COLUMN: Registration available for Master Cattlemen Program

 Beef producers in LaRue, Hardin and Meade counties have the opportunity to participate in the Heartland Master Cattlemen Program.  

The Master Cattlemen Program consists of 10, four-hour sessions focusing on beef production and the beef industry. These individual educational sessions cover management skills, forages, nutrition, facilities and animal behavior, environmental stewardship and industry awareness, genetics, reproduction, herd health, end product and marketing and profitability. 

The highly successful program has been held across the state for the past 10 years and has allowed producers to network with specialists, facilitators and other beef producers. Sixty-nine LaRue County beef producers participated in past Master Cattlemen Programs.

Program benefits include a greater assurance of beef quality, a Master Cattlemen farm gate sign (for those completing a minimum of eight sessions), money saving ideas, delicious meals each month, a host of reference materials and the Kentucky Beef Book.

Any person interested in cattle production can enroll in the program by contacting the LaRue County Extension Office at 270-358-3401, completing the registration form, and paying $50 down on the $100 registration fee. The $100 per person covers all materials and food. A minimum of 25 total participants are required to have the program and a maximum of 35 will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Application deadline is Jan. 16. Previous students are welcomed.

Sessions are scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the following dates among the Hardin, LaRue and Meade County Extension Offices: Jan. 22, Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. All dates but January are the third Tuesdays.

Call the LaRue County Extension Office at 358-3401 for more information.