BATESVILLE — “Cows, Cattle and Change” will be the program topic at the Old Independence Regional Museum at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8. Don Hubbell, the speaker for the program, will tell how things have changed over the decades in cattle raising and concentrate on recent research.
“For many years, dairy herds, along with beef cattle, were prominent in our region, curator Twyla Wright said. “Now, there are far fewer dairies. We look forward to hearing Don tell us about what is being done now in livestock production. We hope this program will bring out a good crowd of local people who are involved or interested in this subject.”
Hubbell has been the resident director at the University of Arkansas Livestock and Forestry Research Station near Batesville since 2004. He has been at the station since 1982, when he took over as the dairyresearch assistant. In addition to the 100-head dairy operation, the responsibility for the beef-cattle herds was turned over to him in 1983. In 1996, the milking herd was dispersed, and a stocker-calf operation was started to do more forage and health research.
“The Livestock and Forestry Station is a 3,031-acre operation with 1,250 acres of pasture and hay lands, with the balance ofacreage in timber,” Hubbell said. “The research station maintains approximately 750 to 1,500 beef cattle year-round. Research animals are maintained in 325 pastures, using continuous and rotational grazing systems to conduct forage and livestockproduction research and demonstrations.”
Hubbell has authored and co-authored more than 130 articles and abstracts on beef-cattle production, focusing on stocker-calf receiving procedures, numerous forage production trials with stocker cattle and beef cows using small grains and fescue, and beef-cattle management.
He has been an instructor with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service grazing schools and Beef IQ workshops.
He was featured in a producer profile article in Progressive Farmer magazine in March 2008 for his “Top Ten Management Tips” for beefcattle production for cowherd owners.
“I was born and raised on a cattle farm in eastern Baxter County,” Hubbell said. “I graduated with a degree in animal science from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1982. And for years, I’ve owned and operated my own beef-cattle farm near Batesville.”
He is a past president of the Independence/Jackson CountyCattlemen’s Association.
Normal museum hours are from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1:30-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and $1 for children.
The museum is at 380 S. Ninth St. between Boswell and Vine streets in Batesville.
Old Independence is a regional museum ser ving a 12-county area - Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820s Arkansas territory.
Three Rivers, Pages 138 on 07/25/2010