Minnesota Ag Connection - Animal Care and Handling Seminars Feature Pate

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Animal Care and Handling Seminars Feature Pate
Minnesota Ag Connection - 02/10/2016

The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin will host a series of Animal Care and Handling Seminars featuring Stockmanship Expert, Curt Pate the week of Feb. 15-19. These seminars on effective stockmanship and handling techniques provide cattlemen with the tools to produce safe, healthy, and wholesome beef. The BQA Program is the industry's gold standard of livestock handling and animal care programs by demonstrating the commitment to continually improving sound production practices to build domestic and global beef demand.

"Implementing animal care and handling techniques is not only beneficial for animal well-being, but also elevates beef and milk quality raised on our family farms while reducing any human safety risk associated with working livestock," said Ashley Kohls, Midwest Beef Quality Assurance Program Coordinator.

Animal care and handling techniques can also help reduce incidences of carcass bruising, and improve both cattle and time efficiency. These seminars also fulfill employee training requirements for the F.A.R.M. and BQA Programs.

The cattle handling seminars will be held at the following locations:

-- Feb. 15 -- 4-5:30 p.m., University of Minnesota Animal Science Arena, St. Paul Campus

-- Feb. 16 -- 2:30-4:30 p.m., Haas Livestock Selling Agency - 28701 Rochester Blvd, Cannon Falls

-- Feb. 17 -- 9:30-11:30 a.m., Central Livestock Association - 44326 County 6 Blvd, Zumbrota

-- Feb. 19 -- 9:30-11:30 a.m., Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association - 513 North 6th St. Reedsville

-- Feb. 19 -- 2-4 p.m., Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association - 455 N. Cecil St., Bonduel

Each session will include beef quality assurance and dairy beef quality assurance best management practices, animal care and handling techniques and handling demonstrations presented by Curt Pate, and BQA Certification hosted by Minnesota and Wisconsin BQA Coordinators. Sponsors of these seminars include the Midwest Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Center, Minnesota Beef Council, Wisconsin Beef Council and Land O' Lakes Inc.

Beef and Dairy producers and industry representatives may attend any of the available sessions. There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is encouraged. To pre-register, contact your state BQA Coordinator: Ashley Kohls (MN), 612-618-6619 or John Freitag (WI), 608-833-9940. Additional information about the Minnesota BQA Program and other upcoming BQA events may be found at www.mnbeef.org.

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