Join the Nebraska range and grazing school 2024

By Scout Nelson

The 2024 Nebraska Range Short Course is joining forces with the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC) Grazing School to host a comprehensive training event from June 25-27, 2024, at Spring Lake Ranch, south of Gordon, Nebraska.

This event will give participants the opportunity to enhance their grazing, rangeland management, and livestock production skills.

This three-day, in-person course will feature both classroom and field sessions, focusing on the core principles of grazing and rangeland management.

Mitch Stephenson, associate professor and range management specialist at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, explained, "The goal of this event is to provide up-to-date, applicable information and training for the efficient and sustainable use of rangelands for livestock production and multiple ecosystem services."

The course will cover topics such as setting appropriate stocking rates, improving grazing returns, conducting rangeland inventory and monitoring, grazing for healthier soils, managing diversity, and plant identification.

Leah Peterson, executive director of NGLC, is thrilled about partnering with Nebraska Extension to combine the summer Grazing School and Range Short Course. She highlighted the importance of healthy grazing lands and the value of this hands-on learning experience for livestock producers and agency representatives.

Presenters will include Bart Carmichael and Pat Guptill of Principled Land Management, LLC, ranchers who utilize diverse grazing management strategies for soil health, along with NRCS specialists and Nebraska Extension rangeland specialists.

Stephenson highlighted the importance of a healthy ecosystem for livestock, environment, wildlife, and producers' bottom lines, using research and experiences from skilled grazing managers to demonstrate this.

Registration for the event is $200, which includes monitoring tools, meals, and interactive class materials. The short course can also be taken for university credit at an additional cost. Applications are due by June 1, and enrollment is limited.

Photo Credit -nebraska-extenstion