Registration is now open for the 2026 grazing schools, an educational series offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and University of Missouri Extension.
The three-day schools help livestock producers learn the art and science of grazing cattle through a combination of classroom instruction and on-farm visits, according to MU Extension agronomy specialist Tim Schnakenberg.
Missouri’s $93 billion agriculture industry relies heavily on well-managed forage operations, Schnakenberg said. This year, NRCS personnel and MU Extension specialists will host 21 grazing schools across the state.
Classes cover grazing economics, soils, plant growth and quality, animal nutrition and designing management-intensive grazing systems.
Since 1990, more than 22,000 graziers have completed the program with support from Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council’s Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. Participants historically see a net return of $40 to $60 per acre, Schnakenberg noted.
In 2025, the schools drew 411 participants. This included 101 attendees from southwestern and south-central Missouri counties, a region that produces the majority of the state’s cattle.
The statewide schools run through Oct. 8.
South-Central Region Sessions
• April 29-May 1: West Plains. Contact the Howell County Extension Center at 417-256-2391.
• May 4-6: Hartville in Wright County. Contact the Wright County Extension Center at 417-349-4134.
• June 24-26: Houston in Texas County. Contact the Texas County Extension Center at 417-967-4545.
• Aug. 5-7: Gainesville for Ozark and Douglas counties. Contact Judy Curry at the Douglas County Extension Center at 417-683-4409.
• Sept. 9-12: West Plains. Contact the Howell County Extension Center.
For more details and a full list of dates, visit www.MissouriFGC.org/grazing-schools.
