The Trigg County Cooperative Extension Service in Cooperation with the Trigg County Cattlemen's Association partnered to help livestock producers better manage their herds and meet their individual goals.  One way we help producers is through our IRM mineral program.  Three times each year the ANR agent in cooperation with a committee of Cattlemen’s members collects bids from local feed suppliers on free choice minerals formulated per the UK IRM specs.  The best prices are then offered to producers.  UK regulatory services also assists us in this process by testing the mineral delivered to our producers. The producers are assured that they are buying a good quality mineral and generally it is at a better price point than what they’d been buying previously.  This year marked my third year of working with the program and also the third year of growth.  We had over 60 producers that took part in the mineral order, they were from 6 different counties and both Kentucky and Tennesee.  There was over 120 tons of mineral was distributed through Trigg County Cattlemen's association in 2019. 

Working with our mineral suppliers, regulatory services and using the specs provided by our UK specialists we are able to offer consistent quality minerals that will meet cattle requirements at a very competitive price.  Based on the mineral orders we placed- 4800 bags, and the average price increase our producers were reporting- $6/ bag- our mineral program saved producers over $28,000 in 2019.