November 8, 2001

Bovine Connection Seminar is Dec. 7-8 at Watford City

The 2001 Bovine Connection to Profit, a two-day seminar for beef cattle producers and associated agribusinesses, is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8 in Watford City, according to Dale W. Naze, North Dakota State University Extension Service Agent in McKenzie County.

Naze says the program will feature presentations by nationally and internationally known speakers, area ranchers and NDSU Extension Service specialists sharing their practical applications of production and economic technologies.

The Dec. 7 program will open at 9:30 a.m. CST at the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Watford City and will focus on some of the public policy issues currently facing the beef cattle industry. Dean Conklin, executive director for beef and veal channel marketing with the National Cattlemens Beef Association, will provide an overview of beef demand, foreign trade, marketing and promotion. Fred Obermiller, professor and public land and water policy specialist from Oregon State University, will discuss several environmental challenges including the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, critical habitat policies and the National Grasslands Management Plan revisions. Rounding out the morning session will be Jason Turner, NDSU equine specialist, leading a discussion on the new equine studies program being initiated at NDSU.

In the afternoon session starting at 12:45 p.m., Charles Linderman, extension livestock waste management specialist at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center, will provide an overview of the new rules and possible management strategies concerning the EPA’s recent announcements associated with animal feeding operations. Brad Wildeman, chairman of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency from Lanigan, Saskatchewan, will discuss the Canadian experiences with mandatory livestock identification.

A special program that includes a panel of representatives from several beef cattle marketing organizations will provide the audience with an overview of marketing opportunities for commercial cattle producers. Panel participants include Ryan Ruppert, feeder calf marketing specialist with the Red Angus Association of America; Bill Bowman, director of commercial relations with the American Angus Association; Larry Schnell with Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange at Dickinson; and Chantz Prewitt, Sitting Bull Auction at Williston.

The Friday program is scheduled to conclude at 4:30 p.m., but audience members are invited to stay to visit with speakers and commercial exhibitors during a two-hour hospitality session from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building. Friday’s activities conclude with a no-host steak fry at 7:00 p.m. followed by entertainment from the "Snappy Wit Band" at the Watford City Eagles Club.

The Dec. 8 program will open at 9:30 a.m. with Kevin Sedivec, NDSU extension rangeland specialist, discussing annual forage production and integration into a

12-month forage strategy. Mike Tess, professor of animal science at Montana State University, will discuss balancing genetic traits in beef cattle and Vicki Reisenauer from MSU will lead a discussion on season of calving and the economic implications of different calving dates and marketing scenarios.

Luncheon entertainment will be provided by Ann Newhouse, western humorist, poet and vocational ag instructor from Bainville, Mont.

The afternoon program will include a presentation on foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and biosecurity issues. Dr. Larry Schuler, North Dakota State Veterinarian, will discuss the implications of and the indemnity procedures concerning these health issues. Completing the program will be Kit Pharo, of Pharo Cattle Company, Cheyenne Wells, Colo, discussing what he describes as "3 Keys To Profitable Ranching," a unique and sometimes controversial philosophy on ranching in the Northern Great Plains.

The Bovine Connection To Profit is organized and sponsored by extension agents, ranchers and businessmen from both North Dakota and Montana as well as the District #1 Cattlewomen of North Dakota. There is a $25 per person, $35 per couple registration fee which includes lunches and a copy of the seminar proceedings. For more information, contact the McKenzie County Extension Office at (701) 444-3451, email dnaze@ndsuext.nodak.edu or contact your local NDSU or MSU Extension Service Office.

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Source: Dale Naze, (701) 444-3451, dnaze@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu