Livestock producers can learn more about a wide range of topics – from staying competitive to raising bison to addressing foot rot – at the Livestock & Forage Speaker Series, presented in partnership with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.
“The Livestock & Forage Speaker Series offers a variety of livestock-related topics over the three days of Ag in Motion, including cattle market updates, herd health and grazing management for cattle, sheep and bison species,” explains Jenifer Heyden, Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.
Series topics will cover cattle, sheep and bison production, Heyden adds, “It’s an opportunity for producers to engage with industry, research and government to build relationships in a learning environment.”
The complete schedule for the Livestock & Forage Speaker Series is available on page 10 and here are a few highlights:
Tuesday: Sustainable beef
What can individual beef producers do to uphold consumer confidence? Colby Elford, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and Anne Wasko, Gateway Livestock, will speak about how producers can stay competitive and how they can implement on-farm food safety practices. They will showcase the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) Program and the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration Project, both of which offer practical solutions and funding to address questions of beef sustainability.
Wednesday: Summer health concerns for cattle on pasture
A number of summer health concerns for cattle will be covered in this presentation, offered by Dr. Nathan Erickson, Assistant Professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. The list includes bull breeding issues, summer pneumonia in calves, fog fever and pink eye. Plus, learn about foot rot, and how to spot the differences between foot rot and other lameness issues.
Thursday: Bison 101
Curious about bison? New to the industry? Interested in raising them? Want to learn more? This presentation, given by Les Kroeger with the Saskatchewan Bison Association, will inform those interested in learning about how to help the bison industry grow and prosper.
These and other topics were chosen to align with demos that will be offered at Ag in Motion. “We worked hard to provide a comprehensive and complimentary information package to producers attending the show,” Heyden concludes.
The Livestock & Forage Speaker Series will cover a variety of topics each day during Ag in Motion in the Livestock Pavilion in Livestock Central. Full schedule on page 10.