Bow Creek Watershed Project to host grazing workshop

HARTINGTON — The Bow Creek Watershed Project will be hosting a Grazing Workshop Sept. 22.

Converting sunlight and water into forage and forage into pounds of meat is what livestock producers do. The more efficiently it is done, the more profit can be realized. Ralph Tate, a Certified Educator for Holistic Management International, Papillion, will discuss these processes for commercial livestock producers and finish operations. During the workshop, Tate will present the principles of grass and forage management, rotational grazing, and how both impact profit per acre. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the principles in action at local farms.

Pat Steffen will share experiences of rotationally grazed pastures with his commercial cattle and his lessons to share about fence and water infrastructure.

Matt Kathol is in his second year of grazing multi-species forage crops on cropland with cattle. Forage analysis from the past two years will be presented as well as actual grazing numbers from 2022 and anticipated grazing for 2023.

Pasture plant composition will be assessed by UNL Extension Beef Specialist, Ben Beckman.

Jason Thiele, Nebraska Game and Parks Private Lands Biologist, will discuss how management can change plant communities in pastures and rangeland.

The workshop will be held Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at the Hartington Golf Course. Lunch is provided with registration.

To register contact Becky Ravenkamp at LCNRD by calling 402-254-6758 or by emailing bravenkamp@lcnrd.org.