Overview of

Pasture to Plate
Program
DARRH BULLOCK
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

Purpose
Educate farmers on all postweaning phases of cattle
production
Receiving/Starting
Finishing
Carcass
Consumer

Purpose
Educate FCS agents, chefs,
butchers, industry leaders and
consumers
Basic beef production
Basic feedlot management
Carcass characteristics
Healthfulness

Procedures
Purchase weaned feeder calves
from varying backgrounds; various
breeds include examples of dairy
Feed in confinement from
approximately 700 pounds to 1300
pounds

Procedures
Still photo and video will be
collected on all cattle at all stages
of finishing and processing
Cattle will be weighed and
ultrasound data collected at all
stages of finishing

Procedures
Slaughter cattle at same time
point this will likely result in some
cattle being optimally finish, some
being over finished and others
being under finished
Process example carcasses into
total bone, muscle and fat

Procedures
All carcasses will be graded to
determine their USDA Yield and
Quality grades
Sample steak will be collected
from each carcass for sensory
taste panel evaluation

Educational Program
Educational classes will be held at
the onset, midpoint and finish of
the feeding period. Instruction on
feeding, evaluation, general
management and marketing will
be covered at each session

Educational Program
Educational classes will be help
post-slaughter on carcass
evaluation, carcass valuation,
consumer preferences and trends
and health facts on beef
consumption

Target Audience
ANR, Youth and FCS Agent In-service
Beef Producers
Conventional
Retained Ownership
Local Market
Consumers Chefs, Butchers, Industry

Take Home Messages

- Understand proper feeding techniques
and management to finish cattle
- Understand basics of feeder and finished
cattle evaluation
- Understand basics of carcass evaluation
- Understand consumer preferences
- Beef part of a healthy diet

Logistics
Locations:
Eden Shale
Princeton
Morgan County
Must Register
Grouped based on interest

Cooperating Entities
University of Kentucky
Ag Development Board

Kentucky
Department of
Agriculture

Kentucky Beef Network

Kentucky Cattlemens Association
Kentucky Beef Council

USDA Forage Animal

Production Research
Unit

Questions?
Darrh Bullock
University of Kentucky
dbullock@uky.edu