If subzero temperatures and snowfall prevented cattle producers from participating in the North Dakota State University Extension Service’s Dakota Cow-calf Clinic earlier this month, they can view it online.

Go to http://134.129.203.38/tcs/?a=5981#page:conferenceList&status:recorded&pageNumber:2 and scroll down to “Cow / Calf Meeting 7 Jan 10 10:30 AM.” Then press the “play” button. The other option is to “download” the session. If the meeting isn’t listed, do a search at the site for “cow calf meeting.” The program lasts about two hours.

The clinic was an interactive videoconference broadcast from several sites throughout the state.

Clinic topics and speakers include:

• Futures Trends in the Beef Industry - John Dhuyvetter, NDSU area Extension livestock systems specialist at the North Central Research Extension Center, Minot. He discusses the direction the cattle industry is headed, cattle numbers, low prices, DNA technology, beef food safety, the increasing age of cow-calf producers and niche marketing (natural grass fed, organic).
• Controlling Costs for a Beef Cow Herd - Steve Metzger, North Dakota Farm Business Management. He reviews current-year cow-calf budgets and explains where and why cow-calf production costs have increased. He also benchmarks these costs, discusses areas for input cost control and provides producers with advice on fine-tuning financial decisions based on this information.
• Market Outlook for Beef Cattle - Tim Petry, NDSU Extension livestock economist. He discusses cattle herd numbers, which are at the lowest point in years; low cattle prices; the poor economy; and what the future holds for the cow-calf producer.

For more information about the clinic, contact:

• John Swenson, Griggs County, (701) 797-3312, john.swenson@ndsu.edu
• Brad Brummond, Walsh County, (701) 284-6248, bradley.brummond@ndsu.edu
• Al Ulmer, LaMoure County, (701) 883-5301, ext. 209, al.ulmer@ndsu.edu
• Karl Hoppe, Carrington Research Extension Center, (701) 652-2951, karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu
• Tim Semler, Bottineau County, (701) 228-2253, timothy.semler@ndsu.edu
• Andy Johnson, Steele County, (701) 524-2253, andrew.k.johnson@ndsu.edu

NDSU Agriculture Communication