RRAD set for Nov. 30
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Danny Nusser, 806-376-0051, d-nusser@tamu.edu
AMARILLO – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be offering something a little different at this year’s Panhandle Farm and Ranch Management Symposium during the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show, Nov. 29-Dec. 1.
“We are calling the program RRAD as it emphasizes Researched, Relevant information provided by AgriLife and encourages Discussion and interaction,” said Danny Nusser, AgriLife Extension regional program leader in Amarillo.
The RRAD program will be in the Grand Plaza of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St. in Amarillo. It will follow the annual Amarillo Chamber of Commerce luncheon, beginning at approximately 1 p.m. and concluding around 5 p.m.
“This program is designed to allow producers an opportunity to gain research-based, relevant knowledge on topics important to them,” Nusser said. “In addition, we will focus on allowing producers time to interact and share experiences related to these topics and get questions answered.”
Producers will have a choice of six sessions they can attend. Each session will be 1 hour and 15 minutes. At the conclusion of each session, producers can move to a different location and topic.
“Some sessions will be repeated and some will only be offered in one time slot, so producers will need to pick and choose what they want to hear about,” Nusser said. “We will be offering speakers and discussions on six different topics during each session and will rotate three times. This allows producers to hear about three topics in the afternoon.
“This presentation approach allows producers to attend the sessions of interest and come and go as they please,” he said. “We felt like this new approach could meet individual needs for information and time. It also allows producers to contribute to the discussion about their experiences and opinions related to each topic.”
The program is being sponsored by Texas Wheat Producers, Plains Cotton Growers, Texas Sorghum Producers and Texas Corn Producers, so there will not be a registration fee, Nusser said.
There will be the potential for up to three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units in the areas of laws and regulations, integrated pest management and general. The CEU’s will only be offered for those topics focusing on issues related to pesticides.
The following is a list of the stations, topics and AgriLife Extension personnel who will be speaking during each of the three rotations:
Station 1 — Crop Market Outlook and Opportunities – Dr. Steve Amosson, economist, Amarillo; J.R. Sprague, county agent, Lipscomb County; and Scott Strawn, county agent, Ochiltree County.
— 2017 Profitability Analyzer – Grain Option – Strawn.
— 2017 Profitability Analyzer – Small Grain/Grazing/Silage/Hay Option – Sprague.
Station 2 — Texas Department of Agriculture Laws and Regulations – Austin Voyles, county agent, Potter County; and Rick Auckerman, county agent, Deaf Smith County.
— Cotton Variety Selection for Northern Counties – Dr. Seth Byrd, cotton agronomist, Lubbock; Voyles; and Auckerman.
— Texas Department of Agriculture Laws and Regulations – Voyles and Auckerman.
Station 3 — Sunflower Production, Dr. Calvin Trostle, agronomist, Lubbock; and Mike Bragg, county agent, Dallam and Hartley counties.
— Grasshopper Biology, Control and Potential Damage – Dr. Ed Bynum, entomologist, Amarillo; Marcel Fischbacher, county agent, Moore County; and Bragg.
— Corn Hybrid Options – Silage, Feed Corn, etc. – Dr. Jourdan Bell, agronomist, Amarillo; and Fischbacher.
Station 4 — Current Issues and Future Farm Bill Decisions – Commodity organization representatives and Dr. J. D. Ragland, county agent, Randall County.
— Current Issues and Future Farm Bill Decisions – Commodity organization representatives and Ragland.
— Current Issues and Future Farm Bill Decisions – Commodity organization representatives and Ragland.
Station 5 — Wheat Fungicide Chemistry and Mode of Action – Dr. Ron French, plant pathologist, Amarillo; Jody Bradford, county agent, Carson County; and Curtis Preston, county agent, Bailey County.
— Financial Tech Tools in Agriculture – DeDe Jones, risk management specialist, Amarillo; and Bradford.
— Financial Tech Tools in Agriculture – Jones and Bradford.
Station 6 — Stocker Cattle Health/Supplementation Opportunities – Dr. Ted McCollum, beef cattle specialist, Amarillo; and Dale Dunlap, county agent, Wheeler County.
— Hay/Silage/Graze Out Decisions – McCollum and Preston.
— Stocker Cattle Health/Supplementation Opportunities – McCollum and Dunlap.
For more information, contact Nusser at 806-677-5600 or the local AgriLife Extension county agent.
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