We’ve been having a grazing school through some mini Tailgate Talks.  We will be having our third and final of the season on August 21, 2018.  This is graciously hosted by Charles and Paul Kennedy with Luke Kennedy as our main wrangler.   The evening starts at 5:30 pm with a light meal sponsored by the Jackson County Conservation District.  Because of the meal, we ask that you let us know you are coming by calling 785-364-4125 or email me at jholthau@ksu.edu.  There is no charge to attend.

This last session applies to everyone, who grazes livestock without fence and water?  Rod Schaub, Frontier Extension District Livestock agent will be discussing fencing options with a showcase of all the latest gadgets for electric fencing.   He will be followed by Will Boyer, Water Quality Specialist who will discuss watering options for the grazier.  We will be demonstrating his solar water pump.

And if that’s not enough for you, the Eastern Kansas Grazing school, will be held September 5 & 6th in Douglas County.  Two days packed with presentations, hands on workshops and farm visits.  The main speakers are Doug Spencer, Dustin Schwandt of the NRCS Range Conservation team.  We also have invited back the experts from Missouri, Mark Green, Missouri NRCS and Wesley Tucker, MSU Ag Economist.   Dr Walt Fick, KSU Range Management Specialist will talk about weed and brush control.

Registration is $60 for the first person from a farm, and $30 a person for additional participants from that farm.  Let me know if you’d like to register. 

The Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a lot of rain this October, could this be correct?  I guess it would only make sense, to make the harvest of anything salvageable to be miserable, like this miserable drought has been!

With the high price of hay, preg checking beef cows this fall, will make more sense than ever.  Be sure to get them checked as soon as possible.  I’m hearing a lot of cull cows are hitting the market, as producers are “thinning the herd” to save their pastures.   As well as, selling off the calves early.  Supplementing with protein, will help reduce the stress on the pastures as well.

2018 will be a year, that hopefully we can learn from and plan for such in the future.