Symposium set to discuss future challenges facing ranching industry in the Southern Great Plains region

NEWS RELEASE
Issued - August 5, 2010

ARDMORE, Okla. — The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation's Agricultural Division and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service will host the 20th Annual Southern Plains Beef Symposium from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Ardmore Convention Center in Ardmore, Okla.

Entitled Stewardship, Policies and Production: Ranching in the 21st Century, this year's symposium brings together six prominent speakers who will discuss how they and other agricultural producers are coping with the challenges of today's ever-changing beef cattle industry.

"The Southern Plains Beef Symposium is the best one day cattle event in America," said Shan Ingram, education and outreach manager. "This symposium enables beef cattle producers to gain insight and information into current issues and production situations. Because of the many supporting partners, we are able to bring a quality, national-level program to our region's agricultural producers."

The six speakers for the 20th Anniversary Southern Plains Beef Symposium are:

Gene Stallings, rancher, author and philanthropist (keynote speaker). Stallings is best known for his work coaching college and professional football. As head coach, Stallings led Alabama to an undefeated season and national championship in 1992. He also served as an assistant coach to Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years. Stallings has received many humanitarian awards including the Arthritis Humanitarian Award of Alabama and the National Boys Club Alumni of the Year award. He is the author of a book, Another Season, which describes the love he has for his son who was born with DownSyndrome. Stallings was appointed to the Texas A&M University Board of Regents by Gov. Rick Perry in 2009.

Ron Gill, livestock specialist and associate department head for extension at Texas A&M University. Gill is active in addressing industry concerns related to animal welfare and efforts to improve beef safety and quality. Gill works with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Stockmanship and Stewardship program to improve livestock handling skills, reduce stress and increase efficiency of production.

Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for NCBA in Washington, D.C. Woodall serves as NCBA's chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill and leads the Washington office in developing strategies to ensure that the cattle industry's voice is being heard by policy makers.

Dan Thomson, Ph.D., professor and director of the Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas State University. Thomson serves as the OIE Chair of Beef Cattle Production and Welfare. He teaches stocker and feedyard production medicine as well as nutrition. He has published 37 peer-reviewed papers, three book chapters and 87 abstracts at professional meetings, and delivered more than 250 invited talks internationally on his research and field experience.

Sally Northcutt, Ph.D., genetic research director for the American Angus Association. Her primary responsibilities include selection tool development, beef cattle data analysis, and the modeling and application of the National Cattle Evaluation. She also works with universities and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) across the nation to coordinate the expansive research activities of the American Angus Association.

Derrell Peel, Ph.D., livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University. His main program areas at OSU are livestock market outlook and marketing/risk management education for livestock producers. Peel also works in the area of international livestock and meat trade (with a particular focus on Mexico and Canada), and the North American livestock and meat industry.

In addition to the program, the symposium features a trade show with more than 40 booths, lunch and free boot shines. At the conclusion of the presentations, there will be grand prize drawings for an Arctic Cat 4-wheeler, a pair of Rod Patrick cowboy boots, a John Deere power washer and a Stihl chainsaw. Other door prizes donated by trade show vendors will be given throughout the day. All paid attendees will be eligible for drawings, but they must be present to win.

At the conclusion of the presentations, there will be a question-and-answer session with the speakers. Various door prizes will be given throughout the day, and a grand door prize will be given at the conclusion of the program. The symposium will also feature a trade show with more than 40 booths.

Additionally, the Noble Foundation's Leonard Wyatt Memorial Outstanding Cooperator of the Year Award will be presented at the symposium. The award honors one of the more than 1,700 farmers and ranchers who best exemplifies the cooperative relationship between regional producers and the Noble Foundation's Agricultural Division.

Registration for the symposium is $25 per person and includes the entire program and lunch. For additional information or to register, contact Tracy Cumbie at 580.224.6411 or tlcumbie@noble.org. Registration can also be completed online at www.noble.org/Events/SPBS/.

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For media inquiries concerning the Noble Foundation, please contact:

J. Adam Calaway

jacalaway@noble.org

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.