The 2007 Illinois Forage Expo will be held Sept. 6 at the Prescott Frost Farm in Shelby County. The Frost operation consists of a 150-head beef cow-calf operation, a grass-fed beef finishing system and 120 acres of hay. The majority of the hay acres and pastures are certified organic. The Frosts also have a pasture-based poultry flock.

The expo will include field demonstrations of forage harvesting equipment and commercial displays of forage-related products and equipment. In addition, educational sessions will focus on forage establishment and management, conventional vs. organic beef production, and the role of forages in an organic crop and livestock production system. A quality hay contest will be available for producers to enter 2007 bales. Entries will be evaluated for bale density, visual assessment, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and relative feed value. There is no entry fee, and NIRS analysis will be free.

The Illinois Forage Expo is sponsored by the Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, University of Illinois Extension, Shelby County Farm Bureau, Moultrie County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA Risk Management Agency.

The Prescott Frost farm is about 14 miles north of Shelbyville on Route 128. The expo will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be available. For more information, contact Ellen Trainor, University of Illinois Extension in Shelby County at 217-774-9546 or etrainor@uiuc.edu.