UI Extension Preparing For 2025 Cereal School

University of Idaho Extension is preparing for its annual cereal school, and this year’s event could be one for the record book.  In prior years, UI Extension hosted six smaller cereal schools – each drawing between 20 and 60 guests – in St. Anthony, Idaho Falls, Soda Springs, Preston, Pocatello and Burley.  However, for 2025,  school officials will hold a single “East Idaho Cereals Conference” in Fort Hall.  The expectation is that hundreds of farmers and others connected to the ag community will attend the February 5th event.

“It’s always been a struggle for us to get speakers because they have to come and travel around with us for the whole week,” said UI Extension educator Justin Hatch, Caribou County, who is the head of the event’s planning committee. “Our hope is that this will bring in speakers and make it a bigger event that’s more beneficial to more people and consolidate our efforts into one event that’s really good.” 

Presentations open to all participants in the main conference room will include an economic outlook by UI Extension agricultural economist Brett Wilder; talks by leaders with the Idaho Wheat Commission, the Idaho Barley Commission and the Idaho Grain Producers Association; and a panel discussion on the water outlook and details of an agreement to avert water-call curtailments.  School officials said the water panel will include Craig Chandler, watermaster of Water District 1; James Cefalo, Idaho Department of Water Resources eastern regional manager; Mark Dallon, hydrologist with the National Weather Service’s Pocatello field office; and Pocatello-based water attorney T.J. Budge.

The agenda also includes multiple breakout sessions that will be offered concurrently. One room will be devoted to pesticide-related topics, and pesticide applicator recertification credits will be awarded. Other breakout rooms will focus on local research covering topics such as lime applications, variety selection, cost of production, nutrient barley residue biomass, new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations related to endangered species, mitigating drift while using drones for pesticide applications, mixing growth regulators with herbicides, wild oat control and risk management.

“I think this format will allow us to share more topics people are interested in. We’ll be able to branch out to hot topics that are going on and still present local research, and we’ll meet the needs of our growers better,” Hatch said. 

Registration for the event will be $25 in advance, with pre-registration available through Jan. 23, or $35 at the door. Visit the University's Website to learn more or to register.  Lunch is included.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com