Livestock and agriculture in Fort Hall Reservation

Livestock and agriculture

The UI Extension, Fort Hall Reservation offers a wide variety of livestock and agricultural-based programming. Programs include an annual beef school, beef reproduction projects, bull grading tours, range tours, weed management programming, pesticide applicator pre-license training and more. Contact Danielle Gunn to learn more.

Annual beef schools

UI Extension, Fort Hall Reservation beef schools are developed using producer input. We meet with producers to identify their concerns and educational needs. Other livestock programs are conducted as industry issues and topics of concern arise.

Cowboy schools

UI Extension, Fort Hall Reservation also conducts cowboy schools. Cowboy schools have two hours of lecture followed by two hours of practical application in the corral or laboratory. Cowboy schools are fun, informative and useful.

Bull grading program

About 3,800 head of cattle run on one reservation range unit. Cattle run in common so any bull can breed any cow regardless of ownership. This herd crossover can have a great impact on the quality of a producers’ calf crop.

Over 150 bulls are graded each year to ensure all bulls running on this range unit meet minimum quality standards. In addition, permittees using this unit voted to use mandatory minimum Expected Progeny Differences (EPD’s) to decrease the rates of difficult birth (dystocia) in their herds.

Farm and ranch management

The finances of running a farm or ranch can be daunting. Record keeping, marketing and analyzing the business aspects of farming and ranching may not be a producers’ favorite task.

UI Extension, Fort Hall Reservation provides record keeping books to assist producers. An 18-week farm business management program is offered each year to producers interested in improving their business management skills.

Pesticide pre-license trainings

University of Idaho Pesticide and Education Program. Recertification webinars offer applicators certification credit hours through the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). Contact Desiree Wickwar on upcoming webinars at desireewickwar@uidaho.edu or 208-423-6688.