By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture

EL PASO, Ark. — Drought conditions in 2022 had an extraordinary impact on the cattle industry in Arkansas as well as much of the country. As water supplies became increasingly scarce throughout the summer, pastures and forage stocks throughout the Mid-South and beyond dwindled, and many producers were forced to cull their herds.

BE PREPARED — On Feb. 2, the Arkansas Forage & Grassland Council will present “Warding Off the Next Drought,” a one-day winter forage conference featuring researchers, agricultural economists and other experts presenting facts and strategies to stay profitable in 2023. (Graphic courtesy Arkansas Forage & Beef Council.)

While the situation can’t be reversed overnight, experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture hope to prepare the state’s cattle producers and pasture managers to navigate the year ahead and make the most of whatever hand they may be dealt.

On Feb. 2, the Arkansas Forage & Grassland Council will present “Warding Off the Next Drought,” a one-day winter forage conference featuring researchers, agricultural economists and other experts presenting facts and strategies to stay profitable in 2023.

The conference is scheduled to be held at Crossroads Cowboy Church, located at 3071 Arkansas 5 in El Paso, Arkansas. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $25 to attend; students pay only $10.

John Jennings, professor and extension forage specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the conference will help producers manage their resources in the coming year.

“Drought cannot be stopped,” Jennings said. “But by understanding the seasonal production and needs of your forage operation, you can plan ahead to reduce the impact.”

The conference’s agenda includes:

8:30 Registration
9:00 Welcome
Joel Reagan, President, Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council

9:15     How we got ahead of last year’s drought
Shane Gadberry - U of A Professor and Livestock and Forestry Research Station Director

10:00   Using the forage calendar
John Jennings – U of A professor and extension forage specialist

10:30 Break
11:00   Annual forages and using them to your advantage
            Kenny Simon, U of A animal science instructor

11:45 AFGC business meeting

12:00 Lunch / Vendors / Posters

1:00 Managing your fertilizer dollar
Bronc Finch – U of A assistant professor and extension soil fertility specialist

1:30 Fertilizer outlook for 2023
Hunter Biram - U of A assistant professor and extension agricultural economist

2:00 Insuring your forages against the next drought
James Mitchell – U of A assistant professor and extension livestock marketing and management specialist

2:30 What can you do with drones and other emerging technologies
Jason Davis – U of A extension application technologist

3:15 Questions

3:30 Adjourn

For more information or to pre-register, contact Linda McCargo at 501-671-2171.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.