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K-State Research and Extension News

Released: Dec. 22, 2016

K-State’s Winter Ranch Management series set for January and February
The seminar series in early 2017 will highlight successful strategies for enhancing beef producer profits.
Cattle on Prairie

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With lower expected revenues from the sale of calves in 2017 compared to 2014-15 prices many producers are looking for ways to improve their operation’s profit potential. With that in mind, the 2017 Kansas State University Winter Ranch Management series of meetings will include comments from extension educators on profit-enhancing strategies.

The meetings will also feature a popular town-hall style question-and-answer session between Kansas’ cattle producers and extension specialists. The Winter Ranch Management Seminar series runs in January and early February.

The series has a history of being a successful stretch of meetings, which are hosted throughout the state of Kansas, said Bob Weaber, K-State Research and Extension cow/calf specialist. Weaber, along with other state, district and local extension staff, will take part in the series to help answer producers’ questions. The specialists will answer a wide range of questions on beef cattle issues including animal health, nutrition, management, genetics and reproduction.

“Over the past few months we’ve received quite a few questions from producers looking for profit tips and tools,” Weaber said. “The Winter Ranch Management series provides another great opportunity for state and local specialists to take our expertise out in the country for a series of impactful face-to-face meetings.”

Some of the hot topics Weaber predicts are: winter feeding and cow management; bull buying and selection strategies; preparation for calving and breeding season; and vaccination and animal health issues such as the new Veterinary Feed Directive.

“Early in the year is always a great time for producers, when the weather is bad and after they get chores done, to sit back, think and plan for the coming year, the calves that will be born in the spring and how they might manage those,” he said. “Certainly it is a good time of year to think about opportunities to reduce costs and enhance revenue streams.”

2017 Winter Ranch Management locations and contacts include:

Mound City
Date:        Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017; 5:30 - 8:30 PM (CST)
Location:   Mound City First Baptist Church, 8424 Paine Road
                Mound City, KS 66056
                RSVP by Jan. 19, 2017 to:
                -    Megan Westerhold 913-294-4306 or mwesterhold@ksu.edu or
                -    Chris Petty - 620-223-3720 or cgp@ksu.edu

Syracuse
Date:        Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017; 5 - 8:30 PM (MOUNTAIN TIME)
Location:   Hamilton Co. Fairgrounds, 806 Main St.
                Syracuse, KS 67878
                RSVP by Jan. 31, 2017 to:
                -    Jenifer Sexson - 620-384-5225 or jsexson@ksu.edu

Salina
Date:        Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017; 11 AM – 3:15 PM
Location:   Salina K-State Polytechnic Conference Center
                2310 Centennial Drive
                Salina, KS 67401
                RSVP by Feb. 7, 2017 to:
                -    Katelyn Brockus - 785-325-2121or kbrockus@ksu.edu
                -    Anthony Ruiz - 785-392-2147or anruiz@ksu.edu
                -    Neil Cates - 785-738-3597or ncates@ksu.edu or
                -    Kashly Schweer - 785-483-3157or kschweer@ksu.edu  

Olsburg
Date:        Wednesday, Feb.15, 2017; 5-8:30 PM
Location:   McCormick Elementary
                109 N First St.
                Olsburg, KS 66520
                RSVP by Feb. 8, 2017 online at www.pottawatomie.ksu.edu or call   
                Pottawatomie Co. Extension Office at 785-457-3319.
                For more information contact:
                -    Anastasia Johnson - 785-562-3531 or anastasia@ksu.edu
                -    Greg McClure - 785-537-6350 or gmcclure@ksu.edu or
                -    Della Sass - 785-457-3319 or dsass@ksu.edu

Atwood
Date:        Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017; 5-8:30 PM
Location:   Rawlins County Fair Building
                20366 RD S
                Atwood, KS 67730
                RSVP by Feb. 14, 2017 to:
                -    JoEllyn Argabright, 785-626-3192 or joargabright@ksu.edu

Meeting times vary by location but all will include a meal. Participants are asked to RSVP for a selected location by the close of business one week prior to the event. Registration fees, which cover a meal, vary by location. Interested participants should contact their local host contact for registration and RSVP details.

More information about the K-State Winter Ranch Management Seminar Series is available at KSUBeef.org.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.


For more information: Bob Weaber - bweaber@ksu.edu or 785-532-1460