Opinion by Dean Frank Galey

UW Ag Experiment Stations Seek Input
Frank Galey, Dean, UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

    The Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) is an important piece of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The station conducts applied (directed toward specific problem) research at four research and extension (R&E) centers throughout Wyoming – Lingle, Powell, Sheridan and Laramie. Many projects are in response to input from Wyoming’s agricultural community.
    To address emerging trends in agriculture, the college plans to regularly solicit input from producers and our experiment station advisory boards to develop a road map for Wyoming’s production agricultural research needs.
    AES Director Bret Hess has developed a production agriculture research priorities list to capture producer input on emerging issues. In addition to items gleaned from past sessions with each R&E center’s advisory board, he has asked agricultural industry interest groups and UW Extension educators to identify producers willing to provide feedback on applied research needs. Each will be asked to review the planning document and comment on proposed research focus areas.
    The draft of the Production Agriculture Research Priorities list is available for viewing on the AES webpage at uwyo.edu/uwexpstn under Important Links on the left-hand side of the page. Comments are always welcome. To submit comments, please contact Hess via email at aes@uwyo.edu or by calling 307-766-3667.
    Some of you may be unfamiliar with the ongoing work at the R&E stations. I would encourage you to visit uwyo.edu/uwexpstn or attend one of our open house events. The Powell R&E Center will host an open house and tour of research projects the afternoon and evening of July 17. The James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center near Lingle will host a similar event August 23, and the open house and tour of the greenhouse facility in Laramie is August 30. Information about the tours and open houses is available by calling the R&E Center.
    Another upcoming event of interest to forage growers the Wyoming Forage Field Day on June 28, in Riverton. A joint effort of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wyoming Business Council and UW Extension, the event includes presentations by our forage specialist Assistant Professor Anowar Islam. He will discuss forage variety selection as well as irrigation and management practices. More information is available at uwyo.edu/uwag under Upcoming Events on the left-hand side of the page or by calling the Fremont County UW Extension office in Riverton.
    The college aims to help serve the needs of Wyoming citizens through education, research and outreach. Our goal is to provide readily available, accurate, fact-based information. When confronted with a problem, whether noxious weed control, crop varieties, grazing practices or economic impacts, I encourage you to use the college, UW Extension, AES and our faculty members as information resources.