With Covid-19 restrictions putting a stop to public events, BovINE project Co-ordinators, Teagasc, cancelled their planned Beef 2020 event taking place at the Grange Farm, Ashtown, Ireland
Virtual Beef Week took its place, 6 – 10 July, each day focusing on a different beef sector:
- Suckler Beef Production
- Dairy Calf to Beef Production
- Sustainable Beef Production
- Grassland Management
- The Grand Challenges
Adapting to the current ‘working from home’ protocols, live broadcasts and webinars were streamed twice a day across social channels and made available as recordings online. Speakers included Teagasc experts, beef farmers, farmer advisory board representatives, vets, and industry experts.
Richard Lynch from Teagasc says “Initiatives such as the Teagasc Virtual Beef Week demonstrate the ability of the agricultural industry to adapt to the ever-changing environment for knowledge dissemination. Through the use of pre-recorded and live footage, viewers can access knowledge about latest innovations from the researchers themselves and have a virtual tour of the farm using this innovation in practice.”
Alongside the streamed content, knowledge exchange continued across social channels through posts and discussion starters, with contributors right across Europe taking part in the chat, sharing information and experiences.
Videos and further content from Virtual Beef Week are available to view online via the Teagasc website and YouTube channel.
Teagasc Website – https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/virtual-beef-week/
Virtual Beef Week on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=virtual+beef+week+2020+