“Change is a hard thing to accept, but for ranchers in Kansas things are always changing and successful ranchers are always looking ahead - adapting their management to meet that change,” said Tim Christian state coordinator for the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC). “Registration is open for the 2014 KGLC range schools and we encourage interested folks to get their names on the list to attend one of two schools.”
The Mid-/Shortgrass Range School runs from Aug. 5-7 at Camp Lakeside, Lake Scott, and the Tallgrass Range School is set for Aug. 19-21 at Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale. Registration is $300 per person and scholarships funds are available to qualified attendees. A scholarship form and more information on the Schools is available at www.kglc.org under 2014 Range Schools found in the navigation bar. Scholarship applications must be submitted by July 22 for the Mid-/Shortgrass School and August 5 for the Tallgrass School.
Moving from drought to wetter conditions, staying ahead of market shifts, or dealing with challenges posed by wildlife habitat considerations all factor into planning for the grazing season, the off-season, and in making many of the needed management decisions on ranches today, said Christian. To help ranchers, landowners, and land managers think through many of these processes and remain economically viable is the goal set before our range school instructors as they work to provide tools, concepts, and sound advice
on better managing ranch operations.
KGLC partners help with the costs for covering about half of those participating ranchers, their hired help or spouses; landowners; land managers; college students; and qualifying agency staffs. This requires outstanding financial support from many of our KGLC partnering individuals, organizations and agencies. Sponsors include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kansas State University Research and Extension; Fort Hays state University; National Grazing Lands Coalition; Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism; US Fish and Wildlife Service Kansas Partners Program; Kansas Section of the Society for Range Management; The Nature Conservancy; William F. Bradley, Jr.; Trust, Feed-Lot Magazine; ITC Great Plains; Kansas Farm Bureau; and Graze the Prairie.
KGLC organized in 1991 as a non-profit educational organization and its vision is to regenerate Kansas grazing lands. For more information on the 2014 KGLC Range Schools, contact Tim Christian, state coordinator, at 620-241-3636, email to tdchristian@cox.net, or Ken Sherraden assistant coordinator, 785-922-7061, email to kennethsherraden@sbcglobal.net. You may also go to the web at www.kglc.org