CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 03/10/99

Evaluation Center Expands, Ensures Quality Beef

Beef Evaluation Center sign/buildingAfter 41 years, the University of Georgia Beef Evaluation Program has a new home. The Irwinville Beef Evaluation Center education building, complete with pens, working barn and educational center, was dedicated March 2.

The ceremony was part of the annual beef short course sponsored by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Georgia decisions matter

"Georgia farmers raise calves that, a year and a half later, will be sold in your local supermarket," said Robert Stewart, an animal scientist with the UGA Extension Service.

"The decisions that affect how beef meets consumer demands are made here," he said. "This center helps producers learn to make sound decisions."

Stewart, coordinator of the UGA Tifton Beef Evaluation Program, said the new building will provide space for livestock and agriculture-related educational events. It will house 4-H and FFA activities, purebred cattle sales, short courses and field days.

Evaluation program tests bulls

Bull in sale ring
EVALUATED BULLS are sold at the end of the 20-week test period. Only the most sound bulls with the best traits are sold. The bull above sold for $6500, the top-seller for this event. Producers know the genetic characteristics of the bulls and so can select one that will complement their cows.

The Irwinville facility, open since 1995, allows 65 percent more participation in the evaluation program. This year, more than 100 producers consigned 200 bulls for evaluation. Only the top-performing two-thirds are sold at the end of the program. This year, 133 bulls were auctioned.

Scientists measure the bulls for growth, soundness, carcass traits and fertility. This data helps farmers make sound decisions when selecting bulls to sire calves that meet consumer demand. This careful selection helps Georgia farmers become more efficient.

Farmers learn efficiency

Nationwide, cattle farmers produce the same amount of beef with 100 million cattle as they did 25 years ago with 130 million cattle.

"It's up to us to find ways to produce beef profitably that will meet consumer demand," said Harvey Lemmon, chair of the Tifton Bull Test Advisory Committee, at the dedication. "This facility and this program will help us do that."

Curly Cook, president of the Georgia Cattlemen's Association, said, "This (building and program) is a heck of an asset to the agricultural community."

It's a business, like any other

As in any other business, Stewart said, cattle producers have to listen and respond to their market to stay in business.

"If our consumers tell us they want lean beef, we'll select bulls that can pass their traits for lean beef to calves," he said. "At the same time, we select for efficient growth and muscular traits. It's part of the business now."

Local support vital

Phil Utley, CAES assistant dean and associate director for the Tifton Campus, said it took many people working together to make the new building a reality.

"Without local and legislative support," he said, "this building would not be here supporting a vital part of the Georgia agricultural industry."

Experts/Sources:
Robert L. Stewart
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.