The 580 Cattle Conference is returning Friday, August 28th at the Woodward Event Center, with a lineup designed to give cattle producers practical information on management, markets, animal health, drought, and farm and ranch safety. Tiffany Schultz said in a recent conversation with associate farm reporter Carli Davenport that this year’s third annual event includes a new emergency injuries course that has already generated significant interest from producers.
The conference will feature speakers covering a wide range of topics relevant to both cow-calf and stocker producers. Farm and ranch estate planning will be covered by Tiffany Lashmet with Texas A&M, while Dale Blasi of Kansas State University will discuss essential management practices for optimizing beef. OSU’s Jonathan Cammack will present on re-emerging pests of cattle in the Southern Plains. Andy and Kodel Cunningham with Nightlatch Group out of Laverne will provide a session on Livestock Risk Protection, or LRP, titled “LRP Simplified” or “LRP for Dummies.”
Dr. Paul Beck will also speak about drought and practical strategies for protecting cows, grass and profits. Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, will provide a cattle market outlook. “He’s going to talk about the cattle market outlook,” Schultz said.
New Farm and Ranch Injuries Course Addresses Rural Emergency Gaps
One of the new additions to this year’s conference is a 45-minute course focused on farm and ranch injuries. Schultz said the idea came from her sister, Kristin, who is an EMT and has seen firsthand the types of injuries that can happen in agricultural settings. “She is an EMT, and of course we all farm and ranch, and so she sees a lot of the farm and ranch injuries,” Schultz said.
The course will focus on practical emergency response skills, including controlling and managing severe bleeding, dealing with crushing and animal-trampling injuries, and learning CPR.
Schultz said the family had discussed offering the course last year but ultimately decided to implement it for this year’s conference. “We decided we would do that, and we’re offering two sessions on it,” she said.
The conference will feature breakout sessions this year, allowing the injuries course to be offered twice. Schultz said the response was immediate after the conference flyer was released. “As soon as we put that flyer out there, we were getting texts like, ‘Save me a seat’” she said.
That response, Schultz said, demonstrates the need for more emergency preparedness in rural communities. “There’s a lot of people that are, you know, realize that there’s a need for rural emergency gaps,” she said.
Conference Builds on Networking and Producer Feedback
The 580 Cattle Conference is now entering its third year, and Schultz said the event has evolved as organizers have received feedback from producers. She said she initially played a limited role in the first conference, primarily helping with the meal, while her brother and sister handled much of the rest of the event.
One of the biggest pieces of feedback organizers have received has been about the value of bringing producers together. “We get a lot of feedback on the connecting and the networking and bringing people together,” Schultz said.
She said producers appreciate having an opportunity to gather with others who face similar challenges. “We feel like it’s a good thing to be able to network and gather with people of like interests,” she said.
Those conversations can also provide practical, real-world information that producers can take back to their operations. “You know, be able to compare like what fly spray is working this year, what fly spray is not working this year, things like that,” Schultz said.
Schultz Encourages Producers to Keep Learning
For cattle producers who may wonder whether they need to attend a full-day conference because they already have years of experience in the cattle business, Schultz said there is always something new to learn. “I’d tell that person that, you know, we all can learn something, and nobody knows everything,” she said.
Schultz encouraged producers to attend with an open mind and take advantage of the different perspectives represented by the speakers. “If you’re willing to have an open mind, you can take away anything from any of these speakers,” she said.
She pointed to Blach’s market presentation as one example, noting that market professionals can provide information producers may not see on a daily basis. “Randy Blach’s going to be up to date on the market because that’s what they do,” Schultz said.
She also highlighted Cammack’s presentation on cattle pests and research. “We as producers sometimes don’t always see the little things or know the little things behind the scenes,” Schultz said.
Producers may also be unaware of research being conducted that could eventually affect their operations. “We may not know of some research going on,” she said. “We don’t know as producers everything that all the studies and all the things that are going on behind the scenes.”
Schultz said that is one of the biggest reasons producers can benefit from attending. “I think that there’s lots to learn. If you just have an open mind,” she said.
Conference Geared Toward Cow-Calf and Stocker Producers
The conference is designed to appeal to a broad range of cattle producers rather than focusing exclusively on one segment of the industry.
Schultz said she is a cow-calf producer, while her sister and brother are stocker producers. “We try to gear towards both because we know the importance of both,” she said. The goal is to provide information that can benefit “anybody and everybody in between,” Schultz said.
Tickets Include Meals, Trade Show and Entertainment
Tickets for the 580 Cattle Conference cost $37 and include admission to the event, trade show opportunities, door prizes, a steak dinner, homemade desserts and entertainment.
Schultz said there is no deadline to purchase tickets. “You can get the tickets at the door,” she said.
Tickets can also be purchased online through the conference website, with Schultz recommending that attendees use the QR codes available on the conference’s Facebook page. “Honestly, the easiest way” is to find the flyer and use the QR code, she said.
The conference will also feature 15-minute trade show sessions, along with what Schultz described as “big door prizes.” The entertainment this year will be Ruby Lee, and organizers have added another unique feature: a yodeling contest for FFA members.
FFA Yodeling Contest Offers Cash Prizes
The yodeling contest will take place during dinner, with cash prizes going to the winning FFA chapters. Schultz said first place will receive $500 for the chapter, second place will receive $300, and third place will receive $100.
Ruby Lee will also help coach contestants. “So even if you can’t yodel, you should come try to yodel,” Schultz said. “Because you never know.” With educational sessions, networking opportunities, farm and ranch safety training, a steak dinner, entertainment, door prizes and an FFA yodeling contest, Schultz said the 580 Cattle Conference is designed to bring producers together while providing information they can use on their operations.
