Darrel Franson of Mt. Vernon, Missouri, was presented the Missouri Forage and Grassland Award in the producer category, and Sheyana Dawn Curtis received the MFGC/GLCI 2014 scholarship.
Franson has been a long time member and supporter of MFGC/GLCI, serving as its president in 2013. His farm was used as one of the tour stops for the 2010 AFGC Annual Conference held in Springfield, Missouri.
Franson was one of the first producers in southwest Missouri to utilize the DSP-3 program to help install a management-intensive grazing (MiG) system. His system (installed in 1994) started as three 40-acre blocks, each divided into four paddocks for a total of 12 permanent paddocks. This system has evolved to daily moves, using polywire and tumblewheels, on 160 acres. His grazing system has been used to showcase MiG for many years through the grazing school held at the Southwest Center.
He incorporated legumes in an effort to mitigate the effects of endophyte-infected fescue. Eventually, he converted his entire farm to novel endophyte tall fescue. Franson is an organizing member of the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, a group focused on promoting the conversion of endophyte-infected fescue to novel endophyte fescue.
He is also largely responsible for the creation of the MFGC/GLCI scholarship and still serves on the scholarship committee.
2013 president of MFGC/GLCI, Gary Duncan, presented the 2014 scholarship to Curtis. She will receive $1,000 for tuition to attend a university in the U.S.
Curtis, in order to receive her MFGC/GLCI scholarship, had to meet the following criteria:
- Compete in the District Grassland Evaluation Contest and there qualify for advancement to compete at the state level.
- Be committed to the pursuit of an agricultural or natural resources related major for her bachelor’s degree.
- Be committed to attend any college or university in the U.S. or its territories offering “b” above.
She plans to major in animal science with an emphasis in animal genetics, microbiology and biotechnology. FG
—Information from Missouri Forage and Grassland Council / Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative
PHOTO
Darrel Franson was given the Missouri Forage and Grassland Award at the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council / Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Annual Conference. Photo provided by MFGC/GLCI.
