UNE meat scientist Peter McGilchrist with his ribs that kept the crowd happy on day one of Feeder Steer School 2.0. Prof McGilchrist is one of the main organisers of the school.

PRODUCERS from across the country have gone back to school in Armidale this week, for a comprehensive look at how best to generate value for feeder cattle.

University of New England’s Feeder Steer School 2.0 is a revitalised event from 13-years-ago. The school was a popular, regularly sold out, annual event in the early 2000s before it came to a close with the sunset of the Beef CRC back in 2012.

In opening the school, UNE vice chancellor Chris Moran said the feeder steer school was one of many ways the university was trying to re-vitalise its services.

He spoke about the way university students are not attending lectures in person and doing face-to-face learning as much as they used to, although some in the crowd claimed they were early adopters of that trend.

Prof Moran said events like the feeder steer school were much needed interaction between industry and the university.

“If universities are not in touch with industry and the people who use their knowledge, than it is my view that those universities will eventually close,” Prof Moran said.

The three-day course is intended to become a twice-yearly event – running the crowd through all the latest information on how to better produce feeder cattle. The course was fully subscribed shortly after tickets were released, with about 250 people coming from as far north as Charters Towers in Queensland and as far south as Naracoorte in South Australia.

This morning heard from more several industry leaders sharing top tips on how producers can create more value for their animals, including MLA chief executive officer Michael Crowley, Woolworths/Greenstock livestock manager Sam Ditchfield and Teys feedlot procurement manager Ethan Mooney.

• Beef Central will have more from the feeder steer school in the coming days

Faces of the feeder steer school

Robert Waters from Bell, with Emily Coggan, Beth Newton and Gidget McErlean from Coggan Farms.

Sarah Scott from Angus Australia with Rachel and Andrew Gordon from Byland Pastoral.

Jodie and Murray Weller from Crawney.

Staci Turner from Riverina Stockfeeds with Charlotte Thomson from the Local Land Services and Jas Heales and Emma Mills from Ridley.

Teena Hough from Bundarra with Sam Townsend and Jess MacDougall from Wattletop Livestock and Barbara Roberts-Thomson from Academy Wagyu.