Field day offers look at precision beef technologies in the air, online and on the hoof
10/15/25
RED OAK, Iowa – Emerging technologies are on the agenda for a November 13 field day near Red Oak, and all are invited. Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University and South Dakota State University Beef Extension have partnered to showcase, demonstrate, and discuss a wide variety of new tools and techniques in beef production.
ISU beef specialist Erika Woolfolk said a unique feature is the SDSU technology trailer packed with a variety of livestock technologies.
“The trailer has animal health monitoring software, water monitoring software, a handheld feed analyzer, drones, and much more,” she said. “Additional topics include cybersecurity awareness and applicable precision technologies research, and we’ll have a designated time for technology demonstrations.”
Woolfolk and ISU extension forage specialist Shelby Gruss will share updates on ongoing ISU research utilizing various technologies such as 701x ear tags for monitoring grazing behaviors.
The event will be hosted by the Matt Versmeersch family of Mud Ridge Ranch and Resilient Farms located at 1582 200th Street, Red Oak. It starts at 10 a.m. and will wrap up at 2 p.m. The Versmeersch family will demonstrate the use of NoFence virtual collars that they have been using on their cow herd for more than a year.
RSVPs are required by Friday, November 7, to ensure adequate meals and space. To register, call the Montgomery County Extension Office at 712-623-2592 or sign up online at https://go.iastate.edu/5B6LAK. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather.
Thanks to sponsorship from Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program, NoFence, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Iowa NRCS, and Halter, this program is provided at no cost to attendees and includes a meal grilled by the Mills-Montgomery County Cattlemen.
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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.
Contact:
Erika Lundy-Woolfolk, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist, 641-745-5902, ellundy@iastate.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Beef Center, 515-294-4496, shoyer@iastate.edu
