Author: Clay Stamm
Planning Unit: Rowan County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Horticulture, Livestock, Forages, Agriculture
Outcome: Initial Outcome
In order to prepare producers to be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources have collaborated with Beef and Agricultural Economic Extension Specialists to present the Kentucky Beef Conference annually for over 20 years. Many avenues of scheduling, advertising, and networking must take place for this to be a success. The assistance of long-time business community sponsors has allowed producers to hear from nationally known experts in cattle marketing.
COVID-19 restrictions made the team to explore how to continue providing timely marketing and production information with this conference. In the past, the conference has covered a range of production topics but the key focus has always been on marketing strategies and long term outlook. The conference was moved to a shortened, evening, virtual format focused on marketing strategies, marketing outlook and management considerations reaching more than 175 beef producers. It was evident in post meeting survey results that this shortened, virtual, format was a success.
The farm operations of producers attending vary in size, with most (78%) of the producers having less than 75 cows; a large reflection for producer size in Clark County. Of those producers who have attended past conferences, 77% reported increased profits and 73% reported improved risk management practices as a result of attending. Moving this conference to a virtual format helped reach a much broader geographic range with producers attending from more than 32 counties and of those attending 36% were first time attendees. Several producers indicated they now plan to change when they are going to sell, increase culling in their herd and improve record keeping. I hope that this change in meeting format will spur many more Clark County producers to attend the Kentucky Beef Conference in the Future!
Extension professionals unfortunately hear this all the time; “Extension is the best kept se... Read More
As the pandemic restrictions began to lift in early 2021, my self and the Clark County FCS Ag... Read More
2020 Garden Programs on the Go!Twenty-Twenty offered an entire new look to programming in Extension.... Read More
During spring of 2021 and after a yearlong of Covid-19, the Rowan County Extension FCS Agent team up... Read More
The Mercer County Cattlemens Association teamed up with the Mercer County Ag Agent and NEP assistant... Read More
Improving genetics in the cow herd is a goal that many farmers have in order to produce a better pro... Read More