Author: Nicholas Carter
Planning Unit: College of Agriculture
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Community and Economic Development
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Fayette and Scott County ANR Agents partnered to cover the needs of the Bourbon County Elite Heifer Sale in the absence of an ANR agent. Prior to the sale, agents divided and conquered to have a presence at the heifer screenings with Tim Dietrich, KDA marketing specialist, to ensure that heifers were bred, identified as natural- bred or artificially inseminated, tagged correctly, met pelvic size measurements, and were high enough quality to be consigned in the sale. Agents also met with the consignors at the planning meetings to coordinate details and plans regarding hiring an auctioneer, designing the sale catalog, and selecting the sale order for consignors. All of the hard work paid off- agents along with KDA representatives and program participants sorted and penned bred heifers according to type, kind, and days bred the day before the sale. The sale had an outstanding attendance and recorded the highest selling heifers at any bred heifer sale in Kentucky this year. The highest selling bred heifer sold for $2150 and the sale average per head was $1758. The foundation of this sale has been built on utilizing the information and recommendations from the University of Kentucky and incorporating them into farm management programs- these management practices allowed these consignors to increase their profit margins on these bred heifers and increased overall farm income.