Agenda

Starting at 5:30 a.m., check in for the pre-event tour in the Hampton Inn Main Lobby and then board the shuttle. Don’t forget to bring a jacket and wear close-toed shoes.

Beef Blitz – Plant Tour: National Beef, Dodge City

The pre-event tour is full. Add your name to the waitlist and we’ll contact you if a seat opens up. 

How often do you think about your calves once they’re loaded on the trailer and the taillights are out of sight? Your mind moves on to the next ones until the check comes in. Every decision made at the ranch and the feedyard affects a calf’s quality. See for yourself the inside of a packing plant and everything that happens – from the kill floor to the fabrication line – and what role premium beef brands play in their business.

This tour is limited to 34 people on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cost is $50.

Check-in for the event in the main lobby of the Boothill Casino & Resort Conference Center.

Speaker: Kara Lee

The global marketplace is dynamic and volatile. Learn about the current state of commodity and financial markets around the world to help prepare for swings in the market and guide your risk management strategies.

Speaker: Dan Basse

Over 10% of Angus-influenced cattle that miss the upper two-thirds of Choice are within only 30 marbling points. Paul Dykstra will share what a 30-point shift to the right could mean for producers and the beef market. He’ll explain why percent Choice is an outdated goal for producers and explore the idea that for the cow-calf producer, a meaningful shift towards carcass quality might not require the extremes you think.

Speaker: Paul Dykstra

This presentation will merge insights from the pandemic era with new technologies that promise accurate yield assessment. Drs. Clark and Woerner will discuss philosophies to reduce days on feed and improve yield. Explore how these innovations can optimize resource use and boost industry sustainability.

Speakers: Daniel Clark and Dale Woerner

Today, there are more opportunities for cattlemen to earn premiums for high-quality cattle than ever before. But it doesn’t just happen without strategic cattle marketing and choosing the right partners. Hear what kind of cattle the National Beef Packing Co. procurement team is seeking and ways to capitalize on this premium market starting at the ranch.

Speakers: Chad Barker and Mark McCully

Join us for a social hour celebrating the 2024 Industry Achievement Award honoree, Glen Dolezal.

You’re invited to dinner. So, grab a drink and head back into the ballroom for invocation and a Certified Angus Beef ^® steak dinner and evening of celebration.

While the beef grading system continues to effectively differentiate quality levels and assign associated values to beef carcasses, the further evolution and adoption of grading technologies present opportunities to enhance its benefit to the industry. The Cattle Industry Grading Advisory Group was established to promote the advancement of grading technologies in collaboration with the USDA and create a sense of urgency to meet the needs of the beef business. Hear from leaders involved in the group about progress and insight into what the future may hold for the objective and consistent application of beef grading.

Speakers: Abram Babcock, Derek Vote, Glen Dolezal, Moderator: John Stika

Honoring Glen Dolezal, Assistant Vice President of New Technology Applications at Cargill Protein

Presenter: John Stika, Certified Angus Beef

From academia to the private sector, Glen Dolezal has remained committed to the advancement of the beef industry. His Cargill career began in 1999, spanning research and development, sales, sustainability and grading. Emphasizing the production of quality beef, Dolezal oversaw the implementation of Cargill’s tenderness claim and adoption of camera grading.

About the Award: The Industry Achievement Award recognizes leaders who have made a lasting mark on the beef industry with the intention of improving beef production, both profitably and sustainably. Achievements can be through private enterprises or be primarily public service with little or no direct cattle feeding endeavors. Each year recipients are chosen by previous winners, making it a community and leadership-focused honor.

Speaker: Kara Lee

With today’s economics and technologies, how do we increase the profitability of fed cattle? It’s not a one-size-fits-all model and strategic management accompanied by strategic marketing might hold some of the answers.

Speaker: Pete Anderson

Genetics undoubtedly play a crucial role in the cattle feeding world. Commercial producers making the best genetic choices should seek ways to capitalize on their investment. Hear from veterans in the feeding industry about the changing landscape of the role genetics play in their business and how they value that information today.

Speakers: Grant Morgan, Tom Fanning, Troy Marshall, Moderator: Bruce Cobb

In the valley of low cattle supplies, producers should look ahead for opportunities when rebuilding the cow herd. Many factors affect the decision to buy or raise your own replacements, but what are you considering beyond feed and resources? Randall will discuss how to incorporate genetics to ensure you’re building back with cattle that can do everything you need them to.

Speaker: Randall Spare

From government regulations to growth and management technologies, there are constant changes affecting decisions at multiple stages of cattle management. What do commercial producers need to know about these and how can cattle feeders maximize them?

Speakers: AJ Tarpoff, Justin Gleghorn, Moderator: Kirsten Nickles

For years Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) has improved both consumer perceptions and meat quality. It is the industry standard for all cattle feeders today, but that doesn’t make it any less effective. Hear from one of the pioneers of BQA as Dr. Bob Smith walks through some of the most successful lessons that feeders can still learn from and implement today.

Speaker: Bob Smith

Sponsored By:

Join us after lunch at Hy-Plains Feedyard for a free, BQA Workshop. See their education and research center while hearing from industry experts at this feedyard-focused BQA training. Sessions will also be available in Spanish.

Don’t miss special guest, Coach Tang from K-State Men’s Basketball!

Registration for the BQA workshop is separate from Feeding Quality Forum registration. Let us know if you’ll join us at Hy-Plains or if you’re sending your employees.

Sign Up for the BQA Workshop