Educating local beef producers is a high priority in Shelby County. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Shelby County sales of cattle/calves accounted for more than $10 million in annual sales, 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 Oldham, Trimble, Henry and Shelby Counties have organized and held an annual Regional Beef Field Day for farmers since 2005. These field days offer producers an opportunity to see how production practices are implemented on local farms. Field days also promote adoption of new practices that improve production efficiency while protecting natural resources, which are goals outlined in the county plan of work.

 This year’s Regional Beef Field Day was held at Bluegrass Beef in Shelby County on October 1^st. During the field day, nearly 200 area producers attended and learned about:

  - Reclaiming Pasture Ground from Crop Ground

 - Regenerative Grazing

 - Beef Cattle Market Update and Outlook

 - Direct Marketing – Opportunities and Challenges

Presenters included University of Kentucky Extension Specialists and host farm family members.  Agriculture Extension agents identified topics of interest and benefit to producers, contacted speakers, and led tours during the field day. The host agent secured sponsors/vendors to support the event. Sponsor funds helped cover field day costs and allowed producers the opportunity to visit exhibitor tables for information to help their farm enterprises.  

In addition to providing information to help producers become more efficient, improve the financial viability of their operations and be more sustainable, this field day enabled many area cattle producers to complete education requirements for Kentucky Ag Development Fund’s cost-share program.  This cost-share program has helped farmers across Kentucky make significant improvements to their farming operations for more than 20 years.