The goal of the Forage & Livestock Annual Webinar Series is to provide timely information and practical tools to support and strengthen the pasture-based livestock industry in North Carolina and across the region, with a special focus on the tall fescue belt (i.e., the area between the temperate northeast and subtropical southeast).

The intended audience is land and livestock managers, extension personnel, and professionals working to strengthen and improve the pasture-based livestock industry as a whole.

Each session features insights shared directly by experts in the field. The webinars are hosted via zoom and run from 3-4 pm EST from July to October every year. The webinars are usually 45 minutes long plus 15 minutes for questions. Specific details for past and current series can be found below.

 

(If you would like to watch a recorded webinar please email Dr. Miguel S. Castillo, [email protected])

2026 Schedule and Topics

• Considerations for establishing an optimal breeding and calving season in North Carolina. Speaker: Dr. Felipe Silva, Animal Sciences, NC State University. (October 1, 2026; 3-4 pm EST) 👉 Webinar registration.
• Strategies for weed management in tall fescue pastures. Speaker: Dr. Navdeep Godara, Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University. (September 17, 2026; 3-4 pm EST) 👉 Webinar registration.
• Soil carbon and nitrogen in forage and grazing lands across North Carolina. Speaker: Dr. Alan Franzluebbers, USDA-ARS. (August 19, 2026; 3-4 pm EST)
• Farm stewardship through succession and transition: Opportunities, tools, and strategies. Speaker: Dr. Noah Ranells, NC FarmLink, N.C. Cooperative Extension. (July 7, 2026; 3-4 pm EST)

2025 Schedule and Topics

• Sting and Sling: Management tactics for fire ants and fall armyworms. Speaker: Dr. Terri Billeinsen, Entomology and Plant Pathology, NC State University
• USDA-NRCS Conservation Planning and Financial Assistance on Grazing Lands. Speaker: Bill Moss, State Grazing Specialist, USDA-NRCS
• Buying versus producing hay for livestock managers. Speaker: Dr. Charly Martinez, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to frost-seed clovers in stockpiled tall fescue pastures. Speakers: Dr. Miguel S. Castillo, NC State University and Seth Nagy, NC Cooperative Extension

2024 Schedule and Topics

• Establishment of native warm-season grasses. Speaker: Jason Smith, NC Wildlife Resources Commision
• Graze 300 program. Speaker: Bobby Clark,  Agricultural and Natural Resources, Virginia Cooperative Extension
• The science behind organic soil amendments in pastures. Speakers: Dr. Alex Woodley, Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University
• Stockpiling tall fescue for winter grazing. Speaker: Dr. Miguel S. Castillo,  Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University

2022 Schedule and Topics

• Establishment and management of alfalfa-bermudagrass systems in the South. Speaker: Dr. Jennifer J. Tucker, Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia
• The role of forage legumes in livestock systems: Soil, plant, and animal responses. Speaker: Dr. Jose Dubeux, Agronomy Department, University of Florida
• Troubleshooting frost-seeding legumes in existing tall fescue pastures. Speakers: Dr. Miguel S. Castillo,  Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University

2021 Schedule and Topics

• Balancing land productivity and animal needs, the most critical decision for successful pasture-based livestock system. Speaker: Dr. Miguel S. Castillo, Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University
• How many acres of stockpiled tall fescue do I need to satisfy winter feeding needs?. Speaker: Dr. Miguel S. Castillo,  Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University
• Interpreting soil-test results and making fertilizer recommendations. Speaker: Dr. Luke Gatiboni,  Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University