June events for northeast Iowa beef producers

6/15/26

VINTON, Iowa – Now that planting and first cutting hay is done, Iowa State University extension beef specialist Denise Schwab invites northeast Iowa producers to a variety of beef and forage programs happening in June. For more information about any of the events, contact her at dschwab@iastate.edu or call 319-721-9624.

Open class carcass contests
Three counties offer open class carcass contests in June for producers to learn more about the carcass merit of the steers they raise. All are open to any producers, with cattle harvested at Tyson Fresh Meats in Joslin, Il. Pay is based on actual carcass weight, yield and quality grade, and the daily Tyson price grids. Some counties have added prize money. Contact the county coordinator for entry details, prices, and deadlines.

• June 17, Dubuque County, weigh in 4-5PM, Cascade Livestock Auction. Contact Terry Harder 563-590-5934.
• June 24, Jackson County, weigh in 4-5PM, Maquoketa Livestock Exchange. Contact Peyton River 563-219-5920.
• June 25, Benton County, weigh in 6:30-7:30 AM, Benton County Fairgrounds. Contact Ben Olson 319-640-5574.
  

Forage events
UNL Silage Conference - June 18, 8 a.m. to noon
Again this year, we will be offering the morning session of the UNL Silage Conference livestream at the Delaware County Extension office in Manchester, free of charge. Speakers for the morning session include:

• Busting Three Myths Around Developing an Effective Agriculture Safety Program: Mike Keenan, Keenan Safety Consulting
• Silage Safety, Planning, Pile Design: Renato Schmidt, PhD, Technical Services, Lallemand Animal Nutrition
• Mycotoxins and Lab Analysis: Katie Raver, MS, Animal Nutrition Technical Services Director at Rock River Laboratory, Inc.

To register for the Iowa site contact the Delaware County Extension office at 563-927-4201. If you are interested in attending the full conference at Mead, NE, registration details and the full agenda are available on the conference website.

Jones County Pasture Walk - June 23, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Monck/Vernon farm, in the pasture just east of 18702 175th St, Monticello.
Focus is on incorporating annual forages into a grazing system. Jeff & Shielly Monck and Nicole & Jon Vernon wanted to expand the cow herd but had limited pasture available. So they incorporated annual forages into their grazing plan using oats, cow peas, rye, turnips and various other annual species to increase grazing acres from crop ground. They are also hoping to add virtual fencing collars to the grazing rotation this summer. By rotating between the pasture and the annual forages, they can provide more rest to the permanent pasture increasing its productivity. If the annual forages grow too fast or get ahead of the cows, they can chop it for stored winter feed. Parking will be dependent on weather conditions and grazing rotation, so watch for signs along the driveway and road. Snacks will be provided by the Jones County Extension office. For more information contact the Jones County Extension office at 319-465-3224.

Clayton County Pasture Herbicide Field Day - June 30, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Scott Cherne farm in the pasture located at 28639 Miners Creek Rd, Guttenberg.
Focus is on pasture weed management, fertility and interseeding. Ryan Hegland, Corteva Pasture and Land Management Specialist, will discuss weed suppression and highlight differences in several herbicide demonstration plots. Josh Michel, ISU Extension Field Agronomist, will discuss fertility management, interseeding and species selection. A brief introduction about the rotational grazing system and cow-calf operation will be held and then hay racks will transport participants to the pastures. A light dinner will be served following the pasture walk. For more information and to preregister contact the Clayton County Extension office at xclayton@iastate.edu or 563-245-1451.

Beef production events
Beef 365. Jackson County Extension and Jackson County Cattlemen are cooperating to host this new year-long program for beef producers. It consists of four programs held throughout the year focused on beef cattle management. Cattle producers may attend one or all. Registration is $15 per session or $50 for all 4. Contact Hannah at the Jackson County Extension office, hannahdr@iastate.edu or 563-652-4923  to register. All session begin at 6 p.m.with dinner at the Jackson County Extension office in Maquoketa.

The first Beef 365 program will be June 30 with Dr. Mike Slattery from Risius Family Veterinary Clinic discussing summer cow and calf health management and planning for weaning. Denise Schwab, ISU Extension beef specialist, will discuss pasture management and rotational grazing.

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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.

Contact:
Denise Schwab, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist, 319-472-4739, dschwab@iastate.edu