F.B.I. Freezer Beef Institute
Extension Education
Sarah Orr
Extension Agent I
UT Extension
Newport
Abstract
Marketing farm raised calves directly to consumers has gained interest among Tennessee cattle producers recently. Compounding influences for this movement include depressed market prices from the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of beef on grocery store shelves. While many resources were available on marketing, regulations, and label requirements related to freezer beef production, information on producing a calf that met consumer preferences was lacking. F.B.I. Freezer Beef Institute (FBI) was developed as a multidisciplinary, collaborative program to educate producers on how to raise and feed calves from weaning to harvest to meet this need. FBI is a three-part webinar series that showcased six topics including nutrition, calf selection, marketing, budgeting, carcass quality, and product storage. Producers surveyed (n=73) reported a 25% increase in knowledge about selecting the right calf to feed and a 27% increase of knowledge for both marketing and budgeting. Nearly half (49.3%) of surveyed participants plan to make changes to their nutrition program in the coming year. Self-reported economic impact for FBI totals $210,000. Data suggest that more education is needed in the future as 80% of participants have fed less than 15 calves for freezer beef production, and only 31% are selling retail cuts off the farm. Expanding knowledge in these areas could increase farm profitability.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Sarah Orr
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Orr, S. Extension Agent I, University of Tennessee Extension, Tennessee, 37821