Upcoming Events
Precision Ranching Technologies - April 13th, 1:00 pm MDT. View the recording here.
Learn about cutting edge technologies for precision livestock ranching in extensive rangeland systems. Dr. Shelemia Nyamuryekung’e will discuss the precision ranching technologies under evaluation by the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project, including cattle movement sensors and virtual fencing. Asombro Institute for Science Education will present on related education materials suitable for classroom use and/or youth programming. Dr. Michael Crimmins, Professor & Extension Specialist in Climate Science at the University of Arizona will present on My RAINge Log, a tool specifically designed around the type of infrequent, cumulative precipitation observations often collected at remote, rangeland sites.
Tools for Navigating Drought on the Ranch - April 29th, 6:00 pm MDT. Register here.
Take a tour of some tools available to help navigate drought on your ranch. Presentations on: Grass-Cast, a rangeland forage productivity forecasting tool; drought resources available from University of Arizona Extension and New Mexico State University Extension; Tools for the Beef Industry (TOBI) a decision support toolshed; and the Ranch Drought Monitoring Dashboard - a new tool under development by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Meat Quality Panel - May 5th, 12:00-1:30 pm MDT. Register here.
Join us for presentations and a panel discussion with Dr. Ty Lawrence, Dr. Rhonda Miller, and Mr. Scott Brinker about the fundamentals of how beef carcasses and cuts are evaluated and how those evaluations relate to consumer preferences, with a focus on medical food service. Dr. Lawrence will discuss what happens at the slaughter plant when the Beef Carcass Research Center is doing its work and what he is looking for. Dr. Miller will discuss what happens in her meat quality laboratory, what cut(s) are selected for testing and why, and how those tests relate to retail consumer preferences. Mr. Brinker will share what his nutritional objectives are in medical food service, what role beef plays in medical food service, how he makes make sourcing decisions, and the approximate economics of the medical food service plate.
Beef Supply Chain Options - August TBD
Hear about the various supply chain options for beef cattle producers in the Southwest.
Curious About Cows: Engaging NGSS Lessons on Current Criollo Cattle Research (3rd Grade Teacher Workshop) - September 15th, 4:00-6:00 pm. Apply here.
Cows may be common farm and ranch animals, but this workshop will help you go beyond the basics to learn how to bring current research on sustainable ranching into your classroom. Discover a heritage cattle breed that may be more sustainable in the dry conditions of the southwest, and meet the scientists studying them. Get training and access to a hands-on, NGSS-aligned 3rd-grade lesson developed by Asombro to bring this current research to your students. Participating teachers receive a $50 stipend and a class set of supplies so you can teach the lesson in your classroom. Plus, teachers in southern New Mexico can win a free classroom visit by Asombro educators in the fall.
Terrific Technologies for Ranching: Bring Sustainable Solutions into the Classroom (High School Science & Agriculture Teachers) - September 18th, 9:00 - 11:00 am. Apply here.
How are scientists helping to imagine the future of beef production and make it more sustainable? In this workshop, you’ll meet and learn from scientists in the Sustainable Southwest Beef research project. They’re investigating heritage cattle (Raramuri Criollo) and cutting-edge technologies like cattle movement sensors, water sensors, and virtual fencing. In this workshop, you’ll receive training and access to NGSS-aligned activities developed by Asombro to bring this current research to your students. Participating teachers will also receive a $50 stipend and a classroom set of supplies.
For questions or more information about any of the upcoming webinars, please contact Skye Aney.