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 locally produced beef has created an opportunity for producers to capture value, but cattle must be managed and fed properly to achieve a high-quality and consistent beef product. 

This program consisted of monthly webinar series, as well as in-person sessions held across the state. Over 220 individuals registered for the online portion of the master finisher program. Live attendance for the master finisher webinars averaged between 50-60 people. Recordings of the sessions are made available to all registered participants for later viewing. Furthermore, the material covered at in-person sessions was also be recorded and made available to those wishing to participate in this program virtually. 

In-person sessions were held in 9 different locations across the state. Attendance at these sessions totaled over 150 producers. Post program surveys have been received from over 30 participants. Of those participants that participated in the survey, the average overall level of information gained from the program was rated a 4 (very informative) out of 4. A series of questions were included to gauge the knowledge of topics prior to and after the person. Participants were asked to rate their knowledge on a scale of 1-5. Prior to the sessions the average response to these questions was 2.6 out of 5, and after the program the average response to these same questions was 4.3 out of 5. Additionally producers who attended the program reported that they expected to see an economic improvement of $20-60 dollars a head due to management changes related to the master finisher program.