The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, along with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service and Myers Park and Events Center, will host a new agricultural field day for residents of eight North Texas counties this April.

The first North Central Texas Basic Agricultural Field Day is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, April 25, at the Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney, Texas, for those living in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, and Rockwall counties.

"This new field day is designed to provide all participants - whether they are farmers and ranchers or just interested in agriculture - with a broad-based educational opportunity to learn about many facets of an agricultural operation," said David Annis, agricultural consultant with the Noble Foundation's Agricultural Division. "We've brought together agricultural specialists and consultants from the Noble Foundation, the Texas Cooperative Extension, the Texas Parks and Wildlife, the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources and Conservation Service and Ag Power (John Deere) to provide the best, most up-to-date information to our attendees."

Registration will run from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. followed by the morning session, which will include discussions on selecting the appropriate farm equipment for the various agricultural operations and farm equipment safety. Attendees will then divide into three groups and rotate between three brief presentations on farmstead planning/resource evaluation, soil sampling and pasture management.

Following lunch, there will be a session on pond management, which will highlight managing fish populations, aquatic vegetation identification and control and pond site selection. During the remaining afternoon activities, attendees may select from two of six concurrent sessions including:

1. Fencing;
2. Percolation tests, site selection and multiple crops;
3. Hoop houses;
4. Basic cattle management;
5. Goats and other small ruminant animals; and
6. Basic horse management.

"The North Central Texas Basic Agricultural Field Day will provide farmers and ranchers with information that can be utilized immediately in their operations," Annis said. "It will also give those who are new to the agricultural field or might be interested in starting an agriculture operation abundant information that they can pull from in the future."

Registration is available at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Collin County at phone 972.548.4233, or email Agriculture Agent, Rick Maxwell at r-maxwell@tamu.edu, or online at collin-co.tamu.edu. There is a $10 registration fee.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Annis at 580.224.6458 or dcannis@noble.org, or Roger Skipper at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Fannin County at 903.583.7453.