The Ohio State University Extension Beef Team will be hosting its annual winter webinar series in 2024 on the third Thursday of each month, January to April. This year’s series will take a deeper dive into production practices and factors that impact quality and profitability when it comes to producing beef to be marketed directly to consumers.
The session topics and speakers are as follows:
January 18
Genetic Selection: What Matters
Allen Gahler, OSU Extension Sandusky Co.
Planned Calving to Meet Demand
Dean Kreager, OSU Extension Licking Co.
February 15
Feeding to a Harvest Date
Garth Ruff, OSU Extension, Beef Cattle Field Specialist
March 21
Selling Retail vs Wholesale
Yield and Added Value
Lyda Garcia, OSU Extension Fresh Meats Specialist
April 18
Producer Roundtable
What Works, What Doesn’t?
Krysti Morrow – Rocky Knob Farms
Brad Berry – Berry Family Farms
Lindsey Hall – Maplecrest Meats & More
Dale Phillips – Phillips Meats
To wrap up the program in April we are excited to feature a producer roundtable with a variety of experience and varying approaches in marketing beef to local consumers.
Krysti Morrow of Rocky Knob Farms in Morgan County along with husband Levi launched Rocky Knob Meats in 2022. They sell retail cuts and mixed boxes of their beef and lamb to customers across Ohio and the nation. They have shipped grass-fed, grain-finished meats direct to customers’ doorsteps.
Brad Berry of Berry Family Farm in Pleasantville Ohio is a 7th generation farmer. Berry Family farms offers a variety of beef products at farm markets across central Ohio. They offer grass fed beef as well as grain feed beef finished on non-GMO grains.
Lindsey Hall of Maplecrest Farms in Hillsboro. Maplecrest Farms is a family-owned operation with a lifetime of experience breeding Angus cattle. In addition to selling freezer beef (wholes, halves, quarters), in 2021 Maplecrest Meats & More was opened as a retail location selling beef, pork, deli, and grocery items. In 20223 Maplecrest Meats & More became part of Certified Angus Beef® brand’s Ranch to Table program.
Our last April panelist represents the meat processing industry here in Ohio. Dale Phillips of Zanesville is the owner of Phillips Meat Processing, a family-owned and operated business that has been established since 1974. Phillips operates under full federal inspection and is part of an USDA pilot program started early in 2023 to provide virtual grading to small packing plants. Phillips provides fresh cuts of both beef and pork and an array of smoked products and lunch meats that are made and cooked in-house. They offer custom processing/slaughter, wholesale, and retail as well.
To register for the 2024 OSU Extension Beef Team Webinar series visit go.osu.edu/beefschool24
There is one Registration Link for all 4 Sessions – Questions? Contact: Garth Ruff, ruff.72@osu.edu
Details about all winter beef programs can be found in the Event Calendar at beef.osu.edu
This article was originally posted at Winter Beef School Webinars to Focus on Meeting Local Demand | Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter (osu.edu)