UI Helps Prepare Next Generation Of Ranchers

This summer, the University of Idaho held a workshop with the intent of raising up the next generation of ranchers.  Beef 101 took place on the Moscow campus, and the U of I’s Phil Bass says the three-day workshop covered everything about being a rancher, from beginning to end.

“We absolutely had the hobby farmer, who's just beginning to get into the business and, you know, we welcomed all," Bass said.  "We had folks from Montana, Idaho, of course, all up and down the state, Washington, Oregon and actually one individual who's currently on the in the process of moving to Idaho, who currently live in Texas.  So it was neat to have all of those individuals, different perspectives, different backgrounds, but all have the same goal of just getting into the beef industry.”

Beef 101 was funded in part with a three-year, $479,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).  Bass said for the entire team at the U of I team Beef 101 was an extremely rewarding event.

"You know, we just want to get this information out there. We want to help folks who want to be in the beef industry and be in the beef business or maybe are just interested in growing some for themselves and their family. Either way, it's an important and noble task and we're just here to help.”

Cull cows provided by the University for the workshop’s meat cutting training were ground into hamburger and donated to the Idaho Food Bank in nearby Lewiston.

Bass says the workshop was so popular, they’ve been fielding questions about holding it again.

Will there be a Beef 201 next year?

Or will they rerun Beef 101?

Find out by listening to our entire podcast with Phil Bass:

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