The 2014 Iowa Forage and Grassland Council (IFGC) Conference will be held November 25 at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn. The event begins with registration at 8 a.m., followed by the IFGC annual meeting at 9 a.m., and is open to anyone interested in forage and grassland issues. The annual conference ends at 3 p.m. and includes general sessions and breakout sessions on individual topics, and allows specific times for visiting with commercial exhibitors.

FOCUSES ON FORAGES: At the upcoming annual IFGC conference Nov. 25 in Des Moines, top-notch speakers will cover what's new in hay and pasture production, along with discussing other forage related issues.

Iowa State University Extension beef program specialist Joe Sellers says IFGC members and non-members alike will benefit from attending. "The keynote speaker is Dr. Peter Ballerstedt, forage production manager at Barenbrug USA," says Sellers. "He's written numerous articles and publications, including a blog focused on human nutrition, health and diet. His presentation is titled, 'Forages Make Meat, Meat is Medicine.'"

The rest of the day's agenda topics and speakers begin with a talk from 9:15 to 10 a.m. on the "Benefits of Forage and Grasslands for Water Quality," with Bruce Trautman of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

• 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Breakout session 1 is "Double Grazing with Sheep and Cattle" with producer Harry Cope of Truxton, Mo. And, "Cover Crop Mixes, Benefits and Advantages" with Joe Graber of Kalona, Iowa.

• 1 to 1:45 p.m.: Breakout session 2 is "Cover Crops: Their Use in Forage and Livestock Systems." This is a panel discussion with producers Joe Graber and Harry Cope, and David Otte of Green Valley Seeds. Also, "Establishment and Management of Perennial Pastures" will be presented by Brian Lang, ISU Extension field agronomist.

• 2 to 2:45 p.m.: Breakout session 3 is "Fertility and Fertilization: Getting the most out of your forage crops" by Mark Carlton, ISU Extension field agronomist. "Improvements in Forages" will be covered by Peter Ballerstedt.  

You are encouraged to preregister for IFGC Conference
Preregistration for this conference is $40 per person which includes all sessions and the lunch when you register prior to the event. If you register when arriving on November 25 the registration fee increases to $50 per person, says Sellers. The dues year for IFGC membership runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. If you want to join IFGC or renew your current membership, the producer and public fee is $35, and industry fee is $90. This is payable on the registration form as well.

The registration form is available on the Iowa Beef Center website. For more information, contact Sellers by phone at 641-774-2016 or by email at [email protected]

IBC was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state's beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For information about IBC visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.