The Iowa Beef Center has planned a series of workshops across Iowa to help cattle producers prepare for an anticipated cow-herd expansion, with a Jefferson County session scheduled for January 27th, 2026.
Amidst volatile markets and historic low herd numbers, industry experts anticipate an imminent cow-herd expansion. The “Breed Back Better” workshops are designed to help producers learn about proactively planning to take advantage of market conditions and improve animal reproductive efficiency.
“Each part of this program has been designed to incorporate interactive learning,” said Iowa State University cow-calf specialist Randie Culbertson. “From a reproductive technology session that uses a beef breeding model, like the popular calving model, to a session challenging producers to put a pencil to paper to effectively use depreciation as a financial management tool, this will be a great program.”
The workshops will focus on reproductive efficiency, intentional record keeping, and sound financial management—key factors that will set apart industry leaders who expand successfully without compromising quality.
Northeast Iowa Extension beef specialist Denise Schwab said producers will learn to use benchmarks for tracking their animals.
“There are some key measures producers can use to benchmark their herd’s calving season results against industry standards as well as the herd’s own history,” Schwab said. “We’ll work through calculating those, because most producers already have the records to do it.”
The local workshop will be held on Monday, January 27th, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Building on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairfield.
All workshops will begin with a light meal and a brief market update from an Ever.Ag livestock economist.
Registration: $20, payable to Jefferson County Extension Deadline: January 25, 2026 Register by:
- Calling Jefferson County Extension at 641-472-4166
- Emailing xjefferson@iastate.edu
The program is open to participants from all counties, not just Jefferson County residents.
