2012 Winter Forage Conference to feature weed management expert Kathy Voth
The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and Virginia Cooperative Extension will host the 2012 Winter Forage Conference at four locations on Jan. 17-20.
With a focus on “Integrated Weed Management: Putting Science Into Practice,” the conference will feature nationally acclaimed expert Kathy Voth. Voth is widely recognized for her work and research using livestock as an inexpensive alternative for farmers to manage weeds and other vegetation. She is particularly known for her invention of a process that teaches cattle to eat weeds and other untraditional forages.
Other speakers will include Scott Hagood, professor and Extension specialist in weed science at Virginia Tech, and Chris Teutsch, associate professor and Extension specialist in forage management at Virginia Tech. Hagood will teach farmers about the practical science behind developing a weed management plan, while Teutsch will help farmers understand the relationship between soils and weeds.
The Virginia Forage and Grasslands Council will have local producers at each location to discuss their experiences balancing grazing, re-establishing mowing, and spraying to provide quality forage for grazing and hay.
The daylong conference will be held at four locations:
- Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Wytheville, Va., at the Wytheville Meeting Center;
- Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Weyers Cave, Va., at the Weyers Cave Community Center;
- Thursday, Jan. 19, in Gordonsville, Va., at the Gordonsville Volunteer Fire Company Hall; and
- Friday, Jan. 20, in Chatham, Va., at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the conference will adjourn at 3 p.m. each day.
For more information or to register for the conference, email Margaret Kenny or call her at 434-292-5331. The $35 early registration fee must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2011. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the registration fee increases to $50 per person.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service is also a conference sponsor. Visit the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council website for additional details and registration information.
Written by Kelly Robinson, a senior majoring in communications and international studies and an intern for the Office of Communications and Marketing in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
