Jackson Beef and Forage Field Night is Aug. 29

JACKSON, Ohio -- Livestock producers can learn the latest in silage, forage seeding and heifer selection from experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences during a workshop Aug. 29 in Jackson.

The Jackson Beef and Forage Field Night will include the  opportunity for beef cattle producers to have an up-close look at replacement females for their herds, said Kenny Wells, manager of the Jackson Agricultural Research Station. The research station is part of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and has been a primary site for reproductive and production management research in beef cattle for more than three decades.

Research in forage management systems done at the research station has contributed to the grazing approaches used by many producers today, Wells said.

The event will feature presentations from Ohio State University Extension and OARDC researchers and educators, including Bill Weiss, David Dugan, John Grimes and Jeff Moore.

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.

“Bill Weiss has a wealth of knowledge in the area of ensiled livestock feedstuffs, and attendees should come away from his session with some very good information on making and storing high quality and safe large bale silage" (also known as baleage), Wells said. “The session on fall forage seeding will feature both no-till and conventional seeding recommendations.”

August through early September is a great window of opportunity for producers to renovate forage stands in both hayfields and pastures, Wells said.

Topics for the field night include:

• High quality large bale silage
• High quality fall forage seeding
• Heifer selection tools and strategies
• Heifer development and research

The heifer sessions will focus on selection and development of high quality replacement females for beef cattle producers, Wells said. Most sessions will be accompanied by field demonstrations and will allow time for questions. Attendees can expect to spend most of the evening in the field and should dress accordingly, he said.

The workshop is from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station is located at 019 Standpipe Road, in Jackson. The event, which will include dinner, is $5 per person, with a deadline to register Aug. 26. 

For more information or to register, go to http://go.osu.edu/beefnight or contact Wells at 740-286-3803 or wells.296@osu.edu.