Beef Symposium focuses on marketing

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Weston County will host its second annual Wyoming Beef Symposium on April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Weston County Events Center.
Last year, Lacey Sloan, manager of the Weston County Natural Resource District and member of the L.E.A.D. (Wyoming Leadership Education and Development) organized the first beef symposium after realizing that there is more to the beef industry and how it affects Wyoming. 
“The Weston County Natural Resource District is partnering with Audubon Rockies and the University of Wyoming Extension to offer the free opportunity to local agriculture producers to learn about value added cattle production, conservation ranching, importance of beef quality assurance, generational ranching and to shoot the bull,” says the flyer about the event. 
 “Beef is our No. 1 commodity not associated to energy,” Sloan said. “I don’t feel like there was a lot of big producer-related symposiums in our area and that we were kind of in a hole.” 
So she figured that “if you build it, they will come” and started planning the 2018 symposium, hoping to teach ranchers things they were interested in knowing and share other important information related to beef production. 
“We want ranchers to be able to either learn new things or ways to improve on what they are doing to increase herd health and market value,” Sloan said. “Ultimately, it is a benefit to our region and economy.” 
This year’s symposium will focus on marketing beef, according to Sloan, and feature the CEO of Red Angus Association of America, Tom Brink, who is going to “talk about how to make the money.” 
Other speakers include Steve Paisley, who will speak about beef quality assurance and why it is important, Sloan said. She said that ranchers are already raising beef to the standards associated with BQA and that they “might as well get BQA certified.” 
“This goes back to the consumer and them knowing where their food is coming from,” Sloan said. “A big thing associated with BQA is explaining to the consumer this is what we are doing, giving them that connection to their food and how it was raised.” 
Sloan said that certification gives ranchers the ability to say “this is why you pay more for my beef.” 
Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program will also be present and provide information on available grants and how ranchers can get an extra sticker on their beef by getting certified. 
“A lot of the guys around here are doing it anyways. Ranchers now have sage grouse plans and are not grazing in the pastures when it is prime breeding or nesting seasons. These are things that can get you an extra sticker on your beef,” Sloan said. 
The final topic at the 2019 symposium is generational ranching. Sloan said that the heritage in Wyoming is important and that she hopes the presentation on generational ranching will help keep ranches with families. 
“I think one of the hardest things for a family or anyone passing on their livelihood, so to speak, is communicating with their family members,” Sloan said. “This will help show ranchers how to pass that on.” 
Anyone interested in attending the symposium, whether ranchers or interested parties, should RSVP by calling 746-3264 by April 5 to be included in the lunch reservations. 
“This is a free event, and we intend on keeping it that way,” Sloan said. “We feel everyone in the ag industry already does a ton of stuff for the community and the world. We are providing them an outlet to come and visit with other landowners and ranchers, but with a learning opportunity and lunch.”