Beef producers considering marketing directly to consumers or just wanting to know where the value is in their beef can attend Beef 706 on Aug. 14-15 at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, 488 Olsen Blvd., College Station.

The goal of Beef 706, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and sponsored by the Texas Beef Checkoff, is to teach cattle producers about the food side of their cattle business and how to utilize best management practices to improve beef quality and enhance profitability.

The council pays for most of the course; therefore, the registration fee is only $50. Registration can be completed at https://beefcattleshortcourse.com/beef-706/. The program will begin with a breakfast at 7 a.m. on Aug. 14 and conclude with a prime rib dinner at 6 p.m. On Aug. 15, the program will be held from 7 a.m. to noon.

“We want to take ranchers from a live finished steer to the final beef product,” said Jason Cleere, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef specialist and associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Animal Science.

Cleere said the conference will explore the factors affecting beef quality and determining the value of the carcass. Participants will have the opportunity to cut up a side of beef during this very intensive, hands-on and immersive experience.

“If you are considering selling your beef directly to the consumer or want to have a better understanding of the factors that influence the value of the calves you produce, then this is the training for you,” he said.

On the agenda

The Aug. 14 training will include the following topics and speakers:

– Beef Carcass Grading, Dan Hale, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension associate director and meat specialist, Bryan-College Station.

– Market Cattle Evaluation, Cleere.

– Beef Harvest Floor Demonstration, Ray Riley, Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center manager, Bryan-College Station.

– Introduction to Meat Cutting, Davey Griffin, Ph.D., professor and AgriLife Extension meat specialist, Bryan-College Station.

– Fabrication of the Forequarter and Hindquarter, Griffin.

– Feeder Calf Beef Quality Management, Ron Gill, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock specialist and associate department head for AgriLife Extension, Bryan-College Station.

– What Kind of Beef Do You Want to Market? Defining Traditional, Freezer, Natural, Forage-Finished and Organic Beef, Gill.

The Aug. 15 training will include the following topics and speakers:

– Beef Checkoff Update, Jason Bagley, vice president of beef resources, Texas Beef Council, San Antonio.

– Genetic Selection Tools for Producing Quality Beef, Andy Herring, Ph.D., professor and interim department head, Bryan-College Station.

– Eating Appeal of Beef, Hale.

– Finished Steer to Carcass on the Grid, Hale.

– Finished Steer to Boxed Beef Value, Griffin.

For more information, contact Cleere at jjcleere@tamu.edu.

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