By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
2014 Annual Winter Grazing Conference - Grazing and Soil Health
Placeholder Image

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Kansas Graziers Association (KGA) along with the 2014 Annual Winter Grazing Conference. “Grazing and Soil Health” is the focus of this year’s winter conference, including a component on “The Value of Cover Crops.” This workshop, part of the Amazing Grazing Series of Educational Events, will be offered January 25, 2014 at Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 1616 W. Crawford St. in Salina, KS.
Presentations during the conference will focus on grazing thoughts during the uncertainty of drought, soil health demonstrations, the benefits of using cover crops for soil health, the benefits of grazing cover crops, and how to select cover crop species.
The conference will feature David Kraft, NRCS state rangeland management specialist; Chad Remley, NRCS state soil scientist; Candy Thomas, NRCS state agronomist; and Kris Etheridge, area resource conservationist. The conference will also feature producers sharing their experiences grazing cover crops.
A new feature of this year’s workshop is an invitation to participants to submit any “Good, Bad or Otherwise Ideas” that have been tried that other graziers can learn from. Conference organizer Mary Howell shares, “The beauty of KGA is that we so openly share and learn from each other. We don’t have enough time or money in life to make all of the mistakes ourselves!” Ideas will need to be displayed as the actual genius grazing device, in a poster or notebook-type fashion, or as a ‘short’ presentation to the group. If you have something to share, please contact Mary Howell at kfu.mary@gmail.com so she can organize the exchange. Howell adds, “Graziers have many great ideas and inventions to make our jobs easier. Let’s share what we know, this could be really fun! Please plan to join us for a very educational and as always enjoyable day.”
Kansas Graziers will host a social at conference headquarters in the atrium starting at 7:30 P.M., Friday, January 24, 2014. All graziers are invited to attend and enjoy the networking, snacks, and refreshments. For food planning, please note on your registration form if you plan to attend the social.
Pre-registration for the day is $50. At the door: $60. You can also register online at www.kansasgraziers.blogspot.com or by downloading a registration form and mailing it to the address given.  A block of rooms for $52 is reserved thru Jan. 20, at Salina Ramada, 785-823-1791.
Conference sponsors are the Kansas Graziers, Kansas Farmers Union, Kansas NRCS, Kansas SARE, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, Kansas Grazing Land Coalition, with funding from North Central Risk Management Education Center, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.