The 31st annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference will be held Tuesday, March 3 at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield.
"Each year this conference attracts an increasing number of people interested in learning more about management strategies for forages and livestock," said Mark Green, a District Conservationist with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Springfield.
This year's keynote speech will be "Beef Industry Sustainability," by Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of sustainability for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. She received her doctorate in animal science from the University of California, Davis and was a postdoctoral fellow with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.
Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson leads the Beef Checkoff sustainability research program. She also serves as an industry spokesperson, executive board member of the Global Roundtable on Sustainable Beef, chair of the Five Nations Beef Alliance Sustainability sub-committee and a member of the International Meat Secretariat Sustainability subcommittee. She was recently recognized in the 2013 UC Davis alumni spotlight in Agriculture and Environmental Science Outlook Magazine for her leadership and career accomplishments in the area of sustainability.
The conference will also feature several breakout sessions during the day. Session topics include livestock predator control, alfalfa management, advanced grazing tips, cattle health, johnsongrass, grazing and quail management, beneficial pasture bugs, brush and weed management with small ruminants, cow-share agreements, managing stocking rates to forage growth, and advice on handing down the farm to heirs when only one wants to farm.
There will be a large trade show in conjunction with the conference. Agricultural businesses and organizations will have exhibits and representatives available to discuss their products and services.
Conference registration begins at 8 a.m., with sessions running from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A banquet luncheon is included with the registration. The cost is $35 per person in advance or $45 at the door.
To pre-register (by Feb. 18) or to get more information, contact the Greene County USDA Office at 417-831-5246, ext.3. Additional conference information, lodging information, maps, and registration forms can be found at www.springforageconference.com.
The conference is co-sponsored by several southwest Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Missouri State University Darr School of Agriculture, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Department of Conservation, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency.
Community on 01/22/2015