Calgary, AB, Feb. 13 2007—A unique "beef school" launched with support from the National Beef Industry Development Fund (NBIDF) is generating strong interest for its hands-on approach to understanding the beef supply chain.

The Canadian Beef School, run by Olds College in Olds, Alta., and Alberta Agriculture and Food is a three-day course that helps beef producers and others learn about the quality, fabrication and marketing of beef. It covers all steps in the beef production process from the farm gate to the dinner plate, providing participants with direct experience in areas they wouldn't normally have exposure to.

"The Canadian Beef School is an effort to help remove the mystery around what happens in the supply chain after the animals leave the farm or the feedlot," says Dalin Bullock, chair of animal science at Olds College. "The more people understand about the components of that process and how they create value, the more they can contribute to that value through their own particular role."

Though roughly half of beef school "students" are beef producers, the Canadian Beef School is open to anyone with an interest in the Canadian beef industry. In addition to feedlot operators and cow-calf producers, those attending have included a range of others involved with various aspects of the beef and foodservice industries. As well as those directly part of the supply chain, participants have included veterinarians, marketers and communicators such as food editors. Lead instructor is Brad McLeod of Olds College.

The supply chain from producer to consumer is complex and often times fragmented, notes Bullock. Because of this, the sharing of information between various levels of the supply chain is often limited.

This lack of awareness between the different sectors can create a barrier to producing high value beef and satisfying the customer. With the Canadian Beef School, an overriding goal is to break down this barrier by helping participants learn what happens and how value is determined at all levels.

Participants learn not just by hearing, but by seeing and doing. As much as possible, the beef school aims to put participants in the shoes of people at different points in the chain so they can see things from that perspective.

Beef school students pack a lot of learning into the three-day course, with two 12 hour days and a half day filled with a variety of discussion, training and activities.

Interest in the Canadian Beef School has been very high, says Bullock. The school began in 2005 and has offered two sessions per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. All sessions offered so far have filled up quickly and resulted in long waiting lists.

 "In my experience with people in the agriculture industry, anytime you can give them an opportunity to do something on a hands-on basis it's always well received," says Bullock. "That's certainly been the case with the Canadian Beef School."