NEW EXTENSION BEEF CATTLE SPECIALIST HIRED FOR EAST TEXAS

Editors: A high-resolution jpeg picture of Dr. Jason Cleere can be found at http://overton.tamu.edu/roster/jason_cleere_1100x1400.jpg

OVERTON -– It’s funny how things work out. Dr. Jason Cleere, who grew up in Anderson, 30 miles from College Station, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University, then moved to Lubbock to complete his doctorate at Texas Tech University.

Now, as the new beef cattle specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension, he has returned to the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Overton, where many of the trials for his doctoral dissertation were done.

Cleere’s appointment will allow him to do research, conduct county Extension programs and work with cattle producers and county Extension agents.

He’ll likely stay busy. In East Texas, there are thousands of small, medium and large cow/calf operations. Cleere’s first day on the job was Sept. 1, but he is already scheduled for 33 county and regional educational and training meetings.

Also, the beef industry is changing. Beef producers may one day find their cattle will be discounted at the sale barn if they are hauled in with horns, uncastrated and without vaccination documentation.

“It’s called ‘process verification,’ and I’m afraid in the future, it’s where we’re going,” he said.

Cleere hopes to have part of his program focusing on marketing strategies for smaller producers. Also, he wants to conduct a production and marketing practices survey of East Texas producers.

“First, though, I plan to visit a lot more with local producers and county agents. I don’t want to charge in here fresh and force my philosophy and programming on everyone. We’re here to figure out what their needs and wants are first, and adjust the programming for the best fit.”

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