In an effort to assist livestock producers maximize their forage production systems, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation will host the 2007 Grazing School.

The course will be held Tuesday, Oct. 2, through Thursday, Oct. 4, at Noble Foundation's Ardmore campus. Noble Foundation agricultural specialists will cover all aspects of grazing, including ecosystem processes, estimating forage production, grass mechanics, grazing systems, drought management, behavior of grazing animals, forage flow and animal performance, prescribed burning and extending the grazing season.

"The Noble Foundation grazing school is designed for grazing managers, but anyone with an interest in forage production systems should attend," said James Rogers, Pasture and Range Specialist with the Noble Foundation. "The grazing school is an intense, three-day workshop, where participants learn through a combination of hands-on activities, class time and tours of Noble Foundation research properties."

On the first day of the school, participants will be introduced to the basics of grazing management, beginning with a discussion of the interaction between grazing management and the ecosystem processes that support and drive the system. Discussions on soils, soil fertility, forage growth, production and quality will follow, and the second half of the day will focus on meeting livestock nutritional demand with forages.

The second day of the school will begin with a field trip to the Noble Foundation's Coffey Ranch, which will showcase management strategies to enhance wildlife, plant succession and range management. In the classroom, participants will learn how animal behavior affects grazing management, strategies to stretch the grazing season in good and bad times, and the economics of grazing.

"The first two days will conclude with field exercises," Rogers said. "This will provide participants an opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real-life scenario. This will solidify their understanding of the processes and practices they have been learning and help them be able to translate this information to their existing operations."

The final day of the school will begin with a talk on the Noble Foundation's forage research program and a field trip to the Noble Foundation's Pasture Demonstration Farm. During the tour, participants will get a chance to see how the Noble Foundation uses grazing management in research and demonstration applications. In the afternoon, participants will learn to calculate reserve herd days and develop a personalized grazing management plan. The school will conclude with a wrap-up of the field exercises and a summary of the major points.

The 2007 Grazing School fee is $200 per participant which includes lunch and dinner daily, grazing stick, cap and notebook. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered from the Society for Range Management and the American Forage and Grassland Council (16 and 18, respectively) for attending the school.

For additional information or to register for the grazing school, please contact Annie Coble at 580.224.6501, or e-mail macoble@noble.org. Register online at www.noble.org/AgEvents.

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News Release Issued: September 26, 2007

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.