Impact Statement for   Harry A Mills

Planning Unit 163 - Meade County
Area 306 - Lincoln Trail
Reporting Year 2006
Last Updated 8/2/2006 10:32:46 AM
CMAP 2269 - Value Added Agriculture
PAC 111 - Master Cattlemen
Title KY Heartland Master Cattleman Program

Impact Statement

Beef cattle prices are very good for the beef producers now. With the help of Tobacco Settlement Phase I monies, more beef producers are able to improve their handling facilities as well as their herd's genetics. Therefore, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service has the responsibility to educate and guide beef producers to help them make sound benefiicial management practices with the resources now available. A program that meets those needs for Meade, Hardin, and LaRue County producers is the Master Cattleman Program. To dat, 24 Meade County producers have participated in the 10 session, 40 hour program that teaches them all aspects of beef production from goal setting to environmental stewardships to the end product. Evaluations showed that participants learned skills to improve their production practices and marketing strategies. Most participants felt like they could make immediate changes that would result in a 25 pound weaning weight increase in calves. Long term changes would result in weaning weight increses of 50 pounds. This means that these 24 producers on the average have added $13,500 to $27,000 of value to their operation due to the education they recieved through the Master Cattleman Program.