COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Ranch Management University, scheduled Oct. 24-28 at Texas A&M University in College Station, is open for registration.
A collaboration of the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Department of Animal Science, Department of Agricultural Economics and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, NRI, the training will cover everything from soil fertility to livestock management to wildlife.
Registration is $625, with attendance limited to the first 50 enrolled and the deadline to register is Oct. 14. To register online and for more information, go to https://tx.ag/RMU2022.
“There has been a tremendous change in land ownership patterns over the past several years,” said Larry Redmon, Ph.D., soil and crop sciences associate department head and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program leader, College Station. “Many people are purchasing rural land but may lack a basic understanding of how to manage the soil-plant-animal interface. We are here to provide answers to those new landowners.”
Workshop attendees will meet at the G. Rollie White Visitor Center, 7707 Raymond Stotzer Parkway on the Texas A&M University campus.
The Ranch Management University program will begin with registration at 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 24 and conclude at noon on Oct. 28. Meals and break refreshments will be provided. A resource flash drive containing over 100 publications covering ranch resource management will also be provided.
Three general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered to attendees.
On the agenda
Approximately half of the workshop involves lectures and discussion, with the remainder consisting of field demonstrations of various how-to methods of soil sampling, calibrating sprayers and inoculating legume seed. Various forage species, including Bermuda grass, small grains, annual ryegrass and clovers, are studied by workshop attendees. A demonstration covering hog trap management will also be given.
Topics and speakers for each day will be:
Day 1: Some Basics
- Basic Soils, Soil Fertility, Soil Sampling in the Field – Jake Mowrer, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state fertility specialist, College Station.
Day 2: Cattle Raisin’
- Ag Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know – Tiffany Lashmet, J.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo.
- Structure of the U.S. Beef Industry, Nutrient Requirements and Supplementation of Beef Cattle/Body Condition Scores in Beef, Genetic Strategies for Profitable Production, Animal Handling Demonstration, Niche Marketing: Non-Traditional Production Strategies – Jason Cleere, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Planning for Profit – David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock economist, Bryan-College Station.
Day 3: More Basics
- Horse Production 101 – Jennifer Zoller, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horse specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Texas Well Owners Network, TWON: Well Informed – Joel Pigg, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Hay Sampling and Sprayer Calibration, Hay Considerations, Reading the Pasture – Importance of Stocking Rate, Options for Wintering Cattle – Redmon.
- Marketing Livestock – Cow-Calf? Stockers? Feedlot? – Anderson.
- Financial Assistance Programs from NRCS – Jason Hohlt, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service range specialist, Bryan.
Day 4: Wildlife on Your Property
- Using Wildlife as Agriculture for Property Tax Proposes, Rio Grande Turkey Management and Managing for Dove – Jim Cathey, Ph.D., professor and Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute associate director, Bryan-College Station.
- Weed and Brush Management and Forage Establishment – Redmon.
- Beekeeping – Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Bexar County.
- Feral Hog Issues/Trap Demonstration, Jay Long, NRI project coordinator.
Day 5: Additional Topics
- What is a Watershed? – Leanne Wiley, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Lone Star Healthy Streams program manager, Bryan-College Station.
- White-tailed Deer Management and Northern Bobwhite Issues and Management – Cathey.
For additional information on Ranch Management University or to see if space remains after Oct. 14, contact Redmon at 979-845-4008 or l-redmon@tamu.edu or Linda Francis at 979-204-5206 or l-francis@tamu.edu.
–Kay Ledbetter
Texas A&M AgriLife Communications