Abstract
The US beef industry has been affected by advancements in technology, policy, and consumer pressures. A needs assessment of Idaho beef producers had not been conducted since 2005, and to effectively serve the Idaho beef industry, the Extension system must stay current in providing appropriate training. The purpose of this study was to identify education needs for Idaho beef producers. A three-round Delphi Method was conducted, using a participant panel of industry professionals, selected from diverse sectors of the Idaho beef industry. The first round of the survey returned 16 topic themes, which included issues related to public land use, financial management, resource stewardship, and reproduction technologies. In Round 2, participants rated the 16 topics on importance to the industry. Using a seven-point Likert-type scale, 15 of the topics averaged greater than 4.0/7.0 with a SD less than 1.5. Round 3 identified the most appropriate agency to develop training and education for each topic. University Extension was the top choice for the majority of topics, while the Cattle Association, Check-Off, and private businesses were recommended. Additionally, Round 3 identified the best programming method for each topic, with regional single-day workshop being identified most often as the preferred method. Self-paced online courses and multi-day workshops were also identified. These findings offer valuable information to those agencies capable of delivering programming, training, and education to beef producers. Strategic education for Idaho beef producers should be implemented with these results, and this process should be replicated for other industries in other states.