As we rush through fall and edge closer and closer to winter, producers can be forgiven for focusing on the immediate tasks at hand like harvest, weaning, and preparing for winter. That doesn’t mean that we can totally neglect looking toward the future. Let’s look at a few upcoming opportunities that could help improve your grazing and forage production next year.
First on the list is the 2023 Cover Crop Grazing Conference on Tuesday November 7th at the UNL Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center near Mead, NE. Registration begins at 8:30 with the program starting at 9:30.
The 2023 conference features annual forage production and grazing strategies with keynote speakers Dr. Bart Lardner (University of Saskatchewan) and Dr. Mary Drewnoski (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) will be discussing grazing of summer annual forages. Preregistration is required by November 1 online at enreec.unl.edu/covercropgrazingconference.
On November 9th, the UNL Department of Animal Science will host it’s annual Nebraska Beef Summit also at the UNL Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center near Mead, NE. This event is planned by the 481 Animal Science Class with support from Nebraska Cattlemen. Beginning at 9 AM and running to 3:30, topics this year include; genetic tools for the cow/calf producer, beef industry dynamics when calf supply is low, grazing corn residue, transition planning, and how to manage severe weather events. Register by October 30th at go.unl.edu/beefsummit.
Another upcoming conference is the Northern Plains Forage Association Annual Meeting on December 1 in Brandon, SD. The program will run from noon to 4 PM, with Dr. Dan Undersander, emeritus forage expert from the University of Wisconsin featured as the keynote speaker. Dr. Undersander has been a pilar of the forage community for years. An internationally recognized expert in the field Undersander was the developer of the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) forage test rating and has more than 1,200 publications in the area of forage production.
A formal agenda and registration form will be available soon, however those interested in the conference or the Northern Plains Forage Association can reach out to Sara Bauder, Extension Forage Specialist with the South Dakota State University at sara.bauder@sdstate.edu.
One final resource that may be of interest to some comes in audio form. “The Forage Connection: Grazing, Growing, and Feed” is a new podcast collaboration between myself and Sara Bauder, SDSU Forage Extension Specialist. In today’s constantly evolving agricultural landscape, the Forage Connection dives into forage production, providing a platform for farmers, ranchers, and experts in the field to connect, share their insights, and explore the latest developments in the field.
Each episode, Sara and I sit down with an expert as we journey through the world of forages. We discuss our topic of the month through engaging conversations with industry leaders, experienced farmers, and forage experts. Gain invaluable insights into innovative practices that are shaping the future of our industry while getting practical advice to enhance your farming techniques, increase crop yield, and improve the well-being of your livestock.
You can find “The Forage Connection” on major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Find it and subscribe to make sure you don’t miss an episode!
-Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving the counties of Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Madison and Pierce. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben.beckman@unl.edu