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Prairie County

MSU Extension hosts Agriculture educational events

Published: 2019
By Sharla Sackman
MSU Extension agents in Prairie, Dawson, Wibaux, Fallon-Carter, Powder River, Rosebud-Treasure, McCone, Custer, and Garfield counties cooperatively plan the annual Extension Winter Ag Series focusing on topics of regional interest and importance. Winter Series is the largest adult education event in Prairie County. This year’s topics included growing and feeding alternative forages, rangeland restoration and management, and economic decision-making tools for ranch management. Prairie County Extension works cooperatively with the Prairie County Grazing District and local producers to plan an annual range tour featuring researchers from Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory. Range recovery in the Lodgepole complex fire area, grasshoppers and their influence on grasslands, an update on the Fort Keogh heifer efficiency study, variability in cattle gestation lengths, research in genetic improvement in beef production, and field research on grazing management and drought were topics of discussion at the 2019 tour. Producers have formed relationships with researchers at Fort Keogh as a long term result of hosting tours over the past 13 years and report using those experts for advice in their livestock operations. Terry served as a site for a Farm and Ranch Management Workshop offered by MSU Extension Farm Management Specialists at select locations around the state. Topics included financial reports, enterprise crop budgets, crop and livestock insurance, agriculture policy, futures markets, family business issues, integrated weed management, life and health insurance, pasture leases, hay production, mineral nutrition for beef cattle, agriculture production and price outlook, noxious weed law and plant identification, soil fertility, and retirement and succession planning. Participants reported that they would utilize information gained at the workshop in their operations, particularly related to issues related to transition of operations between generations.