News Update

Upcoming Events
Jan. 2, 2008

Kentucky Beef Conference Focuses on Marketing

Beef producers can get insight into marketing trends and techniques that could increase their profits in the 2008 cattle market during the upcoming Kentucky Beef Conference. The conference will be Jan. 22 at the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service office.

“The size of the payday can be dramatically affected by marketing, capturing more of the animal’s value for the producer,” says Frank Hicks, beef conference planning committee member and Clark County agricultural and natural resources Extension educator.

Hicks says Kentucky beef producers have reaped the benefits of high market prices during the past several years, but many farmers are wondering how long the market will stay at these levels.

Leading the conference will be a series of guest speakers who study the cattle market. They will discuss long-term marketing trends, marketing strategies and strategies to increase cow-calf profits.

Members of the Buckingham Cattlemen’s Association from Virginia will also talk about their success with a group-marketing plan. The association is comprised of producers with similar cattle who sell them in load lots during telephone auction sales to buyers who are looking for particular cattle characteristics. On average, their 2007 premiums were $74.18 per head for steers and $68.10 for heifers when compared to the prices on the regular cattle market.

“There is the potential from marketing similar cattle together that will reap higher returns for all producers involved,” Hicks says.

Those interested in attending the conference should contact their agricultural and natural resources Extension educator. Registration will be at 9 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Fayette County Extension Office. The registration fee is $10 per person and includes lunch. The conference will wrap up by 3 p.m. to allow producers time to do their evening feeding.

— From a release by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

Mid-South Stocker Conference set for Feb. 12-13

The 2008 Mid-South Stocker Conference is Feb. 12-13, at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon, Tenn. The conference is a cooperative educational program by the University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service and University of Tennessee (UT) Extension in partnership with Bayer Animal Health.

The conference theme is “Plan for Success.” The conference offers practical information to aid stocker operators in planning and managing their operations to maximize profit.

Stocker production is the sector of beef production between weaning and the feedlot. The market currently has greater demand for healthier feeder cattle. Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as the Mid-South area, produce thousands of cattle that could increase in market value through stockering.

The conference is to begin at 1 p.m. Feb. 12 with a tour of stocker operations and other stops of interest to conference attendees. The tour will conclude with a reception and Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) steak meal at Horn Springs Angus Farms, hosted by Quintin Smith. Mark McCulley, supply development director for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) will make a presentation to wrap up the tour. The tour will also provide an opportunity for stocker operators to interact with each other and the program presenters in an informal environment.

The following day’s program includes topics related to successful stocker operations presented by nationally recognized experts in the stocker industry. Topics include health and management of stocker cattle, risk management, outlook for the stocker industry and using byproducts from ethanol production in stocker cattle rations.

The day will conclude with a panel discussion by successful stocker operators from the Mid-South area who will share what they do to be successful with their operations.

Preregistration for the conference is $95 and must be made by Feb. 5. Registration the day of the conference will be $145. Registration forms, hotel information and other materials are available at http://www.midsouthstocker.org.

For additional information, contact John Johns, UK beef cattle specialist at 859-257-2853 or jtjohns@uky.edu. In Tennessee, contact Jim Neel, UT Extension beef cattle specialist at 865-974-7294 or jneel@utk.edu or John Bartee, Montgomery County director, UT Extension at 931-648-5725 or jbartee1@utk.edu.

— From a University of Kentucky College of Agriculture release.

AMI Animal Care Handling Conference Feb. 14-15

The 2008 American Meat Institute (AMI) Foundation Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry will be Feb. 14-15 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The conference will open with an informative general session on current global trends in animal welfare, keynoted by David Bayvel, director of animal welfare for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity, New Zealand.

Following the keynote address, the conference will break into three focused tracks: management and policy, applied pig handling and applied cattle handling. Exhibitors may showcase their products and services during a special welcome reception Feb. 14.

Immediately preceding the conference Feb. 13, the Animal Transportation Association, together with AMI, will host a Livestock Transportation Conference to address the increasing focus on ensuring optimal care during livestock transportation.

Registration rates are $425 for AMI members and $395 when three or more members register together. For more information visit www.meatami.com.

— From MeatingPlace.com.

Alfalfa Conference Feb. 21

The 28th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference will highlight topics of interest to growers of this legume. The daylong program is Feb. 21 at the Cave City Convention Center.

Alfalfa is versatile and can be used for pasture, hay, silage, green-chop, soil improvement and soil conservation. It has great potential for the cash hay market and for grazing, and many of these potentials will be discussed at the annual meeting, says Garry Lacefield, forage specialist with the University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the conference gets under way at 8:45 a.m. Topics include:

Back to Basics;
Haymaking: a trip down memory lane;
Weed-free hay: status in Kentucky;
Alfalfa: forage crop of the future;
Alfalfa balage: testing for quality; and
Hay supply, price and the future.

Ron Tombaugh, president of the National Hay Association, will also be a guest speaker. Presenters include specialists from the UK College of Agriculture, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Penn State University, University of Tennessee, Kentucky Seed Improvement Association and the Dairy Forage Research Center.

No preregistration is required. Registration fee is $15, or $5 for students, and includes lunch and a copy of the conference proceedings. Certified crop advisor credits are available. There will also be exhibits, a silent auction and an awards presentation during the event. The conference is sponsored by the UK College of Agriculture, UK Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky Forage and Grasslands Council.

For more information contact Lacefield at 270-365-7541, ext. 202, or Christi Forsythe, 270-365-7541, ext. 221. Or visit the Kentucky Forage Extension web site, www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.

— From a University of Kentucky College of Agriculture release.

— compiled by Linda Robbins, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.