Getting Set up for Success with Cattle
Having a successful cattle business is about much more than just buying a few head and putting them in a field. If you want to turn a profit, you need to think carefully about your goals, marketing strategy, appropriate breeds, and many more details. Over the six weeks of this course you'll get a much clearer idea of what is involved, whether it's the right fit for you, and if it is, what steps you need to take to get started.
Target Audience
All levels - This course is primarily for those just getting started (or thinking of getting started) with a beef enterprise, but those already raising cattle and seeking to improve or expand their operation will find a lot of interest here too.
Webinars
The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments here in Teachable, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, live webinars will be woven into the online interface for 6 weeks each Fall to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from presenters and ask questions in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.
Webinar Schedule
Live instruction for the 2021-2022 season has ended, and the next live session will be in late November 2022. While we encourage live attendance so you have the opportunity to
engage with the presenters and ask questions, all webinars we will be
posted in our online classroom for students to watch anytime.
Once you have enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all
materials indefinitely, and can return to participate in the live
webinars as many times as you wish.
Your Instructor

Brett Chedzoy is a forestry and agriculture educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County. He has long been a proponent and practitioner of silvopasture - the integration of grazing animals and trees. Brett and his family also own and operate Angus Glen Farms, LLC in Watkins Glen, NY – a 500-acre grazing operation raising grass-fed beef.
Betsy Hicks is a Dairy Management Specialist with the South Central NY Dairy & Field Crops Team with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Her background is in nutrition. She helps farmers on topics including herd health, cow behavior, cow comfort and calf care. Betsy and her husband operate a registered Black Angus cow-calf operation in Cortland County, NY, where they incorporate about 100 acres in their grazing plan.
Course Curriculum
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StartWeek 1 Overview
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StartFORUM: Please Introduce Yourself!
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StartTen Questions for Small-Scale Beef Producers
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StartWhat's Your Beef?
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StartFARM PROFILE: Breeding Operations in NY and GA
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StartTypical Beef Enterprises
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StartNY Stocker Cattle Initiative
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StartCustom Grazing Beef Cattle
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StartASSIGNMENT: Are You Ready for Cattle?
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StartWEBINAR: Week 1 Join Link, Slides, and Recording
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StartWeek 2 Overview
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StartFORUM: The Best Breed
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StartFARM PROFILE: Backgrounding Operation
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StartIntro to Cattle Breeds and Terminology
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StartUnderstanding Cattle Breeds & Traits
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StartOptimal Cow Size
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StartChoosing the Right Cattle
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StartUnderstanding Cattle Behavior
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StartCattle Handling Pointers
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StartASSIGNMENT: Beef Cattle Quiz
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StartWEBINAR: Week 2 Join Link, Slides and Recording