Foundation's Grazing School a Success

ARDMORE, Okla. — The Noble Foundation's first public Grazing School brought participants from around the country together for four days of hands-on field exercises and expert classroom teaching. From grass mechanics to grazing systems to drought management, participants learned how to make the most of their forage resources.One challenge the Noble Foundation's agricultural specialists faced was addressing the wide range of situations represented by the school's participants.

"Each operation is different, and there's also variation within a single operation," said James Rogers, one of the Foundation's forage specialists. "We try to point out the differences — we get them to look at current production and then look at where they can go."

Wendell Black, a life-long agricultural producer from Atwood, Okla., and a Foundation cooperator, appreciated the integrated approach of the school.

"The specialists have covered it all, from the best pastures to the poorest," Black said. "What they have said can be applied to whatever situation you're in."

A unique feature of the school was the field exercises, which involved groups of participants estimating the forage demand of a small herd.

"The grazing exercises were helpful, they allowed us to see where the rubber meets the road," said Brock Merritt of Hillsboro, Texas, who recently returned to the agriculture industry and is interested in starting a custom-grazed stocker operation. "It's good to hear someone else's perspective, and you got that in the groups. I feel like I can adapt other people's ideas into my operation."

Though the hands-on activities were popular, attendees enjoyed the classroom time, too.

"If a presentation is over everyone's head, it's not worth anything," Black said. "The Grazing School information is presented where everyone can comprehend it."

Forage specialist Rogers summed up the school with this comment: "We want producers to understand that they are managing a resource with their forages, and that proper management is vital in the long term."

Plans are underway for the 2004 Grazing School next fall. For more information, call the Foundation at (580) 223-5810.

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Photo cutline: Noble Foundation forage specialist Matt Mattox visits with a Grazing School participant while groups work on field exercises at the Foundation's campus in Ardmore, Okla.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release