This summer, beef producers will get an opportunity to learn from University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment specialists and industry partners in a series of interactive sessions.

Cow College is an intensive, hands-on course for experienced beef producers. It’s designed to expose them to the most cutting-edge techniques and ideas related to beef cattle production and business. The program is divided into four, two-day sessions and one single-day session in July, August and September.

“Our approach is always driven by the end product with an emphasis on quality and efficiency in every aspect of production and business of beef cattle,” said Land Dale, UK beef extension associate. “This takes our UK Master Cattleman program to the next level.”

Sessions will focus on economics and management July 9-10; forages and nutrition July 22-23; herd health on Aug. 8; reproduction and genetics Aug. 28-29 and the end product Sept. 11-12.

Participants will also take home several resources from the sessions including:

• Beef information database on a searchable CD ROM of research and info
• UK Beef/Forage database on a searchable CD ROM
• Backgrounding spreadsheet program
• Breeding spreadsheet program
• Ration balancing program
• Partial budget templates for decision making
• Kentucky Beef Book
• IRM calendar
• Southern Forages book
• Pocket Forage ID Guide
• KYBEEF pasture budgeting program

All sessions will take place on the UK campus in Lexington, and enrollment is limited to 30 participants to maximize the amount of hands-on exposure and time for one-on-one interaction with specialists. Participants must be graduates of the UK Master Cattleman program.

The total cost for all five sessions is $125 or $50 for individual sessions. Registration is due by June 1, and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To enroll, please visit http://www.uky.edu/Projects/BeefIRM/downloads/mcandcowcollegeforms/cowcollegereg.htm.