact The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center at 1-800-228-2876 or visit www.auhcc.com for accommodation information.

BIF 38th Annual Research Symposium and Annual Meeting
April 18-21, Choctaw, Miss.

The 2006 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) meeting will be at the Pearl River Resort. Meetings begin with an opening reception Tuesday evening, followed by a symposium sponsored by the Ultrasound Guidelines Council titled “Basics of Ultrasounding Beef Cattle for Genetic Improvement.”

General sessions will focus on how cow-calf producers can meet retail and consumer targets and how they can best fit into their production environments. BIF will honor several individuals, including its seedstock and commercial producers of the year. A tour on Friday will visit the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at Mississippi State, EE Ranches Inc. of Winona, Gaddis Farms of Bolton, and the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson.

For more information, including registration, hotel and travel details, visit http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/bif2006.html, or call Jane Parish at (662) 325-7466 or Blair McKinley at (662) 325-3691. For Angus Production Inc.’s (API’s) coverage of the event, as well as archived coverage of past BIF meetings, visit www.bifconference.com.

Association Plans Outreach Seminars

In a continued effort to communicate with its members at the local level, the American Angus Association^SM will conduct an Outreach Seminar Thursday, March 23, at 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.

Visit www.angus.org for additional information or contact Shelia Stannard, Association event coordinator, at (816) 383-5100.