High steaks: Beef farms’ future is bright

BANGOR – Beef production in Maine has a rosy future, experts declared at the 20th annual beef conference Saturday.

“We are doing well and the future is good,” said Dee Potter, beef specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. She attributed the solidity of the industry to Maine’s beef branding program and good management by producers.

Maine has about 800 beef producers, Potter said, ranging from two cows in a backyard to 300 cow herds. “Maine’s herd totals about 13,000 cows,” she said. “The commercial ventures tend to be in the north, while in the south the herds are registered and smaller.”

Maine’s producers mirror the rest of the country, with the average herd of about 40 cows.

The conference provided expert advice on financial resources, networking and taxes, along with a trade show that featured health and service providers.

Potter said the conference was aimed at answering a lot of questions for Maine’s beef farmers.

“Today, producers are confronted with increasing input costs coupled with complicated marketing systems,” Potter said. “There is also an influx of new producers needing to learn the intricacies of beef cattle production.”

Keynote speaker Dr. John Hall, a beef specialist at Virginia Tech, said Maine has an advantage because there is such good forage ability. “The farmers have managed to expand the grazing season,” he said. But the state also has some unique challenges.

Producers need to work more closely together, he said, to gain strength and leverage in the marketplace. For example, Hall said out-of-state beef packers get paid for their offal, or waste. In Maine, there is a single offal hauler or renderer, and Maine packing houses must pay high prices to have the waste removed.

“This is a big challenge for Maine,” Hall said. “To offset this, Maine farmers have to garner greater premiums to compensate for the high cost of production.”

He said producers should form an alliance with local packers and use group marketing to their advantage.

Potter said an asset to Maine producers is the intense genetic improvement going on, particularly in Aroostook County.

“The northern group of producers received a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture for genetic improvement and purchased a number of high-quality, registered bulls from Virginia,” Potter said. “The first breeding season is over and things are looking good. The first calves are expected in March.”

Another reason Maine beef is valued, Potter said, is because of the “eat local” campaign. “There have been dozens of hamburger recalls involving out-of-state meat,” she said. “The public wants to buy their beef with confidence and they are more and more turning to local beef.”

Potter said Maine beef production will “always be a part-time income,” but she believes the mechanics are in place for expansion. “Potatoes are dropping in acres, dairy farms are closing down. But beef has held its own,” she said.

Sharon Mack may be reached at bdnpittsfield@verizon.net or 487-3187.