On Thursday, Sept. 22, the University of Wyoming Extension will host a workshop on beef quality assurance and drought management at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds in Lusk.

Attendees will earn an industry-recognized Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certificate.

“I recommend producers to be BQA certified because it helps create good record keeping and a good herd health program, which can increase the value of their calf crop and help them create a good reputation,” says UW Extension educator Alex Orozco-Lopez.

The event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome, although participants must be 18 or older in order to obtain the BQA certification.

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. and concludes at 8 p.m. Dinner is provided.

Steve Paisley, director of the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) near Lingle, will lead the beef quality assurance portion of the workshop and Orozco-Lopez will present on drought management.

Beef quality assurance topics include proper vaccination locations, proper vaccine storage, proper animal handling, and more.

The drought management component of the workshop will focus on how to prepare for drought and how to deal with ongoing drought conditions, including recommendations for rangeland grazing strategies.

To RSVP, call the Niobrara County Extension office at (307) 334-3534 or email kelliec@uwyo.edu. Participants are asked to RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 20.

For more information, contact Alex Orozco-Lopez at (559) 201-3433 or Kellie Chichester at (307) 334-3534.