OTTUMWA, Iowa -- The premier educational event in Iowa for cow-calf producers is offering a comprehensive package of information to attendees this month. The popular Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference has provided timely, accurate and important information to the state’s beef cattle industry for more than 40 years. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Patrick Wall said this year’s conference, set for Jan. 28 at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, will continue that successful tradition.
The 2017 program targets a variety of topics designed to help producers of all ages and production goals. The Conference has also recently launched a new website -- www.cornbeltcowcalf.com -- to make information and details of the conference agenda available to a broader audience. Producers and beef industry professionals from across the country will lead sessions that offer attendees valuable information to put into practice on their farms.
“Our three keynote speakers will talk about distinctly different, yet absolutely fitting topics for attendees, beginning with Kim Vonnahme from North Dakota State University who will report on research regarding fetal programming, specifically on how maternal nutrition impacts more than just the dam,” Wall said. “Anne Burkholder will talk about her journey from Ivy League graduate to feedlot manager, and the results of giving carcass information back to her feeder cattle suppliers; and Cody Peck will address how Padlock Ranch exploits opportunities for profit in a down market.”
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will cover current issues facing Iowa’s beef producers in a session just before lunch. Another highlight will be a panel discussion from three young beef producers in varying sectors of the market. Five afternoon break-out sessions include the following topics: seedstock in fescue country, cover crops grazing, compaction from cows, Johne’s disease, grass-fed beef, herd bull acquisition and the Iowa Cowmaker Elite heifer development program.
Doors will open for this year’s conference and trade show at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa at 8 a.m. The official welcome is at 8:45 a.m., followed by three general sessions, then lunch and exhibit viewing. The afternoon begins with one more session in the auditorium, followed by two repeating break-out sessions with five choices.
Admission is free and includes a copy of the show guide. No preregistration is necessary, but the first 600 to enter the door will receive a free lunch. Visit the event website for more information.