News Release
January  14, 2008

UW president featured speaker during Worland ag conference

University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan is the featured speaker at the Big Horn Basin Ag Ambassadors Ag Appreciation Dinner during WESTI (Wyoming Extension’s Strategically and Technologically Informative) Ag Days Feb. 5-6 in Worland.

The ambassadors are sponsors of WESTI with the theme “Partners in Agriculture.” The two-day event, full of presentations pertinent to agriculture, is at the Worland Community Center Complex at 1200 Culbertson Ave. Registration begins each day at 8:30 a.m.

The ag appreciation dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, at the complex. 

“The banquet has become an annual tradition and one of the social highlights of the year for farm and ranch families,” said Jim Gill, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES)  Northwest Area educator  based in Worland.

Buchanan’s presentation is a “State-of-the-State talk on the People’s University.” The Washakie County CowBelles will serve dinner.  The 2008 Big Horn Basin Ag Citizen of the Year will also be announced, and “Buffalo Bill Boycott” will perform. William Frederick Boycott of Lander as "Buffalo Bill" performs historical, cowboy and original songs on the history of the Wild West and Wyoming utilizing fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and vocals, according to his Web site. He also presents humorous cowboy poetry, tells stories in traditional American Indian sign language and yodels.

Producers are asked to call the Washakie County UW CES office at (307) 347-3431 to reserve tickets.

The first day of WESTI is dedicated to training farmers and ranchers needing to obtain or renew a Wyoming private pesticide applicator license, said Gill.  Persons attending the training will receive the license issued by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.  John Hewlett, extension farm management specialist, will start the program with his presentation “AGR-Lite, A New Tool for Managing Risk on Wyoming Crop and Livestock Operations.” 

A series of concurrent sessions will be offered by Northwest Area educators Barton Stam, Gill and Ron Cunningham. Jarrod Glanz with the Washakie County Weed and Pest Control District will discuss pesticide safety issues.

State Sen. Gerry Geis (R-Worland), representing Senate District 20, will be the featured speaker at the Tuesday luncheon. Geis is chairman of the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee and of the Select Water Committee. Geis will discuss legislative issues important to agriculture producers.

A variety of topics will be covered Feb. 6. Subjects include Round-up Ready sugar beets, animal identification, managing manure for profitability and feasibility of alternative rural enterprises.  Additional topics will include a review of Montana sugar beet research, managing stored grains on the farm, dealing with prairie dogs, genetically selecting for economically important traits in the beef and lamb industry, managing irrigation under center pivot irrigation systems, progress in controlling Russian olive and tamarisk (salt cedar) and an update by the Wyoming state veterinarian’s office.

The featured luncheon speaker for Wednesday is Xavier Montoya, Wyoming Natural Resources Conservation Service state conservationist, who will discuss conservation efforts across the state.

For more information, registration and programs, contact the Washakie County  

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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