September 18, 2003

Feedlot School Expands Opportunities in Cattle Feeding

Fargo, ND, USA – Eighteen cattle producers are at the NCI Feed Production Center for a two-day seminar on cattle production and management. The school is a joint effort between Northern Crops Institute (NCI), NDSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences and NDSU Extension Service.

The group is studying the full gamut of cattle production. Dr. Greg Lardy, Assistant Professor of Animal and Range Sciences, said, “We put together an educational program that gives people the basics for developing a cattle

feeding program in the northern plains. We really think there are some opportunities to do more cattle feeding in this area. Right now, beef cattle are quite profitable. The feedlots are making a lot of money and we expect that to continue at least in the near term.”

This Feedlot School is the third in three years. The school has attracted a near capacity crowd each year. Class size is restricted due to space limitations. Participants range from current cattle producers, people considering getting into the cattle business, graduate students, feed industry representatives, and veterinarians.

NCI's Feed Production Center is a vital part of NDSU and supports feed technology education throughout the world. Dr. Kim Koch, the center's manager said, “The feed products we produce at the NCI feed mill are used by the NDSU on-campus livestock units and out-state Research and Extension Center in day-to-day feeding, as well as experimental feeding programs. The feed production center provides hands-on experience in feed manufacturing technology to undergraduate and graduate students.”

Since becoming operational in 1991, the NCI Feed Production Center has provided in excess of 21,000 tons of feed.

Northern Crops Institute supports regional agriculture and value-added processing by conducting educational and technical programs that expand and maintain domestic and international markets for northern-grown crops.