Nov. 12 conference in Shawnee will explore farm-to-public health

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Livestock and health specialists from across the region will be speaking and leading discussions at the Nov. 12 Managing Farm Health for Public Health Conference in Shawnee to provide producers and others with operational tips and useful insights.

Sponsored by the animal science departments at Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech University in cooperation with the Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance Program, the 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. conference will focus on practical aspects of zoonotic diseases as it relates to people working with animals and agricultural events that involve the public.

“Think of attending as one-stop shopping, as we will be covering a wide range of pertinent topics,” said Chris Richards, OSU Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist. “The event is free of charge and will include a morning break and lunch, thanks to support from a grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”

The conference will take place at the Grand Hotel and Casino in Shawnee, located at 777 Grand Casino Blvd., just north of Interstate 40 and west of State Highway 177. Online registration is available through the OSU Beef Extension website at http://beefextension.com.

Marla Calico, chief operating officer of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, will speak about challenges related to farm-to-public activities.

Mindy Brashears, director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech, and Divya Jaroni, OSU animal scientist and expert on foodborne pathogens, will speak about the prevalence of pathogens in cattle. Brashears also will provide insights about pre-harvest livestock pathogen management.

Brandi Herndon, Tulsa State Fair agribusiness manager, will speak about farm-to-public hazard analysis and critical control points.

Epidemiologist and public health veterinarian Dr. Kristy Bradley of the Oklahoma Department of Health will talk about the role of the department as it relates to farm-to-public health.

Todd Brashears, Texas Tech education specialist with the International Center for Food Industry Excellence, will speak about consumer farm pathogen perceptions and ways to communicate key points with both livestock producers and the public.

State veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Gant Mourer, Jim Rhodes and Rusty Gosz of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will moderate the conference sessions.

Anyone seeking additional information about the Nov. 12 conference should contact Richards at 405-744-6060.