Over 185 individuals received their BQA certification at the training held on January 22, 2019, at Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro, OH.
Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
January 16, 2019
In the mid-1990s, the National Cattlemen’s Association launched a marketing campaign around the slogan of “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner.” This was a slogan I heard repeatedly as a child growing up on a beef farm. This winter, however, beef is on the minds of agricultural producers and opportunities to capture marketing advantages.
One opportunity beef producers should take advantage of is to become beef quality assurance certified (BQA) to make their livestock more marketable to buyers. Quality assurance practices were developed in the 1960s when Pillsbury was developing safety and quality standards to produce food for astronauts. The same basic principles were applied in beef research studies in the early 1980s. The findings included that quality assurance practices in beef production increased the quality of the meat produced and generated a more uniform herd. As of January 1, 2019, several large companies have decided to only purchase beef from producers that are beef quality assurance certified.
Since August of 2018, the Highland County Extension Office, in conjunction with Extension educators from Adams, Brown, and Clermont County Extension Offices, have held five BQA trainings in Hillsboro to help beef producers be prepared for the marketing change in 2019. From these five trainings, 486 beef producers from southern Ohio have received their national certification in BQA. In fact, the most recent training had such a large demand, two additional trainings have been scheduled. The next BQA training will be held on January 29, 2019, at 2 PM at United Producers, Inc., and an additional training will be held at Union Stock Yards on February 13, 2019, at 6 PM.
In addition to the BQA trainings, the Highland County Extension Office will be holding additional beef-related programming in the first quarter of 2019. On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, the Highland County Extension Office will host a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef School in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place in Hillsboro. The program will begin at 7 PM and the event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged to reserve a seat. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will discuss a series of topics related to the winter management of cow herds to ensure a productive year.
Those who are interested in beef and meat production have the opportunity to tour the OSU Meat Lab on March 19, 2019. The tour will coincide with the meat class on campus, so attendees will be able to see the lab on a harvesting day. The tour will be held in the morning and space is limited. Please call the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 for additional information and to reserve your place for the tour.
For more information about any of the programs listed above, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.
Upcoming Events:
The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 10 AM at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, OH. The topic of this program will be on Small Business Video Production and will be presented by Brooke Beam. If you have a small business and would like to incorporate more videos into your marketing plans or you are interested in learning the basics of video production, this program is for you! If you have a camera or a mobile device, bring your camera equipment with you to participate as this will be a hands-on workshop.
Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications:
February 19, 2019
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
March 4, 2018
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.