Raising beef is a very complex business. Knowing how to safely and sustainably run a beef cattle operation is key to profit and success. More Tennesseans are involved in beef production than any other agricultural enterprise. There are 79,000 farms in Tennessee and beef cattle are found on fifty-three percent of those. Tennessee is one of the top beef-producing states in the nation. Our great state ranks ninth in the nation in beef cow numbers and fifteenth in total cattle.

In October, sixteen local beef producers attended the University of Tennessee Extension’s Advanced Master Beef Producer Program (AMBPP). This is an educational program designed to provide information to Tennessee cow-calf producers to help them be the best in the country, improve their profitability, and position the industry to be competitive to other states. The program is led by a team of University of Tennessee Extension specialists and agents, with the support and involvement of representatives of state level agencies, businesses and organizations that have an interest in the state’s cattle industry.

As a result of the Union County Advanced Master Beef Producer Class, seven beef producers implemented reproductive management by conducting breeding soundness exams on seven bulls ($35,000 increased returns) and pregnancy diagnosis on 160 cows/heifers ($64,000 increased returns). Fourteen beef producers sold three hundred and five calves that were managed for improved marketing methods, according to practices promoted by UT Extension, to increase returns by $22,265. Four hundred twenty-one acres were soil tested, and seven hundred and eighteen acres were sprayed for weed control. Acres that are planted to "improve" forage species include one hundred thirty-seven acres of clover and two hundred and two acres of warm-season grass.

The AMBPP is a continuing education course that must be graduated every three years in order for producers to remain eligible to participate in the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program at a fifty percent cost-share. Congratulations to these hardworking individuals! Your dedication is much appreciated in the Tennessee beef industry.

Pictured Left to Right: Back- Justin Utley, Jacob Mason, Robert Loy, Stephen Mitchell, James Yarber Jr., Robert Stooksbury, David Gray; Center- Curt Sawyer, Rick Roberts, Chris George; Front- Tim George, Kern Elkins, Jason West, Bobby Ray, Danny Stooksbury, Denny Bates