Black mouth curs ‘bay up,’ process in which the cow dogs circle and bay at a herd, allowing cattle to settle down and giving time for any stragglers to join. One presentation at the 2013 Cow Country Congress on Oct. 24 will be a video and slideshow presentation on the finer points of using cowdogs to work cattle. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service by Robert Burns)
Programming to include cow dogs and estate planning
Writer: Robert Burns, 903-312-3199, rd-burns@tamu.edu
CROCKETT – This year’s Cow Country Congress on Oct. 24 in Crockett will have several presentation topics not covered in previous years, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
Two program highlights will be a presentation on estate planning when transferring an operation to the next generation and a demonstration on working cow dogs.
The Cow Country Congress is an annual multi-county event supported by the AgriLife Extension beef and forage committees in Walker, Madison, Houston, Trinity, Leon, Freestone, Polk and Anderson counties, said Armon Hewitt, AgriLife Extension agent for Trinity County.
Set at the Porth Ag Arena, 1100 Edminston Drive, Crockett, registration is $20 per person and includes a steak lunch. Participants will need to RSVP by Oct. 15 by calling 936-544-7502, and the registration fee is requested before Oct. 24. Registration will start at 7 a.m. in the Crockett Civic Center and presentations will begin at 8 a.m.
“Beef producers from outside the traditional eight counties of the Cow Country Congress, are invited to attend this educational program,” Hewitt said. “Participants will have the opportunity to visit with a variety of commercial exhibitors throughout the course of the day between presentations and demonstrations.”
“Participants will have the opportunity to watch three local producers showcase their breed of dog and different working styles on cattle,” said Jo Smith, AgriLife Extension agricultural agent for Houston County.
Dr. Charles Long, resident director at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, will moderate the cow dog program.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/qTao_mXseMY[/youtube]
Dr. Wayne Hayenga, AgriLife Extension economist, will present “Generation Turnover,” a talk about estate tax issues when turning a farming or ranching operation over to the next generation.
Also on the program will be a legislative update by state Rep. Trent Ashby, District 57, Lufkin; and “Marketing Beef to U.S. Consumers” by Charlie Bradbury, president and CEO of Nolan Ryan Beef.
For spouses there will be cooking demonstrations and workshops on container gardening, growing herbs and cheese making.
For more information, contact Mandy Patrick, AgriLife Extension family consumer sciences agent in Houston County at 936-544-7502.
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