Oklahoma State University welcomed experts from across the beef supply chain to campus for the inaugural Beef Center of Excellence Advisory Board meeting.
The Beef Center of Excellence is a cross-disciplinary effort to drive innovation, sustainability and profitability for cattle producers.
“We’re just getting started, but I hope the advisory board can come together and bring real ideas for change in the beef industry,” said Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions. “As ambassadors of the Beef Center of Excellence, we can tell our stories and be advocates to the industry as a whole.”
The advisory board members had the opportunity to connect with faculty and students and learn about the research and Extension activities happening across OSU Agriculture.
Beginning at the Purebred Beef Center, Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture, led a roundtable discussion with Mark Johnson, Extension livestock evaluation specialist, and Rosslyn Biggs, Extension beef cattle specialist, about issues in the beef industry. Many topics surfaced, including animal health, disease threats such as New World screwworm, finding efficiencies and educating those outside the beef industry.
Barry Pollard of Pollard Farms said the Beef Center of Excellence is an opportunity to strategically prioritize based on industry and academic needs and to plan for the future.
“There are so many issues we can work on,” Pollard said. “We can work on fertility, feed efficiencies, health, disease resistance and a number of things that are meaningful to the industry. We can work together and find ways to coordinate the research that’s being done into meaningful messages that have practical applications.”
The group visited the Bluestem Research Range for demonstrations of ranch automation technology, such as the Ranch Rover, virtual fencing, liquid feed monitoring and drone surveillance, led by Ryan Reuter, George Chiga Endowed Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, and student researchers.
“We wanted to highlight the innovative research we are doing around precision livestock production and ranch automation,” Reuter said. “The research we are doing to address management questions with this technology and the associated student development will have a long-term impact on the industry.”
The advisory board concluded its visit at Agricultural Hall, interacting with food science faculty and students, participating in a taste panel featuring a variety of steaks, and holding the first advisory board meeting to discuss the future of the Beef Center of Excellence.
“The board had a robust and wide-ranging discussion on the opportunities and threats facing the beef industry,” Lusk said. “The group was unanimous in their desire and intention to position OSU as the leading destination for students interested in learning about the beef cattle industry and the premier source of beef research and Extension programming. We will soon initiate a process to identify a director to lead the center.”
The founding members of the Beef Center of Excellence Advisory Board include Tracie and Eric Chapman, Chapman Ranch; Vanessa and Ford Drummond, F.F. Drummond Ranch; Jamae and Mike Frey, Frey Angus; Aimee and Ben Hale, Western Livestock Auctions; Kari and Robert Hodgen, King Ranch; Gaye and John Pfeiffer Jr., Pfeiffer Angus Farm; Roxanne and Barry Pollard, Pollard Farms; Martha and Mark Shaw, IGNITE Veterinary Solutions; Mary and Rob Shuey, U.S. meat and livestock industry consultant; Merck Animal Health; Corteva Agriscience; Oklahoma Beef Council; and Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
For more information about the Beef Center of Excellence, visit Animal Excellence online.
