Livestock

The Extension Livestock Program provides timely resources and information to help farmers, consumers and allied industry to make informed decisions about beef cattle, poultry, sheep and goats, equine, swine, and meat science using research-based information. There are also resources for youth caring for livestock.

Livestock Educators work to:

• Collaborate with producers to identify needs and deliver research-based solutions to help them meet their goals
• Develop/maintain specific expertise related to livestock production/management
• Build trust-based relationships with various stakeholder groups

We work with:

• Partner agencies
• Campus departments
• Species-specific organizations

Visit the Livestock Topic Hub for more information.

Latest News in Livestock

• Join the Meat Goat Cohort 25
  June 26, 2024
  Carolyn Ihde, the Small Ruminant Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, invites meat goat producers in Wisconsin and Iowa to join the Meat Goat Cohort 25.
• Beef x Dairy Management Workshops to be hosted by UW-Madison Division of Extension July 29 – August 1, 2024
  June 19, 2024
  June 19, 2024–UW-Madison Extension will be hosting four in-person Beef X Dairy-focused workshops from July 29 – August 1, 2024.
• Wisconsin Hosting Stockmanship & Stewardship Event
  June 13, 2024
  Registration is now open for a Stockmanship & Stewardship event, August 28-29, at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Lancaster, Wisconsin. Funded in part by the Beef Checkoff, Stockmanship & Stewardship is a unique educational experience for cattle producers featuring low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training, facility design sessions and industry updates.  “Educational […]
• 2024 Wisconsin County Agent Association award recipients named
  June 10, 2024
  June 10, 2024-The Wisconsin Association of County Agricultural Agents (WACAA) recently recognized members and industry partners during their annual awards and recognition program.
• HPAI Update: Mandatory testing of lactating dairy cattle moving across state lines
  April 29, 2024
  April 29, 2024–Updates on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and resources for Wisconsin Dairy farmers.

Staff

If you have any questions regarding Livestock in Vernon County, please contact:

Regional Livestock Educator, Beth McIlquham

Serving Crawford, La Crosse, Richland, and Vernon Counties
Contact: 608-632-0599
Email: beth.mcilquham@wisc.edu

Beth McIlquham serves as Regional Livestock Educator to Crawford, La Crosse, Richland, and Vernon Counties. She works with livestock/dairy producers and agribusiness professionals to solve production challenges and incorporate new research findings into outreach/educational materials to improve production, profitability, and efficiency.

She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science with an emphasis on meat animals. Previously, she worked for Extension as educational support for Pierce County’s 4-H program, as well as with the Humane Handling Institute. At Pierce County, she built valuable relationships with families and volunteers in addition to executing various programs. Within the Humane Handling Institute, she assisted in putting on workshops for slaughterhouse employees. There, she had the opportunity to learn about humane handling techniques within cattle, swine, goats, and sheep, as well as the importance of captive bolt maintenance.

Beth’s main focus is on beef cattle production. She is grateful to be a part of the team here in Crawford, La Crosse, Richland, and Vernon counties and looks forward to meeting livestock industry players in the area.