Farm Bureau to host Midwest cattle tour

Florida cattle ranchers and others interested in learning more about beef operations are invited to take part in a tour of Nebraska and Iowa agriculture this fall.

Florida Farm Bureau is hosting the beef producers educational tour in October. Florida Farm Bureau and the University of Florida/IFAS are providing the personnel and information for this tour.

“The tour is designed to educate cattle producers about each segment of the beef chain from the cow-calf producer to large meat packer,” said Scot Eubanks, assistant director of agricultural policy.

Eubanks said a main objective of the tour is to show how cattle producers can add value along the beef chain. For example ranchers will hear about topics like retaining ownership, breeding and bull selection and the latest in cattle nutrition.

Tour stops include a cow-calf operation in Nebraska, a purebred cattle operation, Midwest feed yard, Tyson Fresh Meats, an integrated dairy, an ethanol plant and the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center.

At the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center, tour participants will get to see research being done on new technology that increases the efficiency of livestock production.

For more information about the tour, contact Scot Eubanks at 352-384-2633. The deadline to sign up and pay the $350 deposit is Aug. 1.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s website, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org