Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Leslie Anderson
Major Program: Beef
During the COVID Pandemic, the UK Beef IRM Team created an education video series designed to engage new beef producers. This video series effort was coordinated by Dr. Les Anderson and involved 10 Extension faculty in the CAFE. Thirty-two videos were created discussing all topics commonly faced by new landowners who are trying to decide if they will become beef cattle producers. The first several videos discussed a variety of topics including where to obtain reliable information, land maintenan
Author: Leslie Anderson
Major Program: Beef
During the COVID Pandemic, the UK BEEF IRM team created and educational series named “Reaching Out While Locked In”, ROWLI. Dr. Darrh Bullock coordinated this project and ROWLI was conducted in the spring and fall of 2020 and about 10 subjects were discussed during each presentation. My role was as an occasional emcee, and I presented two lectures; one on Organizing the Breeding Season and one discussing dystocia in beef cattle. These videos were observed by 416 viewers on YouTube an
Author: Leslie Anderson
Major Program: Beef
During the COVID pandemic, the UK Beef IRM team created the video series called Beef Minutes. Dr. Katie Vanvalin coordinated this effort. I created three videos for this program (heifer development, success of a UK Cooperator, techniques for pregnancy diagnosis. These videos have a total of 745 views on YouTube, 3,911 people were reach with 348 engagements on Facebook
Author: Leslie Anderson
Major Program: Beef
During the last week of July of 2020, beef cattle producers, the University of Kentucky Beef Integrated Resource Management (IRM) team along with Cooperative Extension agents and industry representatives participated in an online program to identify and prioritize issues to focus on in the near future to continue to maintain the state’s beef industry competitiveness. Historically, this event was hosted in person out-of-state. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the program to be held
Author: John Fourqurean
Major Program: Beef
Educating local beef producers is a high priority in the Tri-County area. Local Ag Advisory council meetings from the Tri-County area discussions recognizing the need for beef producers to take herd and forage management to another level. Field days serve to educate cattlemen regarding important production principles while demonstrating practices in a practical, on-farm setting. With these facts in mind, Agriculture Extension agents in Webster, Hopkins, and McLean Counties have o
Author: Gary Hamilton
Major Program: Beef
The Montgomery County Cattlemen’s Association is a very active commodity group that is supported by the Extension Service. 20 of its 193 members conducted a very enjoyable and educational tour To and From Niagara Falls. On this tour they attended the Ohio State University Farm Science Review; Visited an Ohio Produce Auction and Cheese Manufacturing Plant; a Pennsylvania Winery and Vineyard; a New York Historical Farm, a Dairy Farm and Glass Manufacturing Plant; the Tyson plant, New Holland
Author: Tyler Miller
Major Program: Beef
The Lincoln County Fair took place a week later than it usually does. The first time in years the fair week was not during the 4th of July. Last years' fair was cancelled due to the pandemic, so this year was my first county fair. It was well attended despite the rain events. I helped with the livestock shows. Depending on the workers we had each night, i worked anywhere from the makeup ring to announcing the show. I was able to meet lots of new people and youth of the county. I helped to ge
Author: Vicki Shadrick
Major Program: Beef
Educating local beef producers is a high priority in the Tri-County area. Local Ag Advisory council meetings from the Tri-County area discussions recognizing the need for beef producers to take herd and forage management to another level. Field days serve to educate cattlemen regarding important production principles while demonstrating practices in a practical, on-farm setting. With these facts in mind, Agriculture Extension agents in Webster, Hopkins, and McLean Counties have o
Author: Traci Johnson
Major Program: Beef
Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by the Oldham County Extension and Agriculture Councils. In Oldham County, pasture makes up one-third of available farmland and provides grazing for livestock. Livestock are important to Oldham County’s economy, with cattle alone representing over 2.6 million dollars in sales in 2017, according to the last Census of Agriculture. Because of the economic importance of ca
Author: Jay Stone
Major Program: Beef
Educating local beef producers is a high priority in the Tri-County area. Local Ag Advisory council meetings from the Tri-County area discussions recognizing the need for beef producers to take herd and forage management to another level. Field days serve to educate cattlemen regarding important production principles while demonstrating practices in a practical, on-farm setting. With these facts in mind, Agriculture Extension agents in Webster, Hopkins, and McLean Counties have o
Author: Chelsey Anderson
Major Program: Beef
During the 2019 CAIP program, two producers installed fenceline feeder systems. One installed the system just prior to hay usage for the winter of 2019-2020. According to that producer, he was saving somewhere between $1,800 - $2,100 in hay by utilizing the feeding system. In June 2021, a follow-up field day was held on this farm to demonstrate the use of a fenceline feeder system with numbers to back up the operation. Prior to the 2019-2020 hay feeding season, the producer was feeding 399 rolls
