2025 Driftless Region Beef Conference offers feedlot-specific topics
University extension services in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin offer annual event
12/20/24
Joseph Lensing and Josh McCann will speak at the 2025 Driftless Region
Beef Conference.
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The 2025 Driftless Region Beef Conference continues its longstanding tradition of providing educational sessions for beef producers in that region. Offered cooperatively by the university extension services in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, the 13th annual event will be held Jan. 23-24 at the Grand River Convention Center in Dubuque.
Thursday starts with keynote speakers Dr. Derrell Peel from Oklahoma State University and Dr. Troy Rowan from University of Tennessee.
Also speaking Thursday, Dr. Marta Kohmann from the University of Wisconsin will talk about “Managing Pastures for Long-Term Production.” Grazing management is no easy task. Several decisions are needed to ensure productive pastures that keep up with animal requirements long term. She'll go over main principles of sustainable pasture management, and share information on some grazing studies currently underway.
Rounding out Thursday evening after dinner will be the popular “Bull Pen” discussion featuring a panel of locker plant managers from the Driftless Area sharing their insights and answering questions about marketing beef locally.
Friday morning beginst with the breakfast session in which Bruce and Peyton River of Maquoketa, IA will share their experiences on “Challenges and Joys of Family Farm Transitions.”
Following the breakfast session, two tracks of breakout sessions will focus on the cow herd and feedlot areas respectively.
Feedlot speakers and topics are:
- Joseph Lensing of Iowa State University will talk about “Risk Management in a High-Priced Market” focusing on analyzing the risk protection and strategies to protect the value of feeder and fed cattle in the current market.
- Erika Woolfolk of ISU will talk about “Effects of Market Timing and Performance Technologies on Marketing Decisions for High Quality Midwest Cattle.” She'll share results of a study conducted at ISU to evaluate the tradeoff related to days on feed and market timing contingent on feeds costs, grid premiums, and discounts for high quality cattle sold on a carcass or grid market basis.
- Denise Schwab of ISU will talk about the “BeefXDairy Lifetime Performance Project," an ISU project that looked at the impacts of early life nutrition on lifetime growth, health, and performance on beef-dairy cross calves. The study results will be shared along with implications for managing beef dairy cross calves for performance, health, and carcass merit.
- Josh McCann of the University of Illinois will talk about “Causes and Costs of Erratic Intake in the Feedyard.” Consistent dry matter intake is the hallmark of good management. McCann will explain why it is important to consider the causes and costs of erratic feed intake.
Keynote speaker Peel will bring the conference to a close with his presentation, “Cattle Market Outlook: 2025 and Beyond” which encompasses the current cattle market situation and factors affecting producer profitability.
The early registration fee of $120 per person must be received prior to midnight on Jan. 10, 2025. After that, the price increases to $145 per person. To register please visit https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/beef/ where you can also find more information on topics, speakers, and lodging.
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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:
Denise Schwab, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist, 319-721-9624, dschwab@iastate.edu
