Farm to Freezer Webinar Thursday

By Ryan McGeeney U of A System Division of Agriculture , 05/30/20 3:55 PM

 

LITTLE ROCK — Locally sourced beef is gaining popularity in Arkansas. As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic leaves grocery shelves — especially the refrigerated sections — occasionally bare, a growing number of consumers have expressed interest in purchasing their animal protein directly from producers.

Marketing beef off the farm requires more than just loading an animal and hauling it down to the local processor, Shane Gadberry, professor of ruminant nutrition for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said.

“Selling beef locally in the next few months, or even a year from now, requires planning, commitment and advance scheduling,” Gadberry said.

Gadberry, along with several experts from the Division of Agriculture and private enterprises, will present a free webinar, “From Farm to Freezer,” on June 4 at 6:30 p.m. CDT, discussing some of the most important aspects of direct-to-consumer sales for beef producers.

“This webinar will cover the basics of a few need to know ideas for getting started such as feeding, inspection requirements for selling cattle versus beef, and developing a happy customer base,” Gadberry said. “The topics covered will hopefully give our viewers some ideas to think about if they are getting into the local beef business.”

Scheduled speakers and topics include:

• Dr. Shane Gadberry, UA System, Division of Agriculture, Animal Science – Feeding Farm-Raised Cattle for Local Slaughter

• Dr. Janeal Yancey, UA System, Division of Agriculture Animal Science – Carcass Perspective; how much product should I expect?

• Andy Shaw, CEO at Cypress Valley Meat Company – Do’s and Don’ts of a Processing Facility

• Kenny Simon, UA System, Division of Agriculture Animal Science – Alternative Production – Pasture-raised Beef from a Producer Perspective

The webinar is free, but participants must register to join. Register at https://bit.ly/Direct-Marketing-AR-Beef-Webinar.

Michael Looper, head of the Division of Agriculture’s Animal Science Department, said beef producers, regardless of their experience, can benefit from the webinar.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in the food chain, resulting in shortages of meat products in some grocery stores,” Looper said. “This scarcity of beef has led some to consider growing their own. This webinar provides the ‘how to’ of feeding the animal to processing the beef.”