Author: Lindsay Arthur
Major Program: Beef
The Bourbon County Livestock Improvement Association Elite Heifer Sale was started in 1991 to help smaller producers come together to market their cattle. These cattle would be bred heifers that are due to calve in the spring with set standards for all cattle to meet to qualify for the sale and ensure the cattle are pregnant up to 60 days following the sale. Records included breeding dates, color, vaccination history, and body conditioning scores were collected along with hands on help tagg
Author: Glen Roberts
Major Program: Beef
Group Purchasing Beef IRM mineralby Glen RobertsPlanning Unit: Wayne County CESMajor Program: BeefCollaborators: UK Beef IRM Nutrition Specialists, KY Farm Bureau Federation, Wayne County Farm Bureau Federation, ANR Agent Glen Roberts, KSU Small Farm Assistant, and Wayne County Cattlemen`s Association mineral committeeSituation: After attending Master Cattlemen and other beef nutrition educational sessions taught by University of KY Beef nutrition specialists Wayne County Cattlemen bec
Author: Alex Butler
Major Program: Beef
Josh Maples, Extension Professor at Mississippi State University, reported that Beef exports have been exceptional throughout 2021 and are on pace for the strongest export year on record. The latest WASDE projects 2021 beef exports at 3.46 billion pounds, or about 9 percent larger than the current record in 2018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the all-fresh beef retail price at $7.52 per pound during November, a few cents below the October level but roughly 21 percent above the sa
Author: Jacob Ison
Major Program: Beef
On December 21,2021 Elliott County Agriculture Extension Hosted a Beef Quality Care and Assurance class at the Elliott County Soil Conservation Meeting Room. The class covered information on Proper vaccination methods, Disease Prevention Practices, Cattle handling methods, Humane dispatch and disposal methods for terminally ill cattle, genetics and bull selection. There were 30 Farmers in attendance, participated in the Training and became Beef Quality Care and assurance Certified. This cl
Author: Kendal Bowman
Major Program: Beef
The Owen County Cooperative Extension Office held their eighth biennial regional Feeder Calf Grading School at United Producers Inc. Owenton, on Thursday November 4th, 2021. In all the 8 years this has been the biggest crowd, with over 85 in attendance with over half being a first-time participant. Participation included cattle producers across 8 different counties. Given the current cattle market prices, many producers are looking for ways to capture any premium for their calves. Along with mor
Author: Gary Hamilton
Major Program: Beef
Providing proper nutrition is critical to every successful beef cattle operation. 85 Montgomery County beef cattle producers attended and gained knowledge at an educational session that was conducted in November to remind farmers of the importance of meeting their cow herds nutritional needs this coming winter. Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, University of Kentucky Extension Beef Nutrition specialists shared with the group what the nutritional requirements were for a beef cow at her different stages pregna
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Beef
In 2015 a new concept in beef cattle production was introduced by the University of Kentucky Extension IRM Team. It was called the Integrated Reproductive Management Program. This program is a multidisciplinary program that assist producers by educating them on making changes or improvements in their individual operations to ultimately increase farm profitability. These practices include, having a defined calving season, herd health program and a sound nutritional program. Thr
Author: Alex Butler
Major Program: Beef
The 2017 USDA Census reports Anderson County has 380 Cow-calf operations with 15,880 head and 340 Beef Cattle Operations with 8,263 head. The Anderson County Extension agent, in collaboration with University Specialists in the Animal Science Department and ABS Global, provided clientele with access to a new innovative technique for artificial insemination and synchronization protocol. This programming allows producers to incorporate a synchronization protocol that provides a high conceptio
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Beef
Much of the Hay produced in the area is stored outside resulting in a great deal of waste, low nutrient levels and low digestibility. This can lead to many issues in the herd when the winter weather comes barreling in. To address the need for improved forage quality and to increase farmer understanding of the economics of hay production, many producers asked for more information on feeding systems. A workshop was held in Owsley County with Dr. Steve Higgins speaking on Fence Line Feeding systems
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Beef
In conjunction with our county Cattlemen's Association, Marshall and McCracken ANR Agents and Adult Agriculture Program we hosted a Heifer Development program for producers in our region. Heifer Development has become a profitable niche market for producers with high quality genetics wanting to capitalize on the investment of purchasing said genetics. In addition we have several producers interested in developing heifers for their own operation to reduce the need for additional capital inves
Author: Nicole Rhein
Major Program: Beef
