Center for Beef Excellence Marks First Year, Makes Strides to Promote Industry

[EditorBob]

Center for Beef Excellence Marks First Year, Makes Strides to Promote Industry
Funding Available for Management, Profitability Teams

Pennsylvania’s beef industry is benefiting from the efforts of the newly-formed Center for Beef Excellence, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Beef Task Force.

Governor Edward G. Rendell appointed the Pennsylvania Beef Task Force in 2007 to re-energize the state’s cattlemen, encouraging them to push for increased profits, more beef production and a stronger agricultural economy. The group’s 70 members represent all aspects of the industry from production, education and industry.

“We are excited about the progress the Center for Beef Excellence has made in the first year to establish a strong foundation and begin building a network within the beef industry,” said executive director J. Willard Lemaster. “As we continue to expand our services and programs, we can further help our producers improve profitability while moving the entire industry forward.”

The center has established the Integrated Resource Management Team program, or IRM teams, for Pennsylvania cow-calf operations. The program brings together experts from all areas of beef cattle production to work with the producer to target and address on-farm problem areas.

The center will offer a maximum of $3,000 for up to 12 farms to develop a team. Funding is available for 18 months of the IRM team operation and may be used to reimburse team members or cover up to 50 percent of expenses incurred in identifying solutions to farm problems.

A mentor will be provided to help coordinate each team meeting and provide input. Teams are encouraged to meet monthly or bimonthly to evaluate the operation, set goals and develop action plans for targeted areas, and assess progress.

Applications for IRM teams are now being accepted by contacting the center at 717-425-5545, or via e-mail at Lemaster@beefexcellence.com. IRM seminars and training sessions for all interested producers will be coordinated through the center.

Other strides made by the center during the first year:

Establishing a Web site (www.beefexcellence.com) that offers information and resources for producers, packers, retailers and youth, in addition to a marketplace section where producers can sell beef-related items at no charge to them.

Purchasing a trailer and portable handling facilities with a grant for small producers to borrow when participating in a calf pool to combine their market calves to potentially get higher prices and offer more marketing opportunities. Based on the grant, priority is given to producers in Bedford, Bradford, Greene, Fayette and Somerset counties. The equipment is also used as an educational tool to show producers the advantages of marketing backgrounded calves, or those weaned for 45 days, on feed prior to marketing and vaccinated twice, and demonstrate the ease of working with cattle with the proper equipment.

Providing funding for the Beef Quality Assurance program to support its mission of providing guidelines for production management techniques that raise consumer confidence.

Helping fund new genetic testing of bulls at the 2009-2010 Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation Center Bull Performance Test with an educational outreach program to explain how the results affect producers within all segments of the industry.

Partnering with industry groups like the Pennsylvania Beef Council, Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association, Penn State Cooperative Extension, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary program among others, to sponsor events.

Developing marketing materials for use at trade shows, meetings and events.

For more information about the Center for Beef Excellence, visit the Web site at www.beefexcellence.org, call 717-425-5545, or e-mail Executive Director Willard Lemaster at Lemaster@beefexcellence.com.