SDSU Extension launching Cattle HQ live webinar series

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is launching a new year-round webinar series for cattle producers. 

Cattle HQ live webinars will be available online via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month in 2025 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. CST. They are free to attend, and registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Recordings will also be available for registrants to watch on-demand.

To register and see a complete schedule of webinars, visit SDSU Extension Events page and search “cattle”. Individuals can register at any time throughout the year. 

Each month’s webinar will feature a speaker discussing timely topics and the latest SDSU Extension research and resources. The first webinar on Jan. 16, 2025, will feature Warren Rusche, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist, on winter cattle management strategies.

Julie Walker, professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist, said the webinars will help serve cattle producers whose busy schedules don’t allow them to attend in-person meetings. They will also give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on what they are experiencing on their operations. 

“We’re not just lecturing them, it’s an exchange of information between the producers and us,” Walker said. “It’s also a way for us to highlight some of the cool things SDSU is doing.”

Cattle HQ is also the name of SDSU Extension’s podcast for cow/calf producers, which releases new episodes every two weeks. The SDSU Extension beef team, spread across the state, is working together to produce the Cattle HQ webinar and podcast as complementary programs.

“Some people learn differently, so this is an alternative,” said Erin DeHaan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist of the webinar. “We’re trying to meet the needs of producers and discuss topics that are relevant that time of year.” 

Madison Kovarna, former SDSU Extension Beef Nutrition Field Specialist, said when people don’t have time for a webinar conversation, podcasts give them an opportunity to learn while doing other things. She said the two programs work together to provide cattle producers with information in a more flexible way. 

“We’re targeting all cattle producers and we’re working together as a team to make the information as relevant as we can, just using a different delivery form,” Kovarna said. 

For more information, contact Julie Walker, professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist; or Erin DeHaan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist.