Moyer Farms will host the August 15 Kansas Livestock Association (KLA)/Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Day at their stocker backgrounding operation near Emporia. Educational sessions during the field day will cover a variety of topics, while Jaret and Shawna Moyer also will share details on the systematic design of their facility.
Cassie Kniebel with the Beef Cattle Institute at K-State will lead a live demonstration on how CattleTrace is using ultra-high frequency tags and readers to collect the minimal data needed in the event of a disease outbreak. Launched in 2018, the traceability pilot project is intended to guide the development of a cost-effective national traceability program that can operate at the speed of commerce.
Also on the field day program will be K-State Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Dale Blasi discussing the possible economic benefits of using drones. With drones becoming a very effective tool in crop production, ranchers now are considering what advantages the devices could bring to their operations. Blasi will explore some of the future possibilities for using drones in livestock production, as well as demonstrate the basics of drone use with a short flight.
Brian Rees with K-State Research and Extension will conduct a session on Old World bluestem (OWB) and discuss various ways of coping with the plant. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Lyon County is home to more than 60,000 head of cattle and calves that depend on the native grasses found in the Flint Hills. With that in mind, ranchers are becoming more and more concerned about the negative impact OWB is having on rangeland in this region. During his discussion, Rees will provide live samples to assist landowners in identifying both Caucasian and yellow bluestem varieties on the range.
The Emporia field day will begin with registration at 3:00 p.m. and include a free beef dinner at 6:45 p.m. All livestock producers and others involved in the business are invited to attend.
Moyer Farms is located north of Emporia in Lyon County. From Emporia, take exit 130 off I-35 and go north on Highway 99 about 5 ½ miles. When Highway 99 makes a 90-degree curve to the east, continue 1 mile to M Road (located just west of the overpass) and travel north 1 ¾ miles. If coming from Topeka, take exit 147 off I-335 (turnpike) and go west on Highway 56 3 ½ miles. In the town of Admire, turn south on Highway 99. Travel 10 miles on Highway 99, follow the curve west, and go another 2 ¾ miles to M Road (just west of the overpass), then travel north 1 ¾ miles. Moyer Farms is on the west side of the road and has white buildings with red roofs. Field day directional signs will be posted.
High Plains Ponderosa Dairy near Plains will host the August 13 field day. Rusty Acres of Dorrance will be the site of the final field day in the series August 22. Bayer Animal Health and the Farm Credit Associations of Kansas are sponsoring all three field days. For more information, go to www.kla.org or call the KLA office at (785) 273-5115.
