Sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M department of animal science, the conference will give a complete overview of this “rapidly growing segment of the beef industry," said Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist.

“This conference will cover a broad range of important topics pertaining to grass-fed-beef production and is open to both beef producers and consumers,” Machen said.

“In addition to conventionally produced beef, products from natural, grass-fed and organic production systems are important contributors to the beef market. We welcome both the beef producer and interested consumers to attend this conference and learn more about this segment of the industry,” Machen said.

“There will be several topics of interest to both audiences.” 

Topics include defining natural, grass-fed and organic production systems, understanding forage quantity and quality, cattle suited for grass-fed beef systems and preventative herd health management. The economics of grass-fed beef systems and marketing aspects will also be covered. A low-stress cattle handling demonstration and a Taste of Texas Beef event will conclude Wednesday’s activities.

A panel of producers will address both producing and marketing grass-fed beef from a first-hand perspective. As a highlight, this conference will feature carcass demonstrations, allowing producers to learn about fabrication methods and retail cuts, Machen said.

Cost is $250 through May 27. The conference will be held at both the Rosenthal Meat Science Building and the Louis Pearce Pavilion on the Texas A&M campus.

To register online, visit http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu and enter keyword “Grassfed.”