By Joe Sellers
The 2014 Iowa Forage and Grassland Council Conference will be Nov. 25 at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn. The event begins with registration at 8 a.m., followed by the IFGC annual meeting at 9 a.m., and is open to anyone interested in forage and grassland issues.
This annual event includes general and breakout sessions, and specific times for visiting with exhibitors, ending at 3 p.m. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Joe Sellers said IFGC members and non-members alike will benefit from attending this annual event.
“The keynote speaker is Peter Ballerstedt, forage production manager at Barenbrug USA,” Sellers said. “He’s written numerous articles and publications, including a blog focused on human nutrition, health and diet. His presentation is titled, ‘Forages Make Meat, Meat Is Medicine.’”
The rest of the agenda topics and speakers:
“Benefits of Forage and Grassland with Water Quality” Bruce Trautman, Iowa DNR
- 10:30-11:30 a.m. Breakout session 1
“Double Grazing with Sheep and Cattle” Harry Cope, Truxton, Missouri
“Cover Crop Mixes, Benefits and Advantages” Joe Graber, Kalona, Iowa
- 1-1:45 p.m. Breakout session 2
“Cover Crops -- Use in Forage and Livestock Systems” Panel: Joe Graber; Harry Cope; David Otte, Green Valley Seeds
“Establishment and Management of Perennial Pastures” Brian Lang, Iowa State University
- 2-2:45 p.m. Breakout session 3
“Fertility and Fertilization - Getting the most out of your forage crops” Mark Carlton, Iowa State University
“Improvements in Forages,” Peter Ballerstedt
“Convention preregistration is $40 per person, which includes sessions and lunch when registered prior to the event, with on-site registration increasing to $50 per person,” Sellers said. “The dues year from IFGC membership runs from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31. Producer and public fee is $35, and industry fee is $90, and this is payable on the registration form as well.”
Source:iastate.edu