New extension beef cattle specialist focused on nutrition
Nov. 24, 2025
By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Grote native to Missouri
- Grote previously worked with Oklahoma cooperative extension
(409 words)
(Newsrooms: With portrait of Grote)
LITTLE ROCK — Ally Grote knew from a young age how important nutrition is for a competition animal.
“I was a barrel racer, so making sure my horses were fed was a top priority,” said Grote, the new extension beef cattle specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“I grew up learning how important nutrition is, regardless of the species,” she said. “And while I needed my horse to perform and carry me through what I needed to do, that transferred over to the cattle side.”
Grote grew up on a cow-calf operation in Missouri, about an hour and a half north of St. Louis, Missouri.
“My dad and I, along with my brother, were very involved with cattle — and we still are,” Grote said. “That propelled me into the animal science side of things. Like most little girls, at one point I wanted to be a veterinarian. Then at some point, I reconsidered that.
“I took a step back and reevaluated what I wanted to do,” she said. “Seeing everything that my dad does with the farm, it clicked that nutrition was at the front end of everything.”
Grote recently joined the Division of Agriculture after completing her Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition from Oklahoma State University. The 2025 completion of that degree capped a phase of her career that involved not only academic research — including a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas — but extension and research as well.
“My main focus was beef-on-dairy crosses,” Grote said of her doctoral research. “That was something that was very popular. There wasn’t a lot of recent research on it at the time — our goal was to get it out there.”
As an extension beef cattle specialist in Arkansas, Grote said she will initially focus on identifying producer needs and developing educational and nutritional programs tailored to those, with an emphasis on heifer development.
“I’ve been here three days, and I’ve probably heard ‘heifer development’ mentioned five or 10 times,” she said. “There’s a big nutrition side to heifer development, so clearly that will be a focus.”
Michael Looper, animal science department chair for the Division of Agriculture, said Grote will provide producers with practical, science-based solutions for their operations.
“Dr. Grote brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the Cooperative Extension Service,” Looper said. “Her passion for research and producer education will be a tremendous asset as we work together to enhance beef cattle production in Arkansas."
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Ryan McGeeney
rmcgeeney@uada.edu
501-671-2120