TN-KY Beef Program

 

 

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Clarksville, Montgomery County

 

 

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Video Transcript

Chuck Denney
What farmers weren’t seeing much of a year ago - ample spring rains on their pasture. It’s a welcome sight for those who grow our state’s beef cattle - a half billion dollar business in the volunteer state.

Leamon Bratton
“I’m retired military, and in the military they teach you - do what you’re told to do. Read.”

Chuck Denney
Montgomery County producer Leamon Bratton admits his first few herds were lacking quality-wise, so he did do some reading and learning. Bratton worked with UT Extension in its Certified Pre-Conditioned Health or CPH program.  He learned about nutrition, genetics, vaccinations and overall herd health and management. Bratton says he's now raising a better quality product for the grocery shopper.

Leamon Bratton
“He wants the best product for his money or her money. They want the best product. They want a safe product and that’s what we’re going to give them.”

John Bartee
“I have a lot of consumers tell me they want to know who that person was that raised that animal. Through our age and source verification program - that’s what we’re able to do. We can say ‘Well, that calf comes from Mr. Leamon Bratton’s farm.”

Chuck Denney
For three years running, UT Extension has been working with the University of Kentucky and producers from that state in a beef marketing program.  Between the two states, more than six thousand cattle were sold - and almost all were above market value. Tennessee and Kentucky have the most cattle of any states east of the Mississippi - including more than two million beef cattle. Through the CPH program, these high quality cattle are sold at combined auctions -bringing farmers like David Shores a better price, which keeps them in business.

David Shores
"We’ve averaged ten cents above the current market that week when we’ve had the CPC sales a pound, and we’re averaging probably 300 to 400 pounds extra weight thru these sales.”

Ronnie Barron
“That’s what this is all about - marketing a product to the buyer and ultimately the consumer.”

Chuck Denney
Organizer Ronnie Barron says cattle producers learn from each other here, and that benefits all.

Ronnie Barron
“If I see my calf is not doing as good as yours, and you’re making more money than I do, I’m going to make some changes.  I’m going to do something different.”

Chuck Denney
That something different seems to be working here as this state-to-state venture will continue. Farmers say as long as the economics work for them, they’ll look to expand their herds and produce more quality beef.

END

NOTE: Beef producers from nine Kentucky counties and four in Tennessee participate in these sales - which happen three times a year.