The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer two days of educational programming during the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza Ballroom, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo.

a farm field being plowed
Producers can earn up to five continuing education credits and hear the basics on soils and spraying at the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Continuing Education Units Workshop on Dec. 3 in Amarillo. (Kay Ledbetter/Texas A&M AgriLife)

The Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show Continuing Education Units Workshop on Dec. 3

The Amarillo Farm Show CEU Workshop will be on Dec. 3 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., with registration at 8 a.m. and the program beginning at 8:45 a.m.

Registration is $40 and will include a lunch. An RSVP to Megan Eikner, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Potter County, at [email protected] is requested, but not required.

Checks must be payable to the Potter Ag Committee and participants must show their current Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA, applicator cards during registration.

Five TDA continuing education units will be available for those completing the workshop, including three general, one laws and regulations, and one auxin unit.

The program will feature:

  • Laws and regulations update, Cheryl Goswick, TDA inspector, Amarillo.
  • Soil additives – biologicals, soil additives and amendments, Clay Robinson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension project specialist, Amarillo.
  • Basic soils: connections to residuals, respray residuals, water solubility, basic chemistry, Robinson.
  • Sprayer calibration, Tyler Rich, ProChem.
  • Auxin training, Eikner.

AgriLife Extension cooking demonstrations

AgriLife Extension’s North Region family and community health agents will provide a variety of health-related information at their booth outside of the Grand Plaza in the north foyer all three days of the show.

They will provide different healthy food samples and recipes at 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. daily.

They also will share information on helping farmers, ranchers and their families manage stress and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

Beef Quality Assurance Training on Dec. 3

A Beef Quality Assurance Training program, titled Dedicated to Quality, with Jason Smith, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and Department of Animal Science assistant professor, Amarillo, as guest speaker will be held from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Hospitality Room.

Texas Beef Quality Assurance, BQA, promotes modern best management practices that are proven to help strengthen consumer confidence in beef as a wholesome food product. Producers who complete this training will receive BQA certification. 

Registration for this training is available through the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association at [email protected] or 800-242-7820.

This program is also supported by AgriLife Extension and the Texas Beef Council.

Dec. 4 educational programming

The Texas Wheat Symposium and Amarillo Ag Appreciation Luncheon, hosted by the Texas Wheat Producers Association and the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Ag Council, will be held from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

The free symposium begins with a wheat market outlook by Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension grain marketing economist, and a farm policy outlook presented by Joe Outlaw, Ph.D., co-director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University and AgriLife Extension economist. Both are professors in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station.

The free Amarillo Ag Appreciation Luncheon will begin at noon. The keynote speaker will be Michelle Miller, The Farm Babe.

AgriLife Extension will follow the luncheon with a Wildfire Mitigation Program beginning at 1:30 p.m. Wes Reeves, Xcel Energy senior community engagement manager, will lead the discussions. Topics will be:

  • Situational awareness: Xcel initiatives to map the fire environment in the Texas Panhandle and understand changing fire weather conditions.
  • Operational improvements: Pole replacement and overhead line modifications to reduce ignition risk.
  • Operational strategies: Enhanced powerline safety settings and public safety power shutoffs.
  • Emergency management support: Xcel Energy’s Pano AI early detection camera system.
  • Community partnerships: Supporting our communities’ efforts to protect residents from wildfire threats.

A Ruminant – Cattle, Sheep and Goats – General Health Overview will follow from 2:30-4 p.m. with area veterinarians Pippa Gibbons, DVM, and Michelle Buckley, DVM. The topics will be:

  • Developing herd plans.
  • Building relationships with your veterinarian.
  • Identifying sick animals.
  • Common emergencies.
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