Livestock
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
Upcoming Events
Beef Roundup Webinar Series
Dates: Occurring December 2025 through March 2026
Beef producers are invited to attend a series of free educational webinars this winter. The Beef Roundup Webinar Series will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension featuring Extension specialists and industry experts from across the country covering timely topics relevant to today’s beef producers.
• December 11th, 2025: Handling Facilities with Dr. Ron Gill, Texas A&M Extension Livestock Specialist
• January 15th, 2026: Unlocking the Full Potential of Growth-Enhancing Technologies with Dr. Jessica Sperber, University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension Feedlot Specialist
• February 19th, 2026: Asian Longhorned Tick, Dr. Cassandra Olds, Kansas State, Extension Entomologist
• March 19th, 2026: Key Considerations for Rebuilding Your Cow Herd with Dr. Randie Culbertson, Iowa State, Extension Cow-calf Specialist.
All webinars will be held from 7-8pm CST.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with other producers and professionals in the beef industry.
To register for this free webinar series, please visit this link:
For more information contact Adam Hartfiel at (920) 647-6560 or email him at adam.hartfiel@wisc.edu .
Visit the Livestock Topic Hub for more information.
Latest News in Livestock
- The WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and UW-Madison Division of Extension have teamed up to provide Holding the Line premises biosecurity mapping workshops around the state to help livestock producers and veterinarians draft maps for their livestock operations.
- Sessions are free and held via Zoom at 7:30 PM Central Time, with advance registration required.
- This free online session brings together innovative producers from Iowa and Wisconsin who have successfully built markets for lamb, goat, and beef through online sales, shipping to customers, retail meat markets, and farmers' markets.
- Workshops for Wisconsin farmers who are direct marketing beef, or considering it, will be held in four regional locations in the coming months.
- Four Winds Farm will host a full‑day Sheep Lambing Workshop on March 28 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
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.