Kansas State University will host workshops in 10 locations around the state over the next three months to address the intricacies of leasing agricultural land. The workshops are designed to aid both landlords and tenants as they work to arrive at an equitable arrangement for Kansas farmland.
“Price volatility in recent years, particularly in the grain markets, has led to difficulties for landlords and tenants to determine and negotiate appropriate rental arrangements,” said Kevin Dhuyvetter, K-State Research and Extension agricultural economist. “These day-long workshops are offered to help landlords and tenants manage the risk associated with rental agreements.”
Presentations include: Introduction to Rental Arrangements; Ethics of Leasing; Using Excel Spreadsheets; and Using KSU-Lease.xls (spreadsheet tool).
Workshop dates and Kansas locations are:
• Nov. 14 – Downs
• Nov. 30 – Hutchinson
• Dec. 1 – Canton
• Dec. 12 – Syracuse
• Dec. 13 – Garden City
• Jan. 10 – Iola
• Jan. 17 – Manhattan
• Jan. 18 – Oakley
• Feb. 7 – Scandia
• Feb. 7 – Green (abbreviated program)
More information, including how to register for each location, is available on the K-State extension agricultural economics website: www.agmanager.info or by contacting Rich Llewelyn at 785-532-1504 or rvl@ksu.edu.
Registration is open (and space is limited) for the 2012 Master Marketer program in Plainview, Texas.
This national-award winning program is for agricultural producers and agribusiness leaders seeking to develop the skills and learn the tools to manage price and production risk in today's uncertain economic climate. The sessions are offered in two week intervals:
January 17-19, 2012: Session I: Review of Basics and Grain Fundamentals
February 1-2, 2012: Session II: Weather, Crop Insurance Strategies, and Financial Management
February 15-16, 2012: Session III: Futures Markets, Technical Analysis, and Cotton Fundamentals
February 29-March 1, 2012: Session IV: Livestock Fundamentals, Marketing Plans, Discipline, and Legal Issues
The Master Marketer Program registration fee is $300.00. The registration deadline is January 9, 2012.
You can register online at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu, keyword search: Master Marketer.
You may also complete the registration form and mail or fax to Texas AgriLife Extension Conference Services. For more information about registration or payment options, you may call 979-845-2604 or email agriliferegister@tamu.edu.
Contact Information:
Mark Welch, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, College Station Texas,
Rural land management and practical crop production strategies will be featured at the 50thBlackland Income Growth Conference scheduled Feb. 6-8 at the Extraco Events Center in Waco.
The Extraco Events Center is located at 4601 Bosque Blvd. in Waco.
The annual conference is sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the Waco Chamber Commerce.
The Dinner Tonight cooking school is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 6, featuring recipe demonstrations that promote Texas agriculture. Cost is $15 and preregistration is encouraged by calling 254-757-5180. Registration for the main Blackland Income Growth Conference on Feb. 7 is $20 per person and includes lunch. Several sessions will award continuing education units. Producers are encouraged to download the brochure at http://stephenville.tamu.edu/blackland-income-growth/conference-informat... to see specific continuing education credit allocations, sessions and speakers.
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, will be the keynote lunch speaker. Birdwell represents District 22, serves as vice chairman of the higher education committee and is a member of the economic development, government organization and veteran affairs committees.
The following is a list of concurrent sessions scheduled Feb. 7-8:
Feb. 7 sessions:
- 9 a.m.: Grain session topics will include a historical perspective of grains in the Blacklands, 50 years of improvements; wheat varieties and management; nutrient management in grain production, new technologies in corn and grain sorghum, and new technologies in aflatoxin control.
- 9 a.m.: Horticulture session topics include Earthkind gardening and diagnosing and identifying plants.-
9 a.m.: Beef session topics include bull power, producing safe wholesome beef, financing beef production and pasture management after a drought.-
Noon: Blackland Income Growth Conference luncheon.
- 2 p.m.: Cotton session will feature topics on boll weevil eradication, from basket to bale, cotton root rot management, production and price-risk management strategies.
- 2 p.m.: Forage session will feature topics on soil sampling and nutrient management, grazing strategies during drought and hay production management decisions during drought.
- 2 p.m.: Horse session will feature stock horse demonstration, emergency preparedness, safe trailering, environmental issues for horse owners and determining when a horse is too old.
Feb. 8 sessions:
- 8 a.m.: Rural land management session will feature topics on tax valuation and appraiser panel discussion, landowner issues and pond and lake management.
- 8 a.m.: Blackland Income Growth recertification program, featuring forage pest management, weed and brush management, laws and regulations, predator control and water issues affecting grazing
- 9 a.m.: Wildlife session featuring Texas Brigades, update on 1-D-1 open space wildlife exemption, ecotourism and update on quail research.
- 9 a.m.: Private applicator training and testing.
The Academy for Ranch Management will conduct two prescribed burn workshops in 2012 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station near Sonora Feb. 16-18 and March 8-10.
The station is located on State Highway 55 between Sonora and Rocksprings.
The first workshop, “Prescribed Burning School,” is a basic course providing information on fire, weather, planning a burn, fuels and fuel moisture, and equipment needed for a controlled burn, according to Ray Hinnant, a Texas AgriLife Research senior research associate in College Station and a workshop presenter.
The “Advanced Prescribed Burning School” builds on the previous school and provides more information on fire behavior, fire effects and planning and coordinating a prescribed burn, Hinnant said. Successful completion of both courses and a passing grade on a comprehensive exam will provide the educational component to begin application to become either a private or commercial certified prescribed burn manager, he said.
The fee for each workshop is $395 and includes meals and on-site lodging. The basic course is a prerequisite for the advanced course. For more information call Hinnant at 979-820-1778, and to register, call Cheryl Yeager at979-845-5582 or visit http://www.ranchmanagement.org to download the registration form.
Hinnant and Dr. Charles “Butch” Taylor, superintendent of the research station at Sonora, are prescribed burning board lead instructors. Other speakers during the two courses include Dr. Mort Kothmann, department of ecosystems science and management professor, and Nick Garza, an AgriLife Research associate at Sonora.