University of Wyoming Extension News

Tag Archives: drought

UW Extension hosts management-intensive grazing school near Glenrock

Range specialist Mike Smith, center, and others calculate forage during last year's management-intensive grazing session.

Range specialist Mike Smith, center, and others calculate forage at a session during  last year’s management-intensive grazing program.

A four-day school to coax more out of pastures, extend grazing seasons and reduce or eliminate the need for harvested feed is being sponsored at a Glenrock ranch by the University of Wyoming Extension.

The management-intensive grazing school is May 28-May 31 at the Duncan Ranch. Each day has classroom work in the morning followed by hands-on applications of the concepts on the ranch.

The school will teach participants how to design and implement a management-intensive grazing program focused on profitability and pasture production.

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Cody workshop centers on weathering drought

Weathering drought is the theme of the Living on a Few Acres 2013 workshop Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Holiday Inn in Cody.

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and programs begin at 9 a.m; registration is $15 per person and includes lunch.

·      9 a.m. topics are pruning trees, alternative energy solutions and irrigation districts in Park County

·      10 a.m. topics are permaculture, how to build a road and native plants for drought

·      11 a.m. topics are growing grapes, menus from the garden and native plants for drought

·      Noon keynote luncheon speaker Loren Smith, superintendent Water Division III, State Engineer’s Office, will discuss surface waters of northwest Wyoming

·      1:30 p.m. topics are growing grapes, trees for Park County and pasture management for drought

·      The final sessions at 2:30 p.m. cover native pollinators, firewise landscaping and pasture management for drought

The workshop is presented by the Cody Conservation District, Meeteetse Conservation District, Powell-Clarks Fork Conservation District, Park County Weed and Pest Control District, Master Gardeners and University of Wyoming Extension.

To register or for more information, contact extension educator Sandra Frost in Powell at 307-754-8836 or sfrost1@uwyo.edu.

Beef production convention set in Torrington

 A market outlook is one of the topics at the Southeast Wyoming Beef Production Convention in Torrington.

Managing through drought, range management, wildlife and livestock diseases and a market outlook are among topics at the Southeast Wyoming Beef Production Convention in Torrington.

The convention is 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Rendezvous Center at the Goshen County Fairgrounds.

Other topics include beef production, livestock economics, sage-grouse habitat, wheat variety update, wildlife habitat restoration projects and farm safety/accessibility.

The convention, hosted by UW Extension, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, and the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC), has been held during years between range beef cow symposiums.

Registration is $15 and includes lunch. Early registration is due Thursday, Nov. 1. To RSVP, contact UW Extension educator Kellie Chichester by email at kelliec@uwyo.edu or call 307-742-4228, or call SAREC at 307-837-2000.

Payment the day of the event will be taken at the door.

UW Extension recommends testing for high nitrates in forage due to drought

Wyoming’s hot, dry weather could cause nitrates in some forages to approach toxic levels.

Persistent drought conditions in Wyoming have increased the likelihood farm and ranch livestock could be affected by eating forages that accumulate nitrates during prolonged hot, dry periods.

Steve Paisley, beef extension specialist at the University of Wyoming, suggests livestock producers should sample and test forages for nitrates during prolonged droughts.

“To properly sample forages, producers will need a hay probe to not only test the outside of the bales or stacks, but the inside as well,” he said.

Hay probes are hollow cylinders with a sharp end, and, depending on the type of forage probe, the cylinder is pushed into the bale either by force or with a cordless drill. The probe then takes a core sample of the bale.

“A minimum of 10 bales from a susceptible field needs to be sampled to get an accurate test,” said Paisley. “Nearly every county extension office, local co-op or feed store should have a forage probe available for ranchers. The samples can be placed in a sealable bag and sent to commercial feed testinglabs such as Ward Laboratories or SDK Laboratories.” Information about both is available online.

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UW Extension offers resources, advice for creating water-wise landscapes during drought

Creeping penstemon

Ways to water more efficiently and plants in landscapes and gardens that weather and even flourish during drought are described in resources from the University of Wyoming Extension.

Last year’s record moisture amounts and this year’s drought may have homeowners considering switching plants.

“We never know what weather we will have to deal with in any season of the year in Wyoming,” said Donna Cuin, horticulturist in the UW Extension office in Natrona County. “We do know that our average precipitation is less than 15 inches in most places around the state and having a high water-consuming landscape means watering the plants with supplemental methods.”

Those could include using water from garden hoses or irrigation systems, which can be inefficient and expensive, she said.

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