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| Jim Gerrish |
Forage production and animal management
are key components to profitability in many livestock operations. According to
Garry L. Mathes, chair of the 2014 Missouri Livestock Symposium, producers have
benefited from an outstanding year in forage production, coupled with high
livestock prices, there hasn’t been a better time to invest in cost-effective
improvements and plan for the future. “As a result, our planning committee
wanted to address topics aimed at helping producers make smart investments and
explore opportunities for the future.” In order to accomplish this objective, a
great lineup of nationally acclaimed speakers will be on hand to address these
topics and answer questions.
The Missouri Livestock Symposium welcomes back the featured forages expert Jim
Gerrish from Patterson, Idaho. Jim will address four topics in the forages
section including: “From Row Crops to Grass Farming,” “When Should You Be Calving,”
“Making Cost-effective Pasture Improvements” and “Why You Should Be Out of the
Haying Business.” Jim’s experience includes over 20 years as a researcher at
the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center in Linneus, MO, where
he co-founded the popular grazing school model still used to educate producers
today.
Jim has authored two very popular forage management books, “Management
Intensive Grazing” and “Kick the Hay Habit.” Jim currently dedicates his time
operating a private consulting business, American GrazingLands Services, LLC,
where his focus is to aid farmers and ranchers to more effectively manage their
grazing lands for economic and environmental sustainability.
Also speaking in
the forages section will be Mark Kennedy, retired NRCS state grazinglands
specialist, addressing the topics of “Extending the Grazing Season” and
“Multispecies Grazing-Opportunities and Pitfalls.”
Mathes notes that
in addition to the forage programs, there is a full lineup of nationally
acclaimed speakers on beef cattle, sheep, meat goats, stock dogs, farm
succession, backyard poultry and beekeeping. The Symposium also features a free
trade show and two free meals—a beef supper on Friday evening at 6 p.m. and a
Governor’s Style Luncheon on Saturday at noon.
The Symposium will run from 4-10 p.m. on
Friday, December 5 and from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 6. The
event will be held at Kirksville’s William Mathew Middle School, 1515 S.
Cottage Grove in Kirksville, MO. No pre-registration is needed and there is no
cost to attend. Mathes notes, “If there is a better deal anywhere I want to
know about it!”
Additional details
about speakers, topics, lodging, meals, trade show and more can be found at the
Missouri Livestock Symposium website at www.missourilivestock.com or call Garry Mathes at 660-341-6625, the Adair County Extension
Center at 660-665-9866 or you can also email Zac Erwin at erwinz@missouri.edu. Please put MLS in the subject line.
