 I'm Callie Thorne for Birthfield Extension Agent and I'm here with Chris Spring-Wall, the NDSU livestock extension specialist, and we're talking a little bit today about Caffeade and learning about Agent Source. So Chris, if you could just tell us a little bit more how Caffeade got started and just a little bit about it in general for producers who've maybe never heard of it. Caffeade is an Agent Source, it's happened across the country, and it's not just Agent Source, but USDA has a lot of third-party programs. And what that means is that USDA reviews and helps develop these programs and then comes back and validates that you follow the program and the procedure. So Caffeade is just one of many programs that has actually went through that process. So in the end, Caffeade is a program that we function as a third-party verifier. We being the North Dakota Beef Cow Improvement Association, which is kind of the home group for Caffeade. So you kind of mentioned there's many different choices for producers. It was a natural base for a source and age verification program, but the bottom line is it's local. All third-party programs are accurate and correct, there's no difference in them. Why don't you tell us a little bit about the tags that you use and show us how they work exactly? We've got, you know, in the RFID there's a traditional button tag which you'll get in the store. You'll get just the button. Currently, we're utilizing, if you want, newer trials and kind of, got to remember Agent Source verification is evolving. You know, the techniques that are available today weren't available a year ago. So what we've done is taken a visual ID with a visual number on it and combined that tag with the RFID. So the RFID tag is actually on the back of the tag. So now when this tag goes in the calf, the visual ID and the RFID match. Once this tag is placed in the calf, then we come back and, you know, the tag is in. Then we come back and we use pre-printed calving books and this is kind of a trial for us, but we're kind of excited about it, that you take your calving book and you open up and this tag will match the number that's already pre-printed in the calving book. So the next step is the producer simply fills in the date of birth or whatever other information they have, they don't have to fill in a lot, but they do have to fill in the date of birth, place the tag in the calf, close the calving book. When they've done calving, then those calves that are in this book are agent source. They still have to send it in to make sure it's validated in that, but that's not a lot of work and they'd send it into the North Cody's Calcumin Association. So a pretty simple process for producers, mainly get those tags in and date of birth is one of the main things they have to have in their calving book. And you said you'll have these tags actually for producers, right? You'll have so many of them, or if they want, they can go purchase some themselves. Hello, frequency tags, yeah. Alright. And these would be available, hopefully. What are, are there any other costs involved, Chris, or what are producers? We mentioned the tags, which they can get from you or purchase their own if they need to, but they get the calving book through you guys. Are there any other costs involved? And then are producers seeing returns, you know, is this agent source worth their time and money if they're sticking it into it? Agent source is certainly worth the time. It is. The effort is better paperwork. You need to make sure that the appropriate forms are followed. That's not just from the ranch. Agent source, we agent source at the ranch. So that documentation, not the documentation itself, you retain that. But the forms that tell the people buying the cams that they are agent source have to follow not only through the stock yard or the auction barns but to the trucker all the way to the feed yard. Once they get that, things are good, you know. So once that's done, it takes time. Now, is it a monetary cost? Not near as much as it is time. So, you know, you have to value your time accordingly. We will see reports, we used to see reports of $20 to $25. Now you see reports of $25 to $35 and even on up to, you know, $35 to $50 advantages on the rail for an agent source carcass. Now, remember, that's on the rail. So when a feedlot wants to put together a package of agent source cattle that's the kind of dollars they have to work with to go purchase those cattle. That doesn't mean they're going to give you an extra $50 for your calf but they're going to bid more aggressively on those calves. So it is important. It has an impact. It's hard to major like any of our programs over the years, it's hard to major. But you can rest assured that there's a positive influence on the value of that calf and, you know, even if you're $2 a hundred on a six-way calf is $12. So is that worth it? Okay, now we have Donnie Tibor with us and she's the NDSU Research Specialist with the Dickinson Research Extension Center. And Donnie, why don't you just tell us a little bit about some of the requirements producers are going to have to be in charge of when they sign up for this. What's it take to get in with Calf-Aid? Okay, as a producer decides to come in and be a participant in Calf-Aid we ask that they fill out a registration form. Those registration forms can be found on our website or they can call my office and receive a copy of the registration form. I'll send it out to them. And we ask that they have a calving book and as soon as they fill out their registration form we ask that they send that back in with a copy of their calving book and it will go through an approval process with the Calf-Aid members and we notify the producer that they are eligible to participate in the Calf-Aid program. And so that approval process, is that just making sure they have everything they need to join it or what all is involved there? It's making sure that we can provide the source and age verification for their cattle from beginning to end and not have to worry that we're not sourcing an aging purchase cattle or something like that. There are a series of questions on the registration form that we would like them to fill out and then supply us with their calving book so we can see what their process is. And I know you had mentioned something earlier too about an on-site visit for those first-time producers that are signing up. An on-site visit would be something that we may have to do for potential participants and the reason for that is that the USDA comes back and they audit me in the fall and they're going to audit the process that I have told them that I was going to do. So what we do is I would come out, I'd sit down with the producer, I'd just visit with him, take a look at the calf book, bring the registration form and double-check all the information that was put on, that was entered or presented by the Calf-Aid participant. So it sounds like a pretty simple process, you just simply get the registration form from you and then keep your records and that calving book on hand. That is correct. Alright, well thank you very much today. You're welcome. And these tags right here are the ones that you would get through the Calf-Aid program, each producer. So this would go in just one animal. You can see the numbers match up and on the backside of this one is your electronic ID on it. This one doesn't have anything on the back so if you want to put your own number on there, say to match your cows or whatever, you can write on that tag. So one would go in one ear and one in the other. If you have any questions on Calf-Aid or the Dickinson Research Extension Center's upcoming project, you can give them a call at 701-483-2348 extension 105 or go ahead and give me a call at 701-627-3446 whether it's questions relating to Calf-Aid or another agent source program. As marketing cattle evolves and changes with more branded products, niche markets and documentation, you'll want to consider for yourself if the investment in agent source verification will increase the value and marketability of your very own calves.