Iowa Beef Center

Audrey Tarochione was recognized for the Baker/Cundiff Essay Award at this year’s Beef Improvement Federation! The contest for graduate students recognizes outstanding student research and writing in honor of Frank Baker and Larry Cundiff. Congratulations, Audrey!

Award Announcement!

Congratulations to the 2026 Baker/Cundiff Scholarship awardees. Read more: https://bit.ly/43aBYZi

‼ The June 9 field day in Ames has been canceled ‼

Light registration numbers combined with enough rain to make digging a soil pit a challenge drove this decision.

Look for this program to be rescheduled later in the growing season.

📬 Stay connected with us!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Growing Beef, and stay informed about the latest happenings, opportunities, and insights from our beef extension team!

✅ Timely industry news and updates
✅ Research-based information and resources
✅ Upcoming events and programs
✅ Success stories and project highlights

Investing in a new technology can be daunting...so come see them in action before making the investment!

Join us near Sanborn for a precision livestock technology field day on June 25. The field day will showcase a variety of new tools and technologies available to the beef industry including:
📲 Virtual fencing collars including seeing NoFence collars in action at Tallgrass Cattle Company
📈 Animal health monitoring systems
💧 Water monitoring software
🛰 Drones
💻 And much more!

Addition sessions will focus on:
🔐 Cyber security
💲 Applications of technology in the beef business
🐮 Current research with technologies

The event is provided at no cost to attendees thanks to sponsorship from IA Beef Checkoff, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Nofence, and SDSU Extension beef team!

RSVPs requested by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach O'Brien County Office at 712-957-5045 or sign up online at https://go.iastate.edu/OBFAWQ.

The stops on the virtual fencing bus tour will showcase more than just virtual fence.

Stop 1️⃣: Rolling Prairie Ranch - Hatfield, Missouri

The Lueken family has been rotationally grazing cattle for over 30 years across three generations. Since relocating from Indiana to Missouri in 2003, their operation has grown from 120 cows to more than 500 head supported by one of the most extensive paddock systems in Missouri.

Already rotating cattle daily across 200+ paddocks, the family adopted Halter virtual fencing to further improve labor efficiency and grazing flexibility. Today, they flash graze and strip graze multiple times per day without the need to string polywire, reducing labor demands and dependence on hired help.

Virtual fencing has also allowed the operation to better manage riparian areas, implement high-density grazing, and access neighboring native warm-season grass pastures through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The result has been improved pasture utilization, expanded grazing opportunities, and the ability to manage more land without increasing labor.

Stay tuned to hear about stops 2️⃣ & 3️⃣ 🤠

The website with the full schedule and registration linked in the comments 🔗

‼ Canceled ‼

1️⃣0️⃣ days until the Central Iowa Resilient Systems Field Day!

While we can't control the weather, we can control a forage system and livestock that are resilient through unpredictability. Join us at the Iowa State University Beef Teaching Farm to play in a soil pit and talk about our favorite trio - livestock, forage & soil.

📆 June 9th
🕗 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Topics include:
🌧 Weather extremes and practical tools for producers from a climatologist
🌾Using diverse forages to establish a resilient, productive system
🪱 Soil, roots and water infiltration
☠ Toxic plant ID and management
🤠 Managing the system as a whole for long-term success

This event will cost $20/person and includes lunch.

Spots are limited to register soon! Find all details on the event website:
https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/event/2026/central-iowa-resilient-systems-field-day

The annual Silage Conference is quickly approaching!

Topics include:
☣️ Silage safety & design
☠️ Mycotoxins & lab analysis
🌱 Ensiling cover crops
🤠 Energy value of today's corn
🌽 Corn particle size

There is a livestream available rather than traveling to Mead, NE, or those near Manchester can join a local viewing at the ISU Extension and Outreach - Delaware County office.

The full schedule and registration is available at https://beef.unl.edu/silage-beef-cattle-conference/

Silage for Beef Conference Scheduled for June 18, 2026 | UNL Beef | Nebraska Beef producers, nutritionists and industry partners from across the country will gather on June 18, 2026, for the 6th Biennial Silage for Beef Conference at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) near Mead, Nebraska.

The road map of Montie Soules career is a graduate-level seedstock marketing course summarized in about 40 minutes. He not only talks about how he found success, but even how he would do it differently if he was starting today.

One of many insightful snippets... "You can't make a chicken salad with chicken 💩"

This episode is a must for those building a seedstock business!

Podcast 🔗 in the comments ⬇

Our Virtual Fence Bus Tour, organized with UNL Beef and Iowa Forage and Grassland Council is quickly approaching! Have you registered⁉

🗓 June 16 - 17, 2026

Halter, Nofence USA, Gallagher Animal Management and more virtual fence options will be discussed in an open, honest conversation. All operations have different features that might make one option a better fit than another!

Attendees can expect to:
➡ Talk to producers with multiple years of experience using virtual fence
➡ Have a side-by-side comparison of different virtual fence systems
➡ Meet a cohort of like-minded producers intent on implementing virtual fencing themselves

Registration deadline is June 9.

Check out the event webpage for all the details.
🔗https://go.unl.edu/vf_bustour

🐮 Does hair shedding matter? Absolutely. 🧬

As summer heats up, your cows’ coats might be telling you more than you think. Hair shedding isn’t just cosmetic — it’s key to cattle comfort, productivity, and profitability.

Cows that shed their winter coats earlier:
✅ Handle heat stress better
✅ Breed earlier in the season
✅ Wean heavier calves (up to 57 lbs more!)
✅ Are more efficient & adapted to their environment

Other tips to keep in mind:
☀️ Delayed shedding might signal nutritional stress, fescue toxicosis, or breed adaptation issues.
📊 Hair shedding is heritable (0.35–0.42), so selecting for this trait can improve your herd over time. Start scoring your cattle now—late May to early June is ideal in much of the Midwest.
💲 Bottom line: Early shedders = healthier cows + heavier calves + better returns.

To learn more, check out this article written by Dr. Randie Culbertson, ISU state cow-calf extension specialist, in Iowa Cattlemen's Association magazine: https://go.iastate.edu/PMERV2.