On what appeared to be the hottest day of the year, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center held a "Marketing the Perfect Animal" beef cattle field day in Farmerville, Louisiana this summer.

More than 200 farm families were represented at this Beef Cattle Marketing Initiatives workshop series whose overall goal is to increase the marketing knowledge, potential and opportunities for socially disadvantaged, small and limited resource beef cattle producers in Louisiana.

Agricultural producers and professionals gathered in four locations throughout the summer to become more familiar with current marketing strategies and other means and avenues to increase their on-farm income.

The following topics were covered: team building, farm-to-table direct marketing, auction marketing, adding value to your live animal, and cooperative development.

The Farmerville field day was the culminating activity for Phase I of the SU Ag Center’s Beef Cattle Marketing Initiative which began in May with a “Team Building for Cooperative Success” workshop. The ROPES team of the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie Veiw A & M University conducted the team building activities for 40 attendees.

As part of the Institute’s workshop series, Nelson T. Daniels, Ph.D., Ag and Natural Resources Program Leader at Prairie View A & M University, conducted two “Marketing 101” workshops in Rayville and Franklinton. Daniels, who is also a beef cattle farmer, explained marketing in detail and why it is so important to the success of an enterprise. He offered helpful tips and successful strategies.

In July, the workshops on cooperative development were held in Delhi and Baton Rouge. John Broussard of the USDA Risk Management Agency conducted the Delhi workshop, while Judy Mesch of Rural Development gave the same presentation in Baton Rouge.

Phase II will include additional marketing workshops, classes and trainings. As identified by Phase I participants, trainings will be conducted relative to forming cooperatives ,managing beef cattle to include synchronized breeding and other clearly stated production and marketing needs.

This beef cattle marketing initiative is funded by a grant from the Southern Region Risk Management Education grant administered by Texas A & M Cooperative Extension Service.

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For more information, contact Dawn Mellion Patin, Ph.D., Associate Specialist - Agriculture, (225) 771-2242 ext. 201 or dawn_mellion@suagcenter.com