The New York Beef Council and Cornell Cooperative Extension are pleased to partner with Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange to offer a Beef Quality Assurance training for beef and dairy producers in the Finger Lakes region of NY. The training will be held on Friday, March 15th from 6:00pm-9:00pm. Join us at Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange located at 3865 Rts 5 & 20 Geneva Turnpike Canandaigua N.Y 14424 for a presentation by Nancy Glazier, Small Farms & Livestock Specialist, and chute side training led by Dr. Dave Wilson, DVM.

Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides training to cattle producers in food safety, proper cattle handling techniques, handling of animal health products, injection sites, and record keeping. The goal of this program is to maximize consumer confidence and acceptance of beef by focusing the producer’s attention to daily production practices that influence the safety, wholesomeness, and quality of beef and beef products. The Beef Quality Assurance certification is a powerful message to customers whether that is a feedlot operator, packer, or consumer through direct marketing sales. The BQA certification has been successfully utilized to market the quality and safety of a farm’s products and can be used to meet the requirements of the New York Grown and Certified program for beef.

Farm owners, employees, and any youth over 14 years of age are encouraged to become BQA certified. By attending this training level 1 certification will be received. Level 2 certification is earned by filing a signed Veterinarian Client/Patient Relationship (VCPR) form with the NYBC office following initial training.

This training is being offered for FREE, thanks to sponsorship from Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange, and will include meal and training resources. Pre-registration is required by March 11th. For further assistance or information please contact Allison, Finger Lakes Livestock at 585-394-1515 or email flle83@yahoo.com.