Farm & Ranch

Grass-fed beef conference scheduled May 28-29 in College Station

Published

9 years ago

April 1, 2015

NTFR

By: Blair Fannin

Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]

Contact: Dr. Rick Machen, 830-278-9151, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – With consumer interest heightening about where food comes from, grass-fed beef producers will have the opportunity to learn more about marketing opportunities and production trends during a May 28-29 conference in College Station.

Dr. Rick Machen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in Uvalde, said producers can learn about all aspects of grass-fed beef production techniques at the conference, which will be held at the Rosenthal Meat Science Building on the Texas A&M University campus.

“One of the highlights will be Dr. Monte Rouquette, Texas A&M AgriLife Research forage agronomist from Overton,” Machen said. “Monte has clearly demonstrated how to produce forage-finished beef in East Texas. He’s among the best forage agronomists in the southern U.S. and has years of experience.”

Given the ongoing drought across much of the South Central U.S., sustainable forage production is atop everyone’s items of interest list, Machen said.

“As always, a significant emphasis in this year’s conference will be the importance of a sustainable forage supply in both quantity and quality, perhaps the most difficult part of a grass-fed beef production system.”

The conference will cover a broad range of important topics pertaining to grass-fed beef production and is open to both beef producers and consumers.

The following topics will be discussed: overview of the beef industry; defining natural, grass-fed and organic beef; forage-growing fundamentals; cattle types suited for grass-fed beef; forage-based nutrition for cattle; preventive herd health; handling cattle for wholesome beef; carcass fabrication; consumers and their expectations; marketing a unique product; and economics and sustainability.

A live carcass fabrication demonstration will be a second day highlight.

The cost is $250 through May 15 and $300 after.

To register online, visit https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/ and enter keyword “grassfed” or call 979-845-2604. The conference is sponsored by AgriLife Extension with funding from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, which provides grants and education programs to advance agricultural innovation (http://www.sare.org/) .

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.