The Grazing Management School will hold its Sixth Annual Event this October
For two days in October, local cattle producers will be updated on the latest news in cattle grazing during the Sixth Annual Grazing Management School. The two-day session will take place at the Polk County Extension Service’s John Brenneman Auditorium in Bartow from October 24-25.[emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”]
“The Grazing Management School is to help commercial livestock producers develop strategies to improve their pasture production so their cattle can graze and be more productive as well,” says Bridget Carlisle, extension agent (livestock) for UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Office.
Cattle ranchers and producers will hear updates on familiar topics in grazing during the classroom session of day one, from Soil Fertility for Forages to Weed Control in Varying Grazing Systems to Native Range in Grazing Systems.
The second day of the school includes a tour of a local ranch to see different forage varieties, grazing systems, and fertilization, as well as how to properly store the various forages. “The producers, during each event, appreciate most the ability to have the tour where they get to see actual production from what was discussed in the school, seeing practices implemented,” explains Carlisle. “They see that every ranch’s production isn’t the same and what works in one ranch may not work for another and vice versa.”
The idea for the school came about after a UF/IFAS extension office noticed local producers’ interest in having more educational programs about improvements in pasturing production. Since the school began, there has been a steady flow of at least 30 ranch owners and operators who regularly come for the two-day session.
“The school is another venue for our office to get information out to those in the area. We know based on research and studies what all needs to be done to improve production, such as what variety of forages are necessary to grow, how to fertilize those varieties to get the most production, how to manage those forages, harvest them and even how to store them,” says Carlisle.
As an additional advantage of the session, the second day concludes with the open discussion of new topics and areas of interest for producers. This year will bring about discussion on Bahia grass die-off and how to prevent this grass decline in local ranches.
Although this is the sixth year of the Grazing Management School, the overall goal, according to Carlisle, has not changed and will continue to benefit local producers from now and on into the future. An early-bird discount will be given to those who register on or before October 4. Ranchers and cattlemen who are interested in attending the school should contact their local UF/IFAS extension office for more information or to register.
CREDITS
story by BLAIR TOWNLEY
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