LIMOUSIN TODAY LimToday_May18_WEB | Page 23

Member and Industry News Briefs

Colorado to Host 50th BIF Annual Meeting and Research Symposium ; Registration Now Open

Source : Kansas State University Dept . of Animal Science and Industry
Registration is now open for the 2018 Beef Improvement Federation ( BIF ) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium . This year ’ s event themed 50th Anniversary in the Rockies , will be June 20 to June 23 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center Hotel in Loveland , Colorado .
Early registration deadline is May 31 . Attendees can save $ 80 by pre-registering . Online registration is available at http :// www . beefimprovement . org .
This year ’ s BIF symposium features two and a half days of educational programming and a full day of tours . The first morning ’ s general session — “ Positioning for the Future of Beef Production ” — will feature Dave Weaber , EMI Analytics vice president beef analysis ; Mark McCully , Certified Angus Beef vice president ; Dr . Sara Place , National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association senior director of sustainable beef production research ; Dr . Dorian Garrick , Massey University professor and chief scientist ; and Dr . John Pollak , Cornell University emeritus professor .
The second day ’ s general session , “ Decision Time : Who will own our industry ?” will include presentation by Wade Small , Agri Beef Inc . livestock division president ; Marty Ropp , Allied Genetic Resources ; Dr , Matt Cleveland , Genus ABS global beef product development director ; Dan Moser , Angus Genetics Inc . president ; Wade Shafer , American Simmental Association executive vice president ; Larry Benyshek , Benyshek and Hough Consulting Services ; and John Genho , Livestock Genetic Services LLC .
The afternoon breakout sessions both days will focus on a range of beef-production and genetic-improvement topics . The conference also features a Young Producer Symposium on Wednesday afternoon , designed to network and equip young cattle producers with essential knowledge as they grow their role in the business . Wednesday evening attendees will also enjoy an opening reception .
For more conference details , including registration information , complete schedule and lodging information visit http :// www . beefimprovement . org .
Each year the BIF symposium draws a large group of leading seedstock and commercial beef producers , academics and allied industry partners . The attendance list is a “ who ’ s who ” of the beef value chain , offering great networking opportunities and conversations about the issues of the day . Program topics focus on how the beef industry can enhance value through genetic improvement across a range of attributes that affect the value chain .
The Beef Improvement Federation ( BIF ) is an organization dedicated to coordinating all segments of the beef industry — from researchers and producers to retailers — in an effort to improve the efficiency , profitability and sustainability of beef production . The organization was initiated almost 70 years ago to encourage the use of objective measurements to evaluate beef cattle . Continuing the tradition , BIF is now the clearinghouse for developing standardized programs and methodologies for recording of performance data for all traits , from birth weights to carcass traits . Its threeleaf-clover logo symbolizes the link between industry , extension and research . I
LIMOUSIN Today | 21