June 11, 2008
North Platte, NE

The Nebraska Ranch Practicum will begin this June 11, 2008. The five-part educational program emphasizes hands-on monitoring of vegetative and livestock resources to ensure each participant will be able to use knowledge of plant and animal interactions to enhance profitability and sustainability. Participants will monitor body condition score, milk production and cow and calf weight throughout the seven-month period of the course.

Forage quality will be assessed with esophageal diet collections and laboratory analysis. Amounts of available forage will also be estimated by several methods and used to calculate stocking rates as the season progresses.

Classroom instruction on fundamental principles of monitoring and decision-making processes will precede hands-on training. Sessions will be held primarily at the University of Nebraska's Gundmundsen Sandhills Lab near Whitman.

Dates:

June 11, 2008 - West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, NE

June 12, 2008 - Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whittman, NE

July 10, 2008 - Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whittman, NE

September 3-4, 2008 - Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whittman, NE

November 6, 2008 - Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whittman, NE

January 7, 2009 - Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whittman, NE

January 8, 2009 - West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, NE

The registration fee for this 8-session Practicum is $600. All educational materials, noon meals and evening meals, and breaks are included.

Participants are responsible for their travel and any lodging expenses.

To be considered as a participant in the Nebraska Ranch Practicum, please submit a completed application (www.panhandle.unl.edu/ranchpraticum) or contact Brent Plugge at bplugge1@unl.edu and a $200 deposit by May 2, 2008. Enrollment is limited to 35 and applicants will be notified of their status no later than May 16, 2008. Deposits will be refunded if space is not available. Participants must pay the balance of $400 by June 9, 2008.

Visit the Nebraska Ranch Practicum web site http://www.panhandle.unl.edu/ranchpracticum/ for more information.

Contact:

Brent Plugge 308-236-1235