In conjunction with our county Cattlemen's Association, Marshall and McCracken ANR Agents and Adult Agriculture Program hosted a Heifer Development program for producers in our region. Heifer Development has become a profitable niche market for producers with high quality genetics wanting to capitalize on the investment of purchasing said genetics. In addition we have several producers interested in developing heifers for their own operation to reduce the need for additional capital investme
Author: Daniel Carpenter
Major Program: Beef
Local cattlemen's association programs held this year included: Livestock risk protection and options, High Moisture Hay and Baleage, Mineral Requirements, Cattle Marketing Options, Feeding Distillers Syrup, Managing High Fertilizer Prices, and Bale Grazing to Spread Nutrients. 85% said they attend local cattlemen's events to lean more about the cattle industry. 90% said that attending cattlemens meetings at the extension office have helped improve efficiency in their farming operat
Author: Gary Hamilton
Major Program: Beef
Beef is great and easy source of protein. We all need protein to build and and maintain muscle to stay active. With the rising cost of groceries, local beef producers with the help of the Extension service decided to hold an educational session entitled: "Making the Most of Your Beef Grocery Dollars". Alison Smith with the Kentucky Beef Council and KCA came and spoke on this very topic at the March Meeting of the Montgomery County Cattlemen's Association. Her presentation was extre
Author: Chris Ammerman
Major Program: Beef
In recent years traditional livestock husbandry has come under attack by the media and special interest groups. A few bad actors have further perpetuated a negative mindset of modern livestock practices in the minds of consumers. Maintain a positive image of cattle farms and farm families in the mind of consumers is paramount for farmers to continue to realize all time market highs.Extension specialists and agents from the University of Kentucky collaborated with farmer leaders from
Author: Daniel Allen
Major Program: Beef
Vaccinations are an important tool for preventing and maintain herd health for cow-calf operations. In addition to improving overall herd health, a vaccination protocol decreases death loss and improves productivity. The Northern Kentucky Cattle Association realized that nearly all local beef operations would benefit from such vaccination protocols. They asked the Kenton County Agriculture Agent for a program that would address the latest recommended vaccines and the latest dr
Author: Taylor Graves
Major Program: Beef
Washington County Cattlemen's association facilitates Cost-Share programs each year. In my first few months as the ANR agent producers turned in their receipts for this year's cost-share purchases. I was asked to check that the bulls purchased were eligible for cost-share funds and unfortunately, we had to deny several of the bulls because they did not meet the standards provided by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. This gave me the idea to create a program on reading expected prog
Author: David Appelman
Major Program: Beef
One of the most limiting factors affecting beef production in Bracken County is the lack of production data and record keeping. Without this information, many business decisions may or may not be the best choice from farm profitability.Bracken County producers now have a new tool to use, that addresses the record keeping issue with their beef herds and that is the X10D app and web based system developed at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The B
Author: Sarah Fannin
Major Program: Beef
Beef and forage production remains the backbone of the agricultural economy in Morgan County. Supply chain issues and inputs costs for both of these enterprises have increased drastically. From seed and fertilizer selection to machinery repair and feed purchases, all tools are needed to make the best economic choices for the farm.More farmers are using decision making tools offered by Ag Extension including soil testing, hay testing, forage planning, bull soundness exams and weed control r
Author: Robert Kirby
Major Program: Beef
A Knox County farmer made the decision that he wanted to start a stocker and backgrounding operation where he could background his own calves and buy 500-600lb calves from semi load lots. Through educational programs and on farm visits by the Knox County Ag Agent, the farmer was educated on how to buy and match tractor trailer load lots, how to worm and work the cattle to control diseases, the most efficient nutritional feeding to enhance growth and reduce cost of gain, and how to market the cat
Author: Philip Konopka
Major Program: Beef
Kentucky is the largest beef producing state east of the Mississippi River. It also has a lot of precipitation during the winter which makes feeding cattle a potentially muddy mess. If a farmer could manage the mud, there could be a potential cost savings to the farmer as well as an environmental impact savings. If the area where the cattle feed is less muddy then they have less energy needs and if the udders stay clean, calves stay healthier and have high weight gains resulting in m
Author: Adam Barnes
Major Program: Beef
A Beefy Success Livingston County Cooperative Extension ANR Agent Mr. Con is a new farmer and beef producer to Livingston County. Having married a Livingston County Native, Mr. Conn learned of Extension and its opportunities to the community. Mr. Conn was looking for more information on starting beef cattle production and expressed concern with raising cattle in such a different landscape. He stated that Mexico had provided a much different landscape than Kentucky.
