30th Annual Spring Forage Conference Set For Feb. 25 In Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, MO.
The 30th annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference will be Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, at University Plaza Hotel in Springfield.
Each year this conference attracts a growing number of people interested in learning more about management strategies for forages and livestock.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Grassland Consultant Jim Gerrish. His topic will be “How do you Know a Change in Your Management will be Profitable.” He is well known throughout the United States for his extensive knowledge of all aspects of managing pasture.
Gerrish has spent over 20 years in Missouri conducting research and educating producers at the Missouri Forage Systems Research Center near Linneus, Mo. While in Missouri, he operated his own 260 acre livestock grazing operation in the northern part of the state. He now resides in Idaho and remains active in the livestock and forage industry through his private consulting business and busy schedule as a featured speaker and author for numerous grazing publications.
The conference will also feature breakout sessions in the morning and the afternoon. Topics will include: pasture renovation, quality hay production, managing what you have, dairy grazing opportunities, poisonous plants, strip-grazing as a management tool, how to cut costs, soil health and grazing, addressing misconceptions with agriculture, and a producer panel on getting started with a grazing system.
More than 30 companies 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 Soil and Water Conservation District at (417) 831-5246, ext. 3. More conference information, lodging information, maps, and registration forms can be found at http://springforageconference.com/.∆