Aug. 14 workshop to cover native warm season grasses for forage, wildlife

LITTLE ROCK — Growing native warm-season grasses can be a boon for both cattle and quail, and an Aug. 14 workshop at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana campus will offer a how-to for ranchers and those seeking to improve wildlife habitat.
The workshop, held from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. is being presented by the Cooperative Extension Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. There’s no cost to attend, but participants are asked to register online for meal head count.
“This workshop is an opportunity to discuss how our farms can support both production and wildlife,” said Jonathan Kubesch, extension forage specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “I’m excited to see how our perspectives will help farmers decide if these native grasses fit their farms.”
For ranchers, “these productive forages could build drought resilience on farms and really help with raising the nutritional plane of summer pasture,” he said, noting the potential opportunities for native warm-season grasses to thrive in southwest Arkansas.

The speakers include Kubesch, as well as:
Clint Johnson, quail program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Johnson is responsible for restoration and management of grasslands to benefit grassland species, as well as quail population monitoring and management statewide. This includes serving as the agency’s subject matter expert on grassland management.
Jeremy Huff, state grazing lands specialist for the Arkansas Natural Resource Conservation Service. Huff and his family live in western Arkansas and have a cow-calf operation. He offers education on grazing and forage management and provides leadership for Arkansas NRCS Farm Bill programs involving pasture practices.