The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Swisher County Ag Committee will conduct two producer programs in late August.
A Swisher County Sorghum and Corn Tour is set for Aug. 21, and a Stocker Cattle Workshop will be Aug. 28. Both have a $10 registration fee.
The Swisher County Sorghum and Corn Tour will meet at 10 a.m. at the Swisher County Co-op Gin, located 1 mile east of Kress on Farm-to-Market Road 145. From there, participants will travel to the Mike Goss Farm, south of the Flint Elevator, to view a Pioneer sorghum variety trialunder drip irrigation.
The second stop on the tour will be at the Jeremy Reed Farm, 3.5 miles west of Kress on Farm-to-Market Road 145. The program will include information on a dryland sorghum variety trial being conducted by Pioneer, followed by lunch.
The noon program will include updates from the Texas Sorghum Producers and Texas Corn Producers staff. Blayne Reed, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent for Hale/Swisher counties, will also detail insect scouting techniques and a Huskie herbicide trial update.
From the Reed Farm, the tour will travel 6 miles north on County Road 9/Farm-to-Market Road 3141 to Dunn Farms. Fields in this stop will include drip and center pivot irrigated corn, featuring Pioneer and Channel varieties.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide application continuing education units will be given. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP for this program by Aug. 18 to 806-995-3726.
The Stocker Cattle Workshop will begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Happy Community Center in Happy,with registration and a meal sponsored by Great Plains Ag Insurance.
Dr. Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo, will present educational information regarding the nutritional management of incoming stocker calves and management strategies that affect the value of gain.
Dr. Zach Smith of Dimmitt Vet Clinic will present information on the vaccines and treatment protocols on incoming cattle. A cattle market outlook presentation also will be given by Jason Slane, market and membership manager for Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Amarillo.
Wrapping up the program will be Rachel Meyers, Great Plains Ag Insurance in Amarillo, providing a grazing insurance product update, and Wes Stribling, ADM in Amarillo, discussing feed products.
Those planning to attend this meeting are asked to RSVP by Aug. 25.
For more information on either program, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Swisher County at 806-995-3726.
