2025 WNC Dairy Beef Feeder Steer Program

Jan 28, 2025

By Jordan English

The WNC Dairy Beef Feeder Calf Program is designed to introduce youth to livestock showing, feeding, and care. Participants in the program will be provided a dairy calf that they will feed and care for at their home or another approved facility from March through the 2025 Mountain State Fair when the calves are sold. Participants will attend an informational orientation to prepare them for their project, participate in other events/clinics where they will work with their calf, and conclude their project by showing and selling their calves at the WNC Mountain State Fair.

Please click on the links below to download the application form, rules, and program information. The WNC Dairy Beef Feeder Calf Program Committee met recently and updated the application and rules so please refer to the links below for the most up-to-date version.

2025 Program Information

STEP ONE – Zoom ORIENTATION: ALL youth interested in participating in this program MUST attend our MANDATORY orientation meeting on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. This orientation will be held via Zoom. Youth MUST register for this orientation at: WNC Dairy Steer Program Orientation Sign-Up. After registering, you will receive the login information for the Zoom meeting and extra details to help you decided if you would like to submit an application. ***Each youth interested in participating must complete this form even if they will be logging in to the meeting together.
STEP TWO – APPLICATION: After attending the orientation and discussing the program requirements with your family, interested youth MUST submit an application for the program which is due no later than Friday, February 28, 2025.

The applications will be reviewed by members of the WNC Dairy Beef Feeder Calf Program Committee and successful applicants will be notified during the third week of February. Please contact Jordan English by email at jordan_english@ncsu.edu or phone (828) 255-5522 regarding any questions about the 2025 Dairy Beef Feeder Calf Program.

Source : ncsu.edu

Video: Advancing Swine Disease Traceability: USDA's No-Cost RFID Tag Program for Market Channels

On-demand webinar, hosted by the Meat Institute, experts from the USDA, National Pork Board (NPB) and Merck Animal Health introduced the no-cost 840 RFID tag program—a five-year initiative supported through African swine fever (ASF) preparedness efforts. Beginning in Fall 2025, eligible sow producers, exhibition swine owners and State Animal Health Officials can order USDA-funded RFID tags through Merck A2025-10_nimal Health.

NPB staff also highlighted an additional initiative, funded by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services through NPB, that helps reduce the cost of transitioning to RFID tags across the swine industry and strengthens national traceability efforts.

Topics Covered:

•USDA’s RFID tag initiative background and current traceability practices

•How to access and order no-cost 840 RFID tags

•Equipment support for tag readers and panels

•Implementation timelines for market and cull sow channels How RFID improves ASF preparedness an