Feb 5-Apr 30   Master Gardener Course, Gooding Co. Extension Office, 203 Lucy Lane in Gooding. Every Tuesday, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cost is $125/person or $175/couple. Registration open until Jan. 25; class size is limited. Contact is Tony McCammon, Twin Falls Co. Ext., 208/734-9590 or tonym@uidaho.edu.

Feb 6-May 1    Master Gardener Course, Twin Falls Co. Ext. Office, 246 3^rd Ave. E. in Twin Falls. Every Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-noon. Cost is $125/person or $175/couple. Registration open until Jan. 25; class size is limited. Contact is Tony McCammon, Twin Falls Co. Ext., 208/734-9590 or tonym@uidaho.edu.

Feb 6-May 1    Master Gardener Course, Minidoka Co. Ext. Office, 85 E. Baseline in Rupert. Every Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cost is $125/person or $175/couple. Registration open until Jan. 25; class size is limited. Contact is Tony McCammon, Twin Falls Co. Ext., 208/734-9590 or tonym@uidaho.edu.

May, 2013 Lost Rivers Grazing Academy

 If you are an alumni of the Lost Rivers Grazing Academy or a similar program or have practical experience with Management-intensive Grazing, you should consider attending the “Pulling It together for Profit”, May 14-17 in Shoshone, Idaho.  The program is taught by the Grazing Academy instructors and features Jim Gerrish, well-known grazing consultant.

As we have developed and refined the Lost River Grazing Academy it became clear that we could not cover all of the subject matter that we felt was important to effectively operating a managed grazing system as thoroughly as we wanted to.  It was just too much to do in four days, even with the aggressive schedules of the earliest Academies.  To remedy that we have put together a second level workshop: Pulling It Together for Profit. 

In Pulling It Together for Profit we will examine in greater detail:

1)            Pasture evaluation and planning for improved pasture productivity.

2)            Pasture production records and using them to predict future performance, and avoid "falling over the cliff."

3)            We will revisit financial planning using the University of Minnesota farm financial management package FINPACK which permits development of budgets and comparison of whole-ranch alternatives, and much more.

4)            We will evaluate  pasture and soils on several different soil types in different situations as a precursor to developing pasture improvement plans and whole ranch plans.

5)            We will learn to use the NRCS soil survey information and Google Earth to help in our planning efforts.

6)            We will cover investment analysis and evaluation.

7)            We will study the water cycle and how to manage irrigation and integrate it with cell design.

8)            We will "Pull It Together for Profit" in the development of team ranch plans.

 There will have to be a little fun too!  Jim Gerrish has slowed down quite a bit. We are anticipating a Hot Fence Relay Rematch, as well as Advance Jeopardy, but there will be time during the evening for "round table" discussions covering "what if's" and individual situations.

The program will be held at the Community Center in Shoshone, Idaho May 14th-17th to take advantage of the earlier season in the Magic Valley as well as easier accessibility.  We will begin Tuesday May 14th at 1 PM and finish by Friday at 3:00 PM.  We anticipate being able to offer several post-academy tours that you may be interested before you leave the area.

 Please join us for Pulling It Together for Profit!

 For more information contact Charles Cheyney at ccheyney@uidaho.edu or (208)-527-8587 or Scott Jensen at (208) 459-6003 or scottj@uidaho.edu.  You may also download a brochure at http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/owyhee/AgLostRiversGrazingAcademy.htm or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LostRiversGrazingAcademy

June, 2013

           Two Lost Rivers Grazing Academies will be held during 2013.  One, June 11-14 and the other September 9-12.  Both programs will be held on the Eagle Valley Ranch near Salmon, Idaho.  The cost of the program is $525 for four days of instruction, materials, continental breakfast, all snacks and hearty home cooked lunches and dinners.  A variety of accommodations are located near Salmon.  Additional participants from the same ranch attend at a reduced rate. 

The Lost Rivers Grazing Academy is sponsored by University of Idaho Extension and taught by grazing experienced Extension Educators Charles Cheyney, Scott Jensen, Shannon Williams, Christi Falen, and Extension Specialist Glenn Shewmaker and C. Wilson Gray, as well as retired Extension Educator, Jim Hawkins.  Featured presenter at the Academy is the internationally-known pasture expert, Jim Gerrish, of Amercian Grazinglands Services, LLC, formerly of the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center.  Jim is well known around the world and is author of “Management-intensive Grazing” and “Kicking the Hay Habit”.  Ranch manager Mike Kossler and grazing manager Jerry Elzinga contribute their experience and perspective in implementing the principles of MiG at Eagle Valley Ranch.

The Lost River Grazing Academy is a mixture of classroom, laboratory and field exercises designed to introduce you to the principles, and permit you to practice, with the tools of management- intensive grazing of irrigated pastures.  Participants work together in small teams to manage a herd of cattle.  Grazing assignments changes every day as the participants manage their herd to try to meet the target residual.  Teams also work together solving portable electric fencing problems and building high tensile electric fencing.  Eagle Valley Ranch is operated by graduates of the Academy and has been developed as a MiG operation.

For more information contact Charles Cheyney at ccheyney@uidaho.edu or (208)-527-8587 or Scott Jensen at (208) 459-6003 or scottj@uidaho.edu.  You may also download a brochure at http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/owyhee/AgLostRiversGrazingAcademy.htm or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LostRiversGrazingAcademy

 

 

for

IDAHO YOUTH

12-14 YEARS OLD

at the CENTRAL IDAHO 4-H CAMP

KETCHUM, IDAHO

JUNE 24-JUNE 29, 2013

IDAHO ASSOCIATION OF SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

In cooperation with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Idaho Department of Lands, the Idaho Soil Conservation Commission, and the USDA Forest Service

Cost: $235, due by May 21; Late registration is $255. Scholarships may be available through your local Soil Conservation District (SCD). Call Nancy Weatherstone at 208-344-1711 for more SCD info.

Applications for the 2013 NRC can be obtained at your local Soil Conservation District or County Extension Office, or by calling the Twin Falls R&E Center at 736-3600. Additional information on camp can be obtained by calling Megan Satterwhite at 736-3634

 

        
2013 Butte County Fair:  August 12-17