You've reached the Virginia Cooperative Extension Newsletter Archive. These files cover more than ten years of newsletters posted on our old website (through April/May 2009), and are provided for historical purposes only. As such, they may contain out-of-date references and broken links.
To see our latest newsletters and current information, visit our website at http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/.
Newsletter Archive index: http://sites.ext.vt.edu/newsletter-archive/
BQA Producer Certification Meetings Set for Late Winter
Livestock Update, February 2003
John B. Hall, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, VA Tech
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is an important program that focuses on improving beef quality, decreasing defects in beef, and increasing consumer confidence in beef. Beef Quality Assurance stresses proper management practices, use of animal health products, and health record keeping. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, state beef cattle associations, and Cooperative Extension support the national BQA program.
Virginia Cooperative Extension in cooperation the Virginia Beef Industry Council and the Virginia Cattlemen's Association will conduct BQA certification training sessions across the state. The program consists of classroom and hands-on chute side training. Producers will then take a brief test, and sign a producer BQA agreement. All producers will receive a BQA manual and BQA certification number.
This training ensures beef producers have received proper BQA training, and are committed to using BQA procedures on their farm. Virginia is part of the Mid-Atlantic Beef Quality Assurance Group, which includes MD, NY, PA, VA and WVA.
The Virginia BQA Certification Program is supported with your beef check-off dollars by a grant from the Virginia Beef Industry Council. Therefore, training sessions and manuals are free. Some locations will have a charge for meals and other non-BQA materials.
FEBRUARY
19 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Culpeper. Contact: Carl Stafford, (540)727-3534
19 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Front Royal. Contact: Corey Childs, (540)635-4549
27 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, South Hill. Contact: Cynthia Gregg, (434)848-2151
MARCH
4 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Roanoke. Contact: Andy Allen, (540)473-8260
8 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Fredericksburg. Contact: Kelly Liddington, (804)333-3420
15 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Powhatan. Contact: Robert Harper, (804)556-5341
22 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Lynchburg. Contact: Scott Baker, (540)586-7675
APRIL
10 Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification, Orange. Contact: Steve Hopkins (540)672-1361