Purdue News
Purdue News
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October 21, 2002 Purdue agricultural and natural resources educators honoredWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana Extension Educators Association recognized the contributions of three Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service educators in the area of Agriculture and Natural Resources on Tuesday (10/15) during the annual Extension conference. • The ANR Innovator Award went to Byron Fagg of Washington County for forming the Quality Beef Partnership to improve the quality and marketability of Indiana feeder calves. Fagg formed the alliance with 26 beef producers in six southern Indiana counties, representing more than 3,100 brood cows. In the two years since the QBP inception, volume purchase of vaccines, parasite control products, feed, mineral supplements, fly tags and ear tags has saved members more than $20,000. Fagg has worked with seedstock producers in North Carolina, Missouri and Iowa to help alliance members purchase 450 bred heifers and 45 bulls selected on the basis of performance and carcass merit. The five-year goal of the QBP is to market 3,100 calves a year that are identical in color, quality, frame and muscling. • Mike Manning of Jasper County was honored with the ANR Senior Award. Manning was instrumental in assisting Iroquois Bio-Energy Company with educational information and guidance. The farmer-owned co-op that has since become a company is interested in establishing an ethanol production facility in Jasper County. Manning helped with membership recruitment and worked closely with organizers to assess the viability of the proposal, bringing in the Purdue Technical Assistance Program for an analysis. The effort was awarded $3 million in federal assistance last November, moving Jasper County farmers closer to their goal of using a commodity as a renewable fuel source, increasing their profits and providing new jobs in the county. • A program on properly processing wild game helped garner Jonathan Ferris of Henry County the ANR Junior Award. Ferris coordinated a workshop in which hunters could watch a goose being dressed out and a deer being skinned and butchered. A Purdue chef prepared venison and goose meat for sampling, and local meat processors, a taxidermist, and an Indiana conservation officer were on site to answer questions. The nature of the program drew a clientele not usually attracted to Extension programs, and attendees came from surrounding counties as well. All participants expressed an interest in future workshops, and 89 percent said they’d change the way they handle deer and goose meat. A local meat processor complimented the program for showing hunters how to safely handle the meat and avoid waste. CONTACT: Floyd Branson, Purdue Extension, (765) 494-8490. Writer: Andrea McCann Contact: Beth Forbes, Ag Communications (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/ Related Web site: NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Publication-quality photographs of the Extension award winners are located at https://www.ces.purdue.edu/awards/. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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