Developing the “right” genetics for cattle on grass is often quoted as a key to profitability and success, but what does the term “right genetics” mean for your goals, and how do you practically make good decisions to get there?Our three speakers come from a variety of perspectives in beef and dairy and will share some of the numbers, goals, decisions, and results they’ve experienced.Jason Rowntree, Ph.D. of Michigan State University has studied genetics for forage-finishing and profitability of beef cattle. Dr. Sheila Patinkin of Vermont Wagyu has been using ultrasound and other data to select sires for particular traits. Brent Beidler of Beidler Family Farm maximized selection over 20 years of grass-based dairy farming to increase forage efficiency, improve profitability and ultimately transition the herd to a grass-only system.
Founder and Owner, Vermont Wagyu at Spring-Rock Farm
Founder & Owner of Spring Rock Farm/Vermont Wagyu Head of Marketing, Advertising, Finance, Data Management, Breeding Genetics, Embryo sorting and anything else not listed... Read More →
Brent Beidler is a long time organic dairy farmer from Randolph Center, VT. He and his wife, Regina, milked 40 cows for 20 years shipping milk to Organic Valley. The last 12 years the farm eliminated grain feeding for the herd. That decision was driven by a desire for increased... Read More →
Jason Rowntree is an associate professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University. He coordinates Lake City and UPREC AgBioResearch and Extension Centers where he addresses economic, environmental and social complexity in agriculture. He has obtained more than $6 million in funding to study how grazing livestock can improve land and mitigate climate change by capturing carbon and providing other... Read More →
