Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826, l-redmon@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Ranchers wanting to brush up on or learn the fundamentals of soils and soil fertility, forage establishment, pasture management and utilization by livestock can attend the spring Ranch Management University April 2-6 in College Station.

The Ranch Management University is an intensive five-day event targeting new ranchers and landowners, said Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences associate department head and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program leader, College Station.

Ranch Management University is held each spring and fall at the G. Rollie White Visitors’ Center, 7707 Raymond Stotzer Parkway on the Texas A&M campus.

Dr. Jake Mowrer in soil pit showing soil layers to a group of people.
Ranch Management University participants learn about soil characteristics, soil sampling and more during the week-long course.

Registration is $500 and attendance is limited to 40 people, Redmon said. To register online and for more information, go to http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter “ranch management” in the search window.

Online registration will end March 23. All meals and snacks and a Ranch Management University workbook with all presentations, contact information, glossary and a flash drive containing hundreds of relevant publications are covered by the fee.

The course will begin at 12:20 p.m. April 2 and conclude at noon April 6. Enrollment is limited to the first 50 individuals to ensure there is adequate opportunity for interaction with faculty, Redmon said.

“If you are interested in attending this special workshop, please contact us immediately,” he said.

Some of the subject matter that will be covered during the event will be:

– Basic livestock management practices such as castrating and vaccinating calves.

– Grazing management, stocking rates and body-condition scoring.

– White-tailed deer, turkey, quail, feral hogs and farm ponds.

– Field demonstrations of various how-to methods of soil sampling, planting, calibrating sprayers and inoculating legume seed.

– Various forage species, including Bermuda grass, small grains, annual ryegrass and clovers.

– Demonstrations covering deer necropsy, hog trap management and pond fisheries management.

Plenty of time will be allowed for interaction with Texas A&M University faculty with expertise and experience in all management facets of the soil-plant-animal interface and wildlife management, Redmon said.

For more information, contact Linda Francis in the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department at 979-845-2425 or l-francis@tamu.edu.