Author: Evan Tate
Major Program: Beef
Each year cattle producers look to find more diverse and rewarding marketing avenues in order to generate additional revenue due to declining margins in the cow/calf sector. Most of the focus is put on adding value to feeder calves. With this, value in the cull cow is often overlooked and significant incomes are not captured.The Hancock County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association and the Hancock County Cattleman’s Association to bri
Author: Samantha Anderson
Major Program: Beef
In conjunction with the Calloway County Cattlemen's Association, McCracken, Marshall and Calloway Agents for Agriculture and Natural Resources hosted a Heifer Development program for producers in the region. Heifer Development has become a profitable niche market for producers with high quality genetics wanting to capitalize on the investment of purchasing said genetics. In addition, the region has several producers interested in developing heifers for their own operation to reduce the need
Author: Tracie Goodman
Major Program: Beef
The McCreary County Cattlemen's Association requested a series of educational programs in 2022 for their monthly meetings that would fill the need for CAIP education credits, as well as cover topics that would help them to improve their farming practices. Since I took the position of McCreary County ANR Agent, I have heard from many farmers that they dislike using electric fencing either because they are unfamiliar with the setup and voltage requirements, or they have tried in the past and g
Author: Gregory Drake
Major Program: Beef
The abrupt nature of the 2020 Covid shutdown affected all civic groups and organization. Long established traditions in communities across America came to a halt. After nearly two years of caution, the uncertainty of covid-restrictions, and inactivity the leadership of the Stockman’s Association (local affiliate of KY Cattleman’s Assoc.) decided it was time to get back to their work of promoting the livestock industry. An in person board meeting was held, in Februar
Author: Douglas Shepherd
Major Program: Beef
Agent worked with Extension Intern on his summer project to develop, plan and implement an ag technology field day aimed at livestock producers. Two adjoining livestock and crop operations were selected for what was termed as a "Drone Field Day". Various drone manufacturers (most out of state), UK Ag Engineering Specialists and Regional University personnel were contacted, and agreed to participate by providing equipment. giving presentations, and setting up an outdoor trade show
Author: Douglas Shepherd
Major Program: Beef
In October a feeder calf grading demonstration was held at the Livestock Events Center, with producers from three counties participating. Local stockyards provided the calves, and UK livestock specialist and a USDA grader conducted the demonstration. Presenters involved producers in determining frame and muscle scores, as well has how price differences are determined.Master Finisher program offered online and in-person to producers in Hardin, LaRue, Meade and Grayson Counties.
Author: Douglas Shepherd
Major Program: Beef
Although we didn't ship any calves during this period, we did have a closeout for February 2021 load. Extension Specialists and instructors are using our beef retained ownership closeout data reports with UK undergraduate beef courses. USDA graders are using our data from the closeout reports to develop grading standards for frame size, and muscle scores. Kevin Laurent, UK Livestock Specialist submitted a grant to GOAP, for cost-sharing new consignors to the program, grant
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Beef
Though beef cattle raised in Laurel County are of the highest quality, opportunities for marketing beef herds can be costly. The time and expense of transporting the animals to sale facilities can cause a substantial decrease in profits. In an ongoing effort to highlight the quality of animals available in Laurel County and offer a local sale opportunity, the Laurel County Cooperative Extension Service and the Laurel County Cattlemen’s Association conducted the ninth annual Ope
Author: Tyler Miller
Major Program: Beef
On April 7th, a wonderful meeting took place at the Stanford drive in. This programming event pulled in over 200 people. Everyone was fed a meal, a grill was raffled off, and the crowd got to hear from three guest speakers and myself. Once dark fell, the main program was shown on the big screen being protected throughout the loudspeakers and through the car radio. This Extension event hosted an interview type program with two uk specialist. The topic covered fencing types/cost and working facili
Author: John Fourqurean
Major Program: Beef
The Mid South Stocker conference is a joint effort between the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee. The planning committee consist of several specialist from UK, UT, producer representative and this ANR agent representing ag agents from both states. In 2022 the conference was held virtually on Feb 23rd, and focused on baleage production, grazing management, and stocker health research. The 2022 MSSC had 150 attendees (8 panelists/speakers, about 50 Exten
Author: Kelsey Marcum
Major Program: Beef
According to the 2017 Census data, Casey County ranks 37th in the state of Kentucky for the sale of cattle and calves. Knowing that Casey County has a tremendous amount of beef cattle the Casey County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent saw this as a tremendous opportunity for the youth in the county. Along with the support of the Casey County Cattlemen’s Association the Casey County Junior Cattlemen’s Association was started in the fall of 2021. Since that time the group has gro
Author: Robert Amburgey
Major Program: Beef
The Bath County Extension Office has a strong focus on producer education in beef cattle management and production. During the course of the past year, the extension office has worked closely with our beef cattle producers and local associations to provide bi-monthly programs on various areas of management including feeds and nutrition, cattle handling and marketing. Some of these programs were conducted face to face while some programs were presented via video trainings. Produ
