The University of Wyoming's annual Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) seminar series begins Thursday, Feb. 12, on UW's Laramie campus.

The UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources will host three RMAL seminars this spring, culminating in an all-day symposium about land and resource management. The seminar series provides a venue for current and future members of Wyoming's agricultural industry to connect with one another and learn from experts in the industry.

All sessions are free and open to the public. Each session is livestreamed and recorded via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person.

The first seminar will take place Feb. 12 from 5-7 p.m. in Room 1032 of UW's Agriculture Building.

The session is titled "Cattle Drives and Quests: Lessons for Entrepreneurs," presented by Tom Field, director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Field will discuss free enterprise and opportunities for young people in rural communities.

Randall Violett, RMAL associate director, urges producers, students and agriculturalists throughout Wyoming to attend the series virtually.

"We are encouraging families to gather around their computer at home and share two hours of real-life education," he says. "We have put together a stellar lineup of speakers and hope our stakeholders will take advantage of this opportunity."

To learn more about the RMAL seminar series, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal/ranching-in-the-west-seminar-series.html. To register for one or more sessions, go here. Registered participants will receive the Zoom links for the sessions for which they signed up.

Further topics, dates and locations for the 2026 sessions are as follows:

-- "Spinning a Business Out of a Hobby" presented by Ben Hostetler, operations manager of Mountain Meadow Wool Mill, UW Agriculture Building, Thursday, Feb. 26, 5-7 p.m.

-- "Journaling the Outdoors: Wildlife Entrepreneurs" presented by Ike Eastman, president and CEO of Eastmans' Hunting Journal, UW Agriculture Building, Thursday, March 26, 5-7 p.m.

-- Rocky Mountain Land and Resource Management Conference, UW's Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, Wednesday, April 15, 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.

The RMAL seminar series is part of the curriculum of UW's Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Bachelor of Science program, which launched in 2024.

For more information, email Violett at [email protected] or call (307) 766-4239.

About the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources

UW's College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources serves students and communities through innovative scholarship, research and outreach. Guided by the land-grant principles of discovery and experiential learning, the college facilitates meaningful educational opportunities in the classroom, laboratory and community. The college offers degrees in the departments of agricultural and applied economics, animal science, botany, ecosystem science and management, family and consumer sciences, molecular biology, plant sciences, veterinary sciences, and zoology and physiology. Also offered are degree programs in agricultural communications, microbiology, and ranch management and agricultural leadership.

To learn more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/uwag or call (307) 766-4133.