Dr. Temple Grandin will be the keynote speaker at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Aug. 1-3 in College Station.

Grandin is a professor at Colorado State University and specializes in cattle behavior and handling facilities. She has advised ranchers, feedlots and  meat plants throughout the U.S. and Canada on handling equipment as  well as assisting in the development of animal welfare guidelines for  the meat industry, consulting with McDonald’s, Wendy’s International   and Burger King.

Grandin has received numerous awards including the Beef Top 40 industry leaders award from The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and HBO recently premiered a movie about Temple’s early life and career with the livestock industry. The movie received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Grandin join us again at the Beef Cattle Short Course and provide insight as to the latest developments in animal handling and welfare issues,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and conference coordinator. “These issues are very important to the beef industry and we think attendees will come away with fresh information that can be applied in their operations.”

The short course features a number of educational sessions and workshops. 

The Cattleman’s College portion of the three-day short course provides participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on production experience and the needs of their ranch, Cleere said.

“These concurrent workshops will feature information on introductory cattle production, management practices in the areas of forage, nutrition and reproduction, record keeping, brush busting, cattle handling, landowner issues, and much more,” he said.

In addition to classroom instruction on Aug. 1-2, participants can attend one of the popular demonstrations on the morning of Aug. 3, Cleere said.

“There will be demonstrations on chute-side calf working, cattle behavior, penning, selection and brush busting,” Cleere said. “These provide an opportunity for ranchers to see beef cattle production practices put to use.”

“The goal of the short course each year is to provide the most cutting-edge information that is needed by beef cattle producers, and this year is no exception,” he said.

Participants can receive a Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator’s license during the short course, and can earn at least 10 pesticide continuing education units if they are already licensed, Cleere added.

An industry trade show will be held during the event, featuring more than 110 agricultural businesses and service exhibits.

Registration is $140 per person and includes educational materials, a copy of the 600-page Beef Cattle Short Course proceedings, trade show admittance, admission to the prime rib dinner, meals and daily refreshments. Registration information and a tentative schedule will be mailed to previous participants in June, but can also be found on the short course website at http://beef.tamu.edu. Producers can register online at http://beef.tamu.edu or contact Cleere’s office at 979-845-6931.