SBBA to Host Field Day During IBBA Fall Conference

The Southeast Brangus Breeders Association (SBBA) will host a cattlemen’s gathering at the Seminole Indian Reservation in Brighton, Florida, on Friday, Aug. 18. The event will be held in conjunction with the International Brangus Breeders Association’s (IBBA) Fall Conference Aug. 17-19. All IBBA members and cattle producers are encouraged to attend.

The SBBA Cattlemen’s Gathering will focus on the Seminole culture, cow country, cracker horses and the cracker lifestyle. A little-known fact about the region is that twenty-five percent of ranches in the United States that report 2,500 head or more are within 200 miles of Lake Okeechobee, which is where the gathering will be held.

A social hour will kick-off the event at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Brighton Cattle and Range Office at the Seminole Indian Reservation where attendees can network with other breeders and exchange ideas.

The gathering on Friday, Aug. 18, will begin at 8:00 a.m. where attendees will board buses at the Hampton Inn in Okeechobee and tour the Seminole Indian Reservation. The buses will unload at the Seminole Veteran’s Center where a day’s worth of education will take place focusing on Brangus cattle and improving beef production. Presentations for the field day will include managing cattle for successful reproductive performance, DNA and Cattle ID options, the use of genomics to improve climate adaptability and carcass merit, and how production practices affect meat quality. All studies involve Brangus cattle produced by the Seminole Tribe. Rounding out the educational program will be a panel of prominent cattlemen discussing the identification of profitable herd sires using selection indexes. Lunch will be provided featuring traditional tribal food.

The field day will conclude with dinner at the Veteran’s Center where everyone will board the buses and return to the Hampton Inn.

IBBA committee meetings will take place at the Seminole Veteran’s Center in Brighton on Thursday, Aug. 17, beginning at 2 p.m. The IBBA Board of Directors will meet at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, followed by the SBBA meeting at 10 a.m.

Please RSVP for lunch to Todd Harvey at 386-288-8059 or by email at [email protected].

The host hotels are located in Okeechobee, Florida. Contact the Hampton Inn at 863-824-0003 or the Holiday Inn Express 863-357-3529. When making reservations please mention Southeast Brangus Field Day for room block. The cut-off date for reservations is Thursday, Aug. 10.

For those wanting to have a little fun in the sun, there are several beach destinations within two hours of Okeechobee, Florida, so plan to come early or stay late. Airports serving the area are Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa.

 

Click here to download a PDF version of Salacoa Valley Farms’s event agenda.