GRAZING BASICS SCHOOL

Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

            The Ohio State University – ATI, OSU Extension, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council is sponsoring a 3-day Grazing Basics School on September 29, 30 and October 1 of 2015.  The school will be held at the Ohio State University ATI campus in Wooster.  The grazing basics school is designed for those who are new to grazing livestock and desire to improve their grazing management skills.   For those graziers with some experience the school offers the opportunity to brush up on skills or gain some additional knowledge.

The school is structured as a combination of morning classroom sessions with afternoon hands-on learning and practice.  There will be some optional evening sessions.   Instructors include OSU Extension educators, state specialists, ATI Instructors and industry professionals. Topics covered during morning sessions include: Understanding Pasture Plant Growth, Plant Species Selection, Soil Fertility, Matching Forages to Livestock Nutrient Needs, Minerals, Fencing, Water Systems, Stockpiling, and Economics. The afternoons include interactive sessions covering pasture measurement, paddock setup, livestock grazing, forage and weed identification, nutrient management, water and fencing systems.  These sessions will take place at the 1700 acre Ohio State ATI Grace Drake Learning Laboratory.   During these afternoon lab sessions, vendors including seed, feed, fencing and grazing water supply companies will be on hand to explain their products and facilitate some of the sessions.

The cost of the school is $150/person which includes continental breakfast, handouts, noon lunch and refreshments.  Pre-registration is required by September 22.  For more information about the grazing basics workshop including a registration form and lodging options, go to the Wayne County Extension web site at: http://go.osu.edu/2015OSUgrazingschool  or contact the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722.

Forage Production School 2014

A forage production school is being offered by the Ohio State University Extension Dairy Working Group at six locations around Ohio. 

The school is geared to anyone producing hay or silage to be fed to ruminate animals. Dairy, Beef, and sheep producers will be able to improve their forage production to increase profits and commercial hay growers will learn new information to be able to better meet there customer’s needs and grow more tons on less acres.  

The school is composed of three different sessions,  on Jan. 30, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 from 12:45 pm to 3:30 pm each day. 

Workshop topics include small grains and double cropping, fertility and manure utilization, agronomic products and additives, precision agricultural technologies for forage production, forage quality evaluation, economics of cutting management, shrink in silage/hay making, forage inventory management and corn silage.
The course will be offered in Ashtabula, Darke, Licking, Mahoning, Morrow, Knox and Wayne counties via interactive video feeds and in-person speakers.

For information on specific class locations contact the following Extension educators:
* Ashtabula County: David Marrison at 440-576-9008 or marrison.2@osu.edu
* Auglaize County: John Smith at 419-739-6580 or smith.132@osu.edu
* Darke County: Sam Custer at 937-548-5215 or custer.2@osu.edu
* Licking County: Ted Wiseman at 740-670-5315 or wiseman.15@osu.edu
* Mahoning County: Eric Barrett at 330-533-5538 or barrett.90@osu.edu
* Morrow County: Jeff McCutcheon at 419-947-1070 or mccutcheon.30@osu.edu
* Wayne County: Rory Lewandowski, 330-264-8722, lewandowski.11@osu.edu 
Registration is $45, which includes a notebook of materials and covers all three workshops.
A brochure about the school and a REGISTRATION FORM can be found at http://go.osu.edu/forageschool.
The deadline to register Jan. 17, 2014.

2014 Ohio Forage & Grassland Council Annual Conference

The 2014 Annual Meeting of the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council (OFGC) is scheduled for February 14 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture located at 8995 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Registration and refreshments begin at 8:30 am with the program starting at 9:00 am. 

The keynote speaker for this year’s program is Laura Paine, a Grazing and Organic Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. Her two topics are entitled: Managing Pastures for Certified Organic Production and Managing Grazing to Benefit Stream Habitats.

Other speakers on the program include: Dr. Mark Sulc, OSU Forage Specialist, providing a Forage Research Update; Dr. Dave Barker, OSU Forage Specialist on Pasture Management Stategies; Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Ag Educator, speaking on Profitable Forage Utilization.

Producers to be featured on the popular Producer Panel are:
Roger High from Richwood,Ohio on Sheep
Chris Hamn from Racine,Ohio on Dairy
Phil Altsetter from Bellefontaine,Ohio on Beef
Austin Wipple from Orient,Ohio on Commercial Hay Production

There will also be a short business for OFGC and several Forage related Industry Awards presented.

