18 Nebraska Cattleman September 2023 N H N S & S E By Jesse Fulton, M.S., Extension Educator – Director, Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Hosted by the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program (BQA), the National Stockmanship & Stewardship regional events were a unique educational experience featuring low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, facility design sessions and a wide variety of educational sessions. The goal was for producers to learn something they could take back to their operations that will make them either more profitable or more sustainable or encourage them to make improvements toward their stockmanship and animal welfare practices. Each regional event was made possible through awarded grants funded by Merck Animal Health and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Nebraska was fortunate to be awarded funding to conduct two Stockmanship & Stewardship events in Nebraska. “The Stockmanship & Stewardship program provides fantastic opportunities for producers to learn and network with their fellow producers and industry leaders,” says Michalea Clowser, director of producer education for NCBA. “The program's objective is to support cattle producers in their continuous improvement with the focus on beef quality assurance principles. At a majority of our Stockmanship & Stewardship events, the topics generally range from nutrition to risk management to grazing. We have some great and supportive sponsors of this program. Merck Animal Health has long supported this program, and we appreciate their partnership in spreading the BQA message.” This summer, Nebraska hosted more than 150 Nebraska producers over the course of two single-day Stockmanship & Stewardship events in Norfolk and McCook. These events allow us to bring the latest in industry-relevant production practices, information and education to ensure that cattle producers of Nebraska and surrounding states are well informed. Sessions offered this year were curated so that participating attendees would not only learn from a variety of industry experts, but also receive Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification at the event’s conclusion. Each event kicked off with a cattle market update from ShayLe Stewart who serves as a livestock market analyst for DTN and is the founder of Cattle Market News. Stewart gave producers an insight on where the 2023 cattle market may be headed, shedding light on possible opportunities for producers but also challenges that may arise. Attendees also participated in breakout sessions where they learned about grazing management during and after a drought, animal health and husbandry procedures that affect cattle value, and how to improve their bottom line while not having to add infrastructure or add new products to their production practices. After the breakouts, attendees participated in educational “speed rounds.” These 20-minute educational sessions were jam packed with information relating back to BQA. Topics focused on why herd health practices matter, how to design cattle handling facilities, comMore than 150 Nebraska producers were hosted over the course of two single-day Stockmanship & Stewardship events. The events bring the latest in industry-relevant production practices, information and education to ensure that cattle producers are well informed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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