Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
12/22/99
Contacts:
John Lawrence, Iowa Beef Center, (515) 294-6290, jdlaw@iastate.edu
Dan Loy, Iowa Beef Center, (515) 294-1058, dloy@iastate.edu
Tracy S. Petersen, Iowa Beef Center, (515) 294-5672,
tracyp@iastate.edu
Iowa Beef Center Creates Electronic Bulletin Board For Producer Discussions
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa beef producers can now chat with their counterparts and cattle experts without leaving their homes and offices, thanks to an electronic bulletin board operated by the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University.
"We hope this will serve as a virtual coffee shop, with serious discussion of issues," said John Lawrence, IBC director.
The bulletin board, dubbed "The Bull Pen," is located on the Iowa Beef Center's web page: www.ibc.iastate.edu.
"This is meant to be a discussion place for producers to talk to producers," Lawrence said. "IBC staff may weigh in on a particular topic from time-to-time."
Dan Loy, Extension beef specialist at ISU and a member of the IBC, suggested the idea of the electronic bulletin board after a producer asked the IBC about providing an Iowa-based service such as this.
"Some issues require discussion among peers," Loy said. "Are there problems and opportunities that others have dealt with? What are the tricks of the trade and challenges that need to be shared among others? Iowa State can't have all the answers, but we can provide a forum for people to work things out among themselves."
Lawrence suggested that some of the current issues producers may want to discuss are markets, the proposed harvesting facility and Iowa Department of Natural Resources regulations.
ml: isufarm
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