| Grazing Program Helps Growers Increase Pasture Efficiency |
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| Written by University of Purdue | |
| Saturday, 02 August 2008 | |
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West Lafayette, Indiana - A workshop designed to help producers understand the concepts of a management intensive grazing program will be held Sept. 5-6 at the Fulton County Historical Society in Rochester, Indiana. “Grazing 102 is designed for the novice, as well as the advanced grazer,” said Mark Kepler, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service educator in Fulton County. “We will cover everything from fencing to pasture fertility and from the advantages and disadvantages of different forages to water management systems.” During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to visit two farms, the Roger Rose Farm and the Lonnie Carrico Farm, both in Rochester. “Each farm has something unique to offer,” said Kepler, who is also coordinating the program. “Roger Rose has more than 10 years of experience grazing and custom grazing and Lonnie Carrico has more than 15 years of experience and is a proponent of grass-fed beef.”
Registration is due by Aug. 29 and costs $65 per person, which includes handouts, meals and resource materials. The cost for additional members from the same operation is $30. For registration received after Aug. 29, participants will be charged an extra $10.
A registration form is available at http://www.ces.purdue.edu/anr/
documents/2008/Grazing102.pdf . Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 5 and will be followed by a brief welcome and introduction at 9:30 a.m.
Topics and speakers include:
* Reasons to rotate, Jerry Perkins, grazing specialist at Natural Resources Conservation Service.
* The economics of grazing, Dave Robison, vice president of CISCO Seeds.
* Matching winter livestock needs with forage quality and using alternative feeds, Purdue animal science specialist.
* Roots, leaves, sun and grazing, Susannah Hinds, grazing specialist, NRCS.
* Pasture walk at the Roger Rose Farm.
* Watering systems, Steve Hawkins, assistant farm manager of Purdue Research Farms.
* Pluses and minuses of different forages, Keith Johnson, Purdue Extension forage specialist.
Topics and speakers for Sept. 6 include:
* Pasture fertility, Hawkins.
* Fencing, Doug Shaffer, sales representative for Tru-Test.
* Health issues associated with grazing animals, Derek Klopfenstein, veterinarian.
* Animal behavior and animal handling for grazers, Ben Bartlett, veterinarian at Michigan State University.
* Pasture walk at Lonnie Carrico Farm.
* Forage identification, Ed Heckman, retired Purdue Extension educator from LaPorte and Wayne counties.
* Panel discussion made up of beef, dairy and goat producers.
“Grazing 102 participants will have a better understanding of forage growth and utilization, as well as how it affects efficiency of pastures,” Kepler said. “Producers that only do continuous grazing are only reaching about 40 percent to 50 percent of their potential during the grazing season; whereas growers using rotational grazing are reaching 70 percent efficiency.”
In addition to learning about pasture efficiency, Kepler also emphasizes the networking opportunities for producers to talk with other grazers and experts and learn how they operate their farms.
The Fulton County Historical Society is located at 37 E. 375 N., Rochester, Ind.
For questions and more information, contact Kepler at (574) 223-2386 or
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