After another year of dry growing conditions, many Iowa pastures are likely somewhat stressed and overgrazed. Iowa State University extension beef specialist Chris Clark said it's important for producers to be thoughtful and proactive in terms of pasture management, and the recording of a recent Iowa Beef Center webinar on pasture preparation and renovation now available online could help.

In the beef industry, consistency is key to, well, just about everything. From sire and AI choices to ration options to market opportunities, producers can add value at each production stage based on their decisions. Garrett Englin, cattle buyer for JBS USA, said consistency is key for packers, too. Speaking at the 2024 Feedlot Forum in northwest Iowa, he told attendees how a current trend is helping.

The February Iowa Beef Center five-part feedlot webinar series is now available on YouTube. You can take advantage of these webinar recordings wherever you have internet access and some downtime. This series focused on hot topics and common questions fielded from Iowa feedlot producers, and provided timely, relevant, and practical information for those who operate and are involved in feedlots.

Many pastures and hayfields across the state continue to recover from the dry conditions experienced during 2023. Iowa State University extension field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe said that while fertilization for perennial forages is often overlooked, it's just as vital as it is for row crops to maximize productivity.

Have drought conditions and overgrazing left your pastures in rough shape? Join Iowa State University extension beef specialist Chris Clark at one of two in-person workshops, or join Clark and other ISU extension specialists at a webinar to talk about the topic, all scheduled for this month. Each session will focus on discussion of strategies to meet your herd’s nutritional needs and optimize pasture productivity going into the 2024 growing season.

Are you in the market for a new pasture lease? Unlike crop land leases, pasture leases may be written for a shorter time period than March 1 to end of February. The process still requires that all leases to be terminated by serving a written termination notice at the end of the lease, or the tenant will have the lease for the following year under the same terms as the old lease.

As a college senior, Brad Kooima had no intention of doing anything after graduation other than returning to the farm and raising cattle. A required 10-hour per week internship would change all that.

Whether you're new to beef production or perhaps a dairy producer considering adding or transitioning to cow-calf production, Iowa State University extension beef specialist Denise Schwab said the Beef Cow-Calf School for Beginners from University of Wisconsin--Madison is a good option for anyone wanting to learn more about the beef business.

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