Carrington Research Extension Center Beef Production Event Set

Beef ranch money management, natural and Korean beef markets, manure as fertilizer and cattle carcass disposal will be among the topics at the beef production portion of the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center’s annual field tours July 14.

The beef production program will begin at 9 a.m. with registration and coffee. The tours will start at 9:30 and run until noon. Agronomoy tours will be held in the afternoon.

Topics and speakers on this year’s beef production program are:

• The business of beef ranch money management - Farm Business Management program report, Steve Metzger, Farm Business Management instructor
• Using ultrasounds for carcass quality and breeding, Wendy Becker, Foster County Extension agent
• Update on North Dakota natural beef and Korean markets as an outlet for locally processed and fed cattle, Vern Anderson, animal scientist, NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center
• Energy use comparisons between composted manure and fresh manure, Ron Wiederholt, NDSU nutrient management specialist, Carrington Research Extension Center
• Composting cattle, Chris Augustin, NDSU nutrient management specialist, Carrington Research Extension Center
• Cattle disposition and carcass quality, Eric Berg, associate professor, NDSU Animal Sciences Department
• Water quality - flood, drought and livestock drinking, Roxanne Johnson, NDSU Extension Service water quality associate
• Cattle feedout lessons - cold weather, protection and performance, Karl Hoppe, NDSU area livestock Extension specialist, Carrington Research Extension Center
• Cow calf and feedlot research review, Anderson

Also, the NDSU Extension Service once again will offer free water quality screening during the field day. Anyone wanting their water tested for nitrates, total dissolved solids, pH (acidity or alkalinity) and hardness should collect samples in any clean plastic bottle capable of holding 15 to 20 ounces and bring them to the field tour event.

Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories also is offering to test water for a coliform group of microorganisms that includes E. coli. Johnson will have sterile bottles for people to take home to collect the sample and then send to the Minnesota Valley Testing’s laboratory in Bismarck. The cost for this test is $8 and will be collected when people pick up the sterile bottle from her at the field tour event.

For more information about the beef production program, contact Hoppe at (701) 652-2951 or karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu. For more details on the water quality testing, contact Johnson at (701) 231-8926 or roxanne.m.johnson@ndsu.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication