The trick to raising cattle, the saying goes, is just to make sure they don’t run out of grass or water. A free grazing workshop on May 13 will detail some of the wrinkles behind that simple-sounding prescription, and explain how the Kerr Center’s livestock program irons them out.

The workshop runs from 1 to 5 at the Kerr Center’s ranch near Poteau. The program focuses on two critical topics for profitable livestock production: grazing management and water systems.

Proper grazing management helps livestock managers get the most out of their pastures by dividing them into smaller areas using temporary electric fences. On the Kerr Center ranch, this means that any given pasture may be grazed only a few days each year, giving the plants and soils plenty of time to rest and recover.

Keeping track of what plants are growing in pastures provides key information needed for successful grazing management, so this part of the workshop will focus on basic pasture plant identification skills as well.

Water systems support grazing management by taking water to cattle in the pastures. This encourages them to graze more evenly, instead of spending most of their time near a pond. The Kerr Center livestock program uses gravity flow watering from ponds where possible, and turns used tractor tires into low-cost water troughs.

Kerr Center workshops are small and informal, with plenty of time for participants to ask questions and compare notes. They feature both classroom presentations and time out on the ranch.

There is no cost to attend this workshop, but registration is required by May 10 to reserve a place. For more information or to register, visit the events calendar at www.kerrcenter.com, call 918.647.9123, or send an email to mailbox@kerrcenter.com.