6th Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting held

By: Dr. Jeff Savell Pitmasters and owner/operators from some of the leading barbecue establishments throughout Texas participated in the sixth Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting, which was held at the AgriLife Center and the Rosenthal Meat Center on Monday, December 9, 2019. About 60 people were in attendance, and participants received updates on livestock and meat markets for beef, pork, chicken, and turkey by David Anderson, professor and extension economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, tips about effective marketing from Rachel Cutrer, Ranch House Designs, and a beef… Read More →

Applications due Dec. 6 for 2020 Sheep Shearing School

Registration is now open for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service sheep shearing school. The event will run Jan. 6-9 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, at 7887 U.S. Highway 87 N. in San Angelo. The cost is $150 for Texans or $250 for out-of-state residents. Applications are due by Dec. 6. The school is designed for professional sheep shearers and those seriously interested in the profession of shearing sheep. This school will provide students with the knowledge and skill set to eventually shear sheep professionally, though extra practice beyond this… Read More →

4-H, FFA Showmanship‌ ‌Clinic‌ ‌Dec.‌ ‌7‌ ‌in‌ ‌Lubbock‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Texas‌ ‌A&M‌ ‌AgriLife‌ ‌Extension‌ ‌Service‌‌ ‌will‌ ‌host‌ ‌the‌ ‌annual‌ ‌District‌ ‌2‌ ‌Showmanship‌ ‌Clinic‌ ‌from‌ ‌10‌ ‌a.m.-noon‌ ‌on‌ ‌Dec.‌ ‌7.‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Texas‌ ‌Tech‌ ‌Livestock‌ ‌Arena,‌ ‌1308‌ ‌N.‌ ‌Indiana‌ ‌Ave.,‌ ‌Lubbock.‌ ‌ The‌ ‌event‌ ‌is‌ ‌free‌ ‌for‌ ‌all‌ ‌4-H‌ ‌and‌ ‌FFA‌ ‌exhibitors.‌ ‌Participants‌ ‌are‌ ‌urged‌ ‌to‌ ‌bring‌ ‌their‌ ‌livestock‌ ‌projects‌ ‌–‌ ‌cattle,‌ ‌lambs,‌ ‌goats‌ ‌and‌ ‌hogs‌ ‌–‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌morning‌ ‌of‌ ‌hands-on‌ ‌training,‌ ‌said‌ ‌Robert‌ ‌Scott,‌ ‌AgriLife‌ ‌Extension‌ ‌agent‌ ‌in‌ ‌Lubbock‌ ‌County.‌ ‌ Scott‌ ‌said‌ ‌the‌ ‌showmanship clinic‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌opportunity‌ ‌for‌ ‌youth‌ ‌and‌ ‌their‌ ‌families‌ ‌to‌ ‌gain‌ ‌valuable‌ ‌experience‌ ‌from‌ ‌older‌ ‌4-H‌ ‌members‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌… Read More →

Why are we leaving reproductive technology sitting on the shelf?

By; Dr. Ky Pohler Increasing reproductive efficiency with technology at hand is vital to improving beef production. Many technologies developed in the last 20 to 30 years have helped increase reproductive efficiency. Some producers were early adopters and have used these technologies successfully for years. Yet, there’s still room for more technology adoption, as USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System data indicates only: 18% of operations palpate for pregnancies 2.2% ultrasound for pregnancies 7.9% use estrus synchronization 7.6% use artificial insemination (A.I.) Taking a step back, 54.5% of cow-calf… Read More →

Angora performance test starts Dec. 11

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center of San Angelo will conduct an Angora goat test starting in December for billy kids born in 2019. The test will take place at their Sonora Experiment Station, which is approximately 28 miles south of Sonora on State Highway 55. The cost is $100 per animal upon delivery to the test, which will run from Dec. 11-July 15. The goal is to provide producers with scientific data to better decide which billies may be genetically most appropriate for their program. “The purpose of this… Read More →

Northeast Panhandle Beef Conference set Dec. 10 in Perryton

The Northeast Panhandle Beef Conference, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in Ochiltree and Lipscomb counties, will be held Dec. 10 at the Ochiltree County Expo, 402 Expo Drive in Perryton. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the program will start at 10 a.m. The fee is $10, and lunch will be provided. Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, and Jason Smith, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, both in Amarillo, will be the speakers for the event. Their topic titles are:… Read More →

Five-State Beef Conference set Nov. 20 in Pampa

By Kay Ledbetter The Five-State Beef Conference, sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Gray County, has been set for Nov. 20 at the AmericInn by Wyndham Pampa Event Center, 1101 N. Hobart St., Pampa. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 10 a.m. The cost is $30 per person. Lunch and conference proceedings will be provided. Registration is requested by Nov. 19. For more information or to register, call Nick Simpson, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Gray County, at 806-669-8033…. Read More →

Southwest Dairy Day a success despite delay, weather

T&K Dairy hosted event highlighting dairy technology, robotics Mother Nature delayed Southwest Dairy Day with rain, but the rescheduled event Nov. 11 at the T&K Dairy still drew a dedicated crowd eager to see the only fully automatic robotic milking system in the state. The event was hosted by the Collier family and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The free event took place just outside of Snyder and, despite freezing temperatures, over 200 people attended the event. “I had high expectations for this event since, from an industry… Read More →

All antibiotics for livestock will soon require a vet’s prescription

By Susan Himes No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wants producers to be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is continuing the phasing in of a law that requires a prescription for any antibiotic use in animals raised for human consumption, as well as for all companion animals. Prescriptions, livestock and your vet A prescription is already required for most antibiotics… Read More →

Is a bacon shortage coming?

By Adam Russell What you need to know about the reports of a looming 2020 bacon shortage Amid popular reports of a possible bacon shortage, many consumers wonder what the future holds for their favorite cut of pork. The future of U.S. bacon supplies isn’t clear enough for consumers to panic about a  potential shortage in 2020, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, College Station, quoted Taylor Swift in saying we “need to calm down” when talking about numerous reports regarding a bacon… Read More →