Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Rocky Mountains provide the backdrop for the annual meeting and 40th anniversary celebration of the Beef Improvement Federation.

The meeting will be held June 6-9 in Fort Collins, Colo. It will focus on the future of genetic evaluation and improvement with a variety of presenters from around the country.

The meeting will take place at the Hilton Fort Collins. To register and for program details go to www.beefimprovement.org under the conventions tab. Pre-registration is due May 15.

For information, contact Willie Altenburg at (970) 568-7792 or willie@rmi.net; or Mark Enns at (970) 491-2722 or Mark.Enns@Colo state.edu.

“The BIF meeting is a great opportunity for cattlemen from around the country and the world to come together and discuss genetics and how to improve our industry,” said Altenburg, Colorado planning chairman.

“As we put together speakers and topics for this BIF annual meeting, the committee wanted subjects that would get beef producers thinking. And, to capture those thoughts, we will be using an audience response system throughout the meeting and building discussions off the group,” said Enns, Colorado State University and program chair.

The meeting will kick off with a Colorado Welcome Reception the evening of June 6. The history of artificial insemination will be the focus of the National Association of Animal Breeders Symposium that evening as well.

On June 7, participants will discuss “Performance Programs at a Crossroads” as speakers talk about the current performance programs’ cost and benefits and gather the audience’s views on the direction for future genetic improvement initiatives. Awards for the Commercial Producer of the Year will be presented and committee meetings will be held in the afternoon.

June 7 also has a spouse/family tour slated to Estes Park and the historic Stanley Hotel, plus a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. That evening, the group will experience “Foam on the Range” at the Colorado State University Equine Center for an evening of great conversation, a steak dinner, tasting the products of Colorado-produced ale and viewing cattle from area seedstock producers.

The focus June 8 will be on “Challenges to Conventional Wisdom.” Presenters will lead the discussion on uses of genetics technology and changes seen in the quality grades of cattle. The Seedstock Producer of the Year will be named, and committee meetings will be held that afternoon. That evening, attendees can head up to Old Town Fort Collins to enjoy the local restaurants.

Producer tours will visit many Front Range locations throughout the day June 9. Two tours are offered.

The first tour, “Beef Industry Players,” has stops at Kuner Feedlot, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, Safeway’s Distribution Center and Aristocrat Angus Ranch, as well as lunch with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Cattle-Fax.

The “Seedstock Alliances” tour features Walter Farms, Inc., Five Star Cattle Systems, Kuner Feedlot and Five Rivers Cattle Feeding.

The BIF Annual Research Symposium and Annual Meeting is hosted by Colorado State University, Colorado Livestock Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and the Beef Improvement Federation.

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