With high feed costs, improving whole-farm feed efficiency for both beef and dairy operations is crucial to maximizing herd profitability. All beef and dairy producers, individuals selling feed to these operations, and industry professionals are invited to join the Minnesota Dairy Initiative and UMN Extension on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the Murray County 4-H Building for a free educational event focused on cow efficiency and forage production.
Location: Murray County 4-H Building, 3048 Broadway Ave, Slayton, MN For the morning sessions, leading industry professionals will discuss cow efficiency as it relates to both beef and dairy systems, as well as how to maximize forage production and quality per acre.
Lunch will be provided by the Murray County Cattlemen’s Association, and malts will be served by the 2025 Murray County Dairy Princess, Kaitlyn Schaap, courtesy of the Murray County Dairy Association.
Afternoon presentations will include:
•Wade Kidman of Chandler Seed/Byron Seed on cover crop mixes and alternative forages •Paul Tveten of Select Sires on cow monitoring technology and its management applications •Jake Post of Alltech on using drone technology to estimate and manage feed inventories The afternoon will conclude with a panel discussion led by UMN Dairy Extension Educator Jim Salfer, featuring both morning and afternoon presenters.
This program will be held at the Murray County 4-H Build-ing, located at 3048 Broadway Ave, Slayton, MN. Schedule for the event is as follows:
•10:00 – 11:00 a.m.Managing pastures for improved livestock & resource development *or* Capturing dairy farm margin with high oleic soybeans
•11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Growing more digestible fiber per acre – the key to cattle economics •12:00 – 12:45 p.m. LUNCH – sponsored by Murray County Cattlemen’s Association
•12:45 – 1:30 p.m. Co v e r crop mixes & alternative forages, cow monitoring technology, and available technology for feed inventory management
•1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Pa n e l Discussion – led by Jim Salfer, UMN Dairy Educator, including morning and afternoon presenters Presentation details: Managing pastures for improved livestock and resource development – Improved soil health and animal performance can be achieved together. Doug Voss, Sustainable Farming Association Learn how strategic pasture management following multiple years of drought can restore soil health & increase cattle performance. With calf prices at record highs, optimizing forage utilization & investing in pasture restoration are essential for improving efficiency and long-term forage productivity.
Capturing dairy farm margin with high oleic soybeans Barry Visser, Dairy Technical Specialist - Vita Plus Learn the benefits of feeding high oleic soy products and their role in capturing more margin through improved dairy cow performance and production efficiency.
Growing more digestible fiber per acre – the key to cattle economics Daniel Olson, Forage Innovations Discover how growing more digestible fiber per acre can improve cattle performance and feed efficiency—ultimately driving better returns. This session will explore practical strategies to boost forage quality and maximize economic gains per acre.
Please pre-register at the link below, or by calling the Murray County Extension Office at 507-836-6927. Thanks to generous sponsor support, door prizes will be given away following lunch. To be eligible for door prizes, you must pre-register for this event by Wednesday, June 23!
Please pre-register at: https://z.umn.edu/Cowefficiency2025 Visit https://extension.umn. edu/beef/beef-events for more information on the program, and to view the complete flyer.
For more information, contact Melissa Runck by phone at (507) 372-3900, ext. 3904, or by email at mkrunck@umn. edu.
