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Transitioning to a New Cattle Cycle Symposium

Max Runge and William Kelley

Summary

The Transitioning to a New Cattle Cycle Symposium was a three-day educational program held February 25–27, 2025, at Perdido River Farms in Atmore, Alabama. The symposium addressed unprecedented conditions in the U.S. cattle industry characterized by historically low cattle inventories and record-high prices. Designed from an extension and applied research perspective, the program provided an intensive forum to examine the uniqueness of the current cattle cycle and its implications for producers, educators, and industry stakeholders.

More than 20 nationally recognized livestock economists, forage specialists, and industry professionals participated, representing seven universities and multiple state and industry partners, including the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Alabama Farmers Federation, Perdido River Farms, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe. Educational programming included invited presentations, facilitated discussions, and collaborative working sessions focused on structural differences in the current cattle cycle, innovative approaches to cattle market education and risk management, and the role of forage systems in long-term profitability.

Experiential learning was emphasized through tours and interactions with local commercial and purebred cattle operations, a regional beef processing facility, the Poarch Creek tribal farm, and engagement with a locally renowned chef highlighting value-added beef utilization. Outcomes from the symposium included multiple applied and scholarly papers, several of which were peer reviewed and published through university platforms. These outputs supported a subsequent national “train-the-trainer” webinar series for extension and university personnel, expanding the symposium’s educational reach and impact.

Details

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