Feedlot Forum will focus on adapting

ORANGE CITY ―There is no doubt the beef industry is changing, yet the bigger question is how feedlot producers can adapt and move forward.

Beth Doran, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef specialist for northwest Iowa, said Feedlot Forum 2024 is designed to help producers transition through a variety of big changes.

"For example, the supply of feeder cattle includes more beef-dairy cross cattle, and implants are regulated for specific production phases," she said. "Market transparency continues to be cloudy, and a dramatically reduced cow herd has increased prices for animals throughout the whole supply chain."

This popular annual program is a grassroots collaboration of ISU Extension and Outreach; the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association; and the Lyon County, Plymouth County and Sioux County Cattlemen’s Associations.

Feedlot Forum 2024 will be held Jan. 16 from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center.

The keynote speaker will be Mike Murphy, chief operating officer for CattleFax. He has been involved with all facets of CattleFax — feedlot, stocker and cow-calf, as well as preparing feed grain analysis.

Murphy’s focus is risk management for the beef, cattle and grain sectors. "When will the Cattle Industry Expand?" is the topic of his presentation.

Other perks at Feedlot Forum include brief updates on industry leadership, a trade show featuring 19 industry-leading businesses and a New York steak dinner.

For more information, contact Doran at doranb@iastate.edu or 712-737-4230.