Nacogdoches Beef Quality program to include taste-testing

U.S. Department of Agriculture food technologists Tommy Wheeler (left) and Steven Shackelford review beef carcass grading images. An Oct. 20 meeting in Nacogdoches will educate local beef producers on how quality and yield grading of cattle is done, said Chad Gulley, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources in Nacogdoches County. (U.S. Department of Agriculture - ARS photo by Stephen Ausmus) NACOGDOCHES – A virtual video tour of a Panhandle feed yard will be just one of the features of the upcoming beef quality program set Oct. 20 at Nacogdoches County Exposition Center, 3805 N.W. Stallings Drive, Nacogdoches.

The idea behind the virtual tour is to educate local beef producers how quality and yield grading of cattle is done, said Chad Gulley, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources in Nacogdoches County.

"Many of the calves raised in East Texas end up in Panhandle feed yards," Gulley said. "And as price for cattle at the packer level is determined in part by how the carcass grades on a quality and yield grade basis, it's important our producers learn how it's done.”

The program will also teach the importance of the Beef Quality Assurance program, he said.

“Any producer that is Beef Quality Assurance-certifi ed will also receive two BQA credits for attending this educational program,” Gulley noted.

Speakers will include Dr. Dan Hale, AgriLife Extension meat specialist, College Station, and Jason Bagley, of the Texas Beef Council, Austin.

Hale will give instruction on understanding carcass quality, virtual feed yard tour and talk on grading cattle. Bagley will also be talking about the Texas Beef Council and will conduct the tastetesting demonstration. Both speakers will discuss the Beef Quality Assurance program, Gulley said. The taste-testing meal will feature various cuts of meat.

"The taste-testing demonstration is a teaching tool as well," Gulley said. "Meat is graded according to tenderness, marbling and other subjective factors. We want to show producers why it is important to raise a quality product for the consumer."

There is no registration fee, but Gully requested attendees RSVP for meal-planning purposes. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end by 8 p.m.

Anyone with disabilities who needs special assistance should contact the AgriLife Extension office ofNacogdoches County at 936-560-7711 at least one week prior to the program or event, Gulley said.