South Dakota Cattlemen’s convention, Nov 30-Dec 1, Rapid City

The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) will host the 73rd Annual Convention and Trade Show November 30 – December 1 at the Ramkota in Rapid City. The event will begin on Tuesday, November 30 with #KnowYourBeef Trivia Contest and Happy Hour at 6:00 pm. The agenda and registration can be found on the SDCA website at sdcattlemen.org.

Kicking off the convention on Wednesday, December 1, will be the SDSU Extension Roundup featuring the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station: Leveraging History to Build the Ranch of the Future. Speakers will include Dr. Ken Olson, Extension Beef Specialist, Robin Salverson, Extension Cow Calf Field Specialist, Adele Harty, Extension Cow Calf Field Specialist, Dr. Jameson Brennan, Livestock Grazing Specialist, Dr. Hector Menendez, Livestock grazing Specialist, and Dr. Krista Ehlert, Range Extension Specialist.

The SDSU Extension Roundup will be followed by Luncheon Keynote speaker, What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There, Janette Barnard with Merck Animal Health. Barnard grew up on a farm and ranch in southeastern Arizona. She has built her career around technology and innovation that solves problems and creates value for producers. Her early career was with Elanco Animal Health, Cargill Animal Protein, and McDonald’s Global Supply Chain before moving into the world of early-stage tech startups. She is now on the ventures team at Merck Animal Health and writes a weekly newsletter on trends and innovation across animal agriculture, Prime Future.

Following the keynote will be the 2020 Leopold Award Recognition, Cattlemen’s Education Series including the Gate to Plate panel discussion, and a Market Outlook by Tanner Aherin with CattleFax. Closing out the convention is the Best of Beef Banquet and 2021 Leopold Award Presentation. Throughout the event there will be opportunities for attendees to visit the trade show and network with other industry members.

The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association’s mission is to advance and protect the interests of all cattlemen by enhancing profitability through representation, promotion, and information sharing. More information about the SDCA and how to get involved can be found at http://www.sdcattlemen.org.

–South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association