Faculty Spotlight: Gant Mourer
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Gant Mourer serves as the beef cattle value enhancement specialist for Oklahoma State University’s Department of Animal Science. Gant grew up on a wheat and cattle operation in northwest Oklahoma. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s at OSU, where he worked under Dr. David Lalman in beef cattle nutrition. Gant started working for OSU nearly 10 years ago as herdsman of the North Range Cow Research Center. He started his current extension position in November of 2012.
“I have always had a love for agriculture,” said Gant. “Oklahoma is one of the only places in the world we can combine growing cattle and wheat raising both at the same time and I have always found that fascinating.”
Outside of work, church and family are his main activities. Gant and his wife, Melissa, have two kids, Colton (6) and Emma (3). Together, they enjoy spending time outdoors, playing sports, ranching, all OSU sports and the occasional wrestling death match between My Little Pony and GI Joe.
At OSU, Gant’s focus is on beef cattle management and how producers can add value or improve efficiency of production through management and marketing practices. His research projects involve increasing gains during preconditioning of weaned calves. The two most visible programs he coordinates are the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) and the Beef Quality Assurance Program.
OQBN serves as a feedback mechanism to increase communication among cattle producers. Within OQBN, Gant uses a VAC-45 program and aids producers in marketing cattle that have been managed in regards to the VAC-45 requirements. These cattle help both the buyer and seller reduce sickness and increase ADG. In 2015, OQBN received the Southern Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Extension Program Award.
“Beef extension continues to share research and findings to the producers of Oklahoma,” said Gant. “OQBN alone has had an overall impact of over 2.5 million dollars in the last three years to Oklahoma cattle producers, plus we have many other programs available for producers to utilize.”
OSU also holds extension events throughout the year to connect with producers. At these events, extension faculty and staff get the opportunity to present fresh ideas and have discussions that help operations perform at their best.
“These discussions are two way streets to expand knowledge for both producers and extension, progressing Oklahoma agriculture into the future,” said Gant.
Gant will be at animal handling events this spring and throughout the summer. He is also working on Master Cattlemen programing, BQA, producer meetings and many other subjects of interest to ranchers. OQBN is also holding a Vac-45 Sale at the McAlester Stockyards on June 7th, 2016. For more information about OQBN, visit their website at http://www.oqbn.okstate.edu/.