NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

January 6, 2000

NDSU Sponsors Beef Industry Tour to Kansas and Nebraska Feb. 7-9

A beef industry tour to Kansas and Nebraska feedlots and beef processing facilities will help North Dakota producers gain a better understanding of other phases of the beef industry and open potential marketing channels.

The tour will leave Bismarck at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 and return at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Registration and a $50 deposit are required by Wednesday, Jan. 26. For more information or to register, contact Lisa Lee, North Dakota State University Extension beef quality assurance associate, at (701) 328-5134. Another $25 to $50 for transportation will be due at the time of departure. Participants will also need to pay for meals and $45 per person for double-occupancy hotel accommodations during the trip.

"It's important for our producers to see the expectations and needs of the feeders, packers and meat processors so that they know the role they play in meeting the needs of beef consumers," Lee says. "This tour will also highlight the role that Beef Quality Assurance Programs will play in marketing cattle."

Tour stops include:

• The Decatur County Feedyard, a 24,000-head feedyard near Oberlin, Kan.
• Imperial Beef, a 23,000-head feedyard near Imperial, Neb., owned by a partnership of beef producers.
• North Platte Feeders, a family-owned 43,000-head feeding operation near North Platte, Neb.
• IBP slaughter plant near Lexington, Neb., one of the nation's most technologically advanced packing facilities.
• Darr Feeders, a 28,000-head feeding operation near Cozad, Neb.

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Sources: Greg Lardy (701) 231-7660
Lisa Lee (701) 328-5134
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629