‘Boots in the Barn’ series for women to be held in Independence

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host Boots in the Barn, a program for women beef producers, in February and March in Independence. Boots in the Barn is a three-part series for women involved in their beef cattle operation.

Program dates are Feb. 27, March 5 and March 12. The first session features Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Denise Schwab who will provide information on the cost of production and winter feeding the cow herd.

The March 5 session will feature Dr. Caitlin Wiley, DVM, and clinical assistant professor at Iowa State, and Dr. Grant Dewell, Iowa State extension beef veterinarian and associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. Wiley will share tips and tricks to help ease calving season and difficult calvings. She and Dewell will use the life-size cow model Caramel and her calf Butterscotch to demonstrate techniques to simplify pulling malpresentations to result in more live calves.

The March 12 session will focus on cow herd health and timing of management practices. Dr. Shelly Reid, DVM, from the Jesup Veterinary Clinic will discuss vaccine management including handling in the heat of the summer and cold of winter, reading labels and keeping records to align with the Beef Quality Assurance program. Also, Schwab will discuss the timing of management practices.

All three sessions will be held at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence, 2600 Swan Lake Blvd., and will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The fee for the three-session program is $25, with registration available online at https://buchananwomenlandandlegacy.com/. Sponsors also include the Buchanan County Women Land and Legacy group, and Buchanan County Extension.

“We’ve had great success with programs designed specifically for women,” Schwab said. “Women often prefer to learn in small groups and with hands-on opportunities. They like to ask lots of questions of presenters without feeling intimidated, so programs designed for women alone are very effective.”

For more information on Boots in the Barn, see the series brochure, email Schwab or call the ISU Extension and Outreach county office in Buchanan County at 319-334-7161.