Cattle Trails Cow-Calf Conference

Not only are beef producers in Wise County hurting, but cattle producers across the country are feeling the bite of the drought through rising costs.  I received this information concerning the Cattle Trails Cow-Calf Conference that addresses our immediate area of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma.  This conference should be very valuable to those who attend.

A cattle industry recovering from the drought will be the focus of the Cattle Trails Cow-Calf Conference, a joint effort between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, to be held Jan. 15 in Lawton, Okla.

This annual conference provides cow-calf producers the most up-to-date information on topics that influence cattle profits, said Stan Bevers, AgriLife Extension economist in Vernon, Texas.

The slogan of the conference is “driving your cattle to profits,” although Bevers said the last couple of years have made it tough to generate any profit.

The conference, which alternates between Texas and Oklahoma each year, will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Comanche County Coliseum, 920 South Sheridan, in Lawton. Registration is $25 per person and includes educational materials, a noon meal and refreshments.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Garrett King, agricultural liaison for U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas from Oklahoma. Lucas is the current House Agriculture Committee chairman. King will provide a farm bill and congressional update from Lucas’ office.

Two speakers will address pasture conditions and recovery. Jack LeClair, DuPont Crop Protection range and pasture specialist, Saint Jo, Texas, will cover drought recovery and invasive weeds. Dr. Bob Gillen, Western Kansas Agricultural Research Center department head at Hays, Kan., will cover the impact of drought on the Southern Plains grassland.

Traits and tools for retention and replacement of beef females will be discussed by Dr. Megan Rolf, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension beef cattle management specialist, Stillwater, Okla.

Dr. Dan Hale, AgriLife Extension meat specialist, College Station, Texas, will give participants a virtual packing plant tour to close out the meeting.

Industry sponsors will have products on display during the event. For more information on the event, go to http://agrisk.tamu.edu.

Producers are encouraged to preregister by contacting their local AgriLife Extension county agent, their Oklahoma Cooperative Extension county educator, or the Southwest Oklahoma Area Extension office at 580-255-0546.