Author: Jay Hettmansperger
Major Program: Beef
In order to prepare producers to be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources have collaborated with Beef and Agricultural Economic Extension Specialists to present the Kentucky Beef Conference annually for over 20 years. The assistance of long time business community sponsors has allowed producers to hear from nationally known experts in cattle marketing. COVID-19 restrictions forced the team to re-evaluate how to continue pr
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Beef
To celebrate National Beef Month in May the NEP assistant teamed up with the ANR Agent to develop Get Cooking with Beef, a 4 week series focused on all aspects of cooking with beef. In this series youth learned on a range of topics from food safety, knife skills, beef cut selection, beef nutrition, recipe creation, MyPlate, food preparation and cooking methods. 10 students participated in this series. Several of the students indicated their favorite part was actually getting to cook their o
Author: Susan Fox
Major Program: Beef
Fly control on cattle was an issue in the county last year with herds experiencing a high level of pinkeye. This year, an article was run in the local newspaper on the major fly pests on cattle, emphasizing that good fly control begins early. An additional article with pictures was included in the agricultural newsletter. The article focused on a home-built slant-rope oiler and mineral feeder for fly control from the Trigg County ANR Agent. Subsequently, one farmer has purchased four of these oi
Author: Andy Mills
Major Program: Beef
With the cattle market so volatile, especially for the cow calf operators, producers are looking to diversify their operation. One producer in the county is wanting to start a stocker operations. This will allow him to background his feeder calves and longer when the market is low. It will also allow to buy other feed calves and try to add value to them while feeding them over a four to six month period. This ANR agent has made several farm visits to this operation bringing in University of Kent
Author: Evan Tate
Major Program: Beef
Each year Kentucky Cattle Producers strive to further their cowherd genetics. The Kentucky Cost- share program and other university programs have allowed producers the financial help to adopt new practices. Artificial Insemination is a practice that is now readily available for producers to utilize.The Hancock County Cooperative Extension Service provides guidance and assistance to beef producers each year to conduct artificial insemination programs on their farm. This hands on progr
Author: Chelsea Sapp
Major Program: Beef
Beef Quality Care and Assurance Since becoming the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Marion County in January of 2022, I have trained cattle producers in Marion County through the Beef Quality Care and Assurance Program. This program is sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Network and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. The Beef Quality Care and Assurance Program is a Kentucky version of the National BQA program. The Kentucky version of this program offers a training on cattle
Author: Kelsey Marcum
Major Program: Beef
Casey County has been known for their biannual Liberty Belle Sale for a few years now. Casey County does not have a stockyard and this sale was established to showcase local cattle to the local market. In order to keep this sale relevant and containing quality beef females, education needed to be offered. The Casey County Extension Service and the Casey County Cattlemen’s Association collaborated and created the Heifer Development Field Day as a way to educate producers on getting their he
Author: Gregory Comer
Major Program: Beef
In 2020, Patton Farms participated in a genomic testing program offered by the Ohio, Hancock & Grayson Co. Extension ANR Agents. The goal for this project was to help producers adopt a new tool to utilize when selecting traits using maternal parentage for their commercial herds. In 2020, Patton Farms enrolled 70 replacement heifers from their 700 head cow herd. Agents collected Tissue Sampling Units (TSUs) and recorded data c
Author: Gregory Comer
Major Program: Beef
The “2016 National Beef Quality Assurance Audit” showed that food safety and how/where cattle are raised are two of the top five concerns of beef consumers. By committing to the “Kentucky Beef Quality Care & Assurance (BQCA)” Program, Ohio County beef producers are implementing the national BQA practices , as well as, adding cattle handling and care components to their beef management skills. In the last three years, over 8
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Beef
To address continuing needs for educational opportunities and guidance for local beef producers, the University of Kentucky conducts Beef Quality Care Assurance trainings through county Extension offices. Agents must be familiar with best practices to work effectively with the farmers. In May, the Laurel County Extension Office joined with the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association to present a “train the trainer” program for Beef Quality Ca
Author: Kevin Bullock
Major Program: Beef
Following the devastating tornadoes that hit western Kentucky in December 2021 the Beef Extension Team transitioned our scheduled Beef Webinar Series that was scheduled for the Tuesday after the event to address disaster relief for beef cattle producers. This webinar was a roundtable discussion included: County Extension agents with prior experience in disasters and one that was currently impacted by the tornadoes, the Commissioner of Agriculture, representative from the Governor’s Office,
Author: Kevin Bullock
Major Program: Beef
This is an update on a program that was initiated in 2016, reported in 2018, and continues due to its success. This is an innovative program providing educational programming for beginning beef farmers and educational experience for Animal and Food Sciences students at the University of Kentucky. A collaborative educational program was developed by the Animal and Food Sciences’ Beef Cattle Science instructors (Darrh Bullock, Jeff Lehmkuhler and Les Anderson), Dr. Michelle Arnold and local
