LAWTON, Okla. – The newly created Cattle Trails Cow-Calf Conference, a joint effort between Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, will be held Jan. 7 in Lawton, Okla.
The vision of the conference planners is to create an annual conference that will provide cow-calf producers the most up-to-date information on topics that influence cattle profits, said Stan Bevers, AgriLife Extension economist based in Vernon. In effect, the conference will assist producers in “driving” their cattle to profit.
The conference will alternate between Texas and Oklahoma each year, Bevers said.
This year, it is scheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Comanche County Fairgrounds Coliseum, 920 South Sheridan Road. Registration is $20 per person and includes educational materials, a copy of the Cattle Trails Cow-Calf Conference proceedings, a noon meal and refreshments. Additional information can be obtained at http://agrisk.tamu.edu.
The conference is named to represent the vast area of agricultural production between the Chisholm Trail and the Great Western cattle trails of the late 1800s, both of which started in south central Texas and drove north through central and western Oklahoma, Bevers said.
The keynote speaker for the event will be James Henderson of the Bradley 3 Ranch near Memphis. Bradley 3 Ranch has bred Angus cattle for more than 50 years. Their cow herd runs in some of the Texas Panhandle’s roughest country, Bevers said.
Henderson will be discussing fitting the cow herds to the country. In this time of price volatility and rising input costs, his expertise of matching cows to their environment can be effective in maintaining low input costs, Bevers said.
Additional speakers include Extension specialists from both Oklahoma and Texas. Reproductive efficiency, surviving in the new cattle paradigm, marketing and forage utilization will be covered. Industry sponsors also will have their products on display during the event.
Producers can register by contacting their local AgriLife Extension county agent, their Oklahoma Cooperative Extension county educator, or by contacting Bob LeValley at 580-255-0546 or bob.levalley@okstate.edu.
-30-