We’ve gathered all the help you need to run a successful forage and livestock operation together in one room.
This year’s Institute will focus on high-quality educational sessions and producer engagement, bringing together an expected 100 to 150 farmers, landowners, and industry professionals from across the state.
The Forage Expo provides a focused, engaged audience, creating valuable opportunities for meaningful conversations and strong connections between producers and industry partners like you.
Tentative Schedule for Forage Institute
9 AM: Check In
9:15 - 10 AM: How to Create a Successful Hay Business Panel Discussion
10 AM: Build a Regenerative Grazing System Contest begins
10:10 - 10:55 AM: Choose Your Session
Forage Selections & Best Management Practices, by Laura Lant Haney, Midwest Grass and Forage
Can You Make Money Grazing? The Toland Experiment, by Trevor Toland, River Oak Ranch
Soil Testing Micronutrients, by Zach Cox, A Better Way to Farm
Hay Sampling, by Matt Gregor, Pike Feeds
Regenerative Grazing, by Logan Karcher, Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition
11:10 - 11:55 AM: Choose Your Session
How I Graze in Corn and Soybean Country, by Elton Mau, Circle M Ranch
How to Achieve the Perfect Graze, by Trevor Toland, River Oak Ranch
Multi-Species Grazing, by Teresa Steckler, University of Illinois Extension
Black Vulture Nuisance Permits, by Jonathan Walls, the State Director of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services for Illinois
Virtual Grazing, by Monte Bottens, Bottens Family Farm and the Host of the AgEmerge Podcast
Noon - 1:00: Lunch and Awards
1 - 1:45 PM: Choose Your Session
Utilizing Cover Crops to Maximize Forage, by Laura Lant Haney, Midwest Grass and Forage
How to Start a Regenerative Grazing System: The Basics, by Trevor Toland, River Oak Ranch
Soil Testing Micronutrients, by Zach Cox, A Better Way to Farm
Hay Sampling, by Matt Gregor, Pike Feeds
Regenerative Grazing, by Logan Karcher, Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition
1:55 - 2:40 PM: Choose Your Session
How I Graze in Corn and Soybean Country, by Elton Mau, Circle M Ranch
Paddock Design, by Trevor Toland, River Oak Ranch
Multi-Species Grazing, by Teresa Steckler, University of Illinois Extension
Black Vulture Nuisance Permits, by Jonathan Walls, State Director of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services for Illinois
Virtual Grazing, by Monte Bottens, Bottens Family Farm and the Host of the AgEmerge Podcast