The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo’s Sheep and Goat Field Day on Aug. 18 will mark half a century of the event. The field day presents the latest scientific research, information and innovations to industry producers.
The free event will start at 7:30 a.m. with onsite registration at 7887 U.S. Highway 87 N., San Angelo. The educational program will be from 8:15 a.m.-noon and will feature Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists highlighting the work done at the center.
“We are excited to mark 50 years of bringing sheep and goat producers together not just from across the state, but across the U.S. and internationally,” said Reid Redden, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist, Department of Animal Science associate professor and San Angelo center director.
Redden said the field day will highlight current research efforts on small ruminants, resource management, targeted grazing and livestock guardian dogs.
For additional field day information, call the San Angelo center at 325-653-4576.
Growing the industry through scientists and students
Redden said the center is phasing into its third generation of faculty and staff, and it’s an exciting time developing a new research vision that builds on the work of predecessors and addresses new challenges and opportunities.
“We’ve had a substantial growth in graduate student involvement with our research and programs,” he said. “We have historically had a rangeland and small ruminant focus at the research center, and we are now entering a new era of where we can utilize new technology and further develop our scientific research to address the challenges related to animal productivity, resource management and livestock predation.”
In commemoration of the milestone field day, roughly 750 pounds of wool from sheep grown and raised at the center and harvested during previous shearing schools has been made into 100 blankets. All money raised from the sale of the blankets will go toward the center’s graduate student endowment. The scene on the blankets reflects the heritage of the center and features small ruminants, livestock guardian dogs and West Texas.
“The more we can continue to grow our graduate student program, the more future faculty and staff we can recruit to continue our rich legacy of research in the future,” he said. “All of the money raised from these limited-edition blankets will benefit the people who are the future of our industry.”
Field day tour, topics
The field day will consist of both outdoor and indoor sessions. Participants will rotate through six different tour stops on the center’s grounds before moving into the auditorium for three presentations.
Redden will open the event and provide an overview of the program and Josh Blanek, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Tom Green County, will serve as master of ceremonies.
Center stops, topics and speakers are as follows:
- Dorper/White Dorper Sire Progeny Test, Jake Thorne, AgriLife Extension program specialist, San Angelo.
- Cotton Weed Management with Sheep, Matthew Stewart, AgriLife Extension graduate assistant, San Angelo.
- Ram Fertility in Group Sire Mating Systems, Jordan Moody-Lee, doctoral candidate in the Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station.
- Shade Ball Study, Erika Campbell, Ph.D., AgriLife Research toxicologist, Sonora.
- Case Study of Livestock Guardian Dog Bonding Project, Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Research LGD specialist, San Angelo.
- Probiotic Lamb Feeding Station, Carson Millican, Department of Animal Science graduate student, Texas A&M, Bryan-College Station.
The auditorium presentations following the tour stops are:
- Carbon Sequestration Research and Overview, Doug Tolleson, Ph.D., associate professor and AgriLife Research rangeland scientist, Sonora.
- Effect of Patch Burning on Grazing Pattern of Livestock Over Space and Time, Prairie Project team members John Walker, Ph.D., AgriLife Research range specialist, San Angelo; Justin Wied, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology research associate, Bryan-College Station; and Weiqian Gao, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology graduate assistant, Bryan-College Station.
- 50th Anniversary Commemorative Wool Blanket Presentation, Redden.
The event is dedicated to the late Chico Denis, former president of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association and American Sheep Industry Distinguished Producer Award recipient in 2018.
AgriLife Extension’s 2023 Texas Sheep and Goat Expo will follow the field day on Aug. 18 and will run through Aug. 19 at the First Community Credit Union Spur Arena, 4722 Grape Creek Road, San Angelo. Advanced registration for the Expo is $75 and includes lunch and dinner on Aug. 18 and breakfast and lunch on Aug. 19. Onsite registration is $100.
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