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BEEHIVE MASTER BEEF MANAGER PROGRAM – MEETING THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN RISK MANAGEMENT OF UTAH BEEF PRODUCERS

C. Kim Chapman

Summary

Sustainable cattle production is vital to the economy of rural Utah and the Intermountain West. Cattle producers face many different types of risk, though they often accept risk as part of production agriculture. Production risk, however, often carries with it impacts which affect other types of risk exposure. The Beehive Master Beef Manager Program (BMBM) was devised as one way to educate cattle producers about risk by helping them identify perceived risks within their operation, and teach them principles to aid them as they develop strategies to manage these risks. The BMBM program originally began as a Beef Check-off funded Pilot Project and is now offered in five geographical areas of Utah. Cattle producers have been taught about the various types of risk using the Right Risk computer simulation software. Producers have then been asked to determine which aspects of risk have the highest priority. The results have been compiled for each teaching location and priorities for future educational programming have been established to meet the producer-identified needs. Some of these needs are similar across locations, but differences also exist. One of the strengths of this program is that the producers establish the educational priorities to meet their needs. The Cow-Calf Management Guide & Cattle Producer’s Library has served as the primary resource for the sessions held to date, coupled with supplemental materials for topics not covered adequately in the Guide.

Details

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