Success StoryMaster Finisher Series Assists Cattlemen in Pricing Beef Sold off the Farm to Make a Profit



Master Finisher Series Assists Cattlemen in Pricing Beef Sold off the Farm to Make a Profit

Author: Michelle Simon

Planning Unit: Campbell County CES

Major Program: Beef

Plan of Work: Agriculture and Natural Resource Education - Beef and Forage Production and Marketing

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

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 proved to be successful which created more interest in doing so which justified Campbell County Extension in partnering to host the Freezer Beef Bootcamp and then the Master Finisher series. The Master Finisher series was delivered by Campbell County Agriculture Extension Agent in a hybrid model where participants could watch via zoom remotely or attend a watch party at the Campbell County Environmental Education Center with the opportunity to attend two field days touring operations that finished beef. Producers learned a variety of pertinent topics including working with processors, food safety considerations, marketing, nutrition, finishing beef on forages, and finishing beef in confinement facilities. The farm tours in Campbell County and Owen County showed both extremes of finishing operations- one sold 30 beeves annually strictly as freezer beef and the other sold potloads of finished cattle to Carghill to be processed and sold through wholesale stores. Campbell County Extension Agriculture Agent surveyed the 55 participants following the program series and 100% noted the need for identifying the true costs of finishing beef in their operations to price their product accordingly and matching the rations to the true needs of the cattle in their different points of production. One producer stated, “I didn’t realize it before now but I wasn’t charging enough for my freezer beef, I didn’t account for all the costs and with feed prices going up I need to adjust for that to make a profit.”






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