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CSU Beef Field Day: Discussion on the future of ranchingColorado Ranching in the West is undergoing an unprecedented level of change. According to Barry Dunn, executive director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, everything from the price and availability of inputs, to the price and the method of how cattle are being valued in the marketplace is shifting. The institute's vision statement is "to educate leaders who will make a positive difference in ranching, and ensure that our hard earned heritage is not lost." Dunn believes there are 10 relatively simple management practices producers could use to make their operations more profitable. Nationally recognized as a ranching expert, Dunn is a featured speaker at the Colorado State University Beef Field Day Sept. 16 at the Lewis Ranch in Kremmling, Colo. He will speak after lunch on "Successful Ranching in the 21st Century." Dunn's family started ranching on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota approximately 120 years ago. Dunn ranched for 17 years. He also served as range livestock production Extension specialist at South Dakota State University for four years, teaching undergraduate courses in beef production, range management, and ranch management. "Land prices are soaring, as are opportunities for adding additional income with enterprises based on wildlife," said Dunn in a 2007 interview with Texas A&M, Kingsville. "Strategic planning, in combination with scenario planning, are proven business tools that can help ranchers take charge of their future, rather than merely reacting to it." The afternoon will include a tour of the Lewis ranch and a candid discussion of its operation and intergenerational challenges. Skylor Houston of the Aristocrat Angus operation in Platteville, Colo., will describe why he uses the Lewis Ranch, at over 7, 000 feet elevation, for his bulls. Houston will discuss the relationships between altitude and pulmonary arterial pressure in cattle and how he determined that accurate PAP measurements has led to increased marketability of his Angus bulls. He will also demonstrate his measurement techniques. The Colorado State University beef team (www.csubeef.com) along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service will hold a variety of breakout sessions on topics such as marketing calves, the new farm bill, trichomoniasis in the state and corn/ethanol impacts on cattle production. There will be ample opportunity for interaction and discussion. Beef Field Day offers participants a unique opportunity to hear and interact with industry leaders, local experts and fellow ranchers to discover and chart the future of ranching. 8/25/08 Date: 8/20/08 Advertisement
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