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Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Impacts

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu




Fiscal Year:
Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025


Success StoryBack-to-Basics - Russell Bell



Back-to-Basics - Russell Bell

Author: Maggie Ginn

Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences

Major Program: Beef

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Survey data from the USDA indicates that most beef cattle producers in the US do not use many management protocols that have been proven to improve productivity and/or profitability. Some examples include breeding soundness exams in bulls, pregnancy determination in cows, controlled calving seasons, vaccinations, and forage management. The Back-to-Basics University of Kentucky Extension Program is designed to identify 10 farms in Kentucky that want to improve their management by incorporating proven management techniques and recording the outcomes of the new management protocol. This success story involves a beef cattle operation by Russell Bell. Mr. Bell owns about 70 cows under minimal management when he began the program. The cow herd now calves in two 60-day windows and half of the calves born are born from AI sires. Mr. Bell has a modern vaccination and mineral program and has worked extensively with UK forage specialists to incorporate rotational grazing and improve his hay production. He has worked with UK beef nutritionists to feed his cattle more efficiently and has improved the BCS of his cows by one full score. Calf marketing weights have improved over 50 pounds and market value has increased $10/cwt due to marketing in larger groups. Mr. Bell worked with UK Beef Specialists to design and implement a new handling system to reduce the reduce the stress of handling for both cattle and handlers. Revenue, efficiency, and profitability have all increased and the cost of production has declined since the Bell Family began the Back-to-Basics Program. The Bell Family Farm has been featured on the KY Ag Matters podcast with a reach of approximately 1500, in Cow Country News with a reach of approximately 22,000 and on the KET program “This Kentucky Life” with a reach of more than 1,000,000 viewers per week.






Stories by Maggie Ginn


Winter Feeding Field Days

about 21 hours ago by Maggie Ginn

Winter feeding of beef cattle is challenging and can represent an economic cost to the operation. In... Read More


West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale

yesterday by Maggie Ginn

The West Kentucky Select Bred Heifer Sale held in Guthrie, KY was established by the University of K... Read More


Stories by Animal and Food Sciences


Facility Desing and Management

about 13 days ago by Bob Coleman

Describe the Issue or Situation.Linking an extension teaching DOE can be a challenge. Bringing the i... Read More


Pasture Maintenance and Management on Small Horse Facilities

about 13 days ago by Bob Coleman

Describe the Issue or Situation.How often does an extension specialist get to make a presentation to... Read More


Stories by Beef


Empowering Youth and Adults with On-Farm Cattle Pregnancy Testing Skills

Empowering Youth and Adults with On-Farm Cattle Pregnancy Testing Skills

about 15 days ago by Kristen Stumbo

Timely and accurate pregnancy detection in cattle is essential for effective herd management, cost s... Read More


Raising the Steaks

Raising the Steaks

about 1 months ago by Traci Johnson

Spurred by food shortages during the Covid 19 pandemic, local meat demand has remained strong in Ken... Read More