“Last year’s drought and ongoing dry conditions have left many livestock producers with low forage and feed supplies. A workshop outlining strategies for managing this situation has been scheduled,” says Sarah Kenyon, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Thursday, the southeastern half of Howell County, western two-thirds of Oregon County and southern third of Shannon County are in moderate drought stage, while the remainder of those counties, plus Texas, Douglas, Ozark and most of Wright County are experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
In Howell County, the dividing line between the area affected by drought and the drier-than-normal area begins in the northeast corner just east of the U.S. 60 and Highway 17 junction and runs southward just skimming the northwestern city limit of West Plains and continuing to the southwest corner of the county, just southwest of the junction of Highway 142 and YY Highway.
The best time to discuss and implement forage and feed management strategies is late summer and early fall, says Kenyon. MU Extension ag field specialists are working together to provide a workshop, “Strategies for Dealing with Low Forage Supply,” at 3 p.m. Aug. at the extension office, 1376 Bill Virdon Blvd., East Towne Village, West Plains. Registration will begin at 2:30 p.m. that day.
“MU Extension ag field specialists will discuss management strategies for livestock and forage operations to utilize as they deal with low forage supply and recover from drought,” says Kenyon. Also, these strategies can build operation sustainability to deal with future droughts, she notes.
Specific areas to be covered include repairing thin forage stands, diversifying forage platform and management, efficient feeding of livestock nutrition, reducing hay waste, and the market outlook.
Prospective attendees are encouraged to sign up by Aug. 7, as space is limited. Register online at extension.missouri.edu/events/strategies-for-dealing-with-low-forage-supply. People may also call 417-256-2391 or email howellco@missouri.edu.
