Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
11/3/98
Contacts:
Dan Morrical, Extension Sheep and Grazing, (515)
294-0847
Treva Blumenshine, Extension Communications Systems, (515)
294-5672
Management Intensive Grazing Symposium
AMES, Iowa -- Two days of education programs will be held on forage and pasture management at the Iowa Forage and Grassland Council (IFGC) and MIG IV Symposium. The event will be held at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines on Nov. 24 and 25.
The IFGC meeting starts on Nov. 24 at 8 a.m. for registration and 9 a.m. for the annual meeting. The focus of this year's program is Managing, Storing and Marketing High Quality Hay.
The featured speaker for IFGC's program will be Neal Martin, Minnesota Forage Research Center. Martin will discuss harvesting and storage of quality hay to increase income.
Additional IFGC program topics include a producer panel that will relate their successes and failures in hay marketing. Another area to be covered is the use and management of leaf hopper resistant alfalfa. Registration for the IFGC program is $30 and includes lunch.
MIG IV begins at 4 p.m. on Nov. 24. Program highlights are producer presentations on how MIG is incorporated into their livestock operations. Stockers, beef cow, dairy, sheep and horse operations will be covered in the breakout sessions. "This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of successful MIG grazing both during the sessions and throughout the remainder of the program," said Dan Morrical, Iowa State University Extension sheep and grazing specialist.
Research and demonstration projects related to forage and grazing systems will be discussed in short mini-sessions. These sessions will provide attendees the opportunity to interact with leaders in areas of research and on-farm application of grazing technology. Ted McCollum from Texas A & M will discuss the "When, What and How of Supplementation Strategies for Improved Grazing Animal Performance" after the evening dinner.
The Nov. 25 morning program offers concurrent sessions that will allow registrants to choose topics that fit their interest or experience level. A focus session, "Getting the most from Fescue," will be presented by John Johns, University of Kentucky. Other sessions will be presented on weed control, paddock layouts, pasture establishment, fencing options and water options. Another round of research and demonstration mini-talks also is slated for the morning.
Registration for MIG IV will be $50 and includes proceedings, breaks, Tuesday evening dinner and Wednesday morning breakfast. MIG IV is sponsored by Iowa State University Extension, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Beef Center, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The full program brochure is available from County Extension offices or at the Animal Science Extension Website http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/ansci/ext/confprog.html. Contact Dan Morrical at (515) 294-0847 or morrical@iastate.edu for further information.
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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.