Consumers are interested in buying food from local suppliers, including local beef producers. Since beef cattle is among the top commodities produced in Tennessee, with some 950,000 beef cattle in the state, the number of cattle producers interested in marketing beef directly to local consumers is on the rise.

To educate producers interested in responding to the demand for locally produced beef, University of Tennessee Extension’s Center for Profitable Agriculture will be leading a new educational workshop this fall at six locations throughout the state.The program will focus on beef production techniques and cost considerations and feature instruction by UT Extension animal scientist Justin Rhinehart talking about grain-finished, grass-fed and grain-on-grass systems.

Those interested in the “Production and Cost Considerations for Finishing Animals for Direct Marketing” workshop should register through  local UT Extension agent. The dates are September through December at these locations and times:

Seating is limited at some locations. Register as soon as possible. There is no cost to attend the workshops, but pre-registration is required so organizers can prepare adequate materials. A meal will be included.

For more information about these and other value-added beef workshops, go to http://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/.