Central Idaho Celebrates Ag Week 2012: Free Breakfast in Arco March 15th

"Herd Quitter" Meetings in Idaho and Southern Montana



Jim Gerrish



In October, my friend and colleague, Jim Gerrish, is co-sponsoring and co-presenting several "Herd Quitter" meetings in Idaho and southern Montana, in cooperation with Kit Pharo of the Pharo Cattle Company.   They will be focusing on the same things that we discuss in the Lost Rivers Grazing Academy, but the programs will be only one day long. 

Kit Pharo

The overall theme is (still) putting profit back into ranching by focusing on the things we talk about at LRGA: solar energy, water cycle, nutrient cycle, diversity, adapted genetics, extending the grazing season, etc.  Kit has been working on these same things, with an emphasis on greater efficiency through small cows and developing cattle that do well grazing.

Meetings are free and open to the public, but with lunch on your own. American GrazingLands Services, Jim's consulting service,  is covering meeting room & refreshment expenses.

Here is a schedule for a series of meetings through out our area.

Oct 6 May, ID

Herd Quitter Meeting with Kit Pharo & Jim Gerrish

Time: 9:30AM to 4 PM

Location: Cowboy Up Cafe, May, ID

Oct 7 Pocatello, ID

Herd Quitter Meeting with Kit Pharo & Jim Gerrish

Time: 9:30AM to 4 PM

Location: Ameritel Inn, 1440 Bench Rd, Pocatello, ID (I-15 Exit 71 )

Oct 8 Dillon, MT

Herd Quitter Meeting with Kit Pharo & Jim Gerrish

Time: 9:30AM to 4 PM

Location: U of Montana-Western, Mathews Hall, Lewis & Clark Room

For more information contact: Dawn Gerrish 208-876-4067, 208-940-1702(cell)  or Dawn@americangrazinglands.com.

There is still a little time to get into the fall session of the Lost Rivers Grazing Academy, September 14-17th on the Eagle Valley Ranch in Salmon, Idaho.  Click here to see the BROCHURE.  You can also follow the Academy on Facebook at http:\\facebook.com/lostriversgrazingacademy.  The LRGA is a 4-day, boots on the ground workshop that covers the basics of management-intensive grazing, taught by the Univeristy of Idaho.  In addition to presentations on the principles of MiG, participants get to manage small herds of cattle and recieve and are graded on meeting their "grazing assignment".  The food is great, and participants generally gain at an "industry-acceptable" rate!

Call me at 208-527-8585 or mailto:208-527-8585ccheyney@uidaho.edu or Scott Jensen at 208-896-4105mailto:208-896-4105scottj@uidaho.edu.

The Pharo Cattle Company also has newsletters and an on-line presents.  You can contact them at:

Pharo Cattle Co.

Cheyenne Wells, CO

Phone: 1-800-311-0995

Email: Kit@PharoCattle.com

Website: http://www.pharocattle.com/

American GrazingLands Services can be reached at:

American GrazingLands Services LLC

2222 Pahsimeroi Road
May Idaho 83253

Jim & Dawn Gerrish

Tel: 208-876-4067
Fax: 208-876-4067

Jim’s email:jrgerrish@americangrazinglands.com

Dawn’s email: dawn@americangrazinglands.com

BQA Workshop at the Y-Inn Monday, January 25th

You are invited to attend the upcoming Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) workshop scheduled for Monday, January 25th at the Y-Inn in Challis, Idaho.

• 6:00 pm – Social hour, view the life-size, hands-on BQA Display, and mingle with other beef producers.

• 7:00 pm – Certification program.

• Attendees of this FREE program will receive a copy of the 32-page Idaho BQA manual, become BQA-certified, and learn how to implement management practices that will improve their bottom line.

Click here to see flyer for more details.

Please pass this message onto to anyone who may be interested.

Thank you!

Trying New Technology

With a 19% permanent reduction in funds to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho, the face of Extension in the counties will probably be changing some. The budget of the CALS is over 90% in salaries, so with the current budget crisis and pending permanent reductions in base funding, CALS administrators are looking for ways to "hack" the budget. The old method of attrition of faculty and staff may not work this time around.

The problem, for Extension, and for the CALS in general is that there are so many great programs that support so many industries and clientele groups that vary tremendously across the state that any attempt to cut a "program" generates immediate (unpleasant) consequences for the administration. The first program suggested to be cut was the Parma Research and Extension Center. The Parma R&E Center has a grape research and extension program to support the fledgling viticulture and enology industry in Idaho. They didn't like that very much and stopped the movement to close the station, forcing reconsideration of the entire strategy.

The CALS administration has made a commitment to keep at least one extension faculty person in each county, if they can! Since central Idaho counties have been largely single educator counties for many years, that won't change (probably). However, the demands on the faculty members to help in other more populated locations will likely grow, as well as the demand that their programs be more "coordinated". Not an easy thing to do when you are 1.5 to 2.5 hours apart when the weather is good!

CALS has introduced Adobe Connect and other technologies that may be able to help bridge these distances, but only time will tell if they will be accepted by the various clientele groups in central Idaho, (or even by the faculty.)

I started this blog with the idea that maybe this form of communication would permit the faculty and the clientele in central Idaho work on programming issues with less time and fuel...lets give it try, and let me know what you think, and how this could perhaps help.

We are already using a blog to help communicate information about the Horizons http://arcomoore.communityblogs.us/ community development program....Why shouldn't we share information about other programs in a similar way...