86 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN February 2025 14th Annual Bull Sale Selling 90 Spring Angus Bulls & a Select group of Yearling Heifers Dean Christensen (308) 550-0298 Fullerton, NE Bonnie Christensen (308) 550-0299 Office (308)536-2405 dblbullsale.net Glenn Davis (219)776-7584 Thursday March 20th, 2025 Ellingson Turn Key Crouch Congress Bulls and Females sired Other Sires: DBL Worldwide 010, Baldridge Versitile, and Mohnen Homeraised. PEERS BQA EXPANDS TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP JESSE FULTON M.S. | NEBRASKA BEEF EXTENSION EDUCATOR AND DIRECTOR OF NEBRASKA BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE When producers think about Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), they generally think about injection-site placement to prevent lesions in valued beef cuts, low-stress handling and facility design to prevent carcass bruising, and proper animal health product handling. While these are foundational aspects of the BQA program, BQA continues to evolve as the beef industry as a whole evolves. One such area that continues to grow within the BQA program is environmental stewardship. As the practice of becoming more sustainable continues to grow, animal quality assurance programs such as BQA, which are recognized as the gold standard, must also change in order to remain relevant. So how does environmental stewardship fit into the BQA program? Currently, the BQA program has set three main objectives when addressing environmental stewardship. First, to manage natural resources responsibly while providing cattle with their nutritional needs. Second, to properly use, store and dispose of pesticides and herbicides in accordance with label instructions as well as local, state and federal laws. We won’t go into much detail related to this objective in this article because it all goes back to following the label and regulations. Finally, proper disposal of animal mortalities. Sustainable beef production relies on producers to maintain the integrity of forage and soil resources. When producers adopt and implement proper grazing management practices, their operations will see improved soil health and water quality, reduced erosion, increased animal nutrition and efficiency, improved animal health and well-being, better ranch productivity and improved biodiversity. One of the most important controllable aspects of forage management is stocking rates. This is the relationship of how many animals can graze a piece of land for “x” number of days based on the amount of grazable forage available. Stocking-rate management is vital to prevent overgrazing, which may reduce animal performance and decrease plant vigor. Additionally, properly stocked pastures lead to increased healthy forage stands that will reduce water runoff, allowing the moisture to be better absorbed into the soil for plant utilization. Erosion can also be reduced through proper grazing management. Plant species on properly stocked pastures contain greater root numbers that work as binding agents in maintaining site integrity, which reduces the potential for soil detachment. CONTINUED ON PAGE 88
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