Dr. Temple Grandin to Speak in Great Falls Sept. 23

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GREAT FALLS – Dr. Temple Grandin, famed animal scientist whose work has had a major impact on livestock handling, will speak in Great Falls on Friday, Sept. 23.

Dr. Grandin will speak at an event running from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kings Arena, 50 Foothills Lane, just east of Great Falls. Her visit is being organized by the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee and sponsored by Montana Farmers Union, Great Falls Clinic Hospital, Great Falls College MSU, Cascade County MSU – Extension Service, Greenfields Irrigation District, Cascade Conservation District, Torgerson’s, North 40 Outfitters, Western Ranch Supply, and the Montana FFA Foundation.

Dr. Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She has done extensive work on the design of livestock handling facilities. Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she designed for meat plants. Dr. Grandin has also been instrumental in implementing animal welfare auditing programs that are used by McDonalds, Wendy’s, Whole Foods, and other corporations.

In addition to her work in animal science, Dr. Grandin is a noted autism expert and advocate. Diagnosed with autism as a child, Dr. Grandin now lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism.

At age two she had no speech and all the signs of severe autism. Many hours of speech therapy, and intensive teaching enabled Grandin to learn speech. Mentoring by her high school science teacher and her aunt on her ranch in Arizona motivated Dr. Grandin to study and pursue a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer.

Dr. Grandin has written several books, including “Thinking in Pictures,” “Livestock Handling and Transport” and “The Autistic Brain.” Her book “Animals in Translation” has been on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Dr. Grandin’s Articles and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, People, Time, National Public Radio, 20/20, The View, and the BBC. She was also honored in Time Magazines 2010 “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.”

The event also includes a stress-free cattle handling workshop by Montana Stockman Curt Pate.

For more than a decade, Pate has conducted demonstrations and clinics on stockmanship, colt starting and ranch horsemanship throughout North America and Europe. A nationally recognized stockmanship instructor, Pate teaches techniques on how to put the proper pressure on cattle at a different angle and at varying amounts to help move them comfortably and without a negative experience – for the stockman or the livestock.

Sometimes you cannot see pressure or understand its effects until it has created a problem. When you force cattle to go into a pen, they may get excited, go on the fight, and become dangerous or very difficult to work. Negative pressure creates stress, positive pressure creates contentment,” Pate said.

Tickets to the event are $25 per person and include the stress-free cattle handling demonstration, Dr. Grandin’s speech and a barbecue lunch. Representatives from FFA will be serving lunch and giving door prizes. Tickets are limited and available by calling the Chamber of Commerce at 406-761-4434.

“We’re very excited to bring Temple Grandin to Great Falls,” said Bill Harp, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee. “Temple has an incredible story to tell.”

 

For more information, contact:

Becky Nelson

Great Falls Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director

Phone: (406) 761-4434 ext. 102, Email: Bnelson@GreatFallsChamber.org

 

 

 

Source:  Montana Stockgrowers Association

 

 

 

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