Author: Samuel Cofield
Major Program: Beef
KY cattlemen's Ground Beef is a branded beef launched by Beef Solutions a partner with the Ky Cattlemen's association. Most cattle producers have heard of Ky Cattlemen's Ground beef or read about it in the Cow Country News. Beef Solutions buys cull cows from Ky farm families who are all BQCA trained producers, committed to excellent animal husbandry practices and in turn retails the meat through grocers. This allows an opportunity for consumers to connect more with livest
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Beef
With approximately 12,000 beef cows, beef cattle income ranks second in the county. To improve profits and sustainability, beef educational meetings were conducted in cooperation with the Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association.To promote beef in the county, the Association cooked at C & S Mission Store customer appreciation, Taylor County’s first Juneteenth celebration, Murakami employee appreciation, Kentucky Christian School fundraiser, Bluegrass Stockyards customer apprec
Author: Corinne Belton
Major Program: Beef
Educating local beef producers is a high priority in Shelby County. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Shelby County has more than $15 million in beef animal sales yearly, emphasizing the need for beef producers to take herd management and breeding decisions seriously. Field days serve to educate cattlemen regarding important production principles while demonstrating practices in a practical, on-farm setting. With these facts in mind, Agriculture Extension agents in Old
Author: David Appelman
Major Program: Beef
Artificial Insemination offers great advantages to beef producers with calving ease information, calf productivity for growth, carcass traits, and maternal traits for herd replacement heifers. Unfortunately, many producers do not take advantage of this technology and limit their calf growth and future replacement potential. The Bracken County Extension Service along with Dr. Les Anderson worked with one of our Eastern KY IRM local herd to use two rounds of Artificial Insemination usi
Author: Brandon Sears
Major Program: Beef
The agricultural industry is ever evolving and changing. Landowners face production challenges and regulatory requirements in a fast-paced environment. With post-COVID restrictions largely lifted, the Madison County Ag Council identified areas of education for Madison County producers. In consultation with the Ag Council, the Madison County ANR agent provided four educational meetings held from February to May. On February 21st a regional grain production meeting was held in Fayette County and c
Author: Alex Butler
Major Program: Beef
The 2017 USDA Agriculture Census report states that Livestock, Poultry, and Products account for 65% of the agriculture sales for Anderson County Farmers with cattle and calves sales totaling approximately $6.7 million in revenue. The Extension Agent led a discussion with the local Cattleman’s Association concerning programming and prioritizing pregnancy checking for beef cattle producers within the county. Pregnancy checking was deemed a top priority for the Anderson County Cattlemen as e
Author: Lindie Huffman
Major Program: Beef
The average yearly expense of owning a herd bull is $722 per annum. Producers with managed breeding windows utilize the bull's services for only 2 months of the year, while they maintain his health and nutrition for the duration. Bulls come with not only economic costs, but also opportunity costs. To maintain only one herd bull limits genetic opportunity and also increases the risk of injury. In 2017, a member of the local Cattlemen's Association expressed interest in attending a school
Author: Beau Neal
Major Program: Beef
Trip was planned for the Fayette County Cattleman's Association to tour cattle operations in Southern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. 16 participants took part in the three day trip. The first stop was CPC Commodities in Fountain Run, KY, then onto Red Hill Angus in Lafayette, TN. The next day we toured a historic Distillery in Tennessee, along with a reputable Angus Cattle operation known as Deer Valley Angus. These diversified operations allowed our producers to see differ
Author: Nathan Rider
Major Program: Beef
Bullitt County’s geography and proximity to the Louisville Metro Area make it home to many part-time farmers holding a second, off-farm job. 90% of the 486 farms in Bullitt County reported less than $25,000 in annual sales in the 2017 Ag Census. However, being a part-time farmer is no less work when farm labor occurs before and after long shifts at a day job. The members of the Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association are no exception to the hardworking character of Bullitt County farm
Author: Reed Graham
Major Program: Beef
Profitability in a small cow/calf operation can be very difficult. According to a recent fact sheet from the University of Kentucky Ag Economics department the estimated gross return per cow in 2022 is less than $200 and that doesn’t include Depreciation or Interest on Equipment/Facilities, Land, or Labor. Smaller producers with under 50 cows would have a hard time making a living off beef cattle at that projection.With the help and guidance of Breathitt County ANR Agent Reed Graham one pr
Author: Kevin Laurent
Major Program: Beef
The Post Weaning Valued Added Program - Precondition (PVAP-PRECONDITION) began in 2019 through a grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund and is administered by the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Beef Network. The objective of PVAP-PRECONDITION is to encourage cow-calf producers to retain ownership and capture added value from their investment in beef cattle genetics, facilities, and improved management through diversified marketing strategies. This program is aimed at Kent
Author: Shane Bogle
Major Program: Beef
Kentucky remains the largest beef producing state east of the Mississippi River. With that title comes a greater responsibility to insure profitability and sustainability to the Kentucky beef industry. In cooperation with the Caldwell/Lyon Cattlemen’s Association, Caldwell County Cooperative Extension hosted two Beef Quality Care and Assurance (BQCA) certifications for Caldwell County producers. BQCA is a national training course developed by USDA and the beef industry t
