Farmers and ranchers interested in expanding their cow herd or considering alternative production practices due to limited perennial pastures and rangeland are the target audience for the Dakota Alternative Beef Cow Systems Symposium, a joint meeting between North Dakota State University Extension and South Dakota State University Extension. The one-day event is scheduled for Feb. 6 at the Huron Event Center in Huron, South Dakota, and Feb. 7 at the Jamestown Civic Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. The symposium occurs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST each day. The Feb. 7 event will also be available as a live webinar for those unable to attend in person.

The event will provide the most up-to-date research and information on feeding strategies to replace forage, creep-feeding calves in confinement systems, alternative grazing strategies that increase adaptability, and the tradeoffs of alternative cow-calf systems compared to perennial pasture-based cow-calf systems.

“Perennial grass pastures and rangeland in many parts of the Northern Plains have been converted into cropland for corn and soybean production, limiting pasture availability in many areas,” says Zac Carlson, Extension beef cattle specialist. “Devising strategies to overcome these barriers and finding alternative solutions can help some producers expand or even establish a cow-calf enterprise.”

The cost of the event is $25 per person and includes the option to attend in-person at either of the two locations or remotely on Feb. 7. The registration fee includes a copy of the symposium recording. To register for an in-person event or webinar, visit ndsu.ag/beef-cow-systems. Participants must register by Jan. 31 to attend in-person. Those participating remotely will need a computer and internet connection to participate in the webinar.

For more information, contact Warren Rusche, assistant professor and SDSU Extension feedlot specialist, at 605-688-5452 or [email protected], or Zac Carlson, assistant professor and NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist at 701-219-4094 or [email protected].