Premier canola event set for Enid in January

Monday, December 5, 2016

Agricultural producers interested in learning how to maximize their canola production and profitability should register now to attend the Jan. 19 Canola College in Enid.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn from and speak with leading experts in the field, and interact with more than 250 new or veteran canola producers and industry members,” said Ron Sholar, Great Plains Canola Association (GPCA) executive director. “This will be the premier canola education and training event in the region for 2017.”

Canola College is a joint effort of GPCA, Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, the USDA Risk Management Agency and cooperating partners in the canola industry.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the program kicking off at 9 a.m. and finishing at 3 p.m. The conference will take place at the Chisholm Trail EXPO Center, located at 111 W. Purdue St. on the north side of Enid. There is no cost to attend. Registration is available online at http://www.canola.okstate.edu via the DASNR website.

“Although participants can register at the door, we ask everyone to pre-register as soon as possible because it greatly aids our planning and helps ensure that sufficient numbers of conference materials, refreshments and meals are on hand,” said Josh Lofton, OSU Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist.

Lofton said lunch and refreshments are being provided free-of-charge to participants, thanks to the generous sponsorship of canola industry members.

Canola College sessions will focus on canola basics, advanced production practices, improvements in planting technology, risk management and canola economics, and weed, disease and insect management.

“The Canola Learning Laboratory, which was introduced in 2016, will be repeated in 2017,” Lofton said. “This session proved to be very popular because many of the concepts presented throughout the conference were on display through hands-on demonstrations.”

Participants will interact with specialists, get specific questions answered and learn about the demonstrated concepts.

“Canola’s importance to the region has increased dramatically since 2010,” Sholar said. “Canola College is an opportunity to understand how the crop can become even more important to all segments of the industry and how to do a better job of producing the crop.”

Sholar and Lofton stress Canola College provides value whether a participant is a grower, crop insurance agent, member of an agricultural government agency or a canola service or product provider.

“Another key benefit is the opportunity to visit with industry partners who provide the equipment, products and services needed to produce the crop,” Sholar said.

Anyone seeking additional information about the Jan. 19 Canola College should contact Lofton by email at josh.lofton@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-744-3389, or Sholar by email at jrsholar@aol.com or by phone at 405-780-0113.