8-20 FB Beef Researcher

 Cattlemen…listen to this and tell me if you think you have an advocate. (Ahola) “The sizzle, the beef is what’s for dinner, the fact that people love beef. At the end of the day, chicken and pork isn’t something you go out on a Friday night to a steakhouse and order. You order beef.”

That sound bite comes from Dr. Jason Ahola, researcher and Extension Beef Specialist, at the U of I. But this researcher isn’t just dwelling in the deep recesses of a laboratory studying something nobody understands. Listen to what his job entails. (Ahola) “Educating producers about beef cattle production, industry on a variety of areas, anything from  management, nutrition, reproduction, to genetics and marketing and anything in between.”

 So you’ve got to be a cattle ranchers best friend. (Ahola) “(Laughs) We try to really focus our programs, our research and extension programs on what they seek and we do quite a few meetings during the year to have advisory committees and feedback and so we really try to do research that’s applicable and something that they can use. We like to think that we’re helping them. We can’t cover all topics but we certainly try the few that are most important to them.”

 So beef ranchers, it sounds like you’ve got someone to turn to when you have questions about any level of your operation. That’s good to know considering universities are funded with your tax dollars.