Five-State Beef Conference highlights better grazing management, stewardship
Events will be Sept. 20 in Clayton, N.M., and Sept. 27 in Perryton
The Five-State Beef Conference, co-hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will offer two events for ranchers across five states to hear experts discuss grazing management and stewardship.
The Sept. 20 event will be in the Clayton Civic Center, 124 N. Front St., Clayton, New Mexico. The Sept. 27 event will be at the Ochiltree County Expo Center, 402 Expo Drive, Perryton.
“One of my mentors used to say that what kept you in or took you out of the ranching business isn’t going to be how much your calves weigh,” said Tim Steffens, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and West Texas A&M University associate professor. “By that, he meant it was close attention to your bottom line and stewardship that will keep your banker happy and regulations to a minimum.”
Grazing management, Steffens said, is nothing more than having the right number of the right type of animals at the right place at the right time for the right duration at the right frequency for the right reason.
“There are as many ways to do that correctly as there are operators and at least twice that many ways to do it wrong,” he said. “It isn’t a system, it is a way of making decisions about those things based on what the animals, the plants and your pocketbook are telling you.”
Steffens, who serves on the FIve-State Beef Conference coordination committee, said the ranchers and land stewards on these programs are some of the best, and they will be sharing their expertise gained over the years.
In addition to AgriLife Extension, co-hosting the events are West Texas A&M University, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University and New Mexico State University.
Sept. 20 program topics and presenters
The event is free, but the registration deadline is Sept. 10. For more information about registration, contact Talisha Valdez, Union County Extension office, 575-374-9361, Clayton, New Mexico.
The event will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. MST, with the program from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. MST. Lunch and conference proceedings will be provided.
– Designing a Better Grazing Management Program for Stewardship and Profit, Tim Steffens, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension and West Texas A&M University range management specialist, Canyon.
– How Stewardship Can Pay, Marcel Fischbacher, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Moore County.
– Weeds, from Problem to Profit: Small Ruminants Improve Rangeland Health while Increasing the Bottom Line, Clint Hoelting, rancher, Dalhart.
– Improving the Land with Holistic Management and Selling Grass-Fed Beef Direct to Consumers, Tom Sidwell, JX Cattle Company, Tucumcari, New Mexico.
– Range Monitoring: Not Just Data and Numbers, Casey Spackman, Ph.D., New Mexico State University.
– Panel Discussion.
Sept. 27 program topics and presenters
The cost is $15, and the registration deadline is Sept. 24. Mail checks to the AgriLife Extension office for Ochiltree County; 402 Expo Drive; Perryton, TX 79070–2469.
The program will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m., followed by the program from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch and conference proceedings will be provided.
Topics and speakers include:
– Designing a Better Grazing Management Program for Stewardship and Profit, Steffens.
– Stewardship of Ranch Economics, Justin Rader, rancher, Canadian.
– Infrastructure Development for Profitable Stewardship, Doak Elledge, rancher, Pampa.
– Efficient Ranch Stewardship, Adam Issacs, rancher, Canadian.
— Panel Discussion.
For more information or to register, call Scott Strawn, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Ochiltree County, at 806-435-4501; J.R. Sprague, Lipscomb County, 806-862-4601; Kristy Slough, Hansford County, 806-659-4130; Sterling Scott, Roberts County, 806-868-3191; Loren Sizelove, Beaver County, Oklahoma, 580-625-3464; or Britt Hicks, Oklahoma State University area livestock specialist, 580-338-7300.
