BQA events scheduled for East, Central Texas

Source: AgriLife Today
Four Beef Quality Assurance Training events will be held in May and June in Central and East Texas. The training events are a collaborative effort among the Texas Beef Council, TSCRA, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
There is no cost to attend, but organizers request RSVPs to ensure accurate meal counts. Steak dinners will be served at the evening sessions, and a steak lunch will be served at the earlier sessions.
The trainings will be held
— Fairfield: May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Fairfield Civic Center on 839 East Commerce St. RSVP to Freestone County Extension office at 903-839-3436.
— Center: June 21 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the John D. Windam Civic Center on 146 Express Blvd. RSVP to Shelby County Extension at 936-598-7744.
— Sulphur Springs: June 22 from 12-4:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center on 1200 Houston St. RSVP to Hopkins County Extension at 903-885-3443.
— Lufkin: June 23 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Angelina County Extension Office on 2201 S. Medford Drive. RSVP to TSCRA at 800-242-7820.
Dr. Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist at Overton, said the trainings are appropriate for those who have never attended Beef Quality Assurance training as well as those who need renewal credits.
Topics will include cattle and beef quality, animal handling and well-being, needle and syringe selection, vaccine handling, proper injection technique, environmental stewardship and how to avoid antibiotic residue in the meat, he said.
“The benefits of the trainings are many, including learning best management practices that ensure production of a safe, wholesome food product,” Banta said. “Additionally, many of these practices can improve the productivity and profitability of your operation.”
For more information on the Texas Beef Quality Producer Program, these trainings, or other training opportunities please visit www.texasbeefquality.com.
Special thanks go to Boehringer Ingelheim-Vetmedica, exclusive sponsor of the Texas BQA program.