Seminar series will focus on management and profit strategies for beef producers and allow producers to ask questions of their local, district and state extension specialists.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – “Corrals, calcium, costs and cows: management and profit strategies for 2018” is the theme of the 2018 Kansas State University Winter Ranch Management Seminar Series. Hosted at four sites across the state of Kansas the meetings will feature presentations and comments by extension educators on profit-enhancing strategies.

 

The meetings will also feature a popular ‘town-hall’ style question-and-answer session between Kansas’ cattle producers and extension specialists. The series has a history of being a successful stretch of meetings, which are hosted throughout the state of Kansas, said Bob Weaber, K-State Research and Extension cow-calf specialist. Weaber, along with other state, district and local extension staff, will take part in the series to help answer producers’ questions. The specialists will answer a wide range of questions on beef cattle issues including animal health, nutrition, management, genetics and reproduction.

 

“Over the past few months we’ve received quite a few questions from producers looking for profit tips and tools,” Weaber said. “The Winter Ranch Management series provides another great opportunity for state and local specialists to take our expertise out in the country for a series of impactful face-to-face meetings. During the last few years producers have experienced price volatility and increased costs. We believe that producer profit margins will continue to narrow over the next couple of years. Our extension team is here to help with reliable information.”

 

Topics to be discussed are facility improvements and bud box cattle processing systems; mineral supplementation strategies; cost; production and profit benchmarking; and optimizing the cow herd through female selection. The Hepler location will feature a talk by Dr. KC Olson on late season burning as a method to aid in the control of sericea lespedeza.

 

“Early in the year is a great time for producers, to think and plan for the coming year,” Weaber adds. “Certainly, it is a good time of year to think about opportunities to reduce costs and enhance revenue streams.”

 

Meeting times and registration fees vary by location but all will include a meal. Participants are asked to RSVP for a selected location by the close of business one week prior to the event. Interested participants should contact their local host contact for registration and RSVP details.

 

2018 Winter Ranch Management locations and contacts include:

 

Beloit

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2018; 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: NCK Technical College

3033 US Hwy 24

Beloit, KS

 

RSVP by January 30, 2018, to:

Barrett Simon, Post Rock Extension District

785-378-3174; barrett8@ksu.edu

Katelyn Brockus, River Valley District

785-325-2121; kbrockus@ksu.edu

Clint Laflin, Midway Extension District

785-483-3157; cllaflin@ksu.edu

 

Olsburg

Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018; 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Location: McCormick Elementary

109 N First St.

Olsburg, KS

 

RSVP by January 31, 2018, online at www.pottawatomie.ksu.edu or call Pottawatomie Co. Extension Office at 785-457-3319.

 

For more information contact:

Anastasia Johnson, Marshall Co. Extension

785-562-3531; anastasia@ksu.edu

Greg McClure, Riley Co. Extension

785-537-6350; gmcclure@ksu.edu

Shannon Blocker, Pottawatomie Co. Extension

785-457-3319; sblocker@ksu.edu

 

Dighton

Date: Thursday, February 8, 2018; 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Lane County Fair Grounds

Dighton, KS

 

RSVP by February 1, 2018, to:

Jared Petersilie, Walnut Creek Extension District

620-397-2806; jaredp11@ksu.edu

 

Hepler

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2018; 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Community Building

Hepler, KS

 

RSVP by February 6, 2018, to:

Chris Petty, Southwind Extension District

620-223-3720; cgp@ksu.edu

Keith Martin, Wildcat Extension District

620-784-5337; rkmartin@ksu.edu

 

 

More information about the K-State Winter Ranch Management Seminar Series is available at KSUBeef.org.

Source: KSU Extension