(Spirit Lake)– BSE, or Mad Cow Disease, will be the topic of a statewide video conference this Wednesday. The conference begins at 1:00 p.m. and will be downlinked to several local sites, including one in Spencer at 110 West Fourth Street.
Dennis DeWitt, Livestock Specialist with the Iowa State University Extension Office in Spirit Lake, says the program will give an overview of what BSE is, how it’s transmitted, and how the investigation has been going on finding the source of origin and where the Washington state cow picked it up.
DeWitt says the program will also look at impacts on markets for both producers and consumers; how to handle cull cows that need to be marketed; dead animal disposal; an update on the feed band; and an update on new USDA regulations, along with a roundtable discussion and a question-and-answer session. Questions can be faxed at (515) 294-7767.
More information on local download sites for the program is available by contacting your local County Extension Office.
The program will NOT be shown at the Dickinson county Extension Office as it will host the annual Crop Advantage Seminars that day. Extension Director Cory Petersen says they’ll tape the program and that the tape will be available for producers to check out from the office.
