Tag: Cow Calf College

Livestock

Cow-Calf College on January 25th

Brandy VanDeWalle

Cow-Calf College is gearing up to be hosted January 25th at the Clay County Fairgrounds from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm in the Activities Building. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. This year’s program will be offered in a hybrid format through zoom & attendance in person. The focus of the 2022 Cow-Calf College will start with an in-depth look at easter redcedar control in the morning, an update by beef cow-calf specialist, Kacie McCarthy and a special presentation by Tom Field focusing on ways to engage youth in the beef industry.  

This year’s program provides plenty of flexibility as if you are only interested in learning about eastern redcedar control, come to the morning session and leave. If you are interested in bull management and strategies for transitioning the next generation of beef producers and professionals, you can attend the afternoon session. It will also be offered in-person and available via zoom.

Dillon Fogarty with UNL’s Department of Agronomy and Horticulture will provide an in-depth look at eastern redcedar control and management. Woody plant encroachment by species like eastern redcedar threatens the productivity and profitability of Nebraska’s grasslands. Eastern redcedar encroachment can result in up to a 75% reduction in forage production along with additional impacts to grassland resources. In the eastern redcedar control workshop, we will cover new guidelines for tackling woody plant encroachment. This will include the development of management plans, effective integration of management tools, and use of new rangeland monitoring platforms. 

Kicking off the afternoon will be Kacie McCarthy, UNL Beef Cow-Calf Specialist who will explain “Preparing your Bull Battery for the Breeding Season. Learn on maintaining body condition, nutritional needs, evaluating fertility, managing social dominance, providing proper female: bull ratios and more.  

The next decade will be characterized by the battle for talent – those industries and businesses that are successful at attracting, retaining, and growing human talent will have competitive advantage. Developing a talent plan is as important, if not more so, than any other area of focus for management.  The session will center on understanding the value of generational strengths, developing a succession plan, and developing a coaching culture. Tom Field, PhD serves the people of Nebraska as the Director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program and holder of the Engler Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  An enthusiastic advocate for free enterprise, the potential of young people and opportunities in both agriculture and rural communities, Tom is an internationally recognized educator and innovator who can connect the dots between people, industries, and ideas. 

A lunch will be provided to those who register, and the program will conclude with a coffee shop panel where participants can ask questions directly to specialists as well as the opportunity to win a variety of door prizes.   

Pre-registration a week in advance is highly encouraged to allow for proper planning. Pre-registration can be made by calling the Fillmore County Extension Office at 402-759-3712 or Clay County Extension Office at 402-762-3644 or online at go.unl.edu/frcollege. To participate via zoom, register at go.unl.edu/onlinecowcalfcollege.

Livestock, Programming

Cow/Calf College – January 28

Brandy VanDeWalle

Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College – January 28

The annual Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College “Partners in Progress – Beef Seminar” will be held at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center near Clay Center on January 28, 2020 with registration, coffee and donuts starting at 9:30 a.m. The program will run from 9:55 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Farmers and Ranchers College and will feature several outstanding speakers discussing issues and management strategies that can affect the profitability of all beef producers. There is no cost for the event and the public is invited. It does include a noon meal, which means that early registration is necessary to reserve materials and a meal. 1-15 F&R College.jpg

The “Cow/Calf College” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome by Dr. Mark Boggess of USMARC. Dr. Mary Drewnoski will kick off the program with “Do Your Herd & Your Bank Account a Favor – Test Your Hay”.  She will discuss the benefits and proper techniques for testing your hay and the advantages that can serve in your operation. Mary is part of an interdisciplinary team evaluating economic systems for integrated crop and livestock production in Nebraska.

Glennis McClure, Nebraska Extension Agricultural Economist will present on annual cow costs and provide updates on basic beef economics. Her responsibilities include publishing livestock and crop enterprise budgets, surveying and publishing the Farm Custom Rates Guide, and assisting with special economic analyses in the department.

Lunch is provided and will be handled with a rotation system featuring a session on: “Questions to Ask Your Vet Before Calving Season Begins” with Dr. Halden Clark, veterinarian with the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC).  Dr. Clark’s duties at GPVEC include teaching veterinary students, engaging in research projects at GPVEC and providing extension service to beef producers and veterinarians.

The afternoon session will start with “Blockchains: Connecting Consumers with their Food” by a representative from IMI Global. IMI Global specializes in verification and certification program for the livestock industry to enable producers, feeders, growers, packers and processors to meet the ever changing needs of both domestic and international consumers.  Wrapping up the program will be a presentation by Dr. Alison L. Van Eenennaam on “Alternative Meats and Alternative Statistics: What do the data say”.  We’ve heard a lot in the news about alternative meats, how they are produced and how the nutrition compares to real meat, but what does the research really show?  Dr. Van Eenennaam from the Dept. of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis will join us via the web to provide insight on her work in this arena. Alison is an animal geneticist who discovered it is possible to splice the “hornless” gene from Aberdeen Angus cattle into the widespread black-and-white Holstein dairy cows so they are born without protrusions.

