October 31, 2002

IRM Conference to Take Futuristic Look at Forage Production and Beef Cattle

A futuristic discussion on land use, forage production and feeding strategies will headline a regional conference on Integrated Resource Management scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Nov 18-19, at the Doublewood Inn in Bismarck.

The conference is sponsored by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association, North Dakota State University, the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center and the NC-225 Research Team, a group of extension specialists from nine states.

Producers and researchers from Nebraska to Alberta, Canada, will headline the presentations. Conference coordinators Kris Ringwall and Greg Lardy, NDSU beef extension specialists, say the event is a rare opportunity for beef producers in the region to broaden their perspectives and learn about new ideas.

The conference is open to the public. The Monday session begins at 6 p.m. and includes dinner. There is a $10 charge to cover the meal. Tuesday the conference begins at 9 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m. The cost for Tuesday activities is $25.

For more information or registration forms, contact Ringwall at the Dickinson Research Extension Center, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND, 58601 or call (701) 483-2427. Ringwall can also be reached by email at kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu .

"This conference will challenge producers to think outside of the box and see how forage can be managed to give us maximum pounds of protein return per ace," Ringwall said. "An outcome of the conference is to give producers additional management concepts to use that will optimize management and chart a positive course for the future."

Ringwall and Lardy said the conventional management practice of "turning the cows on grass and balancing management and labor throughout the growing season will be discussed. The program takes a total management approach to beef production that could give producers new angles to consider in their own cow-calf enterprises."

The event will feature a "no questions barred" session on Monday, Nov. 18. A panel discussion will include a long-term look at how resources are being used in agriculture, how the same resources could be managed differently to yield more return and alternative methods to improve profit potential.

A major focus of the program on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will be a look at forage options including grazing systems, alternative annual crops and managing the forage as part of a synergistic system. "Synergism simply means the combined action of the various parts of any beef enterprise exceeds the sum of the various individual actions," Ringwall said. "Cow-calf producers need to see how they can network the individual components and inputs and optimize potential outcomes and production."

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Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu