| Date/Time | Topic | Lead Instructor |
| June 9th | Panhandle Research and Extension Center – Scottsbluff, NE | |
| 8:00 | Introductions | |
| 8:15 | Overview of Ranch Practicum, input from participants | |
| 8:45 | Practicum Pre-Test | Berger & Mount |
| 9:45 | Break | |
| 10:00 | Grass Growth and Grazing Management | Reece |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 12:30 | Grazing Planning Excel Spreadsheet | Berger |
| 1:00 | Tour of Local Native Range Site Discuss principles, plant ID | Reece, Berger, Mount |
| Range Monitoring/GIS and GPS tools | ||
| 4:00 | Time and Timing of Grazing | Reece, Mount |
| 5:00 | Wrap up discussion | |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| June 10th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls SAREC | |
| 8:00 | Overview of how to Body Condition Score Cows SAREC and value of as a decision making tool | Tatman, Paisley |
| 9:45 | Review current markets | Berger |
| 10:00 | System decision points and current conditions | Mount, Berger |
| 10:30 | Break | |
| 10:45 | Cattle nutrition basics – the foundation for formulating diets and evaluating the system | Paisley |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Cattle diet balancing software | Berger, Mount |
| 2:00 | Leave for Irrigated Pasture Tour | |
| 2:30 | Tour irrigated pasture | Thaler |
| 3:30 | Irrigated Pasture Species, Management, Economics | Volesky, Tatman |
| 5:00 | Wrap up discussion – leave from Thaler ranch | |
| July 10th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:00 | Coffee and Rolls SAREC | |
| 7:30 | Body Condition Score Cows, range evaluation, review current markets | Tatman, Paisley, Mount, Berger, Smith |
| 9:30 | System decision points and current conditions | Berger, Mount |
| 10:30 | Break | |
| 10:45 | The Cattle Cycle | Hughes |
| 12:15 | Lunch | |
| 12:45 | Replacement Heifer Development Strategies | Trey Patterson / Rick Funston |
| 2:15 | Padlock natural beef experiences | |
| 3:30 | Break | |
| 3:45 | Replacement Strategies in the Cattle Cycle Continued | Hughes |
| 5:00 | Wrap up | Berger, Mount |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| Sept.11th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls SAREC | |
| 8:00 | Body Condition Score Cows, range evaluation, review current markets | Tatman, Paisley, Mount, Berger |
| 10:00 | System decision points and current conditions | Mount, Berger |
| 10:30 | Break | |
| 10:45 | Annual Forages/Windrow Grazing/Water Use Efficiency | Berger |
| 11:45 | Hay Samples Forage Analysis Bags Hand Out How to Sample | Berger |
| 12:15 | Lunch | |
| 12:45 | Review diet balancing software | Mount, Berger |
| 1:30 | Planning for and Purchasing Protein Supplements | Ivan Rush |
| 2:30 | Break | |
| 2:45 | Cow Herd Records and Record Keeping Using the Information | Dallas Mount |
| 4:00 | Mineral supplementation | Rush |
| 5:00 | Wrap up discussion | Mount, Berger |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| Sept 12th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls SAREC | |
| 8:00 | Low stress livestock handling | Randy Hunter, DVM |
| 10:00 | Break | |
| 10:15 | Animal Handling Demonstrations and Activities | Randy Hunter , DVM |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Are you a Profitable Producer? | Hughes |
| 2:00 | Time available - marketing | |
| 3:00 | Break | |
| 3:15 | How to Know and Calculate Unit Costs of Production | Hughes |
| 5:00 | Wrap up discussion | Mount, Berger |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| Nov. 15th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls | |
| 8:00 | Body Condition Score Cows, range evaluation, review current markets | Tatman, Paisley, Mount, Berger, Smith |
| 10:00 | System decision points and current conditions | Berger, Mount |
| 10:30 | Utilizing Crop Residues | Rush, Paisley |
| 11:30 | Forage Sample Analysis Review from Samples Taken in September – formulate diets for wintering cows | Berger |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Goal Setting and planning | Hewlett |
| 3:00 | Family Working Relationships, Estate Planning | Schroeder, Weigel |
| 5:00 | Wrap up discussion | Mount, Berger |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| Jan 8th | Panhandle Research and Extension Center – Scottsbluff, NE | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls | |
| 8:00 | Tour of Feedlot Research Facility Work Being Done There | Rush |
| 9:00 | Animal Identification Product Demonstrations? | Rush |
| 10:00 | Review of Grazing Management Strategies | Reece |
| 11:00 | Fetal Programming and Examples of Systems Decisions Effects | Funston |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Review UCOP data and benchmarking | Hughes |
| 2:00 | Available – Marketing??? | |
| 3:00 | Break | |
| 3:15 | Three Ways to Increase Profits on a Ranch | Hughes |
| 4:15 | Best decision/worst decision – open discussion among participants | |
| 5:00 | Wrap Up | Berger, Mount |
| 5:30 | Adjourn | |
| Jan 9th | Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center – Lingle, WY | |
| 7:30 | Coffee and Rolls | |
| 8:00 | Body Condition Score Cows, range evaluation, review current markets | Tatman, Paisley, Mount, Berger |
| 9:30 | System decision points and current conditions | Berger, Mount |
| 10:00 | Evaluation of decisions made during practicum – looking at this from a risk management perspective | Hewlett |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Winter feeding program | Paisley |
| 1:45 | Practicum Post Test | Berger & Mount |
| 2:30 | Making Decisions with a Systems Mindset | Tom Field |
| 3:00 | Break | |
| 3:15 | Making Decisions with a Systems Mindset continued | Tom Field |
| 5:00 | Wrap up and Evaluation | Mount, Berger |
| 5:30 | Adjourn |
Calendar and Site
Sessions are at held at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center (PHREC) at Scottsbluff, Nebraska and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC), a 3,400-acre research and education facility near Lingle, Wyoming.
Tentative Dates for 2008-9 class:
Monday, June 9, 2008 — PHREC, Scottsbluff, NE
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Tuesday November 11, 2008 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 — PHREC, Scottsbluff, NE
Thursday, January 8, 2009 — SAREC, Lingle, WY
Attendance at all sessions is important because of the sequential nature of the curriculum. Participants must attend at least seven of the eight days to receive a certificate of completion.