All presenters will then pull everything together, give their final thoughts and considerations and provide a coffee-shop style panel discussion during which participants can ask questions and get answers on questions that came to them during the day’s sessions. A chance for door prizes will be awarded to those that stay for the entire event.

Please pre-register by January 21st, to the Nebraska Extension Office in Fillmore County or call (402) 759-3712 to assure a seat and lunch. Walk-ins are accepted, but may not get a lunch. You may also complete your registration online on fillmore.unl.edu or http://go.unl.edu/farmersrancherscollege.  Remember, your contact information is required to be on the U.S. MARC property, so pre-registration is helpful and will save you time at the door!

Livestock, Programming

Cow/Calf College – January 14th

Brandy VanDeWalle

The annual Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College “Partners in Progress – Beef Seminar” will be held at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and Great Plains Veterinary Education Center near Clay Center on January 14, 2019 with registration, coffee and donuts starting at 9:30 a.m. The program will run from 9:55 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Farmers and Ranchers College and will feature several outstanding speakers discussing issues and management strategies that can affect the profitability of all beef producers. There is no cost for the event and the public is invited. It does include a noon meal, which means that early registration is necessary to reserve materials and a meal.

close up photo of white and brown cattle
Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

The “Cow/Calf College” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome by Dr. Mark Boggess of USMARC and Dr. Dale Grotelueschen, Director of the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist will kick off the presentations with “To Graze or Not to Graze?  Factors that Affect Risk Nitrate Toxicity in Annual Forages”.  Mary is a cattle nutritionist with expertise in growing calf and cow nutrition, currently focusing on use of cover crops and crop residues as forage sources.

Rick Funston, Nebraska Extension Reproductive Physiologist will present “Increasing Production Efficiency”. Rick has been honored for his beef and heifer management work and has helped provide ranchers new market options and reduced feed costs. He has been a leader in the concept of fetal programming, a concept in the livestock industry based on the notion that the nutrient status of gestating cows has various long-term implications on their offspring.

Lunch is provided and will be handled with a rotation system featuring a session on: “Family Farm Stress” from Nebraska Extension Educator, Brandy VanDeWalle. As margins continue to tighten, there is an additional amount of stress on producers and their families. Strategies for handling stress and open communication among family members is important to address.  

The afternoon session will start with Amy Schmidt, Associate Professor with Biological Systems Engineering and Animal Science with “Top 3 Environmental Considerations During Short-Term Cow-Calf Confinement”. Amy’s extension interests include manure management, nutrient management and water quality. Her areas of research and professional interest include nutrients fate and transport, pathogen fate and transport and water quality.Logo

Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, Production Animal Consultation will lead you through “Animal Husbandry Strategies to Improve One’s Efficiency”.  Back by popular demand, Dr. Kip is sure to entertain you while being right on target to address some of critical information on cattle health, antibiotic use and also inform participants on effective animal husbandry and stockmanship techniques. Dr. Kip spends his days working with farmers and ranchers and teaches people to better understand our animals.

All presenters will then pull everything together, give their final thoughts and considerations and provide a coffee-shop style panel discussion during which cattlemen can ask questions and get answers on questions that came to them during the day’s sessions. A chance for door prizes will be awarded to those that stay for the entire event.

Preregistration is preferred by January 8th, to the Nebraska Extension Office in Fillmore County or call (402) 759-3712 to assure a seat and lunch. Walk-ins are accepted, but may not get a lunch. You may also complete your registration online on fillmore.unl.edu or http://go.unl.edu/farmersrancherscollege.  Remember, your contact information is required to be on the U.S. MARC property, so pre-registration is helpful and will save you time at the door!

Livestock, Programming

Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College

Brandy VanDeWalle

calf.jpg

The annual Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College “Partners in Progress – Beef Seminar” will be held at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and Great Plains Veterinary Education Center near Clay Center on January 30, 2018 with registration, coffee and donuts starting at 9:00 a.m. The program will run from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Farmers and Ranchers College and will feature several outstanding speakers discussing issues and management strategies that can affect the profitability of all beef producers. There is no cost for the event and the public is invited. It does include a noon meal, which means that early registration is necessary to reserve materials and a meal.

The “Cow/Calf College” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome by Dr. Gary Bennett of USMARC and Dr. Dale Grotelueschen, Director of the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. Brett Crosby with Custom Ag Solutions will kick off the event with “Ways to Optimize Cattle Marketing”.

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Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Specialist will present on “One Size Does Not Fit All: Grazing residue with various classes of cattle.” She will talk about some of the issues many producers had this year with so much corn in the stalks and strategies for effectively grazing residue.

Lunch is provided and will be handled with a rotation system during two noon sessions featuring split sessions on: “Livestock Disaster Assistance Programs” from Fillmore County FSA Director, Ryne Norton.

