UW-Extension Waushara County invites beef producers to a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training and Pasture Walk on September 4 at the Ken Williams farm located at N3345 Swamp Rd, Wautoma. Sandy Stuttgen, DVM, UW-Extension Quality Assurance certified trainer will provide BQA instruction from 9 AM until 12 Noon. Those attending the BQA training will be eligible to obtain BQA Certification from the Wisconsin Beef Council. Certification cost $15.
Beef producers face the challenge of making a living from the land, while producing safe, wholesome food. To meet that challenge, the industry’s BQA program was created to assist beef producers with best management practices for raising, feeding and harvesting high quality beef. The fee for BQA certification will be collected separately at the conclusion of the training.
A chute side BQA review and pasture walk led by Ken Williams, UW-Extension Agriculture Agent Waushara County will follow from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. The farm was purchased in 2007; fences and waterlines have been installed which allows managed intensive grazing on 70 acres. The farm is currently supporting 22 Angus cow/calf pairs with cattle moved daily to fresh paddocks. A cattle handling building, including headlocks, tub, chute and headgate was built in 2013.
During the walk we will discuss how to turn fields, some on unimproved hilly ground, into sustainable pastures. These fields have had lime and remedial fertilizer applied as well as some frost seeding with clover. Trial plots planted in 2012 and 2013 with eight different grass species will be reviewed and we’ll discuss weather impacts on their establishment. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Rest facilities will be located on-site. This grazing program is funded and supported in part by a 2011 Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, University of Wisconsin –Extension and the Natural Resource and Conservation Service.
Source:uwex.edu