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PARKERSBURG -- The 49th annual Wood County Farmer's Short Course will begin Jan. 25 and will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in the Fort Boreman Room of the Judge Black Annex, located at 317 Market St.
The free course is open to the public and is presented by the Wood County Beef Improvement Association and West Virginia University Extension Service.
There will be six sessions that will highlight different agriculture-related topics with three of the sessions as WVU Dinner Nights that feature a speaker and a meal, as well as Farm Bureau Night that will feature an update on West Virginia Agriculture.
The schedule is as follows:
∫ Jan. 25: (WVU Dinner Night) Understanding the Value of Gain in Livestock with Dr. Kevin Shaffer and Farm Loan Programs with Ryan Vaughn. Dr. Shaffer is the livestock specialist for WVU Extension and was raised in north-central West Virginia, raising commercial cattle. He earned a Ph. D in Animal Sciences from WVU. Dr. Shaffer serves as coordinator of the WV Young Sire Evaluation Program, and teaches beef cattle management and breeding courses. Vaughn is the farm loan manager for Farm Credit of the Virginias in Ripley. He managed Producers Livestock and is a WVU graduate in animal science.
∫ Feb. 1: Creating a Herd Health/Vaccination Program with Dr. Max McCoy from the Kirkpatrick Veterinary Clinic and Improving Your Livestock Marketing Strategy with Daniel Mitchell with the Jackson County Livestock Market. The Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital is a mixed practice located in Henderson, WV. There are currently four veterinarians on staff for farm calls, large and small animal appointments and surgeries. Saturday office hours are until 11 a.m. A vet is on call for emergencies on weekends and nightly. Daniel Mitchell works with his father Roger to manage and operate the largest livestock auction in West Virginia, Jackson County Regional Livestock Market in Ripley. The Mitchell's purchased the business in 2007. Jackson County Livestock markets over 30,000 heads of animals each year, totaling over $19 million in sales.
∫ Feb. 8: Beef Trans-4 Financial Program with Brian Wickline and Alternative Medications for Animal Health with Scott Baurbach. Wickline has served as the agriculture agent for WV Extension in Monroe since 2003. He has previously worked for the WV Conservation Agency as a Grassland Technician. He specializes in livestock and forage production, nutrient management, niche marketing, and financial analysis for farmers. Baurbach is the area sales manager for Animal Health International. He is an Ohio State graduate and has experience in livestock nutrition and management.
∫ Feb. 15: (WVU Dinner Night) Getting Cows Bred Back with Dean Kreager and WV Cattlemen's Association Update with Jessie Pennell. Kreager is the agricultural extension educator for Ohio State in Licking County. He specializes in beef production and reproduction, forages, and pesticide/fertilizer education. He has worked for Select Sires before coming to Ohio State. Pennell is the Executive Director of the WV Cattlemen's Association and the WV Beef Industry Program Specialist.
∫ Feb. 22: (Farm Bureau Night) Legislative Update with Dwayne O'Dell and Update on West Virginia Agriculture with Kent Leonhardt. O'Dell is the Director of Government Affairs for WV Farm Bureau, working with the Legislature on agriculture issues. He has previously worked at the WV Department of Agriculture. Leonhardt is the WV Commissioner of Agriculture. He has a degree in Wildlife Management from Missouri and a Master's degree in Business from Central Michigan. He and his wife Shirley raise cattle, goats, sheep, and hay on their farm.
∫ Feb. 29: Farm Transition Planning with Jesse Richardson. Richardson is the lead land use attorney for WVU. As a professor at Virginia Tech, he taught land use law, environmental law, and urban growth management. His research and experience focus is on the land use law. He has served on the Boards of Director of the American Agricultural Law Association and the Virginia Farmland Protection Task Force. He has worked with communities in West Virginia and Virginia on land use planning issues.
The sponsors of the 49th annual Wood County Farmer's Short Course are WV Department of Agriculture, Wood County Beef Improvement, Heritage Co-Op, Farm Credit of the Virginias, Little Kanawha Conservation District, Wood County Farm Bureau, Nature Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Blennerhassett FFA, Wards Farm Supply, and R&D Meats.
If you're interested in becoming a member of Wood County Beef Improvement, contact Rocky Peck at 304-380-1163, dues are $10 per year.
For questions or more information about the 49th annual Wood County Farmer's Short Course, contact the WVU Extension Service -- Wood County's Agriculture Extension Agent J.J. Barrett at 304-424-1960 or Cody Peck at 304-210-7768.