October 3, 2002

October Feedlot Tour to Focus on Environmental Issues

Environmental and manure management issues will be one focus of a two-day feedlot tour to southwestern Minnesota Oct. 22 - 23.

"North Dakota cattle producers are concerned about the environmental impact of their operations and are facing more stringent environmental regulations," says Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University Extension Service livestock specialist. "One focus of this tour will be to show them some affordable, practical options for managing environmental impacts."

The tour, sponsored by the NDSU Extension Service will leave Jamestown at 7 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22 and stop in Fargo at 9 a.m. to pick up additional participants. The tour may visit a corn milling plant on its way to southwestern Minnesota to visit several feedyards.

Cost of the tour is $50 plus meals and motel. Preregistration is required by Oct. 14 with a $25 prepayment. For more information contact Greg Lardy, NDSU Extension Service beef specialist in Fargo at (701) 231-7660 or Hoppe at (701) 652-2951 or karl.hoppe@ndsu.nodak.edu .

"Feedlot tours are a popular way for cattlemen to explore the cattle feeding business," Hoppe says. "Visiting with feedyard owners and operators provides valuable insight about the value of calves and some of the issues, such as environmental concerns, that must be addressed."

Feedlots on the tour will feature use of mono-slope buildings for diverting runoff water, concrete manure storage facilities and total confinement systems. Producers will also see how Minnesota feedlot operators use byproduct feeds and other management options to cut costs.

Feedlot operators and cow-calf producers can also learn how to develop lower cost rations for feedyards, Hoppe notes. "Because feedyards look to reduce cost per pound of gain, many of them are using low-cost commodity feed and by-products. And feedyards are expanding because they can use competitively priced byproduct feeds that are available due to the growth of local grain processing companies."

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Source: Karl Hoppe, (701) 652-2951, karl.hoppe@ndsu.nodak.edu .
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu