DICKINSON, N.D. (KXNET) — Ranchers in the West will have the chance to learn how to artificially inseminate cattle, a process that’s extremely important for our state’s agriculture industry.

From Wednesday, April 26 through 28, there will be a workshop where ranchers can learn how to artificially inseminate their cattle.

The course is taught by a husband and wife duo and ranchers at Dickinson State University.

During the course, participants will have both classroom and hands-on experience. Topics covered include the principles of genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and fertility.

“And then we go through the act of actually inseminating a cow. Another portion of the class is we go through semen handling, that’s probably just as important as who’s breeding the cows. How do you get that frozen straw semen out of the tank, into a water bath, loaded in a syringe, and then deposited in the cow,” said Donald Nordby, a rancher.

He and his wife try to hold the course twice a year — and there are about 15 people in each session.