All beef cattle producers are invited to a program planned for June 30 near Rockville called Muscle Profiling and Magic Grass. Sponsored by the Nebraska Cattlemen and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln-Extension, the program will include a beef chuck roll cutting demonstration and a tour of a vegetative treatment system (VTS) for large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

The program will start at 3:30 p.m. at the David McDonald residence and farmstead. The farm is located 3.8 miles west of Boleus on Highway 58, 4 miles east of Rockville on Highway 58. The McDonald farm is on the North side of road. Field Day signs will be posted and the address is 48409 777th Road, Rockville, NE.

First on the agenda, Nebraska Cattlemen Vice President of Legislative Affairs Pete McClymont will discuss highlights from NC’s Midyear Conference and beef industry issues on the horizon. Also, UNL Extension Educator Steve Pritchard will give a live demonstration of beef muscle profiling that has enhanced the value of the chuck.

The tour and demonstration of large CAFO VTS at K&N MAC Farms will include a welcome by David, William, and Robert McDonald. The design of the VTS will be explained by Chris Henry, UNL and Kevin Gustafson, Nebraska Natural Resource Conservation Service. Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality regulations of large CAFO vegetative treatment systems will be discussed by Waylon Hullinger, NDEQ. Getting cost-share funds for a VTS will be explained by Sherry Asche, NRCS. Research results from a monitoring study will be presented by Chris Henry and Crystal Powers, UNL.

Mapping of a VTS and how it can help you manager it will be discussed by Bryan Woodbury, USDA MARC.

A Vegetative Treatment System (VTS) is a system comprised of solids settling basin, an outlet structure, and a vegetative treatment area. The VTA replaces the need for a conventional holding pond that is typically used in feedlots. A VTA is commonly confused with vegetative buffer (or filter) strips. A buffer strip is a narrow strip of vegetation (usually 30-60 feet wide), between cropland and a stream or other surface water, while a VTS is a system to completely control runoff. A VTA uses the water holding capacity of the soil to “store” runoff water until the nutrients and water can be used by the vegetation. The application of the runoff to the VTA must be at a rate that is high enough to prevent deep percolation past the root zone, yet low enough that flow does not extend past the end of the treatment area during the design runoff event.

The program will concluded with a meal featuring sample cuts fresh off the grill from the live
demonstration: Delmonico Steak, Denver Cut, Boneless Country- Style Beef Chuck Ribs, Sierra Cut and America's Beef Roast. To help organizers plan for the meal please pre-register for the Field Day by contacting the Buffalo County Extension office by phone at (308) 236-1235 or by email at bplugge1@unl.edu by June 25.

The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the representative for the state’s beef cattle industry and represents professional cattle breeders, ranchers and feeders, as well as county and local cattlemen’s associations. Its headquarters are in Lincoln and a second office in Alliance serves cattlemen in western Nebraska. This and other Nebraska Cattlemen information is available at www.nebraskacattlemen.org.