Conferences and Field Days

The photo above is of a tire tank watering facility installation. The NRCS provides cost-share contracts to install a variety of things, one of which is a fresh watering facility for livestock. Livestock truly are happier and healthier when they drink fresh water, rather than drinking out of a pond. There are many contractors in the area who can install these tanks for you, or if you can plumb a toilet, then you can learn how to install a tank like this one above.

Pictured above is Jade Jennett from Stay-Tuff fencing. We try to bring a variety of professionals to our field days to promote their products and to promote best management practices and conservation systems.

In this photo, Jeremy Huff from the NRCS is demonstrating the differences between well managed and poorly managed soils. The reason why soil is the highlight is because healthy soil grows healthy grasses, and healthy grasses grow healthy animals. The device he is using is called a rainfall simulator. The jars hanging from it show how water infiltrates the soil and how it runs off the top of the soil. The healthier your soils and root systems are, the more water will infiltrate those soils, which feeds the root systems within those soils. If you have time, take a look at healthy soils, no-till drilling, multispecies cover cropping, and rotational grazing videos on YouTube. More and more farming operations are using these practices to create sustainable management systems.

Pictured above is John Jennings with the University of Arkansas Extension Service speaking about native grass establishment on a local farm. This farm grazes cattle on native and introduced grasses. Their operation supports a healthy herd of cattle and abundant wildlife, including multiple coveys of quail.