Pasture Based Beef Finishing

Meat Processing

A Consumer Guide to Country of Origin Labeling (ASC 177)

Gregg Rentfrow and Kaitlyn McClelland (August 2009) (Adobe Acrobat)
Originally, country of origin labeling for red meat was part of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, also known at the 2002 Farm Bill, but the program was made voluntary after difficulties with logistics were discovered. However, the call for mandatory country of origin labeling reappeared in the 2008 Farm Bill after safety concerns about imported foods arose, and the bill was signed into existence.

FAQs About the Retail Meat Case, Part 2: Basic Meats 101 (ASC 175)

Gregg Rentfrow, Georgina Anderson, and Ryan Cox (August 2008) (Adobe Acrobat)
Meat remains the centerpiece of the plate, but consumers still have questions about cooking, quality, and food safety. This publication has answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the products in the grocery store meat case.

FAQs About the Retail Meat Case, Part 1: Hamburger (ASC 174)

Gregg Rentfrow, Georgina Anderson, and Ryan Cox (May 2008) (Adobe Acrobat)
Each year the average American will consume more than 65 pounds of beef, and ground beef accounts for more than 60% of that total. However common this product, consumers still have questions about the meat from which the hamburger is made. In this publication you will find answers to some frequently asked questions.

Kentucky Beef Quality Assurance Program (ID 140)

Co-editors: Patty Scharko, Donna Amaral-Phillips, and Alison Smith (June 2001) (Adobe Acrobat)
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a program developed to ensure that beef and dairy cattle are managed in a manner that will result in safe and wholesome beef and milk products for the consumer. This statement is not only the definition but the goal of BQA. Specifically, BQA is designed to enhance carcass quality by preventing drug residues, injection-site blemishes, and bruises. The Kentucky Beef Quality Assurance Program is based on recommended national guidelines and scientific research. This program enables beef and dairy producers to enhance their product, maximize marketability, and strengthen consumer confidence.

Forages

Profitability of Spring Hayfield Nitrogen Applications 2010 Guide (AEC 2010-02)

Greg Halich (March 2010) (Adobe Acrobat)
The purpose of this publication is to evaluate the potential profitability of applying nitrogen to hayfields this spring given the present market conditions. While the price of nitrogen is known with a relatively high degree of certainty at this point, the price that hay will sell for later this year is not. Consequently, a wide range of hay prices will be evaluated in this analysis. The primary objective of this publication is to help identify s pecific situations where applying nitrogen to spring hayfields in 2010 will prove profitable.

Optimal Nitrogen Application Rates for Stockpiling - 2009 Guide. (AEC 2009-09)

Greg Halich (2009) (Adobe Acrobat)
There are two main sections in this publication: 1) "Agronomic Basics for Stockpiling Fescue", and 2) "Potential Savings". The first section provides the basics for applying nitrogen to late summer pastures and how to stockpile this forage for fall and winter grazing. The second section describes the methods used to determine the optimal nitrogen application rate, discusses assumptions used in this determination, and provides a summary of the optimal nitrogen rates and cost-savings given current prices and conditions.

Marketing

Management

Using a Grazing Stick for Pasture Management (AGR 191)

Ray Smith (April 2007) (Adobe Acrobat)
This publication is intended to help producers master the use of a grazing stick (Figure 1) to estimate pasture yield and the allocation of pasture to meet animal needs in a rotational grazing system.