Arkansas ranchers will have an opportunity on May 13 to either earn certification in the Beef Quality Assurance program or be re-certified during an event led by faculty and staff from the Cooperative Extension Service and Southern Arkansas University.
The event, which will be held at SAU, has two sessions.
The morning session, from 9 a.m.-noon, is for ranchers who wish to be BQA certified.
The afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. is for those who wish to be re-certified.
“Participants are welcome to join the morning session only, or afternoon session only, but are welcome to attend both sessions,” said Jerri Dew, Columbia County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Participants are asked to call the Columbia County Extension Office at (870) 235-3720 or email jdew@uada.edu to RSVP for the sessions/meal they plan to attend by May 6.
The morning session at SAU’s Agriculture Building will be a BQA Certification Course taught by Keith Gresham, Dallas County extension staff chair; Keri Weatherford, Ouachita County extension staff chair; and Dew.
The afternoon session, at the SAU Showbarn Complex, will be a hands-on training. It is considered a BQA re-certification course with sessions led by:
• Vaccines — Daniel Rivera, director of the Southwest Research and Extension Center at Hope.
• Pregnancy checks — Charles Looney, professor-cattle improvement for the Division of Agriculture.
• Low-stress handling — Hunter Burnett assistant professor-animal science at Southern Arkansas University.
• Forage testing — Jerri Dew, extension service.
A meal will be provided at noon, sponsored in part by the Columbia County Cattlemen’s Association.
“SAU is excited to partner with the Cooperative Extension Service to provide producers with this opportunity,” said Copie Moore, Ph.D., associate professor of agricultural science at SAU.
Moore arranged use of SAU’s facilities for the event.
