UW Extension to Host WESTI Sugar Beet Conference in Worland Feb. 3

University of Wyoming Extension will host its WESTI Ag Day conference Tuesday, Feb. 3, in Worland. This all-day conference is designed to provide professional farmers with current, research-based information about best practices in Wyoming agriculture.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m. It will take place at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, located at 2200 Big Horn Ave.

This year's conference will focus on sugar beets.

"If you haven't been to a sugar beet meeting recently, there's a lot of information to be had," says Dan VanderPloeg, Washakie County Extension educator and organizer of the event. "The point is to make it valuable for the farmers that are coming."

Speakers include Andrew Kniss, professor of weed science; Jeremiah Vardiman, assistant coordinator of UW Extension's pesticide safety education program; and Jean Williams-Woodward, UW Extension plant pathologist. Kniss will discuss control strategies for kochia, one of the biggest weed problems currently facing Wyoming farmers. Vardiman will present about weed control, focusing on palmer amaranth. Williams-Woodward will address cercospora, a fungal disease that impacts sugar beets. Industry experts also will share presentations about current sugar beet opportunities and challenges.

The event also features a vendor reception. Throughout the day, agricultural businesses will display products such as seeds as well as services including drone operation and irrigation installation. Several door prizes are available for those who attend the conference.

To pre-register for WESTI Ag Day, contact the Washakie County Extension office at (307) 347-3431. Participants also can register on site beginning at 8 a.m. Lunch will be provided for registered participants.

Call VanderPloeg at (307) 347-3431 or email [email protected] with questions.

About University of Wyoming Extension

UW Extension serves Wyoming communities by helping residents apply university research and resources to practical problems. Since 1914, UW Extension has provided educational programs and tools to the state's 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. From 4-H programming and pesticide safety education to food preservation and nutrition courses, Extension upholds the university's land-grant mission by offering learning opportunities for people of all ages. UW Extension staff members help Wyoming residents boost agricultural production, care for lawns and gardens, cultivate future leaders, support individual and community well-being, and develop thriving businesses.

To learn more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/uwe/ or call (307) 766-5124.