Beef
Beef Production Information- Beef Health Information
- Pasture and Crops for Beef Production
- 4-H Youth Program Information
- Buildings and Equipment for Beef
- Farm Taxes and Recordkeeping
- Marketing
- USDA Marketing News and Standards
- Beef Quality Assurance
- Maine Beef Related Organizations
Beef Production Information
- 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
- U of M Beef Center, 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
Beef Health Information
- Bulletin # 1056 Cattle Health Handbook – Storey Publishing $29.95
- 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
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
4-H Youth Program Information
- Maine 4-H Beef Projects and Programs, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
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, Bulletin #1001, Midwest Plan Service, University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Information on cow-calf, cattle handling, and cattle feeding facilities; feed storage, processing and handling; water and waterers; manure management; farmstead planning, building construction, materials, ventilation and insulation; fences; gates and utilities. 133 pages with index, 1986. $15
- Dr. Temple Grandin’s website, Livestock Behavior, Design of Facilities, and Humane Slaughter
- Rats and Other Vermin Control on the Farm – video
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
Marketing
- Bulletin #1048 Selling Beef in Maine
- Bulletin #1072 Understanding Beef Yields
- Bulletin #1071 What to Expect When Buying a Freezer Beef – for customers
- Bulletin #1121 Butchering Beef: The Comprehensive Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering – Storey Publishing $24.95
- 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.
- Agriculture Marketing Resource Center, Direct Marketing Beef Profile, includes a link to the Farm to Fork: A Direct-to-the-Consumer Marketing Handbook
- USDA Grass Fed Beef Certification
- How to Direct Market Your Beef, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
- Maine Beef Producers Feeder Calf Sales page: Includes preconditioning protocol.
- 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.
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
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
- Maine Grass Farmers Network
Extension Beef Contact Person: colt.knight@maine.edu, 207.581.2953 or in Maine 1.800.287.0274