For Kentucky producers who could not make plans to attend the 2020 Beef Improvement Federation Symposium in Florida, good news — the meeting is now set to happen virtually on Zoom, and it’s free.

“Kentucky producers will get a chance to hear from some of the nation’s beef industry leaders,” said Darrh Bullock, beef specialist for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “The live, online format is a great opportunity to listen to some great speakers talk about improving the beef industry through performance evaluation.”

The symposium is set for June 8-12, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT each day. The first day, June 8, is geared toward young producers and will include information about what the purebred cattle industry will look like in 20 years and financial planning. The Beef Industry Federation will also announce board and officer election results at 2:45 p.m. EDT.

General sessions on June 9 and 10 include information about beef sustainability, consumer market research and end-user perspectives, and the announcement BIF awards program recipients for Commercial Producers of the Year, Seedstock Producers of the year and the Pioneer Award.

The last two days, June 11 and 12 will feature three, two-hour breakout sessions each day on topics such as end-product improvement, emerging technology, selection decisions, efficiency and adaptability, producer applications and genomic and genetic prediction.

Register online via the Beef Improvement Federation website, http://beefimprovement.org. As the symposium nears, participants will be able to find a detailed schedule and Zoom tutorials on the BIF website.