Bovine Connection

Cattle producers in the area are invited

to attend the upcoming Bovine Connection

at Williston, North Dakota. 

The first day, Wednesday, December 2, will focus on forage issues featuring Jim Gerrish.

     Jim Gerrish of American Grazinglands Services will open the Bovine Connection with a presentation Living Without Oil and Iron.  Other presentations by Gerrish during the day include Stocking Density-the Most Powerful Tool in a Grazier's Tool Box and Why Post-Grazing Residual Matters.  Jim has over 20 years of beef-forage systems research and outreach while he was on the faculty of the University of Missouri and 20 years of commercial cattle and sheep production on his family farm in northern Missouri.  Besides workshops and seminars, he provides an on-ranch consulting service which helps farmers and ranchers more effectively manage their grazing lands for economic and environmental sustainability.  From his present location at May, Idaho, Jim writes a monthly column Grassroots of Grazing for the Stockman Grass Farmer Magazine and is a contributing editor to Beef Magazine.

     Others scheduled to speak on the first day include Kevin Sedivec, NDSU Extension Rangeland Management Specialist on How to Use Stocking Density in Grazing Systems, and Josh Dukart, Technical Coordinator of the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition on Enhancing Soil Health with Cover Crops and Grazing.  Also that day Ken Miller, a Morton County rancher will describe how he uses cover crops for spring and fall grazing.  Lon Reukauf, a Terry Montana rancher will present What Is That Extra Pound Worth and What Did It Cost?  A beef cattle market outlook will be discussed by Derrell Peel, Extension Beef Marketing Specialist of Oklahoma State University.

Thursday, December 3, has many featured speakers, all addressing "hot-button" issues of the industry with possible bottom-line impacts for every cow/calf producer.

     Speakers include Burton Eller, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Washington D.C.; Ken Odde, Chairman of the Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Department; Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska; Brett Olson, Montana State University; David Buchanan, North Dakota State University; and, Andy Roberts, Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory.  They will discuss the Use of DNA Technology in Beef Cattle Selection, Effects of Wind and Cold Weather on Nutritional Needs of Beef Cows, Beef Cow Longevity and Efficiency with Limited Feed Management, Opportunities and Challenges for Cow/Calf Producers, Reclaiming Our Legacy, and Beef Cattle Genetic Defects.

     The Bovine Connection program is organized by a committee of area beef producers, agri-businessmen and extension agents with the support of area businesses, cattlewomen, seedstock producers and corporate sponsors.

     The registration fee to attend is $40 per person or $60 per couple for the two day event which includes meals, refreshments and a proceedings handbook.

 For more information Bovine Connection to Profit