"Ranchers will have four opportunities to attend Ranching for Profit workshops which are scheduled for March 20-23, 2013 in Pratt, Hays, Salina and Topeka, respectively," said Tim Christian, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC) state coordinator. Dave Pratt of Ranch Management Consultants, will conduct the workshops designed to help ranchers find ways to increase the profitability of their businesses.

Topically, the agenda will cover applying business, economic and financial principles to owning and operating a ranch. Five specific areas will be covered during each session - working on the business, the three secrets for increasing profit, knowing what the numbers mean, wealthy on the balance sheet but broke at the bank, and working with nature, Christian said. Dave Pratt will focus on illustrating the concept or premise that a sustainable business must earn a profit, and a ranch that doesn't produce a profit and that doesn't pay a decent wage to all employees (including family members) is a hobby, not a business.

The workshops run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day and will be held:

Pratt - Wednesday, March 20

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

512 SE 25th Ave.

Hays - Thursday, March 21

Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill

3203 Vine St.

Salina - Friday, March 22

Courtyard by Marriott

3020 Riffel Drive

Topeka - Saturday, March 23

Ramada Convention Center

420 SE 6th St.

The cost for participants who RSVP by March 13 is $40 per person. The cost is $50 for those who wait and register at the door. For those who have attended a KGLC Range School (from 2007-2012) a $10 discount is available. To register, contact Christian at 620-241-3636, email to tdchristian@cox.net, or go to www.kglc.org and find Special Events in the navigation bar, look for RFP and download the registration form. For more information on the Ranching for Profit program, or KGLC, see the web site.

 Financial partners for the workshops include Bennington State Bank, Farm Credit Associations of Kansas -- both Platinum-Level sponsors; The Nature Conservancy of Kansas, Westar Energy Green Team, and BP Wind Energy -- all

Silver-Level sponsors; Stockgrowers State Bank - Ashland and Meade, Kansas Section of the Society for Range Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program, Peoples Bank, Coldwater, and Guaranty State Bank, Beloit - all sponsors; and the Kansas Rural Center and First Neodesha Bank -supporters. The KGLC would be unable to bring this outstanding educational opportunity to Kansas ranchers and land managers without our partner support, he said.