AMES, Iowa –-- The 34th annual Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference will take on a new twist with a new location and expanded program on Saturday, Feb. 26.  Cow-calf producers and industry personnel are invited to the conference at the Vermeer Global Pavilion in Pella, Iowa. The conference has historically been held at the Coliseum in Ottumwa.

“"We are not only excited to bring the conference to Pella in 2005, but also to offer an expanded, customized program,” says Byron Leu, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension livestock specialist. “" This year, the agenda features twice as many speakers and segments, including breakout sessions so that producers can choose subjects and presentations that are of particular interest to them.”

Topics to be presented include pasture, grazing, and forage management, herd health, cow-calf improvement, livestock revenue insurance, new beef products, and estrus synchronization.  The conference will again feature nationally known speakers, including R.L. Dalrymple, formerly of the Noble Foundation, Dee Griffin, University of Nebraska, Nancy Degner, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Mark Core, Vermeer Manufacturing, Barry Dunn, Texas A&M University, as well as Daryl Strohbehn, Bob Wells, Stephen Barnhart, and Jim Russell, all of ISU.  In addition, the convention features Mark Mendenhall, a southern Iowa beef producer.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the program concludes at 4 p.m.  A registration fee of $7 includes lunch and a copy of conference proceedings.  For more information, call (641) 472-4166, e-mail bleu@iastate.edu, or visit the calendar page at www.iowabeefcenter.org.

The Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference, an annual one-day convention, focuses on management and production practices that apply to the cow-calf industry.  The conference provides an opportunity for researchers and practical cattle producers to come together with more than 70 industry representatives to explore current topics and issues.