By Blake Jackson
The Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield.
“The event will be headlined with an interview between Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Dr. Derrel Peel and Missouri’s own Tyne Morgan of ‘U.S. Farm Report,’” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
Peel holds the Charles Breedlove Professorship of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University and has more than 35 years of experience as an extension livestock marketing specialist. A nationally recognized livestock economist, he focuses on livestock market outlooks, marketing, and risk management education.
Peel also researches meat demand, supply chain issues, beef product marketing, and international cattle trade, with expertise in the Mexican beef industry. Davis notes the interview, led by Morgan the first female host of “U.S. Farm Report” will be both informative and entertaining.
The conference luncheon will feature Peter Ballerstedt presenting “The Roots of Humanity’s Future.” Ballerstedt, a former forage extension specialist at Oregon State University, has worked in the forage seed industry since 2011. He advocates for ruminant animal agriculture’s role in food systems and highlights the nutritional importance of animal-sourced foods. Through Grass Based Health, he encourages collaboration among producers, researchers, and consumers.
“For further education, conference participants can attend several breakout sessions,” says Davis. Topics cover rebuilding forage stands, virtual fencing, energy supplementation for grazing cattle, grazing crabgrass, reproductive management, hay costs, drones in agriculture, Theleria orientalis Ikeda, and weed control. Sheep and goat producers will also have sessions on parasite management, rotational grazing, and predator control.
A trade show will run alongside the conference, with exhibitors showcasing agricultural products and services. Registration, including the luncheon, is $55 by Feb. 6 and $65 through Feb. 13. No walk-ins are permitted.
For registration, visit https://www.springforageconference.com/
Photo Credit: gettyimages-awakr10
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Hay & Forage, Livestock