December 22, 2017

Beef cattle producers in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota take note. The upcoming Driftless Region Beef Conference will be Jan. 25-26 at the Grand River Conference Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
Topics to be covered include mycotoxins in cattle feed, cover crops and how they can fit in a beef cattle operation, and a session on the price and marketing outlook.
“While weather during crop growth impacts potential mold growth, it seems we are hearing more concerns about molds and mycotoxins every year,” says Denise Schwab, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension. “In 2016, Dairyland Labs in Wisconsin saw an increase in the number of silage samples with high levels of wild yeasts and molds. We are glad we are able to bring Dr. Trevor Smith from the University of Guelph to the upcoming Driftless Region Beef Conference to teach us more about mycotoxins in feed.”
How to reduce mold production
Smith has been a faculty member at the University of Guelph since 1977. His research interests are in the field of feed toxicology, and he has worked closely with the animal feed industry. He has international research collaborations with the University of Eastern Finland at Kuopio, Finland, and the University of Ghent in Ghent, Belgium.
Also at the upcoming conference in Dubuque, Alison Robertson, a plant pathologist with Iowa State University, will address methods to reduce mold production on growing crops to reduce the risk of molds-causing problems in feed after harvest.
Cover crops, cattle market outlook on agenda
In addition to mycotoxins in feed, the program will address cover crops. An evening discussion Jan. 25 on success with cover crops features a producer panel. The Jan. 26 morning agenda features Jamey Kohake from Paragon Investments, and six breakout sessions for feedlot operations and cow-calf producers followed by a market outlook.
Other speakers include Morgan Hayes, Kentucky University; Jim Johnson, Noble Research Institute; Alison Robertson, Dan Andersen and Chris Clark, Iowa State University; Dan Schaefer, University of Wisconsin; Josh McCann, University of Illinois; and Geoffrey Brink, ARS Dairy Forage Research Center.
Register early for reduced rate
The early-registration fee for the conference is $85 per person and must be received before midnight Jan. 12. The price increases to $115 after that date. The conference website has more information on topics, speakers, lodging and registration forms.
The Driftless Region Beef Conference is sponsored by ISU Extension, and University of Illinois, University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin. For more information or to receive a brochure, call Schwab at 319-472-4739.
Source: Iowa State University
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