Jackson County Beef and Forage Field Day

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Jackson County’s Beef and Forage Field Day saw dozens of ranchers stop by to learn new skills.

Agriculture is an important part of the lives of the people of Marianna. At the North Florida Research and Education Center Beef Unit, dozens of ranchers learned about the latest agricultural technologies and how they can save money while providing the best for their cows.

There are approximately 500 ranchers in Jackson County.

“We have six stations at Field Day and are represented on a variety of topics, but all are focused on helping our ranchers reduce costs,” said Doug Mayo, county extension director. “The main goal is how we can produce high quality beef at a lower cost.”

University of Florida researchers say beef prices are good.

“The demand for beef is still pretty strong,” said Nicolas Dilorenzo, a professor of animal science at the University of Florida. “The markets show that.”

However, ranchers cannot control beef prices and demand.

“Reducing labor costs – which is one of the main concerns of the entire agricultural industry in animal science today – is not exempt from this,” Dilorenzo said.

“Typically you’re looking at $750 a year to keep a cow that’s raising a calf,” Mayo said. “Even if we cut costs by 10%, you know we’re saving $7.50 per head.”

Another way to teach ranchers to conserve is through trail grazing.

“You can grow in the summer, you can grow in the winter and you can graze year-round,” said Jose Dubeux, University of Florida professor of blacksmithing and agronomy. “There won’t be just one grass. You must have multiple species. And it won’t be at the same level.”

At this time of year the cows are fed hay for the first time.

“We looked at how we could reduce the waste of hay in feeding. By choosing how we store it and the types of feeders we use, we can reduce hay waste from our cows,” Mayo said.

Professors at the research center say they will continue to share their latest information with ranchers.

This is an annual event. So if you missed this year’s Field Day, you can always find it next year.

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