Press Release

View from the Peak: Sustainable Livestock Summit August 17

The view is best from the top.  At the Sustainable Agriculture Summit on August 17, leading ranchers, researchers, and extension agents in Oklahoma sustainable livestock production will share their vision of the field, at the Wes Watkins Center on the OSU campus in Stillwater.

Mary Penick will lead off the morning with a discussion of the sustainable state of Oklahoma agriculture, together with OSU Sustainable Agriculture Assistant Extension Specialist Janelle Malone. 

Penick manages the Pineywoods cattle herd and also runs the popular Oklahoma Forage-Based Buck Test at the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a non-profit educational foundation in Poteau.

Penick will also close out the day in a panel question and answer session with Kefyalew Desta, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agricultural Systems at OSU.

Other speakers include Ann Wells, D.V.M., who will speak on managing livestock health for alternative production systems, and fellow veterinarian Dave Sparks from OSU extension, who will explain multi-species grazing of goats and cattle as a tool for managing parasites.

Oklahoma ranchers C.R. Freeman and Kirk Duff, owners of Premium Natural Beef, will tell the story of their network of ranches in Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado, raising and selling their own premium-brand beef.

Langston University’s Terry Gipson will discuss goat production in Oklahoma, and Doug McKinney from OSU’s Animal Sciences department will give a talk titled, “Raising Cattle the Natural Way.”

Registration costs $40 and includes lunch and materials for registered participants. Students may audit the workshop at no cost with a student ID. 

Registration is due by August 6 to reserve a place.  To register, visit http://orangehub.okstate.edu and click on “Agricultural Conference Services.

For more information, contact Janelle Malone at 405.744.3669 or janelle.malone@okstate.edu, or Kefyalew Desta at 405.744.4667 or kefyalew.desta@okstate.edu.

The Sustainable Agriculture Summit is sponsored by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (Southern SARE).

For information on other upcoming events related to sustainable agriculture, visit the Kerr Center’s calendar of events at www.kerrcenter.com.

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