The University of Kentucky will host two regional fencing schools this fall to help livestock producers learn about the newest fencing techniques and sound fence construction. The schools are Oct. 13 at the Wolfe County Extension office in Campton and Oct. 15 at the Barren County Extension office in Glasgow. Each day will begin with registration at 7:30 a.m. local time and end around 4:30 p.m.
Chris Teutsch, UK forage extension specialist, started these one-day events in 2018 in Kentucky to help producers improve their grazing management.
“If you have ever driven around the countryside, there are a lot of fences but not a lot of well-constructed ones,” said Teutsch, a faculty member in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “One of the goals of this school is to help people get the basics of fencing down. That way they can build a strong, durable fence that will last 25 or 30 years, or if they decide to hire a contractor to build it for them, they’ll at least know what a well-constructed fence looks like.”
Through a mixture of classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations, UK specialists and fencing industry experts will teach producers the basics of a well-built fence. An added bonus of the school is that the techniques producers learn can help them with cost-share dollars from the Natural Resources Conservation Service for new fence construction.
Each school is limited to 30 participants, and the cost is $30 per person. Participants can register online at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/ or by emailing the registration form and payment to Carrie Tarr-Janes, UK Research and Education Center, 348 University Drive, Princeton, KY, 42445. In addition to online registration, registration forms are available at local offices of the UK Cooperative Extension Service.
Producers are encouraged to register early, as spots will fill quickly. The registration deadline for each location is two weeks prior to the workshop occurring.
Organizers ask that participants practice social distancing and wear masks.
The Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council, UK Cooperative Extension Service and the Master Grazer Program organize and sponsor the schools along with their industry partners, Gallagher USA, Stay-Tuff Fencing and ACI Distributers.
— Katie Pratt, UK College of Agriculture
