1/17/23
Submitted by Brandy Brabham, WVU-Roane County Extension Agent, 304-927-0975
Each winter, the West Virginia University (WVU) Extension Service sets out on a mission to bring educational opportunities to those residents who have a focus on agriculture.
After having to switch to an online platform in 2021, the 2023 winter dinner meeting series returns to an in-person format this January through March and still offer online weekly webinars in February to economically bring nationally renowned speakers’ viewpoints to West Virginia producers.
WVU Extension Service is bringing education, know-how and research to you. The 2023 agriculture dinner meetings are a great opportunity to learn first-hand from Extension experts and other industry-related professionals about various topics.
We encourage residents to take advantage of an opportunity to enjoy a meal with their peers while gaining insights and knowledge to help improve various agricultural projects. Through the series, individuals will learn from experts, who will be discussing topics relevant to help improve agricultural operations.
The first course offered in our area will be about grazing, “Making the Most out of Your Pasture.” The course will be offered at the Roane County Library on Wednesday, January 25, beginning at 6:30 PM in Spencer, WV. Pre-registration for this meeting will be by 4:00 PM on Monday, January 23 to the local WVU Extension Service office in Roane County at 304-927-0975.
In this presentation, Quill Ward will discuss his trial and error throughout his extended grazing journey. He began researching extended grazing about ten years ago. Since then, he has been able to extend grazing for his cattle for 300+ days.
Quill Ward is the sixth-generation agriculturalist to live and work on his family’s beef cattle operation. He owns and manages 280 cows, as well as 60 yearling heifers. He is a 2008 graduate of West Virginia University’s Davis College where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis Animal Science. Quill currently holds multiple board and leadership positions. He is the president of the West Virginia Cattlemen’s Association. He also serves as a board member for the Harrison County Farm Bureau and Harrison County Livestock Association.
Costs for the dinners vary, but in many cases, like here in Roane County, sponsors like Farm Credit and the Little Kanawha Conservation District provide funding to cover the producers’ meals and door prizes for the meetings.
For more information about the speaker series, please contact WVU Roane County Extension Agent in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Brandy Brabham by phone at 304-927-0975, or by emailing brandy.brabham@mail.wvu.edu.
