Ranch-Raised Beef Conference set for May 14-15 in Bryan-College Station
Early bird registration open through April 17 for beef production, direct-to-consumer marketing event
Registration is open for the Ranch-Raised Beef Conference on May 14-15 in Bryan-College Station, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science.
The conference is designed for beef producers of all experience levels who want to grow and finish high-quality beef on the ranch, said Jacquelyn Prestegaard, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide livestock sustainability specialist and assistant professor, Department of Animal Science, Bryan-College Station.
The program will begin with registration at 8 a.m. on May 14 in the Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center at Texas A&M-RELLIS campus, 1895 Ave. D, Bryan, and move on May 15 to Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, 488 Olsen Blvd., College Station.
The early bird fee is $300 and ends April 17. Late registration, beginning April 18, will be $400. Register at tx.ag/RanchRaisedBeef26. The event will include 16 hours of classroom training, resources, face-to-face access to the experts and meals throughout the two days.
Cattle producers may be eligible for up to $400 in reimbursement for registration and travel costs through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Rancher Resilience Grant. Applications must be submitted by April 28. For eligibility requirements and to apply, visit www.ncba.org/education-resources/rancher-resilience-grant.
“New for 2026, we’ve added focused discussions on regenerative management practices, more precise methods for identifying cattle endpoints, and an expanded session featuring successful ranchers who market directly to consumers,” Prestegaard said.
On the agenda
Participants will learn about raising beef both “on the hoof and on the hook” through expert presentations and hands-on demonstrations. Throughout the conference, they will gain perspective on grass-finishing and grain-finishing techniques to determine what best suits their operation’s goals and customers’ preferences.
The following topics will be addressed during the two-day event:
- Live evaluation to determine cattle endpoints.
- Goal setting for your operation and marketing strategies for direct-to-consumer sales.
- Nutritional management from weaning to harvest for grass and grain-finished animals.
- Grazing, forage and soil management principles.
- Hands-on examination and fabrication of carcasses from both grass-fed and grain-fed cattle.
- Selling live animals or retail beef: Which is the better option?
- Working with customers and processors on cut sheets and carcass fabrication needs.
For questions regarding event details, contact Prestegaard at [email protected] or Drew Cassens, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension meat specialist, at [email protected].
