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The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Beef Livestock Team offers comprehensive, research-based resources on raising healthy beef cattle.

Explore beef production best practices, marketing strategies, industry news, standards, and guidance on farm taxes and recordkeeping to support your business growth. Connect with trusted beef organizations, quality assurance programs, and engage with 4-H Youth Beef Programs.

Beef Contact Person:

Colt Knight
Assistant Professor of Extension, State Livestock Specialist
5735 Hitchner Hall, Room 133, Orono, Maine 04469
Email: colt.knight@maine.edu
Phone: 207.581.2953 or in Maine 1.800.287.0274

Upcoming Beef Events

2025 Maine Cattlemen’s College

December 6 @ 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Explore by Category:

The Cattle Health Handbook [Storey Publishing: First edition]
Cooperative Extension Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Bulletin #1031 Beef Cattle Herd Health Vaccination Guide for Maine
Maine Animal Disease Traceability Program: (DACF) includes information on tagging and record keeping

Buildings and Equipment for Beef

Bulletin #1021 Space Planning for Small, Multipurpose Livestock Barns
Bulletin #7129 Watering Systems for Livestock
Beef Housing and Equipment Handbook/Mwps-6: Midwest Plan Service Engineers Staff, MWPS Staff: 9780893730680: Amazon.com: Books
Dr. Temple Grandin’s website, Livestock Behavior, Design of Facilities, and Humane Slaughter
Rats and Other Vermin Control on the Farm – video

Bulletin # 1058 Caring for a Calf of Unknown Age
Bulletin #1201 Farmer Skill and Knowledge Checklist: Beef Production
Maine Beef Newsletter Sign-up, news and events of interest to beef producers in Maine from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture, Maine Beef Producers, and other agriculture organizations in Maine.
Agricultural Alternatives, Penn State University. Includes fact sheets on Beef Backgrounding Production, Beef Cow-Calf Production, Dairy Beef, and Feeding Beef Cattle.
Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University
Nebraska Beef Cattle Production, University of Nebraska Lincoln. Includes learning modules, beef home study course, current Ag prices, profit tips, beef forum and more.
Kentucky Beef Book, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
Beef cow-calf, University of Minnesota
Montana Extension Beef Cattle Program, Montana State University
Oklahoma State University Beef Fact Sheets, over 120 publications on all aspects of beef production
Raising Beef Cattle on a Few Acres, Utah State University. Good for backyard beef.
Using a Kit to Set Up a Scale Under a Squeeze Chute, University of Kentucky

Pasture and Crops for Beef Production

Grazing Guide, Northeast Pasture Consortium
Maine Hay Directory, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Maine Pasture Management Course, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Maine Straw Directory, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
UMaine Analytical Lab, Soil and Manure Testing, University of Maine
Dairy One, Forage and Feed Analysis

Marketing

Bulletin #1048 Selling Beef in Maine
Bulletin #1072 Understanding Beef Yields
Bulletin #1071 What to Expect When Buying a Freezer Beef – for customers
Butchering beef by Adam Danforth | Open Library
Beef Marketing Alternatives, ATTRA, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Resource Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry, Small Farms Program, Cornell University — a 155-page guide available for free online or $3 for CD or $8 for hard copy.
Direct Marketing Beef Profile | Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
Become an Approved AGA Producer – American Grassfed Association
How to Direct Market Your Beef, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Maine Beef Producers Association | Sales
Beef and Pork Whole Animal Buying Guide, Iowa State University Extension. A consumer-oriented guide explains buying pork and beef as whole animals (or portions thereof). Includes marketing terms and information on storage and handling, meat inspection and meat weight, and common retail pork and beef cuts.
Selling Meat in Maine – Red Meat Focus – video

USDA Marketing News and Standards

Livestock Grades and Standards, USDA standards for grades of feeder and slaughter cattle
Market News, Livestock Cattle Reports, USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Includes slaughter cattle and feeder and replacement cattle auction prices reported.

Farm Taxes and Recordkeeping

Maine Sales Tax Forms, Maine Revenue Services site with tax-exempt applications, affidavits and refund forms for agriculture producers
Current Land Use Programs, Maine Farmland Tax Law Information, Marketing Information

Dairy and Beef Publications

4-H Youth Program Information

Maine 4-H Beef Projects and Programs, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Maine Beef Related Organizations

Maine Beef Industry Council, Maine Beef Checkoff. They have a number of direct sales brochures that you can use to help educate your customers on caring for and using their beef purchases.
Maine Beef Producers Association | Home
Maine Grass Farmers Network

Beef Quality Assurance

Beef Quality Assurance, Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. There are links to video training on BQA at this site.
Pennsylvania Beef Quality Assurance

UMaine Extension Publications Catalog

Dairy and Beef

Maine Beef Newsletter

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Cows and Crops Newsletter

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In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Institutional Equity and Title IX Services, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).