WSU Livestock Short Courses Coming to Castle Rock and Bremerton

Sustainable farm-to-table livestock production offers small farms an opportunity to utilize land effectively, raise meat for family, friends, and sale while minimizing their environmental footprint. In addition, the potential extra income can help raise the bottom line for Western Washington farmers.

To ensure producers have access to the best information and latest research on sustainable meat production, Washington State University Extension and Department of Animal Sciences are offering day-long courses in sustainable beef, pork, poultry, lamb, and goat production.

Join us all day Thursday, July 10, 2014 at Castle Rock High School for Beef 100,Lamb/Goat 100, or Poultry 100 and/or all day Friday, July 11, 2014 at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds for Pork 100 or a reprise of Poultry 100.

The one-day intensive courses are designed to increase the knowledge and skills of those expanding into livestock production. In addition, they are excellent refreshers for experienced producers looking to increase the sustainability of current operations. Focused on a single species, each course helps farmers and ranchers increase their knowledge on the safe production of high quality food animals in an environmentally sound and humane manner.

Topics addressed include nutrition, management on pasture, breed selection, genetics/reproduction basics, production and marketing, health, hands-on activities, and more. Instructors include WSU Extension meat and livestock specialists with extensive knowledge in all aspects of livestock production.

Registration includes lunch, all materials, and a flash drive of resources to take home. Registration is $65 per person or $50 per person per course for two or more from the same farm if received by July 3. After that, late registration is $75 per person per course. Register online at Livestock100.BrownPaperTickets.com ordownload the form at snohomish.wsu.edu/Livestock100/ and mail with your check.

New this year is an all-day Youth Livestock Quality Assurance course on July 11, 2014, also at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. This session, focused on young livestock producers, covers all aspects of livestock production with an emphasis on meeting Quality Assurance standards. Hands-on and more with the experts from the WSU Extension MEAT team. Visit snohomish.wsu.edu/YouthLivestockQA/ for more information.

For additional information on the courses, contact Jan Busboom, WSU Meat Specialist, (509) 335-2880, busboom@wsu.edu; or Sarah M. Smith, Area Animal Science Educator, (509) 754-2011, x413, smithsm@wsu.edu. For assistance with registration, contact Kate Halstead, (360) 794-6081, khalstead@wsu.edu.