Registration cost is $30 for OFGC members and $50 for non-members and is due Feb. 1, 2014.
For online Registration goto: http://afgc.associationsonline.com/site_event_detail.cfm?pk_association_event=7971
For more information, please contact Gary Wilson at 419-348-3500 or Perry Clutts at 740-248-1448.

Poultry Pasture Walk & Discussion

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. there will be a pasture walk and discussion about pastured poultry at OARDC's  East Badger Organic Farm.  The farm is located on 7250 Ely Road just north of Apple Creek Ohio.

Topics being discussed that evening include: alternative organic poultry diets, organic drop rotation and soil fertility and the daily management of chicks in mobile units.  Resourcing the discussions are Dr. Mike Lilburn, Dr. Larry Phelan and John Anderson, all from OARDC.

For more information contact either Dr. Lilburn at 330.263.3992 or John Anderson at 330.263.3753.

Ohio Forage and Grassland Council Fence Building Workshop

Jorgensen Farms 5851 East Walnut Street

Westerville, OH 43081, Phone 614-855-2697

www.jorgensen-farms.com

Thursday July 18, and Friday July 19, 2013

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The workshop is for both the beginning and advance fence builder; sheep, cattle and horse owners; and grazing enthusiasts.  Thursday is designed for agency and commercial personal and Friday for the producer.  We will be installing Bekaert high tensile woven wire fence for Val Jorgensen’s sheep and cattle pastures. The workshop will show proper fence building techniques.  Bekaert employees will be providing the training and showing fence building procedures for high tensile woven wire fence construction.

Bob Hendershot, Green Pasture Services and T. J. Oliver, USDA NRCS Resource Conservationist will also be providing information on pasture management; (plant identification, forage measurement, pasture soil fertility, and making subdivisions for rotational grazing) and pasture conservation practices (Heavy Use Area Protection, access road, pipeline, livestock watering facilities, forage planting and fence).

McArthur Lumber and Post (www.totalfarmandfence.com) will be the source of the materials for the fence building workshop.  They have been providing fencing materials for over 50 years and are members of the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council.  They have all your fencing needs; posts , boards, nails, screws, staples, gripples, gates, wire, pneumatic staplers, post pounders, energizers and fencing tools.  Their new line of cedar posts are certifiable for organic farm use

Lunch is provided please give Jorgensen Farms a call 614-855-2697 to help in meal planning. Please bring a water bottle, work gloves and shoes along with sun protection.  This will be hands on learning workshop.  

OHIO FORAGE & GRASSLANDS COUNCIL CONFERENCE!

The Ohio Forages and Grasslands Council Annual Meeting will be held February 8, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, OH. The program focuses on “Adapting to our Changing Climate” featuring Dr. Chris Teutsch, the Forage and Livestock Specialist at Virginia Tech's Southern Piedmont Research and Extension Center near Blackstone, Virginia. An Ohio native and an outstanding speaker, Dr. Teutsch has very practical advice on how to make pasture and forage systems more resilient to weather extremes.

Do you know how often we face water deficits for pasture production? Come and find out --- the statistics may surprise you! Dr. Teutsch will discuss management that will improve pasture production by more than 33% while also increasing drought tolerance of pastures through a stronger plant root system.

You will also learn how to plan ahead for filling in the cool season grass summer slump and other periods of forage deficit with alternative forages. This is a timely topic as we look back at the drought of 2012 and look forward to how to prepare for weather extremes in the future.

Dr. Teutsch will host two sessions during the day. The conference will also feature a panel of beef, sheep and dairy producers who will share how they manage and utilize forages in their operations.
Other topics will include how nutrient management plan standards affect livestock producers, how to produce and utilize late season oat forage, and research on alfalfa fertilization in Ohio. In addition, this year’s winners of the Ohio State Grazing Essay Contest and Ohio Forage & Grasslands Council Awards will be announced!

For more details of the program and a registration form, click here. Print the form, fill it out and mail it to the address indicated before February 1st.

South Central Ohio Grazing School

The  "Pasture for Profit" will be held the evening of December 4 and 6, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and concludes on Saturday, December 8, 2012 9:00 am until noon.  The program will be held at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station, OARDC, 019 Standpipe Road, Jackson Ohio 45640.

