Virtual Beef Bash - Presenter of PVAP Program Update

In 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Beef Bash Field day was held virtually. The virtual field day was coordinated and hosted by Drs. Katie VanValin, Darrh Bullock, and Mr. Kevin Laurent. The program included presentations from 11 CAFE extension faculty and specialists, and 2 CAFE research faculty. Traditionally, Beef Bash is a largely attended in-person field day that rotates between being hosted at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, and the C. Oran Little Research Center. In 2020, the program was broadcast live from the UKREC through the use of a video conferencing platform and social media. All presentations were recorded by videographers with Agricultural Communications Services prior to the virtual event, and were streamed on the day of the event, with speakers attending the virtual event to answer questions from participants. The videos were also made available to the public following the virtual event. 

Faculty and specialists that were involved in the virtual beef bash were asked to prepare presentations that would be similar to those given at a traditional in-person field day. This ensured that the Beef Bash virtual field day was unique from other webinar based meetings hosted throughout the pandemic. 

During the virtual event there were 130 participants in the Zoom meeting, and the Facebook Live video has reached 2,600 people with 1,059 views to date. Individual presentation videos that were posted to YouTube have received an additional 2,369 views. A post-event survey showed that participants were supportive of virtual programming due to the flexibility it provided them to receive the information at a time the best fit their schedules. These results can be utilized to ensure that future programming is accessible to a larger number of beef producers.