* Please note ALL Fencing Schools have been canceled due to caution of the spread of COVID-19.  The University of Kentucky is hosting four regional fencing schools this spring to help livestock producers learn about the newest fencing techniques and sound fence construction.

The 2020 schools will occur:

• April 14, Barren County Extension office, Glasgow
• April 16, Grand Rivers Community Center, Grand Rivers
• May 19, Kentucky State University, Frankfort
• May 21, Wolfe County Extension office, Campton

While the schools are open to producers of all types and breeds of livestock, the Frankfort school will have a special focus on fences for small ruminants.

Chris Teutsch, UK forage extension specialist, started these one-day events in 2018 in Kentucky to help producers improve their herd management.

“If you have ever driven around the countryside, there are a lot of fences but not a lot of well-constructed ones,” said Teutsch, a faculty member in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “One of the goals of this school is to help people get the basics of fencing down. That way they can build a strong, durable fence that will last 25 or 30 years, or if they decide to hire a contractor to build it for them, they’ll at least know what a well-constructed fence looks like.”

Through a mixture of classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations, UK specialists and fencing industry experts will teach producers the basics of a well-built fence. An added bonus of the school is that the techniques producers learn can help them qualify for cost-share dollars from the Natural Resources Conservation Service for new fence construction.

Each school is limited to 30 participants, and the cost is $30 per person. Participants can register online by emailing ukforageextension@uky.edu or by mailing the registration form and payment to Carrie Tarr-Janes, UK Research and Education Center, 348 University Drive, Princeton, KY, 42445.

Producers are encouraged to register early, as spots will fill quickly. The registration deadline for each location is two weeks prior to the workshop occurring. Registration forms are available online at http://forages.ca.uky.edu/, by emailing Carrie Tarr-Janes, Master Grazer coordinator at carrie.tarr-janes@uky.edu or by contacting a local office of the UK Cooperative Extension Service.

The Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council, UK Cooperative Extension Service and the Master Grazer Program organize and sponsor the schools.