Industry Events
June 22, 2007

Kansas Angus Ass’n District 1 Meeting
June 23, Topeka

District 1 is made up of members from the following counties Atchison, Brown, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley and Wyandotte. Members form other districts are welcome to attend. RSVP is appreciated.

The District 1 meeting has been changed to Saturday, June 23, at 7 pm at the Plantation Steakhouse in Topeka. (Dutch treat supper). American Angus Association Board member Gordon Stucky, Circle S Ranch, Kingman, Kan., will be the speaker and will discuss what is new with the American Angus Association and especially the new heifer pregnancy EPD.

Please RSVP and direct questions to District 1 director, Jerry Theis at jerry-tonyatheis@sbcglobal.net or 913-682-5989.

K-State ag conferences
June-August, Kansas

Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension is offering the following area and statewide agricultural conferences and field days to all interested persons. For more information about these events and other local and county events, check with your local Extension office.

• June 25-26 — Composting Operators’ School, Manhattan, 785-532-5776
• July 15-17 — Crop Diagnostic School, Manhattan, 785-532-6183
• July 22-23 — Kansas Ag Retailers Association Crop School, Manhattan, 785-532-6183
• Aug. 14-15 — Risk and Profit Conference, Manhattan, 785-532-1504

Purdue agribusiness conferences, seminars
July-Nov.

Purdue University will host several conferences and seminars aimed at those in agribusiness. Among the seminars are:

• July 10-11 — Precision Selling: Building Relationships with Large Farmers
• Oct. 22-26 — Agrimarketing
• Nov. 13-14 — National Conference for Agribusiness: “Re-Thinking Service Strategies: Innovations that Drive Profit.”

For more information about these conferences and seminars, contact Purdue’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business at 765-494-4247 or agbusinessinfo@purdue.edu.

Community field day, ag barbecue
July 11, Dickinson, N.D. 

The 31st Annual Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) Community Field Day will be July 11 at the DREC grounds in Dickinson. Area farmers and ranchers will be given the opportunity to tour the center and witness its research projects. A gardening horticulture tour is also scheduled.

The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee will host a barbecue, including barbecued beef and trimmings, at the conclusion of the tour. Farmers, ranchers, urban and rural customers and business people are invited to attend. For more information contact the DREC at 701-225-5115 or visit www.dickinsonchamber.org.

InfoAg 2007 Precision Farming Conference
July 10-12, Springfield, Ill.

The InfoAg 2007 international precision farming conference will include topics such as auto guidance, wireless technologies, high-tech scouting, and more. July 12 has been designated “Farmer Day” to benefit producers who are curious about adopting precision agriculture technology as well as growers who have been using it and benefiting for many years.

More than 100 presentations and demonstrations are planned. Visit www.infoag.org for more information.

OSU Summer Workshops
July-October, Ohio

The Ohio State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Team will sponsor a series of tours and workshops throughout the summer.

A farm that makes its own biodiesel, cattle and poultry that thrive on grass, and sheep and goats that transform weeds into pasture will highlight the tours.

• July 26, Pasture Management and Reclaiming Land with Ruminants — Herman and Nancy Schul farm, 21458 Varner Rd., Guysville, 7-9 p.m., free, (740) 667-3336. Using sheep and goats to reclaim land overrun with brushy and invasive plants and turn it into productive pasture. Also: forest management, including crop tree management, forestry cost-share programs and chainsaw safety.

• Aug. 28, Soil Health and Quality Workshop in Wood County — Agricultural Incubator Foundation, 13737 Middleton Pike Rd. (state Route 582), Bowling Green, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., $25 (includes lunch and books). For farm families, crop consultants, Extension educators and others. Hands-on activities to access, measure and improve the overall health and quality of farm soils. Call Alan Sundermeier at 419-354-9050 by Aug. 18 to register.

• Aug. 30, Organic Grain Research Field Day — West Badger Farm, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 1518 Barnard Rd., Wooster, 1-4 p.m., free, 330-202-3528. Presented by scientists with OARDC’s Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program, now in its ninth year. Tour organic grain plots and compare different production methods.

• Sept. 27, Soil Health and Quality Workshop in Wayne County — Fisher Auditorium, OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., $25 (includes lunch and books). See Aug. 28 details. Call Alan Sundermeier at 419-354-9050, by Sept. 17 to register.

• Oct. 10, Organic Livestock and On-farm Biodiesel Production — Mike and Dawn Roberts farm, 7203 Waynesburg Rd. NW, Waynesburg, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., free, 330-866-2132. A certified-organic, grass-based operation that milks Normande cattle using an all-forage diet in a managed grazing system, produces and direct-markets pasture-raised beef and poultry, and recently received a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant to develop an on-farm biodiesel system to refine used cooking oil and use it to power the farm’s equipment.

Visit http://sustainableag.osu.edu to download the schedule, along with the schedule of summer tours and workshops offered by Innovative Farmers of Ohio, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, the Ohio Grassland and Forage Council, and the Small Farm Institute.

For more information, contact Mike Hogan, Carroll County office, OSU Extension, 32 W. Main St., Carrollton, OH 44615; (330) 627-4310; hogan.1@osu.edu.

Michigan Angus Ass’n Field Day
July 28, Clarksville

Michigan Angus breeders are encouraged to attend the Michigan Angus Association Field Day on Saturday, July 28 hosted by Bonnie and Darwin Canfield at their farm in Clarksville, Mich.

Field day activities, which are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., include educational seminars, a judging contest for both youth and adults, and a door prize drawing. Events will conclude following a complimentary dinner at 6 p.m.

The educational seminars will feature several guest speakers discussing the following herd management topics: heat detection and synchronization programs, general beef cattle nutrition and methods for maximizing forage in beef cattle.

The field day, along with scheduled activities, is free and does not require a registration. For more information regarding the Michigan Angus Association Field Day, contact Bonnie Canfield, Michigan Angus Association treasurer, at 616-350-7415 or 616-868-6412; bondarhnb@aol.com; or 8002 Freeport Ave., Clarksville, Mich. 48815.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.