Forage Focus Programs In Your Area

Forage Basics Mini-Series in St. Clair County beginning in March All livestock producers, horse owners and hay producers are encouraged to attend a three (3) night forage mini-series. Soils and Fertility, Forage Nutrition and Economics and pest management are the three (3) central topics for discussion. Meeting dates are March 13, April 10 and May 15, 2012. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and be held at the Ohatchee Municipal Complex (7801 Hwy 77 in Ohatchee). There is no cost for attending this series but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Please contact regional agent Henry Dorough or the St. Clair County Extension Office for more information and to RSVP.	Blount County to host Forage Basics Mini-Series The Blount County Extension Office will host a three (3) night forage basics series coordinated by Regional Agent Henry Dorough. Major topics include Soils and Fertility, Forage Nutrition and Economics and pest management. Meeting dates are March 15, April 12 and May 17, 2012. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and be held at the Blount County Extension Office in Oneonta. There is no cost for attending this series but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Please contact regional agent Henry Dorough or the Blount County Extension Office for more information and to RSVP. This informational series is open to all livestock producers, horse owners and hay producers.
Producing Hay in Southeast Alabama A hay production meeting will be held on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at BamaJam Fams in Enterprise, AL. The day long program will feature speakers and hay demonstrations. Topics will include forage species selection for hay production, nutrient needs of hay fields, cost of producing hay, weed and insect control and matching hay and cow needs. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. To receive lunch, you must RSVP to the Coffee County Extension Office at (334) 894-5596 by May 11, 2012.	Hay and Forage Field Day for Horse Owners On Saturday, May 19, 2012, horse owners are invited to attend a hay and forage field day designed especially for horse owners. The program will be held at the Morgan County Agricultural Center in Hartselle. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the program begins at 9 a.m.. The cost to attend this workshop is $30/person, which includes lunch. The workshop will also include a tour of Red Oaks Farms, which consistently produces high quality horse hay and is the past winner of the prestigious Sunbelt Ag Expo hay contest. This field day is limited to 50 participants. Registration is due by May 11,2012. For more information, please contact Regional Agent Gerry Thompson.
Central Alabama Forage Field Day The Chilton County Research and Extension Center in Clanton, AL will be the host to a Forage Field Day on June 29, 2012.  The topics scheduled include: forage crop information and management, nutrient management/ soil fertility, fall armyworm and fire ant management, weed control options, and concurrent hands on sessions after lunch.  The hands on sessions will be: soil testing, forage testing and the hay contest, GPS/GIS tools in forage management, as well as sprayer and seeder calibration. Information presented will be useful for livestock producers, horse owners and hay producers. For more information, please contact Regional Agent Josh Elmore.