Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contacts: Raymond Quigg, 432-693-2313, r-quigg@tamu.edu
Chase McPhaul, 325-884-2335, pcmcphaul@ag.tamu.edu
RANKIN/BIG LAKE – Far West Texans have two chances to catch up on the latest range related news in as many days during Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s County Ag Days set for Upton and Reagan counties on March 19 and 20, respectively.
Both programs will start at 8:30 a.m. The Upton County program will be held in the Upton County Extension Meeting Room, 1000 N. State Highway 329, Rankin, and the Reagan County program will take place in the AgriLife Extension office, 1430 N. Ohio St. in Big Lake.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be available for private applicator license holders at each program.
Individual registration is $15 for the Upton County event and $10 for the Reagan County ag day. The fees include lunch. For an accurate lunch count, both programs require an RSVP by March 14. To RSVP to the respective sites, call the AgriLife Extension office in Upton County at 432-693-2313 or the AgriLife Extension office in Reagan County at 325-884-2335.
Both programs share the same speakers and general format, but their topics will be somewhat dissimilar.
The speakers will include Dr. Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist at Fort Stockton; Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist at San Angelo; Ken Cearley, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at Amarillo; Tiffany Dowell, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist at College Station; Stephen Zuberbueler with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Jed Hruska with the Farm Service Agency, both headquartered at Big Lake.
The March 19 Upton County Ag Day topics will include:
– Management of Tarbush and Mesquite in Upton County and Hydrology of Upton County and Hydraulic Fracturing, McDonald.
– Restocking Options/Economic Considerations, Thompson.
– Predator Management, Cearley.
– Agricultural Law, Dowell.
– FSA and NRCS Updates, Hruska and Zuberbueler.
The March 20 Reagan County Ag Day topics will include:
– Update on Sendero Demonstration at the Holt Ranch and Hydraulic Fracturing and Background in Reagan County, McDonald.
– Negotiation Considerations and Tips: Grazing and Farming Leases, Oil and Gas Leases, and Pipeline Easements, Dowell.
– Restocking Plans that Improve Flexibility and the 2014 Farm Bill, Thompson.
– NRCS and FSA Updates, Zuberbueler and Hruska.
– Predator Management, Cearley.
For more information on the programs, contact Raymond Quigg, AgriLife Extension agent in Upton County, at 432-693-2313, r-quigg@tamu.edu or Chase McPhaul, AgriLife Extension agent in Reagan County, at 325-884-2335, pcmcphaul@ag.tamu.edu .
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