Cattlemen from around the world are gathered in Calgary for the 2008 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) is hosting “Beef Beyond Borders,” June 30-July 3. Nearly 400 cattle producers, industry representatives and academia are registered to attend.

GrowSafe Systems of Airdrie, Alta., Canada, kicked off the event, hosting dinner at its headquarters just outside Calgary. Participants got a firsthand view of the feed intake data collection system currently used at several locations to collect feed efficiency information, as well as a new system to record water intake.

BIF attendees are touring Alberta cattle operations, with stops at Cattleland Feedyards Ltd., a 25,000-head feedlot in the heart of Alberta’s Cattle Country; Soderglen Ranches Ltd., a cow-calf operation featuring red and black Angus and Simmental, Charolais and two proprietary hybrid breeds; and Hamilton Farms, a 400-cow, 5,000-acre ranch near Cochrane.

BIF leadership will address organization business at a board of directors meeting Tuesday, and several industry groups will use the event as a stage for sharing information.

CBBC members and associates will host the opening reception Tuesday with a celebration of Canada. Don Mackenzie, BIF 2008 CBBC Planning Committee chair, will deliver the first dynamic address to kick off the symposium.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) is providing online coverage of “Beef Beyond Borders.” From this site, www.bifconference.com, you can review the schedule, access coverage of past meetings and view a photo recap of last year’s meeting. API staff will post summaries of the sessions, as well as proceedings papers, PowerPoint presentations, audios and photo galleries.

View the Awards Page for overviews of the Seedstock and Commercial Producer of the Year nominees. Winners of these two honors, as well as those honored with Continuing Service, Pioneer and Ambassador awards and the Frank Baker Scholarship recipients, will be announced following awards luncheons Wednesday and Thursday.

Coverage is made possible through sponsorship by BioZyme Inc. and its continuing support of the Angus Foundation and by the generous producers listed on the Seedstock Directory page.

For more information about BIF, visit www.beefimprovement.org. For more information about the CBBC, visit www.canadianbeefbreeds.com. — by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.