May 18, 2007

The Rocky Mountains provide the backdrop for the annual meeting and 40th-anniversary celebration of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF). The meeting will be June 6–9 in Fort Collins, Colo. It will focus on the future of genetic evaluation and improvement with a variety of presenters from around the country, including North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Executive Vice President Kent Andersen.

Preregistration for the meeting has been extended until Monday, May 21.

The meeting will take place at the Hilton Fort Collins. To register or get program details, visit the BIF Web site. For more information, contact Willie Altenburg, (970) 568-7792; Mark Enns, (970) 491-2722; or Lauren Hyde in the NALF office, (303) 220-1693.

One of the June 9 producer tours will include a stop at the Colorado State University (CSU) Ag Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC) to view the cattle enrolled in the Limousin Visions Quest cattle-feeding and carcass-discovery project.

“The BIF meeting is a great opportunity for cattlemen from around the country and the world to come together and discuss genetics and how to improve our industry,” said Altenburg, the meeting’s planning chairman.

Enns, the program chairman, said his committee wanted subjects that would get beef producers thinking as it arranged speakers and topics for the meeting. “To capture those thoughts, we will be using an audience-response system throughout the meeting and building discussions off the group,” he added.

BIF was founded to standardize programs and methodology and to create greater awareness, acceptance and usage of beef cattle performance concepts.