Properly utilized and managed pastures can pay dividends for livestock producers. To help producers get the most from their pastures, University of Kentucky (UK) specialists are hosting the 14th Kentucky Grazing Conference on Oct. 10.

The one-day conference begins at 8 a.m. at the Fayette County Extension office in Lexington. The Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council and the UK College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment are sponsoring the event.

Speakers will include grazing and animal specialists from UK, Tennessee, Iowa and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. They will speak about specific pasture programs for cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Other topics include pastures as one of Kentucky’s untapped resources, the role of legumes in a pasture program, extending the grazing season and weed control in profitable pastures.

In addition to the informational sessions, a silent auction will be held throughout the day with results announced during the afternoon. Also during the afternoon, is the popular Kentucky forage spokesman contest, where forage producers compete by giving speeches about their grazing operations and management strategies