Workshop focuses on nutrition and management for organic beef

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

"Better Beef - Better Returns" is a workshop that is designed to assist organic beef producers with returns on their cattle by optimizing nutritional performance and improving management decisions.

Craig Klemmer, a Livestock Development Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF), says the workshop will give organic livestock producers tools and instruction, allowing participants to take home the material and apply it to their own agricultural operation.

The course will be separated into two sections. The first part will cover nutrition balancing, while the second segment will focus on management.

Nutrition balancing will address the issues of creating a balanced ration, allowing producers to maximize the performance of their cattle based upon the available feedstock. Cattle owners will be able to compare different rations so that they can determine the best gain and return from the feed.

Instructors will address the importance of producers knowing their individual costs of production. Using management calculators, producers will determine their cost per pound of gain, including all overhead and operating costs associated with cattle production.

"I would highly recommend that organic producers feeding cattle in Saskatchewan enrol in this course," Klemmer said. "They will receive a lot of good information that will allow them to improve both the animal and financial health of their operations."

The course will be offered in Saskatoon on January 18 to 20 at the University of Saskatchewan, and in Yorkton on January 23 to 24 at the Parkland Regional College. Registration is $575 per person, which includes all class material, software and follow-up support. It is a Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) registered course, and limited space is available at both locations, so producers are encouraged to sign up early.

Registration forms are available on the SAF website at http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca, or by calling the Agriculture Knowledge Centre 1-866-457-2377.

For more information, contact:

Craig Klemmer, Livestock Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 953-2772
E-mail: cklemmer@agr.gov.sk.ca

Agriculture Knowledge Centre
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone : 1-866-457-2377