The NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center has planned a beef production event for July 14. The beef production program will begin at 9 a.m. with registration and coffee. Tours will start at 9:30 a.m. and run until noon. Agronomy tours are planned for the afternoon.
Organizers will give presentations on beef ranch money management, natural and Korean beef markets, manure as fertilizer and cattle carcass disposal.
Speakers for this year's program are Steve Metzger, a farm business management instructor; Wendy Becker, Foster County Extension agent; Vern Anderson, animal scientist; Ron Wiederholt, nutrient management specialist; Chris Augustin, nutrient management specialist; Eric Berg, associate professor of animal sciences; Roxanne Johnson, NDSU Extension Service water quality associate; and Karl Hoppe, NDSU area livestock Extension specialist.
Also, the NDSU Extension Service will offer free water quality screening during the field day. Anyone wanting their water tested for nitrates, total dissolved solids, pH (acidity or alkalinity) and hardness should collect samples in any clean plastic bottle capable of holding 15 to 20 ounces and bring them to the field tour event.
Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories also is offering to test water for a coliform group of microorganisms that includes E. coli. Johnson will have sterile bottles for people to take home to collect the sample and then send to the Minnesota Valley Testing's laboratory in Bismarck. The cost for this test is $8 and will be collected when people pick up the sterile bottle from her at the field tour event.
For more information about the beef production program, contact Hoppe at (701) 652-2951 or karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu. For more details on the water quality testing, contact Johnson at 701-231-8926 or roxanne.m.johnson@ndsu.edu.
June 18, 2009