Session 1: June 2, 2026
West Central Research Center
8:00 a.m. CT Welcome, Registration, and Coffee & Rolls
8:30 a.m. Introductions with Troy Walz
8:45 a.m. Practicum Overview with Troy Walz
9:00 a.m. Practicum Pretest with Troy Walz
9:45 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. Decision Making in Agriculture with Jay Parsons
12:00 p.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. Tour Cattle on Feed and Heifers with Rick Funston
1:30 p.m. Plant Growth, Development and Morphology with Jerry Volesky and Troy Walz
2:00 p.m. Annual Forages with Jerry Volesky
2:30 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. Plant Response to Defoliation and Wildfire Recovery with Jerry Volesky
3:45 p.m. Factors Around Improving Conception Rates in a Spring or Summer Heard with Rick Funston
4:45 p.m. Seasonal Yield and Quality Patterns with Jerry Volesky
5:30 p.m. Adjourn
Session 2: June 3, 2026
Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory
7:30 a.m. MT Welcome and Coffee & Rolls
8:00 a.m. Gudmundsen Sandhills Lab Overview with John Nollette
8:15 a.m. Body Condition Scoring with Karla Wilke and Jacki Musgrave
9:30 a.m. Evaluation of Cattle Esophageal Diets with Karla Wilke and Jerry Volesky
10:30 a.m. Introduction to Meadow Management Practices with Jerry Volesky and Ranch Practicum Systems Study
11:45 a.m. Lunch
12:15 p.m. Field Applications of Beef and Forage Systems
1:45 p.m. Nutritional Impacts of Lactation on Body Condition Score with Karla Wilke
3:15 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Introduction to Systems Thinking with Brian Vander Ley
4:30 p.m. Range Plants - Pretest and Introduction to Plant ID with Troy Walz and Jerry Volesky
5:30 p.m. Adjourn