Sunday, April 28, 2013

Workshop and Field Days

Upcoming Workshop and Field Days

Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program is conducting following field day and training workshop in the next month.

1. Year-round forage production and sustainable grazing management field day, Selma, AL - June 8, 2013 (9 am to 12 pm) - at Mr. Gregory Scott's farm

Ruminant livestock production in Alabama is based on pasture. Highly productive and quality pasture persisting throughout a year or most of the year is important for profitable livestock enterprises. Most of the livestock producers in Alabama have warm-season perennial pastures that produce from May to October and have negligible or no production from November to April, when farmers need to invest considerably on supplementary feedstuffs such as hay, agricultural byproducts, and commercially prepared feeds to sustain their livestock. Feeding supplement for 5-6 months each year is not cost-effective. The purpose of this field day is to educate and demonstrate Extension professionals and livestock producers on developing and managing year-round pasture system. This field day will be conducted on a goat producer’s farm, which has been involved in developing year-round pasture and managing the pasture with rotational grazing system. Participants will be able to see and experience how their livestock production system can be improved, and apply the similar system on their farms. For more information, read the program flyer and agenda. To participate in the program, please fill the registration form, and send back to us as suggested in the registration form immediately.  

THIS EVENT IS COMPLETED! For the field day highlight, visit this link: http://www.tuskegee.edu/sites/www/Uploads/files/About%20US/TUCEP/Workshops/SelmaFieldDayReport.pdf

2. Sustainable livestock production workshop, Union Springs, AL - June 27, 2013 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm) - Hands on portion will take place at Ms. Rosia Jernigan's farm

Ruminant livestock, especially beef cattle, production has been a major enterprise for many farmers in Alabama. Alabama has 1.23 million cattle and calves, which accounts for the second topmost farm commodity with cash receipts of $395.8 million. The 2007 Agriculture Census data shows that 76 percent of the cattle producers are small scale producers with a herd size of less than 50. There are many avenues that need improvement (such as pasture and grazing system, supplementary feeding, routine health care and management, and breeding) in the existing livestock production system for the producers to be able to get benefit from their operations. The purpose of this workshop is to educate and train field-level Extension professionals and livestock producers on different aspects of sustainable livestock production system, especially focusing on a cow-calf operation. Please read the program flyer and agenda for more information. To participate in the program, fill and return the registration form along with the registration fee to the address given in the registration form on time.