Classes On Livestock Grazing Management Offered By MU Extension For Lake Area Farmers

Advanced classes on grazing management for livestock producers in the Lake Area and around Missouri are now being offered thanks to a grant from the U-S Department of Agriculture.

One of the focus topics is soil health….

“There’s been a big nationwide interest in improving that, and even defining what that is” says Gene Schmitz with the MU Extension, “so we’ll spend some time discussing that, and we’ll spend time on feed quality and the supplementation that we may need to provide to improve an animal’s diet.”

Schmitz tells KRMS News the courses can also help livestock producers handling animals beyond cattle, like goats, sheep and horses.

Registration deadline for the classes is September 3^rd and you can contact the University of Missouri Extension for more details.

****MU Extension event:

SEDALIA, Mo. – MU Extension regional specialists have recently received a USDA/NRCS Conservation Partnership grant focused on increasing the knowledge and skills of livestock producers in the area of grazing management.  As part of the grant, these specialists have developed a Prescribed Grazing: Advanced Management School to assist producers in continuing their education in the area of forage and grazing management.

These advanced schools build upon the principles taught in the regional grazing schools jointly sponsored by MU Extension, NRCS, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) throughout the state of Missouri.  Unlike the regional grazing schools, these advanced schools do not qualify participants for NRCS or SWCD cost-share programs.

The advanced school combines inside programs with field activities to expand on topics that, due to time constraints, are not covered in the regional cost-share schools.  Topics in the advanced school include: Pasture and Weed Identification and Control, Alternative Forages, Tall Fescue Stockpiling and Alkaloid Management, Soil Health in Forage Systems, Forage Quality and Supplementation, and Pasture, Range, and Forage Insurance.

Field activities include Pasture Assessments, Forage Allocation, Animal Body Condition Scoring, Forage and Soil Sampling, and Plant and Weed Identification.  The on-farm activities will include discussions with experienced graziers on how they manage their various livestock enterprises and forage types.

The next advanced school is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14 and Wednesday, September 15 at the Hampton Inn in Sedalia, MO.  The program is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Registration is due by Friday, September 3.  Contact the Pettis County Extension Center at pettisco@missouri.edu or by calling (660) 827-0591 more information or to register for the program.  On-line registration is available by contacting the Extension Center and requesting the registration link.  This program is sponsored by MU Extension and USDA/NRCS and is open to all.