Released November 2, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University Beef Team has launched a new Web site designed to be an information source for beef producers from Indiana and throughout the Midwest.
The Beef Center, http://www.thebeefcenter.com, hosts a wide range of production beef information in a variety of formats.
Producers can find Extension factsheets, YouTube videos, podcasts and PowerPoint presentations with narration on everything from nutrition and health to reproduction and waste management, said Ron Lemenager, Purdue Extension beef management specialist.
"It's not just information from Purdue," Lemenager said. "It has a lot of information from our sister institutions within the land-grant system, as well."
The information is organized and easy to find based on topic area. Online courses, such as the IQ+BEEF Quality Assurance (IQ+BEEF) program and the Fresh From the Farm freezer beef program, also can be accessed through the new Web site.
"It really serves as a one-stop shop," Lemenager said. "The information is specific to Indiana producers, but is applicable to producers across the nation."
Lemenager said a producer can go to the Internet and do a quick search for information, but the sheer amount of information is often overwhelming and the sources may not always be credible or reliable.
"We're interested in making sure producers have access to a good source of independent, third-party material that can be used to help them make decisions," he said. "When we put a link on the Web site, we want it to have credibility so producers can use the information to make the best possible decisions."
The Beef Center includes links to materials originating from other land-grant universities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Cattlemen's Beef Association and allied industries.
For more information about the Beef Center, visit http://www.thebeefcenter.com or contact Lemenager at 765-494-4817, rpl@purdue.edu.
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http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2009b/091102LemenagerBeefcenter.doc.html
Source: Ron Lemenager, 765-494-4817, rpl@purdue.edu
Writer: Julie Douglas, 765-496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu
