The Kansas Forage and Grassland Council will hold its Winter Conference and Annual Meeting on December 9, 2014, at Kansas Farm Bureau Headquarters, 2627 KFB Plaza, Manhattan, KS.  Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. with a Hay Buyer panel starting the day off at 9:15 a.m., followed by several breakout sessions covering an assortment of alfalfa, forage production and grazing management issues presented by several industry experts.

“We’re excited about this year’s conference,” said Jenni Carr, KSFGC Executive Secretary.  “With declining grain prices, a lot of farmers will be looking for alternatives.  Jim Robb, with the Livestock Marketing Information Center will be providing a very timely 2015 forage and alfalfa outlook, that should really help producers.”

Other breakout topics include: New Technologies in Alfalfa; Fall Control of Alfalfa Weevils; Strategies To Minimize Nitrate Toxicity in Forages; Utilizing Summer Annuals in Beef Rations; Grazing Management; Grazing Cover Crops; Hay Sales: Liabilities and Contracts; Forage and Alfalfa Crop Insurance; and Hay Transportation Regulations. The full agenda is available on the KSFGC website, www.ksfgc.org.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) will also be providing a breakout session on a few of the changes coming in the Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan.  “2014 was a bad smoke year from Flint Hills prescribed burning,” said Carr.  “As a result, KDHE has made some changes in their smoke models to better account for Nebraska air quality; and these changes may really impact the days available to conduct prescribed burns, especially in the Northern end of the Flint Hills.”

Conference Registration is $65 in advance ($85 at the door) and includes lunch, a conference proceedings and your 2015 KSFGC membership.  To register go to www.ksfgc.org and print off the registration form and return it to Jenni Carr, 4507 211^th Road, Atlanta, KS 67008; email jlcarr@ksu.edu; or call her at (316) 323-7330.