"Conditions Change, Management Makes the Difference" is the theme for the 2010 Mid-South Stocker Conference scheduled for Feb. 23 and 24 at the Montgomery Bell State Park near Dickson, Tenn. This marks the fifth annual conference devoted to forage-based stocker cattle production for the region.

Sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Services of the University of Kentucky  and the University of Tennessee and each state's cattlemen’s association, in partnership with Bayer Animal Health and BEEF magazine, this year’s conference aims to add to information of previous conferences.

“The stocker phase of beef production fits the landscape for Tennessee and Kentucky as well as other areas throughout the Mid-South due to abundant supplies of forages providing efficient gains,” said Jeff Lehmkuhler, extension beef specialist for the UK College of Agriculture. “A readily available supply of quality calves provides additional support for this segment of the industry.”

Registration for the conference will start at 10 a.m. CST on Tuesday, Feb. 23, with a tour of area cattle operations departing at noon. That afternoon participants may attend a reception and trade show at the lodge convention center. Cattle industry agri-businesses will also serve as sponsors of the conference and provide resources related to their products during the tradeshow. An evening presentation covering vaccinations will conclude the day’s activities.

The program continues Wednesday, Feb. 24, beginning at 7 a.m. CST with a continental breakfast in the trade show area. The formal program will get underway at 9 a.m. covering stocker cattle health and opportunities for custom grazing/backgrounding of calves. A panel of stocker operators will also share their experiences with attendees and discuss what has worked for them in their operations. The afternoon session will include highlights of the national stocker survey. An update and outlook of the beef cattle industry by Cattle-Fax will wrap up the conference. Additional details and the conference program are available online at http://www.midsouthstocker.org .

Rooms at Montgomery Bell State Park Lodge are available at the special rate of $49.99 per night. The preregistration fee for the conference, which includes the tour, reception, meals, proceedings and access to the trade show, is $95 per person or $150 per couple. Register online at http://www.midsouthstocker.org  or contact John Bartee, with UT Extension's Montgomery County office at 931-648-5725, jbartee1@utk.edu. Registration after Feb. 16 and on-site at the conference will be $125.

For answers to questions about the conference, call Jim Neel, 865-974-7294; Roy Burris, 270-365-7541, ext. 208 or Lehmkuhler, 859-257-2853.