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
Driftless Region Beef Conference
Join beef producers from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa at the Driftless Region Beef Conference, January 23-24 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa. For years, this conference has been providing research-based information to beef producers in the Driftless. With an incredible line-up of speakers and topics, you won’t want to miss this 2025 event.
Visit https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/beef/ for agenda and registration information.
School For Beginning Beef Production
Is beef production in your future? Maybe you are new to beef production or perhaps you are a dairy producer thinking about adding or transitioning to beef production. If so, then join the UW-Madison Extension ‘School for Beginning Beef Production.’
Register at https://go.wisc.edu/786mcy by Jan. 7, 2025. (REGISTRATION STILL OPEN)
FREE, ‘live’ online, evening sessions over Zoom will be held in January 2025:
- Jan 14 – Business of beef: What are your options?
- Jan 16 – Marketing: Begin with the end in mind
- Jan 21 – Cow-calf nutrition and pasture management
- Jan 23 – Veterinary, biosecurity, and recordkeeping skills; receiving cattle
- Jan 28 – Herd reproduction to build your future
- Jan 30 – Intro to stocker/backgrounder/finishing enterprises
Participants will receive additional resources, links to recorded sessions, and invitations to join in-person field days later in 2025.
To make this event more accessible for you, please contact adam.hartfiel@wisc.edu or 920-647-6560 by Dec 30, 2024. There’s no added cost to you for these services
Noontime Beef Roundup Webinar Series
The Extension Livestock program is launching a new webinar series called “Noontime Beef Roundup.” This free series is designed for beef producers and industry professionals to learn important topics related to the beef industry.
When: The second Thursday of each month, from January to March 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CST
Where: Online via Zoom
- Jan. 9, 2025 – Biosecurity: Dr. Julia Herman
- Feb. 13, 2025 – Seller Reputation and Its Influence on Buyers: Dr. Kellie Curry Raper
- Mar. 13, 2025 – Direct Marketing: Dr. Megan Nelson, Adam Hartfiel, and Beth McIlquham
To attend, register at https://go.wisc.edu/4e791d. After registering, you’ll get an email with the webinar link.
Visit the Livestock Topic Hub for more information.
Latest News in Livestock
- The University of Wisconsin-Madison is excited to announce the 2025 Badger Lambing School, a hybrid educational program designed for sheep producers. This program will take place every Wednesday in February 2025, culminating in an in-person session on March 1, 2025, at the UW-Madison Arlington Research Station Sheep Unit.
- The Producing Quality Beef workshops will teach about the traits that make cattle more valuable and how things like mud and fitness affect their price. Participants will also learn about the latest beef quality audit and get hands-on experience grading beef.
- Join us for the 2025 Small Ruminant Webinar Series! This series will help small ruminant farmers learn new things and get useful tips. The webinars will happen on the fourth Thursday of each month from January to April. Experts will share practical advice, research updates, and the latest trends
- The University of Wisconsin-Madison is excited to announce the 2025 Badger Lambing School, a hybrid educational program designed for sheep producers. This program will take place every Wednesday in February 2025, culminating in an in-person session on March 1, 2025, at the UW-Madison Arlington Research Station Sheep Unit.
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.
