If you are a beef producer in Iowa, there are several meetings in the next few weeks that are worth your while to attend. Choose one, attend and you'll come home with new information and profitable ideas you can put to work on your farm. These meetings include the 2016 Iowa Forage and Grasslands Conference in Ames; the Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference in Ottumwa; the Driftless Region Beef Conference in Dubuque; and a series of workshops focusing on the "Need for longevity in the cow herd" which will be held at seven locations in Iowa beginning February 1.

CATTLE AND FORAGES: If you grow forage to feed to cattle or raise hay to sell for cash, you need to attend the 2016 Iowa Forage and Grasslands Conference January 21-22 at Ames. A mix of grazing specialists and producer speakers make this year's event extra special.

1. There's still time to register for the 2016 Iowa Forage and Grasslands Council (IFGC) annual conference. This year's event, set for Jan. 21-22, features many producer speakers sharing their grazing management experiences.

2. The 2016 Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference offers a variety of topics designed to help producers of all ages and production goals. Among the topics: assessing the short- and long-term market outlook, the WOTUS rule and best management practices for marketing feeder cattle. No fee to attend and no preregistration necessary.

3. The 2016 Driftless Region Beef Conference will spotlight several big picture issues facing the beef industry, ranging from new tools for improving cattle health to reproductive efficiency and fetal programming. The conference will be held February 4-5 at the Grand River Conference Center in Dubuque. Early registration ends Jan. 22.

4. The Iowa Beef Center is partnering with the Iowa Cattlemen's Association (ICA), ABS Global, Accelerated Genetics, Select Sires and Merial to present the third series of educational workshops: "Heifer Development 3: Breeding & Selecting for Longevity & Profit."