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Ranchers Field Day set June 21Colorado Livestock owners and managers are invited to attend a Ranchers Field Day on June 21. The field day will be held at the Wray Cattle Company Ranch along Hwy. 34 at the Colorado/Nebraska state line near Wray, Colo. Registration starts at 8:15 a.m. at the ranch headquarters. The program begins at 8:45 a.m., and ends by 3 p.m. This field day is designed to teach ranchers how to look at the plants on the ground to help make good grazing decisions. This workshop builds on winter programs talking about good range and drought management by demonstrating them outdoors. Field day participants will see and hear interactive presentations in the morning on distinctly different sites: Flat Sands, Hilly Sands, and Hard Ground. At these sessions, participants will learn what to look for to decide when it is time to move livestock to another pasture. Looking at grazed and un-grazed plants helps people learn how much the grass has regrown and decide when to return livestock back into a pasture or find other feed. Drought is still heavy on ranchers minds. Plants tell a lot about how much the drought has affected them, but only if we know how to read them. Once we know what to look for and what we should ignore, we can make decisions that foster better range forage production and consequently better net livestock gains. After lunch, participants can enter a little challenge. Each attendee will have the chance to guess the weight, height, and body condition score of several cows. Why is this important? How big a cow is influences how much she eats. How much she eats influences how much grass she needs or, acres per animal. Acres per animal have a direct affect on the number of cows your range can feed and your bottom line. The program presenters are all NRCS range specialists who won't leave you lost in technical terms or lingo. Ben Berlinger has nearly 30 years of experience in eastern Colorado. Josh Saunders has traveled all over the western U.S. working on rangelands and soil quality. Herman Garcia is experienced in Colorado and New Mexico. Finally, Tim Steffens will guide the afternoon discussion. Steffens worked as a Colorado State University Extension Range and Livestock specialist before coming to NRCS. To save a lunch, contact the Yuma County Conservation District in Wray, Colo., by June 15. Call them at 970-332-3173 extension 3, between 7 a.m., and 4 p.m. weekdays, fax 970-332-4425, or you may e-mail Julie.Elliott@co.usda.gov. There is no registration fee. A lunch fee of $15 will be charged if the morning session is not attended. Late registrations and walk ins are welcome, but will not be guaranteed lunch. Please contact Bruce Bosley about these or other cropping systems or natural resource topics at 522-3200 extension 285 at Sterling or 542-3540 at Fort Morgan. Date: 7/2/07
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