Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: J.R. Sprague, 806-862-4601, h-sprague@tamu.edu
Andy Holloway, 806-323-9114, andy.holloway@ag.tamu.edu
Scott Strawn, 806-435-4501, Scott.Strawn@ag.tamu.edu
Michael Wilkes, 806-868-3191, mcwilkes@ag.tamu.edu
CANADIAN – A Beef Cattle, Range and Wildlife Conference will be held April 25 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Hemphill County, 10865 Exhibition Center Road in Canadian.
The AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resource agents hosting the program are J.R. Sprague, Lipscomb County; Scott Strawn, Ochiltree County; Michael Wilkes, Roberts County; and Andy Holloway, Hemphill County.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program following at 9 a.m. There will be a $10 registration fee, payable at the door. A noon lunch will be provided by Capital Farm Credit. Those planning to attend should register in advance by contacting Kristi Huffman at the AgriLife Extension office in Hemphill County at 806-323-9114.
“We are in the driest 42 months in recorded history, so rangeland is not in good shape, and ranchers need to look at their stocking rates,” Sprague said. “And we’ve recently had the lesser prairie chicken listed so ranchers need to know what this means to them.
The program will include the following topics and speakers:
– Stocking Rates on Native Rangeland, Dr. Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Amarillo.
– Rangeland Recovery/Renovations, Dr. Tim Steffens, West Texas A&M University/AgriLife Extension range specialist, Canyon.
– Prairie Chicken Habitat—What is it?, Jeff Bonner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department technical guidance biologist, Pampa.
– What Now with the Prairie Chicken?, Sean Kyle, Texas Parks and Wildlife wildlife diversity specialist, Lubbock.
– Texas State Beef Checkoff, Ross Wilson, Texas Cattle Feeders Association president, Amarillo.
Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one in laws and regulations and one in integrated pest management – for pesticide applicators will be offered for a two-hour portion of the program beginning at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact any of the AgriLife Extension offices in Hemphill, Lipscomb, Ochiltree and Roberts counties.
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