State Beef Conferences Planned

Extension staff from four Midwest universities have joined forces to offer a unique conference that will provide information on beef cattle production, marketing, economics, nutrition and forage utilization.

Jaymelynn Farney, a beef systems specialist with K-State Research and Extension, said the KOMA Beef Cattle Conference highlights work being done at Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Arkansas.

The conference will be held in two locations:

  • Feb. 18, Parsons, Kansas. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Southeast Research Extension and Education Center (25092 Ness Road). More information: 620-820-6125, or [email protected].
  • Feb. 19, Fort Smith, Arkansas. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the U.S. Marshalls Museum (789 Riverfront Drive). More information: Maggie Justice, 501-355-6128, [email protected].

The agenda is identical at both locations, so interested producers should plan to attend one or the other. Registration costs $20 and is available online through Feb. 12 at www.komacattleconference.com.

Registration includes lunch and copies of presentations and research reports.

“This year’s conference will update the public on recent research from the four universities in cattle feeding, supplementation, reproduction and grazing management,” Farney said. “The data is relevant to the four-states area and focuses on cow-calf, stocker, feedlot and pasture production systems on a variety of forage bases.”

Darrell Peel, an agricultural economist at Oklahoma State University, will give a presentation on retaining heifers in today’s economic climate. University graduate students and professors will give other presentations.

Farney said several agriculture-related businesses will be on hand to discuss how their products can help producers improve their beef cattle operation.

More information on the KOMA Beef Cattle Conference also is available by calling the K-State Southeast Research Extension and Education Center at 620-820-6127.