Even in the information age, it’s tough to find time to pull together everything a farmer needs to keep up with the latest trends in agriculture.
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The Missouri Livestock Symposium can do the work for them.
On Dec. 1-2, national and international experts from Missouri and other states will gather to talk about topics as diverse as horses, beef cattle, sheep, meat goats and stock dogs.
The sixth annual symposium, at Kirksville Middle School, 1515 S. Cottage Grove, also will feature speakers on wildlife, gardening and quilting as well as sessions on forages for livestock and wildlife and renewable resources.
Symposium hours are from 4 to 10 p.m. Dec. 1 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2. The event is free and no pre-registration is required.
Garry Mathes, chairman of the Missouri Livestock Symposium, said the two-day event is one of the best deals going for livestock producers and anyone interested in agriculture.
“When we started this thing, I never expected it to become the program it is today,” said Mathes, a lifelong farmer from Adair County. “There are people who have told us it’s one of the best shows in the Midwest.”
Symposium topics cover most livestock species, including sessions on sheep and goats. Sheep producer Dean Houghton of Polo, Mo., Don Morrical from Iowa State University, and Susan Schoenian from the University of Maryland, will address “Market Options for Sheep and Meat Goats,” “Common Sheep and Goat Health Problems and Solutions” and “Tips for Pasture-Based Sheep and Goat Production.”
Mathes said one of the most popular sessions over the years has been the stock dog presentations. This year, visitors will have an opportunity to hear from one of the country’s leading stock dog trainers, Al Vieira of California.
Vieira has trained dogs for Disney movies, including a pair of coyotes for a Disney production, as well as prepared working dogs for cattlemen and sheep producers. He will share his insight about “Choosing the Proper Dog,” “Starting the Stock Dog – Teaching the Handler” and “Advanced Training: From Enclosed Pen to Outside Work.”
“The stock dog program has grown to the point where people are coming early to get a seat,” Mathes said. “Last year, I opened the door to the training session and all I saw was the backs of people. It was packed.”
Bruce Lane, a symposium organizer and University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Adair County, said more than 1,600 people, including visitors from 13 states and 64 of Missouri counties, attended the 2005 symposium.
“The idea is to put together a program that is above and beyond what we could normally offer from within the state,” he said. “We would like to think there is something for everyone.”
That includes home gardeners who, this year, can hear Mary Kroening, an extension horticulturist from the University of Missouri, talk about how to control pests without hurting the environment and how to raise tropical plants in Missouri.
“Tropical plants are perfect for people in Missouri who want their gardens to look glorious, even in July and August, when the rest of their garden has gone to pot,” Kroening said.
“For tropical plants, the hotter and more humid it is the happier they are.”
“Among the more popular tropical plants that have made their homes in Missouri gardens are elephant ears, cannas and begonias.
The only disadvantage to raising tropical plants in this part of the country is few of them can survive in temperatures below 45,” Kroening said.
“But you can bring most of them inside, and they will winter well,” she said.
Kroening will also teach gardeners how to identify beneficial insects and encourage them to practice environmentally friendly pest control.
“Less than one percent of insects found in a typical home garden are harmful,” she said.
MU Extension wildlife specialist Bob Pierce will facilitate three sessions for outdoor enthusiasts titled “Opportunities for Recreational Hunting,” “Enhancing Bobwhite Quail Habitats” and “Wildlife Recreational Opportunities.”
Visitors also can take advantage of a sold-out agriculture trade show, featuring a wide array of vendors and enjoy a free governor’s style luncheon, provided by some of the state’s commodity groups, at noon Dec. 2.
Celebrities scheduled to be on hand include award-winning farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson, who will entertain guests after the free beef meal at 6 p.m. Dec.1.
Cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2.
Tickets for the Black show are $10 and must be purchased in advance. Call 660-665-9866 for tickets. For more details visit the Missouri Livestock Symposium Web site at http:// missourilivestock.com.