BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota Professionals Range Camp will be held June 5-7, 2018 at the Lamphere Campground near Sturgis (East Hwy 34).
“This camp had its origins with the Ag Lender’s Range Camp and has expanded its educational content to meet continuing education credit requirements for appraisers, assessors, realtors as well as undergraduate/graduate credits for agriculture educators and agriculture industry related professionals,” explained David Ollila, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist and co-coordinator for the camp.
With rangelands covering approximately 50 percent of South Dakota, Ollila explained that rangelands are an important natural resource that impacts the economy of the state.
“Rangeland is a kind of land, not a land use,” Ollilla said. “Rangeland is fragile, yet durable and resilient. Management profoundly impacts the rangeland forage productivity and its value for livestock, wildlife and humans.”
The Professionals Range Camps seeks to educate attendees about the productive potential of the rangeland based on the ecological range site, the similarity index of the range plant composition and the management practices that will support sustainable multiple uses.
Participants will be able to better determine the economic value of the rangelands as well as the production and conservation practices that will improve or sustain this precious resource.
Hands-on training
The camp’s itinerary is designed to place participants on area ranches that will serve as case studies toward meeting the objectives of the program.
“Attendees will participate in hands-on activities that ranchers actually use to manage their rangelands and determine the appropriate livestock carrying capacity for the current year,” Ollila said.
Regionally and nationally-recognized rangeland management professionals, practitioners and ranchers will present key messages and concepts that have been proven to promote and support rangeland forage production.
Activities are scheduled into the agenda to promote valuable networking opportunities and listening sessions will occur each evening with a question and answer period for invited panelists who can share years of rangeland management experience and strategic planning scenarios when implementing practices.
Registration details
For more information and to register, contact Dave Ollila at david.ollila@sdstate.edu or 605-394-1722.
— SDSU Extension
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