Auburn Beef Cattle Producer Conference Set for Aug. 18
Cow-calf producers across the state will gain valuable insight on how to overcome challenges in the cattle business during the Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences’ 2018 Beef Cattle Conference Saturday, Aug. 18, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Ham Wilson Livestock Arena at 650 S. Donahue Drive in Auburn.
With the theme “It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts,” the conference will equip cattlemen and cattlewomen with the knowledge and management tools to better their operations in critical areas of production.
“Helping producers take advantage of innovations and practical concepts that will significantly improve their operations now and in the future is a key part of our departmental mission, and our faculty, in partnership with Alabama’s beef cattle community, have organized this conference to support the viability and long-term sustainability of animal agriculture,” said Auburn animal sciences department head Wayne Green. “Sustaining our livestock and animal industries is crucial, as they contribute substantially to the economy of the state and to the well-being of Alabama citizens.”
The program keynote speaker is Carol Keiser-Long, of C-Bar Cattle, which she established and managed operations for feeding 5,000 to 6,000 head of cattle in feedlots in Kansas, Nebraska, and Western Illinois. Mrs. Keiser-Long was the first woman named to the US Premium Beef Board of Directors, the nation's 4th largest beef processing company with revenue of $7.5B. She is an entrepreneur, agricultural educator, agvocate, animal scientist and consultant. Mrs. Keiser-Long served on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, a primary advisory board to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. She served as Trustee of Farm Foundation Inc., the Board of Directors of Agriculture Future of America and is Director of the Global Farmer Network. Carol Keiser-Long will share how she found her path in agriculture as well as her views on how to be successful in the beef industry and life. Also featured on the program to discuss triumphing through tough challenges within the cattle business will be cattlewoman Lydia Yon of Yon Farms, a family-owned operation in South Carolina dedicated to raising high-quality Angus, SimAngus and Ultrablack cattle. In addition, nationally recognized animal handling expert Curt Pate will teach and demonstrate how to incorporate effective stockmanship principles into a ranch’s “for-profit” mindset and how to increase economic benefits through handling livestock correctly.
Animal sciences faculty will report results from and updates on research supported by the College of Agriculture, the Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Attendees will receive updates on the latest research in reproductive management in cattle and on forage management, and nutritional supplementation.
Afternoon workshops will focus on the use of advanced technologies to optimize reproductive success, calving season preparation, the need for beginning farmers and ranchers to have a niche in mind and beef carcass cut-outs and evaluation.
“The 2018 conference is designed to provide members of the beef cattle community a unique opportunity to get an update on important issues and ways to make their businesses more sustainable,” said Don Mulvaney, animal sciences associate professor and Beef Cattle Conference chair. “Given the challenges of today’s beef business climate such as attention toward animal welfare and producers ability to overcome adversity, this conference is one that cow-calf producers won’t want to miss.”
The conference registration cost is $60 before Aug. 3 and $120 after and includes a bound departmental report, conference presentation summaries, content for afternoon workshops and lunch. If Alabama county cattlemen chapter presidents register at least three paid members for the BCC, registration for the President will be waived. Mulvaney encouraged producers to register early because space is limited. Search and register for the Beef Conference at https://aub.ie/beef.
For more information on the conference, registration, corporate partnerships or youth discounts, contact the Department of Animal Sciences at 334-844-1521.
