EWC Agriculture Department Hosts Beef Cycle
June 2, 2004
(Torrington, WY) The Eastern Wyoming College Agriculture Department recently held the Beef Cycle on May 11 & 12, 2004. The Beef Cycle was an opportunity for students interested in agriculture to experience the unique agricultural setting we have in EWC's service area. The students were able to see first hand The Beef Cycle - from the cow-calf ranch operation to the stock/feeder cycle to the feedlot cycle to the marketing to the processing and retail selling of the beef. There were twenty-seven students from three states that attended.
The agenda consisted of tours around the Torrington area and presentations by many local producers, veterinarians, auctioneers, and others. To start things off on May 11, the students went on a commercial cattle tour at Van Mark Farms Inc. where they learned about summer calving and improved pastures. They then went to C.A. McKee Livestock where they took a stocker cattle tour and learned about pricing and marketing. The students were then treated to a steak dinner, with the steaks being grilled by Jirdon Agri and dinner being served by the Goshen County Cattle Women. Jeff Marsh spoke to the group and they were entertained with poems from Adam Walter and music by Rawhide Band.
The next day the students headed out for a feedlot tour at Dinklage Feedyards where they learned about managing cattle and nutrition. A seed stock tour was next at Middleswarth Herefords where they all learned about artificial insemination. They then went on a marketing tour at Torrington Livestock where they learned about futures and commodities and auctions. The last tour of the Beef Cycle was a beef packing tour at Kelly Pack where they learned about fabrication and beef retail.
The Agriculture Department at EWC hopes to host events similar to The Beef Cycle in the future. For more information about the Agriculture Department, contact Dr. Monte Stokes at 307.532.8273 or Tim Walter at 307.532.8271.
