LOUISBURG, N.C. — On Thursday, April 6th, the Franklin and Sampson County Extension Centers will be offering an area-wide Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certification Class. This class/certification is part of a nationwide effort to educate beef cattle producers on the process of producing safe, high quality beef cattle on the farm. The educational portion of this class will benefit all cattle producers, regardless if you desire the BQA certification or not.
There are several reasons for taking this class. All cattle producers, whether you farm 10 cows or 200, produce food. This class is a nationwide effort to help ease consumer fears on the beef industry. Additionally, several marketing alliances and cattle sales are requiring BQA certification for participation. Finally, this class will offer good information that will benefit all cattle producers.
Your initial certification will be good for three years. After that, you will need to take a recertification class. This process is similar to the pesticide or waste management certification process. Cooperative Extension as well as the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association will be responsible for offering recertification classes when requested and needed.
The cost to become certified (if you pass the written exam at the conclusion), will be $50 if you are a current paid member of the NC Cattlemen’s Association, or $75 if you are a non-member. This fee includes lunch, training materials, and a metal farm sign.
To sign up for the class, call Ag Agents, Martha Mobley, (919-496-3344) in Franklin County or Paul Gonzalez, Sampson County at 910-592-7161.
–Martha Mobley, Franklin County Center