Author: Taylor Graves
Major Program: Beef
One of the most expensive aspects of a cow-calf operation is raising replacement heifers for your herd. It is a long-term investment to develop quality bred heifers to retain as replacements or to market these heifers to other producers privately. This multi-station meeting was designed to help producers understand the true cost of developing heifers and to hopefully give them a few ideas on how they can save money. This was done through discussions on evaluation presented by Livestock Division
Author: Colby Guffey
Major Program: Beef
Bale grazing is a technique of winter-feeding stored forages to beef cattle that has gained in popularity in recent years. A local cow/calf producer inquired about utilizing bale grazing on his farm to help get better distribution of animal manure during the winter-feeding period and to minimize the damage done to feeding areas by his tractor while setting out hay. Aerial maps as well as on farm visits were used to select the areas that the bales will be staged at prior to winter fee
Author: Robert Kirby
Major Program: Beef
The Knox County Cattleman's had their first meeting following Covid-19 on September 20, 2021. Dr. Ray Smith presented an educational program on Fall and Spring options for reseeding pastures and hay fields. On November 15, Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler presented a Winter feeding program giving farmers options to use commodity feeds to cut production costs. On March 21, 2022 a recorded zoom meeting was shown, giving the advantages of crossbreeding. Through verbal evaluations 20% of the groups responded
Author: David Coffey
Major Program: Beef
Since 2017, the Jackson County Agriculture agent has been working with a local producer and their beef operation. The producer started without a cattle background and relied heavy on the extension office for guidance. Since 2017, the producer has attended nearly all cattlemen meetings and several educational workshops including but not limited to, Artificial insemination certification, freezer beef boot camp, rotational grazing work shops, and fencing school. This producer has went from starting
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Beef
The week following the Dec. 10th Tornado saw lots of concerns come to life amongst our farming communities. One of which was that one of the major local cattle buyers had been reported on the news as receiving large amounts of damage to his receiving yards. In addition the buy was not present at the cattle sale that following weekend. After receiving many panicked calls about concerns with local prices not maintaining with national trends, I contacted our state Cattle Marketing specialist and di
Author: Matthew Futrell
Major Program: Beef
Laurindale Farms is a father-son operation in south Christian County that established a small freezer beef trade approximately 10 years ago. In 2019 a local processor approached them with an opportunity to expand their finishing program from 30 head to 120 plus head annually. Soon after the expansion several problems were encountered. Cattle were not gaining consistently and slaughter weights were declining. Extension specialists and the local ANR agent addressed these i
Author: Michelle Simon
Major Program: Beef
Campbell County agriculture largely consists of beef cattle and forage operations. In an effort to assist producers be more profitable and increase reproductive efficiency the Campbell County Extension Service has offered blood testing services for producers to test their cattle for pregnancy. The importance of pregnancy diagnosis in cattle is easily determined by the cost of production. On average, it takes approximately 10 round bales of hay per cow to carry a cow over the winter months in add
Author: Katherine VanValin
Major Program: Beef
The master finisher program is a new program that was offered for the first time in the fall of 2021. The goal of this program is to educate beef cattle producers on how to finish cattle on their operations, and options for marketing finished cattle or beef directly to the consumer. This is an area of beef production that has seen growth due to increased interest in the local food movement and was exacerbated by supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increased demand for loc
Author: Katherine VanValin
Major Program: Beef
This is a follow up to an initial outcome success story from 2020. In 2020, we worked with a producer to understand the cost of production for finishing cattle on their operation. Using their nutrition and management strategies at the time, new feed rations were developed that looked drastically cut feed costs for the producers and better utilized their available land, while maintaining their performance objective. Over the last two years we have worked with the producers to implement the new ra
Author: Kevin Laurent
Major Program: Beef
Laurindale Farms is a father-son operation in south Christian County that established a small freezer beef trade approximately 10 years ago. In 2019 a local processor approached them with an opportunity to expand their finishing program from 30 head to 120 plus head annually. Soon after the expansion several problems were encountered. Cattle were not gaining consistently and slaughter weights were declining. Extension specialists and the local ANR agent addressed these i
Author: Michelle Simon
Major Program: Beef
The Master Finisher series was developed by UK Beef Extension Specialist, Dr. Katie VanValin, after the completion of the Freezer Beef Bootcamp for producers that were interested in larger scale freezer beef production to restaurants and stores. The driving interest in finishing and marketing beef locally was caused by the pandemic causing issues at feedlots and large processing plants therefore causing uncertainty and loss of income for cattle producers. Marketing beef independently and locally
Author: Brian Jeffiers
Major Program: Beef