The afternoon session will start with Rob Eirich, Nebraska Extension Educator with the “Beef Quality Assurance Audit”. It is important to know how beef producers have done in regards to quality assurance and results were just released in the summer of 2017.

Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, Sandhills Cattle Consultants Inc., will lead you through “Implementing BQA and Animal Husbandry”.  A popular presenter, Dr. Kip is sure to entertain you while being right on target to address some of critical quality assurance issues that face beef producers. For our beef producers Dr. Kip will also inform participants on effective animal husbandry and stockmanship techniques.

All presenters will then pull everything together, give their final thoughts and considerations and provide a coffee-shop style panel discussion during which cattlemen can ask questions and get answers on questions that came to them during the day’s sessions. A chance for door prizes will be awarded to those that stay for the entire event.

Please pre-register by January 23rd, to the Nebraska Extension Office in Fillmore County or call (402) 759-3712 to insure a seat and lunch. Walk-ins are accepted, but may not get a lunch. You may also complete your registration online on fillmore.unl.edu or go.unl.edu/t38n.  Remember, your contact information is required to be on the U.S. MARC property, so pre-registration is helpful and will save you time at the door!

Livestock

Cow Calf College Program

Brandy VanDeWalle

The second program for the Farmers & Ranchers College program is rapidly approaching. My colleague Dewey Lienemann has an excellent Cow/Calf College lined up for cattle producers, which I’ve decided to discuss this week. The annual Cow/Calf College “Partners in Progress – Beef Seminar” will be held at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and Great Plains Veterinary Education Center near Clay Center on January 27, 2015 with registration, coffee and donuts starting at 9:00 a.m. and going till 9:30 a.m.  The program will run from 9:35 a.m. until approximately 4:00 p.m. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Farmers and Ranchers College and will feature several outstanding speakers discussing issues and management strategies that can affect the profitability of all beef producers. There is no cost for the event and the public is invited. It does include a noon meal that means early registration is necessary to reserve a meal.

The Cow/Calf College usually draws in over 100 people, so sign up to reserve your spot!
The Cow/Calf College usually draws in over 100 people, so sign up to reserve your spot!

The “Cow/Calf College” will begin at 9:35 a.m. with a welcome by Dr. John Pollak, Director of USMARC and Dr. Dale Grotelueschen, Director of the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. They will introduce former long-time GPVEC Director, Dr. Gary Rupp, who will give a short overview of “Twenty Five Years of Service – GPVEC”. He will be followed by the conference kick-off speaker, Dr. Ronnie Green, NU Vice President and IANR Harlan Vice Chancellor, who will present “Moving the Beef Industry to the Next Level”. Dr. Richard Randle, UNL Extension Beef Cattle Veterinarian, will then explain “Animal Health Issues & Considerations When Re-building the Herd”.

Lunch will be provided and will be handled with a rotation system during two noon sessions featuring South Central Nebraska Cattlemen member and Nebraska Beef Council Board – District 8 Director, Dawn Caldwell, who will provide split sessions on: “Issues, Questions and Answers – Nebraska Beef Council”. You will be able to learn about the check-off proposals as well as other issues that our Beef Council are addressing and have a chance to network and interact with fellow cattlemen from all across Nebraska and other states.

The afternoon session will start with a very timely presentation by Dr. Mary Drewnoski, Beef Systems Specialist at UNL Dept. of Animal Science who will give us an “Utilizing “Cover Crops” as Secondary Forage Crops for Cattle” that is a frequent topic with cattlemen all across the region as we face short acres of pasture and pursue a repopulation of our cattle herds. It may of interest that MARC and UNL Extension are collaborating on a research project on the effect on crop yields and soil by grazing stalks, and cover crops as supplemental feeds with grazing stalks. MARC will allow producers to go out to the field after the meeting and observe the fields and cattle as the study is under progress. It is not often we have an opportunity like this, so take advantage of this tour.

One of the most requested presenters, Dr. Rick Funston, UNL Beef Reproductive Physiology Specialist at West Central Research & Extension Center, who will present “Importance of Early Conception and Factors Influencing It”. This and other research he has done lends heavily towards management practices as we build our herds. Continuing on with the breeding side of the management equation: Dr. Matt Spangler, Beef Genetics Specialist with UNL Dept. of Animal Science will present the capstone presentation on: “Rebuilding Your Herd -Terminal and Maternal Breeding Programs”. As we look to recovering from the lowest numbers of cows since 1949 we must look at our breeding program and the direction we want to take our herd, and this is paramount to our decisions.

All presenters will then join on stage to pull everything together, give their final thoughts and considerations and then avail themselves for a coffee-shop style panel discussion during which cattlemen can ask questions and get answers on topic questions that came to them during the day’s sessions. A chance for door prizes will be awarded to those that stay for the entire event.  Please pre-register by Thursday, January 22th, 2015, by either calling Webster Co. Extension (402) 746-3417 or Fillmore Co. Extension at (402) 759-3712 to insure a seat and lunch. Walk-ins are accepted, but may not get a lunch. Further information may be found on the following website.