CASTANA, Iowa – Beef producers can learn about the benefits and feasibility of feeding co-products at an upcoming field day at the Iowa State University (ISU) Western Research and Demonstration farm near Castana. The field day is set for Wednesday, Aug. 23, beginning at 10 a.m.

“With low-cost feed, low energy inputs, and the explosion of ethanol plants around the state, Iowa’s beef producers can take advantage of ethanol co-products in their feedlots and even for their cowherds,” says Don Hummel, ISU ag specialist. “We have planned the agenda to discuss the availability of co-products, nutritional aspects, economics and the proliferation of co-products and its effect on the availability of corn.”

Speakers at the event include  Allen Trenkle and  Dan Loy, ISU, professors, animal science, and Tom Olson, ISU Extension farm management specialist. A noon lunch will be provided by the Western Iowa Experimental Association, and attendees can tour current co-product projects on the farm during lunch. The afternoon session, beginning at 1 p.m., includes a roundtable of the morning speakers, producers using co-products, a veterinarian, a co-product sales manager and researchers.

No pre-registration is required and there is no registration fee. For more information, contact Hummel at (712) 885-2802 or dhummel@iastate.edu, or visit the Calendar page at the Iowa Beef Center Web site (iowabeefcenter.org). Also see the Web site for more information about ethanol co-products for cattle feeding (www.iowabeefcenter.org/content/ethanol.htm.)

The field day is sponsored by the ISU Western Research and Demonstration Farm and the Western Iowa Experiment Association.

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