© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NMSU Presents Ranching Series At Valles Caldera

New Mexico State University and the Valles Caldera National Preserve are teaming up to host a summer education series focused on livestock, wildlife and wildfire.

Experts from NMSU Cooperative Extension Service will provide six workshops throughout the summer.

Do you have questions about livestock health, nutrition or economics? Or maybe questions about the livestock grazing program at Valles Caldera National Preserve? 

NMSU Extension specialists Nick Ashcroft, Jerry Hawkes, Marcy Ward and John Wenzel will be able to answer your questions and provide greater insights on these issues.

Also, don’t miss an opportunity to see trophy elk before the rut through Sam Smallidge’s looking glass.

Finally, take a tour of the national preserve with an eye out on how forests, fire and management interact on the landscape.

Come learn more about these facets of the caldera at the summer education series. Additional information will be available at vallescaldera.org the national preserve’s website. The free workshops will be:

• June 16 – Cattle Health: John Wenzel, NMSU Extension veterinarian, will discuss cow and calf medicine and preventative health programs for livestock producers. The workshop will be held 1-4 p.m. at the Valles Caldera Science Center, 90 Villa Louis Martin, in Jemez Springs.

• July 10 – Fire on the Mountain: Doug Cram, NMSU Extension wildland fire specialist, will conduct a tour of the caldera with an eye for how past fires behaved on the landscape based on fuel conditions, weather and topography. Multiple stops will allow participants to get on the ground and compare how vegetation communities have responded following fires of different severities. The tour will begin at 9 a.m. at the Banco Bonita Staging Area, near mile marker 30 along State Highway 4.

• July 23 – Marketing Objectives and Outcomes in the Beef Cattle Industry: Jerry Hawks, NMSU Extension livestock economist, will discuss the Beef Quality Assurance national program that provides guidelines for beef producers. This presentation will focus on marketing and potential financial advantages of a more aggressive approach to livestock marketing. The workshop will be 9-10 a.m. at the Valles Caldera Science Center, 90 Villa Louis Martin, Jemez Springs.

• July 30 – Reproduction Management of Beef Cows and Heifers: Marcy Ward, NMSU Extension livestock specialist, will discuss the economic and health benefits of reproduction management. Preliminary research findings from an estrous synchronization protocol conducted at the Valles Caldera will be shared. The workshop will be from noon to 3 p.m. at the Valles Caldera National Preserve staging area.

• Aug. 13 – Glassing and Field Judging Big Game Animals: Samuel Smallidge, NMSU Extension wildlife specialist, will inform novice to intermediate big game viewers about equipment, strategies and techniques for locating and assessing big game animals in the field. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Valles Caldera National Preserve staging area.

• Sept. 9 – Range Monitoring and Assessment: Nick Ashcroft, NMSU Extension range specialist, will discuss how to conduct rangeland monitoring methods to use for different levels of experience and time investment. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Valles Caldera National Preserve staging area.

Information from: NMSU