Safe and humane care of livestock is a high-profile issue in animal agriculture. For that reason, a number of entities require beef producers to complete the Beef Quality and Care Assurance certification in order to be eligible for various cost-share programs and other benefits. BQCA has historically been provided by extension agents at local events, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to in-person meetings, leaving farmers in need of another option. University of Kentucky specialists and Kentu
Author: Joshua Jackson
Major Program: Beef
Producers have been relying upon UK Cooperative Extension Service agricultural and natural resource agents for many decades to assist with crop assessment (scouting, disease detection, yield impacts, etc.). Drones (or unmanned aerial systems) are a newer technology that have vastly increased the crop assessment efficiency as whole field can be visualized in real-time. Through the Charles E Barnhard Fund, post-processing capabilities for collected drone images were made available this past year t
Author: Rebecca Konopka
Major Program: Beef
On November 13, 2021 Morehead State University, University of Kentucky, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, and Shi-bah Zing-ga Yak farm co-hosted the first Kentucky Yak Husbandry Research Conference. The Carter County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent assisted with planning, recruiting, facilitating, and cleanup of the event. A total of 33 participants and presenters were in attendance. Attendees traveled from Colorado, Wyoming, Illinois, New York, Tennessee
Author: Jessica Barnes
Major Program: Beef
We have been having an annual Beef Day in Harrison County for several years now and this year was the most well attended event yet. We had 12 vendor booths that were all related to the beef industry as well as our local Cattleman's Association that was setup cooking burgers and steak sandwiches. We were able to partner with Farm Credit Mid-America and Central Kentucky Ag Credit to be able to offer the meals at half price for our community as a thank you for supporting the beef industry in Ha
Author: Jeffrey Lehmkuhler
Major Program: Beef
The UK Forage and Beef Groups have recently completed a major update of the national publication Alfalfa for Beef Cows. This effort was in cooperation with the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance. Alfalfa for Beef Cows provides producers in KY and around the country with a comprehensive guide to utilizing alfalfa in beef cattle pasture, hay and silage systems. It includes recent history of the crop, growth and agronomic management, forage quality, nutrition balancing, management tips to reduce
Author: Jeffrey Lehmkuhler
Major Program: Beef
This conference is a joint effort between the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky. In 2022 the conference was held virtually on Feb 23rd, and focused on baleage production, grazing management, and stocker health research. The 2022 MSSC had 150 attendees (8 panelists/speakers, about 50 Extension personnel, and around 90 producers). There were 32 survey responses. Total cattle numbers reported by attendees included 1,387 brood cows and replacement heifers, 3,051 back
Author: Rebecca Konopka
Major Program: Beef
According to the Ag Census, 68% of Carter County’s agriculture economy is from livestock production and there are over 11,000 head of beef cattle in the county. Over the past year, the Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent for Carter County reached over 100 beef producers via programs, newsletters, farm visits, social media, and personal communications. In addition to local YouTube videos and five BQCA trainings, the Northeast Area Livestock Association met nine times between May 2
Author: Jeffrey Lehmkuhler
Major Program: Beef
The 2022 Beef Efficiency Conference was held for the first time in-person following the pandemic. This is a joint effort between University of Kentucky Beef Extension specialists and agents, and the Kentucky Cattleman's Association. Attendance was strong with an estimated audience of 150-175 from 29 counties across the state. This program provides attendees an opportunity to listen and learn from experts from across the United States. This is likely the only time participan
Author: Katherine VanValin
Major Program: Beef
The UK Forage and Beef Groups have recently completed a major update of the national publication Alfalfa for Beef Cows. This effort was in cooperation with the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance. Alfalfa for Beef Cows provides producers in KY and around the country with a comprehensive guide to utilizing alfalfa in beef cattle pasture, hay and silage systems. It includes recent history of the crop, growth and agronomic management, forage quality, nutrition balancing, management tips to reduce
Author: Katherine VanValin
Major Program: Beef
The 2022 Beef Efficiency Conference was held for the first time in-person following the pandemic. This is a joint effort between University of Kentucky Beef Extension specialists and agents, and the Kentucky Cattleman's Association. Attendance was strong with an estimated audience of 150-175 from 29 counties across the state. This program provides attendees an opportunity to listen and learn from experts from across the United States. This is likely the only time participan
Author: Thomas Mann
Major Program: Beef
In 2021, the USDA estimated that there were 6,100 head of cattle and calves in Carroll County, and in 2017, sales of cattle and calves from Carroll County were valued at $2,379,000, constituting 41% of total agricultural sales in the county. Needless to say, the cattle industry is a cornerstone of agricultural production of Carroll County, and the Carroll County Cattlemen’s Association is an important group within the community for promoting beef production.The Carroll County Cattle
Author: Gregory Comer
Major Program: Beef
Over the last 5 years, over $500,000 have been invested in agricultural improvement /diversification projects in Ohio Co., thru the County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP). These funds are balanced by producer investments in these projects, in the amount of about $2.5 million. The top five areas of improvement by producers are: Cattle handling facilities, water distribution improvement, expansion/improvement of fences
