CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — A Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training will be held at the Runnings Store, 3191 Eastern Blvd., Canandaigua, NY 14424 on September 16, 2017 to Kick Off October BQA Month! All beef producers are invited to attend the free training from 10 to 2 pm. To register contact CCE Ontario, 585-394-3977 ext. 427 or nea8@cornell.edu with your name, address, and phone number.
This is the fifth year for the NY beef industry to celebrate October as BQA Month – a time to recognize the importance of the Beef Quality Assurance program to ensuring safe, nutritious beef that is raised responsibly for our consumers. “We want to recognize the importance of the BQA program plus engage more producers to become BQA certified. To do this the BQA Committee has partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extensions and New York Beef Producers Association leaders across the state to offer trainings in their counties so every beef producer has an opportunity to become BQA certified”, stated Katherine Brosnan, Co-coordinator for the NY BQA program.
BQA is a national program that provides science based management practices that enhance carcass quality and safety and improve animal care. BQA works to return more profits to producers and to ensure consumer confidence in the beef supply. The BQA program is funded by the national Beef Checkoff and is producer based, voluntary and locally led. In NYS it is coordinated through a combined effort of the New York Beef Council, Cornell University and the New York Beef Producers’ Association.
The trainings include a classroom as well as a hands-on chute side training. At the end of the training producers will receive Level I BQA certification. Producers who establish a Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) with their local vet will then receive Level II Certification. Certification is valid for 3 years.
Complete information on trainings is available at www.nybeef.org in the Cattlemen’s Corner or contact the NY Beef Council at 315.339.6922 or kbrosnan@nybeef.org
–Cornell Cooperative Extension
For more articles out of New York, click here.