Beef Quality Assurance & Secure Beef Supply training set for southwest Minnesota



By Melissa Runck, Extension Educator-Ag Production Systems

University of Minnesota Extension, Murray and Pipestone Counties

Today’s consumers are more interested than ever before on where and how the food they purchase is raised, which has led to an increased focus on our beef production systems – how we handle cattle, our use of pharmaceutical products, our feed management practices, and having an accurate and reliable record-keeping system.

University of Minnesota Extension along with Minnesota Beef Council will host three Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and Secure Beef Supply (SBS) training sessions in southwest Minnesota. Producers attending these free workshops will receive a three-year BQA certification and will learn the steps needed to begin their own Secure Beef Supply plan.

Over the past year, cattlemen and women have been asked to complete the BQA program in order to market their cattle to certain processors. However, BQA certification is still voluntary.  Specific companies have chosen to extend their own quality assurance protocol requirements to cattlemen who are a part of their supply chain. A BQA certification is being required by many major industry buyers and processors. When a producer does not have current BQA certification the result is that many packers and feedlots simply cannot purchase those cattle because their company cannot source cattle from a producer who does not meet their certification requirements.

The one and a half-hour training and certification sessions are free. Only one person from each operation is required to be certified to ensure the entire operation follows the BQA standards. However, everyone who handles and manages feed cattle is encouraged to become BQA certified.

Producers have the option of taking the in-person training in our region at three locations:

•Windom: Tuesday, April 23 from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Cottonwood County Law Enforcement Center, 902 Fifth Ave., Windom.

•Pipestone: Thursday, April 25 from 3:30–5 p.m. at the Pipestone Livestock Auction Market, 1500 Seventh St. SE, Pipestone. Training will be held in the sale barn café.

•Slayton: Tuesday, June 4 from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Murray County 4-H Building, 3048 Broadway Ave., Slayton.

Walk-ins are welcome, but RSVP’s are appreciated to ensure enough training materials for everyone. Call the Murray County Extension Office at 507-836-6927 and indicate which training location you will attend.

Those unable to attend a session can also earn certification online at www.BQA.org.