Few cattlemen have the chance to follow cattle once they leave the farm through the process of becoming beef. The Steer to Steak Workshop is being offered to provide this unique opportunity to cattle producers by University of Wisconsin-Extension, UW-Madison Department of Animal Science, and Wisconsin Beef Council.

The program is designed to provide information to producers and beef industry professionals about food products from beef cattle with an emphasis on production impacts on the safety and quality of beef. If you are a cattle producer, who would like to learn more about the food product you are producing or are considering direct marketing of beef, this program is for you.

This is a three part workshop with sessions offered at a convenient schedule. The first session will be offered on Nov. 16 in the evening and begins with live evaluation of beef cattle and price determination. The cattle evaluated at this session will then be slaughtered at the UW-Madison Meat Science Laboratory. Three weeks later participants will return for two full day sessions on Dec. 10 and 11. These sessions will cover slaughter, carcass evaluation, carcass fabrication, value-added products, and palatability of beef. Participants are given the opportunity to work in small groups during these sessions for more hands-on experience and individual instruction as well as be able to follow the live cattle from the first session through carcass fabrication.

A maximum of 30 participants are allowed for the program, in order to allow hands-on experience and interaction with faculty, staff, and graduate student instructors. Registrations will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so register early.

The registration fee is $100, which includes meals and materials for the workshop. Registration for this year's workshop will be due on Nov. 3.

For more information and registration form visit the Wisconsin Beef Center website at fyi.uwex.edu/wbic/extension-programs or can contact Amy Radunz, beef cattle extension specialist at 608-890-3448.

To register for the workshop, contact Ardel Quam, Wisconsin Beef Council, at 608-833-4725.