Educational event highlights include prime-rib dinner, Cattleman’s College, trade show
Registration is open for the 71st annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 4-6 in Bryan-College Station.
The largest-attended beef cattle educational event in the world attracts 2,000 attendees to the three-day event, said Jason Cleere, Ph.D., conference coordinator and AgriLife Extension statewide beef cattle specialist in the Department of Animal Science in Bryan-College Station.
“We always try to provide topics of interest to everyone from the new landowners just getting into the business to high-tech adapters and long-time producers to let them know what is coming up on the horizon,” Cleere said.
Both in-person and virtual attendance are offered. The cost is $300 for inperson attendance, $160 for virtual registration and $150 for youth.
A $40 fee will be charged for late registration after July 29. For more information contact 979-314-8507 or email beefcattleshortcourse@ gmail.com.
Producers are offered more than 50 hours of training on basic ranching practices, new technologies and hot topics in beef cattle production during the Cattleman’s College, which features 20 concurrent sessions and includes live-animal and chute-side demonstrations.
Attendees can access over 150 agriculture-related businesses and trade show exhibitors. Pesticide license holders and veterinarians can also earn continuing education units during the event.
The Youth Track is also back in place for high school students to learn more about hands-on beef cattle production.
The event is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science.
Agenda hot topics
This year’s event will bring discussions on emerging topics such as New World screwworm and the farm bill, as well as the traditional market and weather outlooks, Cleere said.
Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, will provide insights on the pace of cow herd rebuilding across the industry and how the market is expected to take shape over the next few years. And, as is tradition, Colorado meteorologist Brian Bledsoe will give his long-term weather outlook. Another issue of interest will be an update on the federal farm bill with Justin Benavidez, Ph.D., House Committee on Agriculture chief economist, Washington, who previously served as an AgriLife Extension economist. The 2018 farm bill was extended through Sept. 30 by the American Relief Act, 2025.
Related events
A Ranch Horse Program included with the full Beef Cattle Short Course registration will be offered on Aug. 3 at the Hildebrand Equine Complex. Those interested in only the ranch horse program can register for $60.
Up to 32 hours of continuing education credits will be offered during the Veterinary Continuing Education programs offered Aug. 2-6. For questions regarding veterinary continuing education, contact Tom Hairgrove, Ph.D., at 979571-9833 or thomas.hairgrove@ ag.tamu.edu.
Ron Gill, Ph.D., and Bruce Carpenter, Ph.D., both Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialists and professors in the Department of Animal Science, provide a live-animal demonstration during the 2024 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. – Texas A&M AgriLife/Michael Miller
