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Profitable Pastures 2020 conference announced

The Ontario Forage Council has announced their upcoming annual Profitable Pastures 2020 conference. The conference will be held at the Mount Forest Community Centre, on Tuesday, March 10. Remote locations will be added in the near future and posted on the event website.

Bill Thomas, of BT Agronomy, will be this year’s keynote speaker. During his 30 years of extension service in Nova Scotia, Bill implemented educational forage production programs at the former Nova Scotia Agricultural College, now part of Dalhousie University. He has developed policies on nutrient management, beef development and agricultural awareness. Bill is a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrology, the Agrology Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society of Agronomy, and has served on several forage and crop and research committees.

The conference will also include a series of CEU-accredited presentations. John Molenhuis, OMAFRA Business Analysis Cost Production Specialist, will kick off the day with “How to Determine your Cost of Production,” a panel with firsthand knowledge from producers experienced in managing their cost of production. The 2019 Mapleseed Sheep Pasture Award recipients Carrie Woolley and Brett Schuyler will present an overview of their operation, and Christine O’Reilly, OMAFRA Forage and Grazing Specialist, will round out the day with a presentation on grass utilization.

The cost of this year’s conference is $50 and includes a hot lunch. The registration deadline is March 9^th; registrations will be accepted at the door, but may not include the hot lunch. Registration is available by phone, or email; Visa and Mastercard accepted by phone. Cheques can be made payable to the Ontario Forage Council.

For more information, visit ontarioforagecouncil.com/programs/profitable-pastures.