Industry Events

Industry Events
Aug. 25, 2006

Cattlemen’s Boot Camp
Aug. 29-30, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

The American Angus Association, Angus Foundation and University of Illinois (U of I) will conduct a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. The Boot Camp is open to all cattle producers and will cover various segments of the beef industry as well as give perspective on emerging technologies.

The event is set to begin at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Holiday Inn in Urbana. Bus transportation will be provided to the university. The Boot Camp will conclude around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Prior to the Boot Camp, an Angus Skills Lab will be conducted. The lab is designed for new Association members. It begins at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at the U of I beef unit. For more information contact Shelia Stannard, Association event coordinator, at (816) 383-5100 or log on to www.angus.org.

Farm Progress Show
Aug. 29-31, Amana, Iowa

The 53rd annual Farm Progress Show will be at the Amana Colonies facility near Amana, Iowa. The show will display agriculture’s innovations, information and technology. The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s leading outdoor farm show and showcases the most extensive, state-of-the-art agricultural equipment, products and services.

The show is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for ages 13-17 and free for ages 12 and younger. Parking is also free. For more information visit www.farmprogresshow.com.

UNL Lab open house
Aug. 30, Whitman, Neb.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, will host an open house at its Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) to celebrate the center’s 25th anniversary. GSL is located three miles north and five miles east of Whitman.

Several university-sponsored activities and demonstrations are scheduled. Visit http://westcentral.unl.edu/GSL/ for more information.

SDSGA area meeting
Aug. 30, Faith, S.D.

The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) will host an area meeting following the South Dakota Brand Board meeting at the Faith Livestock Commission Co. In-depth discussions of the brand inspection program and the brand inspection contract with the state are scheduled to begin after the brand board meeting concludes at approximately 3 p.m. Visit www.southdakotastockgrowers.org for more information.

Reproduction strategies conference
Aug. 30-31, Saint Joseph, Mo.

The “Applied Reproduction Strategies in Beef Cattle” conference will take place at the Stoney Creek Inn in Saint Joseph, and will feature discussion about the latest advances in fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) and other breeding technology. The meeting will feature top reproduction authorities and beef specialists from land grant universities in the North Central states.

The first day’s presentations will include basics of estrus synchronization, costs and economic analysis, nutrition and reproduction, and dealing with non-cycling females. The second day will include research on breeding soundness exams, sexed semen, reproductive tract scores, ultrasound for early pregnancy detection and fetal sexing, and embryo transfer.

A similar meeting is also planned for Oct. 3-4 in Rapid City, S.D.

For more information regarding the Missouri meeting, visit http://muconf.missouri.edu/arsbc. For South Dakota meeting details, contact George Perry at (605) 688-5456 or George.Perry@sdstate.edu.

Hurricane Katrina recovery workshop
Sept. 6, Hattiesburg, Miss.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association, The Wax Co., and the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Foundation and its sponsors will present a daylong workshop to assist the thousands of Gulf Coast farmers and ranchers devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The workshop, titled “Getting Back on Track,” will take place at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center.

Workshop participants will learn how to rebuild fences, manage low-stress cattle handling methods, discuss market changes, and face operational management challenges. Session topics will also include animal identification (ID), export verification, feeding, management and more.

A $20 preregistration fee, or $30 at the door, includes lunch. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the program will begin at 9:30 a.m. Contact the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association at (601) 354-8951 for more information. For a complete agenda or to register, visit www.mscattlemen.org/gettingbackontrack.htm.

K-State Beef Stocker Conference
Sept. 28, Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas State University (K-State) will host its 2006 Beef Stocker Field Day at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit in Manhattan. The annual event will feature animal ID discussion and practical management tips to optimize stocker operations. Discussion topics will also include the effects of added value programs on beef stocker producers, relevance of implants, forage quality variations and more.

Preregistration costs $20 per person and is due by Sept. 1. Registration at the door is $30. For more information contact Lois Schreiner at (785) 532-1267 or lschrein@ksu.edu.

Conservation Listening Sessions Planned

A second set of listening sessions on cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships has been scheduled. The sessions will take place at the following locations.

Muncie, Ind., 10 a.m., Aug. 26, Horizon Convention Center Exhibition Hall. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett will attend.
Fairbanks, Alaska, 10 a.m., Aug. 28, The Carlson Center. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will attend.
Colorado Springs, Colo., 9 a.m., Sept. 15, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the Gymnasium. USDA Undersecretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey will attend.
Brewer, Maine, 4 p.m., Sept. 20, Jeff’s Catering Banquet and Convention Center. Kempthorne will attend.
Brunswick, Ga., 1 p.m., Sept. 21, Coastal Georgia Community College, Southeast Georgia Conference Center. Hall will attend.
Colton, Calif., 10 a.m., Sept. 28, Colton High School Auditorium. Kempthorne will attend.

The listening sessions will give citizens an opportunity to exchange ideas on incentives, partnership programs, and regulations that can improve results and promote cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.