SEDALIA, Mo. – As everyone knows, the Covid-19 virus has caused major disruptions and adjustments to our lives, and MU Extension has been impacted as well.
Face-to-face meetings and programs have been cancelled until May 15, 2020. This has caused some adjustments in how we do things. We have had to cancel some events, but there are others that will continue with a different format.
On Thursday, April 9, a Sheep and Goat Workshop scheduled to be held in Stockton, MO will instead be held as a webinar rather than face-to-face. Program time is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Patrick Davis, Jennifer Lutes, and myself will be presenting the program. It covers nutrition, economics, and parasite management. In addition to viewing the presentations, participants will be able to ask questions directly or type questions into a “chat room” for presenters to answer. It is a different way of interacting, but this is an opportunity for those of you engaged in small ruminant enterprises to gather some information in the comfort of your home.
The Cedar County Extension Center will be handling the registrations for this event, and registration is due by Tuesday, April 7. Call the Cedar County Extension Center at (417) 276-3313 for additional details. Upon registration, participants will be given a link to access the program.
My colleague, Travis Harper who is an agronomy field specialist in Clinton, MO has switched several upcoming programs to this webinar format as well. For the next several Wednesday evenings, he will be presenting programs on pasture renovation and management, spring lawn management, and an introduction to honey bees and bee keeping. E-mail Travis at harpertw@missouri.edu or call the Henry County Extension Center at (660) 885-5556 for more information on accessing these programs.
Another possible change may be the accessibility of local MU Extension offices. Please call in advance to see if your local office is open or if there are alternate ways to access the information you need or person you want to talk with. Personally, I will be working from home for a couple weeks, but am accessible via e-mail at schmitze@missouri.edu or by calling (660) 723-3621. I will do my best to serve you as we work through this ever-evolving situation.
As we continue to adjust to a new normal, we hope these new ways of delivering information to you will be useful. Our goal is to provide the same research-based information and assistance to you as in the past, we will just have to be a bit more creative in how we get the information to you.
Take care of yourselves and be safe.