The Desha/Drew Cattlemen’s Association met for the regular monthly meeting July 19, 2018, at the Agriculture Building on the UAM campus.
President Jason Meier introduced our speaker, John Gavin with University of Arkansas Extension Service in Bradley County, who presented a powerpoint explaining a new marketing program for beef producers designed by UofA Extension. The Natural State Preconditioned Calf Program improves the image and welfare of Arkansas produced calves by adopting best management practices. These practices include weaning at least 45 days before market, castrating steers and dehorning all calves early, proper vaccinations including boosters, and deworming. The first step in the program is to become BQA certified. The producer can achieve this either through the online module or through Beef Quality Assurance classes taught by county Extension agents. Next, the producer visits their county extension agent or downloads the enrollment and qualifying forms at www.uaex.edu/gogreen. These completed forms with dates of appropriate practices, along with receipts for vaccines can be presented to the county agent along with $2/calf to order the GoGREEN ear tags. When marketing the calves the producer should take a copy of the qualifying form (and possibly receipts) to the sale barn manager in order to make buyers aware of the producer’s compliance with the Natural State Preconditioned Calf Program. Since there are fewer health problems with preconditioned calves, buyers are usually willing to pay more for these calves.
Also, ACA State Convention will be August 3rd-5th at Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas. See your magazine for the schedule and registration. A “Day Pass” for the Trade Show is available in the June “Arkansas Cattle Business”. Any member can take this pass and visit the trade show (which is the largest in the state) and attend the “Cattlemen’s College” for one day without paying the $35 registration.
Our next meeting will be August 16th, 7PM at the Agriculture Building on the UAM Campus.
