Beef producers are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming on-farm tours of cattle facilities in Iowa sponsored by Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Cattlemen's Association and other beef industry support groups. The tours will be held August 22 in eastern Iowa, August 23 in north central Iowa and August 25 in northwest Iowa. Those who attend will take a look at various types of buildings for feeding cattle, and will also hear from the host producers regarding their manure management systems and facilities.

* Eastern Iowa Cattle Tour Features Buildings, Management & Manure Strategies: East central Iowa beef producers are invited to a Jones County "Cattle Facility Tour" on August  22. Iowa State University Extension beef program specialist Denise Schwab says the tour will provide timely information on raising cattle in monoslope buildings, hoop barns and open lots.

"This tour will help you learn about raising cattle responsibly and successfully, while meeting regulatory demands and enhancing your cattle management skills," Schwab says. "You'll also learn about capturing manure value, enhancing neighbor relationships and identifying best locations for new facilities."

Information on raising cattle in monoslope buildings, hoop barns, open lots

The tour begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Marty Burlage farm north of Monticello at 3358 333rd Ave. and continues to the Adam and Craig Manternach farm and the Todd Bergfeld farm south of Cascade. Following the tour, the northeast regional meeting of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Cascade at 6 p.m. A meal is part of this meeting.

Coordinators of the educational tours include the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, Iowa Cattleman's Association and ISU Extension.

Staff from CSIF, ICA and Iowa State University Extension; local sponsors; and the host farmers themselves will present information on effective management strategies for their farms, the economic incentives that make cattle feeding an attractive business option for Iowa farmers and more. Learn how each cattle farmer manages the cattle, the facility and the manure in the barn or in the lot.

There is no cost to attend the tour or for the meal thanks to sponsorship from Accu-Steel Cover Buildings, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Commander Buildings, Iowa Beef Systems, Merck Animal Health, Merial Animal Health and Stahlberg Concrete. For more information, tour directions or information on how to register, contact Schwab by email at [email protected] or by phone at 319-721-9624.

* North Central Iowa Beef Cattle Facilities Tour Set:  North central Iowa beef producers can learn about raising cattle in monoslope buildings, slatted deep pit barns and open lots by attending an August 23 tour in eastern Mitchell County. The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Bob Noble farm near Riceville.

Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Russ Euken says the tour, which begins at 10:30 a.m., includes stops at four distinctly different operations. "We'll start at the Bob Noble farm near Riceville with the first tour stop followed by lunch," Euken says. "Three more stops are scheduled for the afternoon."

The Noble farm is located two miles west of Riceville at 3170 Hwy 9. Tour sponsors are ISU Extension, Iowa Beef Center, the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, Mitchell County Cattlemen and Osage Co-op Elevator. Staff from ISU Extension and CSIF and the producer hosts at each location will present a variety of information to attendees, ranging from managing cattle, facilities and manure in different operational set-ups to locating and identifying optimal locations for new facilities. A detailed agenda is on the IBC website.

There's no cost to attend the tour or for the meal thanks to the sponsors, but people need to register to ensure an adequate meal count. Contact ISU Extension in Mitchell County by phone at 641-732-5574 or email at [email protected] to reserve a meal. For more information, contact Euken by phone at 641-923-2856 or by email [email protected].

* Northwest Iowa Beef Facilities Tour & Producer Training:  Beef producers in northwest Iowa will want to circle August 25 on their calendars for a beef facilities tour and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training in Ida County. ISU Extension beef program specialist Beth Doran says the tour will feature stops at five facilities before dinner and include the BQA training after the meal.

"The tour begins at the Alan Friedrichsen farm near Holstein at 2 p.m. and features several types of facilities including wide mono-slope barns, a gable-roofed barn and a semi-confinement barn," Doran says. "Each facility producer will explain how they manage their facilities, cattle and manure."

Learn about animal welfare, enviornmental regulations, managing manure

Throughout the tour, specialists from ISU Extension, the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will informally share information about animal welfare, building design, environmental regulations and managing manure.

The Ida County Cattlemen's Association, ISU Extension and CSIF are coordinating the tour and BQA training. Thanks to sponsorship, there is no cost to attend the tour, dinner or BQA training. However, Doran says participants should call the Ida County Extension Office at 712-364-3003 by Aug. 22 so that meals and materials can be guaranteed.

The BQA training will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. following the evening meal. It will be conducted by an Iowa Beef Industry Council representative and the veterinarians from the Holstein Veterinary Clinic, and will include a post-mortem examination. This training will allow producers to certify or re-certify in BQA.

Directions to the Alan Friedrichsen facility: from the intersection of Hwy 59 and Hwy 20 (east of Holstein one mile), go 2 miles south on Hwy 59 to 180th Street and 3/4 miles east on 180th Street.