2025 UF/IFAS Forage Legume Conference – May 1

The UF/IFAS Panhandle Agriculture Extension Team is excited to announce that the 4th edition of the UF/IFAS Forage Legume Conference which will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Marianna, Florida. The event will feature four expert speakers, a veteran producer panel, an industry trade show, and a tour of research plots at the North Florida Research and Education Center – Marianna.

If you’re passionate about agriculture, forage production, livestock nutrition, and grazing management, or more intensive wildlife management, this conference is for you! Whether you’re a seasoned commercial rancher or landowner, or just starting out with a small operation, there’s something here for everyone.  In an era when it is critical to manage nitrogen fertilizer and supplemental nutrition costs, legumes have a lot to offer.

The event will be held at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Jackson County, located at 2741 Penn Avenue, Marianna, Florida, and at the North Florida Research and Education Center’s Beef Research Unit – 4925 Highway 162, Greenwood, Florida.  Registration for this event is $15/per person and includes lunch. Advanced online registration is available for participation or sponsorship through the Eventbrite link below.

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2025 Forage Legume Conference Registration

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What to Expect

Four presentations will feature topics to include:

• The dynamic interactions between forage legumes and grasses growing in mixtures
• Forage legumes and wildlife: a perfect fit
• Optimizing small ruminant nutrition and sustainability with legume-based feeding strategies
• Weed Management Options in Pastures with Forage Legumes
• Forage Producer Panel with Q & A
• Industry Tradeshow of organizations that offer goods and services of interest to forage producers
• Tour of the forage legume research plots at the NFREC Beef Research Unit

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For more information, or questions about sponsoring the event and participating with a booth in the Trade Show, contact Tina Gwin or Jose Dubeux – 850-526-1611

Conference Agenda

7:30 – 8:15 AM Registration

8:15 – 8:30 AM Introductory remarks

8:30 – 9:00 AM The dynamic interactions between forage legumes and grasses growing in mixtures – Dr. Lynn Sollenberger, UF IFAS Agronomy Department

9:00 – 9:30 AM Forage legumes and wildlife: a perfect fit – Dr. Jim Muir, Texas A&M Agrilife System

9:30 – 10:00 AM Optimizing small ruminant nutrition and sustainability with legume-based feeding strategies – Dr. Diwakar Vyas, UF IFAS Animal Sciences

10:00 – 10:30 AM Break and round with sponsors

10:30 – 11:00 AM Weed Management Options in Pastures with Forage Legumes – Dr. Brent Sellers, UF IFAS RCREC

11:00 AM -12:00 PM Producer’s Experience Panel with Q&A

Noon – 12:45 PM Lunch

12:45 – 1:15 PM – Travel to NFREC Marianna Beef Research Unit

1:15 – 3:00 PM – Tour legume plots at the Beef Research Unit

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An Equal Opportunity Institution
The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations, such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact Doug Mayo: 850-482-9620 or demayo@ufl.edu at least 2 weeks in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.