05/11/06 Multi-species grazing enterprise conf.

Washington Ag May 11, 2006 A conference focused on developing rural enterprises based on sustainable livestock and resource management strategies is scheduled May 23rd and 24th at the La Quinta Inn at Ritzville. Don Nelson of Washington State University says the conference will look beyond multi-species grazing to other approaches that are useful in diversifying enterprises. Nelson: "And taking maybe a new approach to an old way of doing business as far as adding value and providing local services, such as the presentation on mobile slaughter, the mobile slaughter unit that has just newly arrived in Stevens County, which is similar to the one that was developed over in Lopez Island." Keynote speaker An Peischel of Tennessee State University will discuss goat management and livestock grazing behavior. Other speakers include producers Dave Billingsley and Chuck Perry of Country Natural Beef; Joel Huesby of Thundering Hooves; Craig Madsen of Healing Hooves; and Julie and Dave Dashiell, of Hunter, Washington. There is also a field tour of an invasive vegetation field trial at Sprague Lake. You can contact Nelson for more information at 509-335-2922 or Andrea Mann at the Big Bend RC&D at 509-754-2463, ext 115. I'm Bob Hoff.