The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas Beef Council, and Sul Ross State University will conduct Beef 706, a free quality assurance program organizers say is designed to help growers raise a safe, top quality product for the consumer.
The day and a half program will be held at the Everett E. Turner Range Animal Science Building, E. U.S. Highway 90, on the Sul Ross campus at Alpine. It is slated to begin at 7 a.m., June 29-30, with the first day’s activities culminating at 7:45 p.m. and the second day ending by 1 p.m.
Dr. Dan Hale, AgriLife Extension meat specialist at College Station, said the Alpine course, as well as a “sister” course at College Station in August, teach about safety and quality issues producers can learn about and apply to their operations.
“Delivering a safe, consistent, quality product is the best way to increase beef consumption,” Hale related in his promotional material on the course. “Producers should be aware that the day-to-day management of their cattle, whether we’re talking about branding, weaning, handling or even vaccination plans, all impact the quality and wholesomeness of beef.”
Hale said the course is intensive and somewhat grueling.
“From live cattle evaluation to harvesting and from grading to fabrication, the first day is grueling,” he said. “The second day though, we switch gears from hands-on work to the classroom, where we’ll concentrate on effective stockmanship.”
Hale stressed that every management decision made at the cow-calf level has an impact on the quality of the final beef product.
“The more ranchers understand the role and impact each decision they make has on the eating-quality of the beef, the better job they can do to produce cattle that will meet the consumers’ expectations for eating satisfaction,” he said.
Hale said thanks to funding by the beef checkoff program, the course, including meals, is free but registration is limited to 20 participants.
To sign up, contact Lisa Sorrells at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Center in Fort Stockton at 432-336-8585 or Lisa.Sorrels@ag.tamu.edu.
