Not only does the cattle industry face myriad changes, but those changes continue to come at breakneck speed.

“Last year the big thing was ethanol. Then that stalled. Now

what we’re facing is high feed prices,” says Tim DelCurto, Oregon State

University associate professor and superintendent of OSU Extension’s ag

research center in Union for the past 14 years.

High feed prices in part, DelCurto says, are due

to the recent ethanol push and from the impact of continued adverse

weather conditions on feed production throughout the U.S.

“The industry may still see high prices for their product, but

they’re also facing high costs,” says DelCurto. “We used to operate

with real cheap fossil fuels and cheap feeds – now neither one of those

is cheap.”

At the core of change lies an industry rapidly moving from

what was once a commodity-based market to a value-added market, he

says.

“It used to be that producers got paid by the pound for what

they produced. Now nearly 50 percent of the market is comprised of

branded products that come with a promise. It’s quality, not pounds,”

he says.

The rapidly changing industry is what drove organizers to hold

the first Cattleman’s Workshop in 2003 in order to provide the correct

and most current industry information to area cattlemen, as well as to

students in the OSU ag program at Eastern Oregon University. It has

become a regional event for the Pacific Northwest.

The central theme of this year’s workshop, “Efficiently

Hitting the Targets,” features a list of industry leaders from

throughout the United States.

“This is a really good group of speakers – in demand not only

at the national, but the international level. We’re just thrilled they

all agreed to come to our area,” DelCurto says.

The diversity of speakers was purposed to bring something for everyone, from cow-calf producers to the feedlot and packers.

Tommy Beall, the former director of market research for

Cattle-Fax, will open the workshop with a presentation titled “Beef

Industry Overview, Meeting the Challenges of Change.” Beall had a big

role in developing Cattle Fax into one of the most comprehensive

research and database programs in the industry. He was also the

marketing manager of Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, the nation’s

largest cattle feeding entity with 10 feedlots and a combined capacity

of 800,000 head of cattle. Beall has more than 35 years of experience

in cattle market analysis, risk management, procurement, marketing and

feedlot management.

Speaker Tom Field will talk on the “Challenges and

Opportunities for the North American Beef Cattle Industry.” The

Colorado State University professor and Cattle Fax consultant’s topic

focuses on the cow-calf big picture, overall trends, and how cow-calf

operators need to change.

Al Kober, retail director for Certified Angus Beef,

will follow with insights on how beef retail products will be changing

in the future with his topic, “The Changing Beef Industry and Meeting

Current and Future Consumer Expectations and Demands.”

“Producing Cattle That Will Meet Future Feedlot and Packing

Industry Targets,” is the topic that will be presented by Bill Mies, a

former professor at Texas A&M University and currently a feedlot

consultant for Elanco Animal Health.

Twig Marston, Kansas State University, is known nationally for

his expertise in developing programs for cow/calf producers. He will

explore different real world ideas that producers can take home and use

in their operations.

Pono Von Holt, owner of the Ponoholo Ranch in Hawaii, will

discuss “The Changing Cow/Calf Industry: A Hawaiian Perspective.” Von

Holt is familiar to the region, having owned a cattle ranch in Wallowa

County, and is one of the most progressive cattle ranchers in the U.S.

“I think these guys are going to provide a real good glimpse

into the future,” says DelCurto, adding that what attendees should take

away from the event is a feel for all the changes that lie ahead and

what they need to stay competitive.