By Scout Nelson
The 2025 Stockmanship and Stewardship Conference will take place from June 26 to 28 at the Codington County Extension Complex in Watertown, South Dakota. This three-day event is open to cattle producers, veterinarians, Extension professionals, and others involved in livestock care.
The conference offers hands-on learning opportunities to help participants improve livestock management practices, focusing on biosecurity, cattle handling, grazing techniques, and current industry standards.
Day 1 (Thursday, June 26):
The event opens with the “Secure Beef Supply Train-the-Trainer” workshop. This session is specially designed for Extension educators and veterinarians to strengthen their knowledge and training abilities in livestock safety and disease prevention.
Day 2 (Friday, June 27):
Participants will work on real-life biosecurity planning, learning how to protect herds from everyday diseases and threats like foot and mouth disease. The day ends with dinner and a keynote address by Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
Day 3 (Saturday, June 28):
The final day features a grazing management workshop, a panel discussion with experienced producers, and live cattle handling demonstrations. Attendees will also have the chance to earn their Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification.
This event is a great opportunity to network with experts and peers while learning skills that can improve animal welfare and farm productivity.
Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university
Categories: South Dakota, Education, Livestock, Beef Cattle