By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

Given the ever-fluctuating nature of the beef industry, many producers are seeking ways to maximize the value of their cattle. One way many producers look to increase their cattle value is by earning a beef quality assurance certification. One such opportunity in the Castle Country arrives on Friday, June 12, as a BQA workshop comes to Utah State University Eastern’s campus.

Steven Price from USU Extension joined the KOAL newsroom to discuss the workshop and what it holds in store for participants.

“Essentially it boils down to best production practices to ensure that beef is being raised in a way that is most economical, in a way that is the highest quality of care for those cattle as they’re being raised and being set up to go to the sell barn, and then eventually being sold,” explained Price. “So really it’s a national program that is focused; it helps ranchers produce the best quality beef that we can produce using the best practices.”

Delving further into the evening, Price explained what is in store for attendees: “We’ll have a suite of speakers. So we go out of the national BQA curriculum. So we will have all of the chapters that we go through. And then at the very end, there’s a short test that ranchers can take. And then with a passing grade, they’ll get their three-year certification. And they’ll be set up to sell under BQA.”

Price shared the benefit of holding this certification, stating, “Buyers like seeing that because they know that best practices were implemented during growth.”

Closing our conversation, Price stated, “It’s going to be a fun workshop and a great chance to help either regain or earn that certification.”

USU Extension’s BQA workshop will take place at the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center on Friday, June 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Registration for the event is open online and can be completed here.