News Release
For Immediate Release — November 16, 2009
UT Extension Beef Experts/County Agents Study at USDA Facility in Nebraska
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s beef industry generates $600 million dollars for our agricultural economy each year, but to keep our cattle farms thriving - we need the latest knowledge and technology.
That’s the opinion of University of Tennessee Extension experts and county agents who recently spent a week in October at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Roman L. Hruska Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. Twenty-three UT Extension representatives made the trip. The MARC includes some 6,500 cattle of 18 different breeds under study on a facility that covers 35,000 acres. Sheep and swine are also studied at the center. Agents spent time in laboratory settings, and also toured nearby ranches and feed lots.
“We needed an update on a number of key issues, and it was a really good experience,” says John Bartee, UT Extension Director for Montgomery County, who was one of the coordinators for the trip. “We have to stay competitive as a state, and we will take this new information and hold producer meetings in our home counties.”
Bartee says the Tennessee agents heard about the latest technology regarding DNA profiling of purebred bulls. This includes information about carcass tenderness, fertility and genetics. “All bulls in the future will have a DNA profile,” Bartee says. “That’s the kind of information we want, and information we need. I don’t want to see our producers fall behind other states.”
Agents also heard about food safety issues such as the USDA’s latest efforts to combat E. coli. “They’re looking at ways to keep it from entering the food chain,” Bartee says.
The Tennessee group also learned about beef marketing efforts. “The selection of superior bulls, food safety and proper vaccination procedures are all a critical part of the beef industry for Tennessee,” says Richard Powell of UT Extension’s Western Region Office in Jackson. “Our producers must have the most current research-based information to produce high quality calves, which are requested by the feed yards to produce high quality finished cattle for consumers. The consumers must be satisfied and willing to purchase our product or the cattle industry will not survive.”
The following UT Extension professionals attended the event:
Ronnie Barron - Cheatham County - (615-792-4420)
John Bartee - Montgomery County - (931-648-5725)
Ron Blair - Henderson County - (731-968-5266)
Calvin Bryant - Lawrence County - (931-762-5506)
Ken Burress - Wayne County - (931-722-3229)
Ruth Correll - Wilson County - (615-444-9584)
J.C. Dupree - Lauderdale County - (731-635-9551)
Calvin Elder - Dyer County - (731-286-7821)
Sammy Elgin - Madison County - (731-668-8543)
Ranson Goodman - Henry County - (731-642-2941)
Brad Greenfield - Dickson County - (615-446-2788)
Richard Groce - Maury County - (931-375-5301)
Paul Hart - Robertson County - 615-384-7936)
Amanda Mathenia - Humphreys County - (931-296-2543)
Ricky Mathenia - McNairy County - (731-645-3598)
Laurie Mobley - Houston County - (931-289-3242)
Larry Moorehead - Moore County - (931-759-7163)
Jason Morris - Lewis County - (931-796-3091)
Richard Powell - Western Region Office - (731-425-4724)
Philip Shelby - Gibson County - (731-855-7656)
Jerri Lynn Sims - Montgomery County - (931-648-5725)
Bob Shumake - Weakley County - (731-364-3164)
Jeff Via - Fayette County - (901-465-5233)
UT Extension, with offices in every county of the state, is one of the UT Institute of Agriculture’s four units, which together provide instruction, research and public service. The other units are the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and AgResearch, including the statewide system of 10 research and education centers. For further information, go to http://utextension.tennessee.edu/.
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Contact:
John Bartee, 931-648-5725, jbartee@utk.edu
Richard Powell,731-425-4724, ripowell@utk.edu
Charles Denney,865-974-7367, cmdenney@utk.edu