Texoma Farm and Ranch Show approaching

Texas

The Texoma Farm and Ranch Show is fast approaching. The show will start on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and continue through Thursday, Feb. 16. The show will be at the MPEC located at 1000 5th Street in Wichita Falls. Last year, the show brought in more than 10,000 interested onlookers.

Wednesday will start at 7 a.m. with the growers breakfast in Room 10. This event has grown year after year, so like last year; you must have a ticket to get into the breakfast.

This years sponsors are First Ag Credit, AgriPro Wheat Cygus Expos. The speaker will be Matt Brockman, Executive Vice President for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Following the growers breakfast will be the CEU Training starting at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium. We will offer 3 CEU's (one in IPM and two in General) and the cost is $10.00 per person. Dr. Travis Miller, Department Head, Soil and Crop Sciences TAMU will talk on IPM. Dr. Don Robinson, Director Experiment Station Vernon will talk on Soil Fertility and Fertilization. And for the first time Dr. Chris Sansone, Interim Associate Head for Entomology will talk on Wheat insects.

Year after year some of the best comments come from the live cattle demonstration which will start at 1 p.m. in the West parking lot. Dr.. Ron Gill, Extension Livestock Specialist, and Mr. Kevin Przilas, Sale Representative InterVet will focus on vaccine handling, chute-side manners and beef quality assurance. A must see at the show. This program is sponsored by LINN chutes.

We have a real treat for everyone that is interested in wildlife and how to market different wildlife endeavors. Scott Showers, Cargill Consultant and Animal Nutritionist, and Jamie Smith, Cargill Consultant will conduct a one hour presentation on marketing wildlife in North Texas. Scott and Jamie have both been involved with my meetings at the Texoma Farm and Ranch Show in years past--And it was time to bring them back.

This year's 2 p.m. program will be another first at the Farm and Ranch Show. We have enjoyed some of the biggest returns in the cattle industry that we have ever seen. So, what's next? Stan Bevers, Economist-Management Specialist, TCE will help sort out all the ins and outs to this market. If you haven't been to one of Stan's programs, you have to make this one. He is one of the very few economist that you can understand and won't fall asleep.

At 3 p.m. and rounding out the first day will be Chad Brown of Purnia. Brown has extensive work with horses and will be leading discussion on Horse nutrition.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, the CEU training will begin at 8 a.m. and cost $10 per person. Like on the 15th we will offer three CEU's two in General and one in IPM. The first speaker will be Rob Borchordt, AgriPro Wheat, and will be followed by Dr. David Worrall of AgriPro. Dr. David Worrall, and Robert Borchardt, will be talking about Wheat technologies and Wheat varieties. Dr. Todd Baughman, Extension Agronomist, TCE will address the group on weed control in Wheat and cotton. Also on the agenda will be Dr. Gaylon Morgan, State Extension Agronomist, TCE. Dr. Morgan will also address the weed issue with use of his result demonstrations across the state.

At 1 p.m. we have a new topic at the Farm and Ranch Show, Fire Ants. Dr. Ann Marie Thurston--Field Development, Bayer Crop Science will be addressing the group on Fire Ant Management for the Home and Farm.

Also at 1 p.m. Chad Brown, District Representative Purnia will be on the program again. But this time Mr. Brown will be discussing Cattle Nutrition.

In addition to these meetings, there will be more than 300 exhibits that range from animal health, buildings, chemicals, communications, cotton equipment, feed, fertilizer, insurance, harvesting equipment, hay equipment, irrigation, livestock equipment, tractors, trucks and much more.

Date:1/26/06