Interested in sponsoring the conference? More information here: https://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/beef/nclfsponsorships.html


KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Matthew McQuagge, CattleFax

a man with a beard in a suit and tie


Tuesday, April 8, 2025

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Registration and Set-Up

12:30 p.m. | Welcome

  • Sam Wyffles, MSU Extension Beef Specialst
  • Dawn Schooley, Board President, Montana Feed Association
  • Carl Yeoman, Department Head, MSU Animal and Range Sciences 

12:45 - 1:30 p.m. |Vaccination protocols for backgrounding cattle/stockers

  • Bruce Hoffman, Cattle Consultant at Cattle Care Consulting, Co.

1:30 - 2:15 p.m. | Backgrounding Steers

  • John Richeson, Professor of Animal Science at West Texas A&M University

2:15 - 2:30 p.m. BREAK

2:30 - 3:15 p.m. Heifer Development

  • Rick Funston, Professor and Extension Beef Reproductive Specialist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

3:15 - 4 p.m. | Panel Discussion: RFID Mandate: What does this mean for you? 

  • Justin McPherson, Montana Feed Association (Moderator)
  • John Paterson, Montana State University Professor Emeritus
  • Andy Kellom: Cattleman's Beef Board
  • TBA, Montana State Veterinarian
  • TBA, IMI Global Representative

4 - 4:45 p.m. |Nonprofit processing model 

  • Matt Pierson, CEO at The Producer Partnership

5:15 p.m. | Social / Poster Session / Trade Show

6:30 p.m. | Dinner and Keynote Speaker

  • Market Update: Matthew McQuagge, Market Analyst at CattleFax

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

7:00-8:30– Breakfast and Graduate / Undergraduate student poster judging

8:30-9:15 – TBA

9:15-10:00 – Artificial Intelligence and the Latest Agriculture Technology

  • Sam Wyffels, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist

10:00-10:30 – Break

10:30-11:15 – Multibreed Database

  • Jackie Atkins, Director of Science and IGS Operations at American Simmental and International Genetic Solutions  

11:15 – Presentation of graduate student poster awards 

  • Carl Yeoman, Department Head, MSU Animal & Range Sciences

APPROVED FOR ARPAS CEUs