 

The topics to be covered at the three day grazing school include; What is MiG and What are Your Goals and Objectives of Your Grazing System?, Evaluating Your Resources, Understanding Plant Growth, Grazing Economics, Forage Species Selection, Grazing Systems and Contingency Plans for the Good, Bad and Ugly, Paddock Layout and Design, Pasture Soil Fertility.  Saturday, the last day of the school will include a farm visit to view grazing management practices, including fence and livestock watering systems in the field.

 

The $30 fee includes refreshments and a large notebook of reference material.  To register, make your check payable to Jackson SWCD, 2026 Fairgreens Road, Jackson, OH 45640. For further information, contact the Jackson SWCD at 740-286-5208 or the Vinton County SWCD at 740-596-5676.  Registration deadline is November 29, 2012.

Central Ohio Forage for Horses

The Ohio Forage and Grassland Council will be hosting an Equine Pasture and Hay Management Workshop on Saturday July 28, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at AC Acres,  Vicki Ayotte farm, 8481 Pontius Road, Groveport , Ohio.  The farm is in the southeast corner of Franklin County; west of State Route 674, east of Rickenbacker, and south of Groveport, Ohio along the Walnut Creek.   This will workshop will be covering information on Pasture Management, Pasture Soil Fertility, Forage Species Selection, Tall Fescue Management, Horse Nutrition on Pasture, Manure Management, and a pasture walk where plants will be identified and designing a grazing paddock system will be discussed.  The day will end with a Hay Quality discussion and hay evaluation session.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a sample of their own hay for evaluation.  Bob Hendershot, retired NRCS State Grassland Conservation and now part-time ODNR-DSWR Grazing Specialist will be leading the discussion.  Bob helped develop the Forage for Horses program and has presented this material across the country.

This workshop will provide tips to make better use of your horse pasture.  Improving the productivity of your pastures can reduce the amount of hay needed.  A well managed pasture can provide a large portion of a horse’s forage requirement mid-April through mid-November.   Horses grazing well managed paddocks will spread their manure over the pasture instead of in loafing areas or in their stalls.  Healthy grass and legume plants are more productive if given the opportunity to regrow in-between grazing events. You can improve forage growth by dividing the pasture into smaller paddocks and rotate the animals among the separate paddocks.   Managing the forage is an important concept to understand to protect the environment, soil, water, plants and animals. 

Weeds compete with forage plants for moisture, sunlight and nutrients.  Grazing management can keep most weeds out.  Horse owners need to be aware of toxic plants and their control measures.  A pasture that is continuously grazed, over grazed, or has inadequate soil fertility can make weed problems even worse.   Selecting the right forage species for the use and the soil type can help in providing a healthy pasture.  Horse grazing areas should be long and narrow rectangles because horses tend to graze in a linear fashion different than cattle.  The location of animal watering facilities is also a concern in designing a grazing system.  This information and more will be discussed register early to secure a place for the Central Ohio Forage for Horses Workshop.

Producers need to register by July 20, 2012 by contacting OFGC at bobhendershot2011@gmail or 740-477-1114.  A registration fee of $65 per farm will include materials, a 400 page Forage for Horses  notebook, Pasture Stick, refreshments and lunch on Saturday July 28, 2012. A pdf registration form can be found at this link.

Central Ohio Grazing School

The Ohio Forage and Grassland Council will be hosting a Pasture Management Workshop/ Grazing School/ Pasture for Profit Program at the farm of the newest Ohio Forage and Grassland Council (OFGC) Director Val Jorgensen’s Farm, 5851 East Walnut Street, Westerville, Ohio.  Map of the location is available at http://www.jorgensen-farms.com/map.htm .   The farm is just west of State Route 605 and north of State Route 161.  There will be three sessions April 24 and 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 28 at 9:00 a.m. until noon that will include a pasture walk and a grazing system design exercise. 

The sessions will cover setting your goals and objectives, evaluating your resources, understanding plant growth, grazing economic, forage species selection, developing contingency plans for drought, mud and deep snow, soil pasture fertility, fencing and livestock watering systems.  

Producers need to register by April 20, 2012 by contacting OFGC at bobhendershot2011@gmail or 740-477-1114. Please see the registration form. A registration fee of $50 per farm will include materials, Pasture for Profit notebook, Pasture Stick, refreshments and Saturday’s lunch.

2012 Heart of America Grazing Conference

     Livestock producers looking for the latest information on forages, grazing techniques and pasture management have the opportunity to attend the 11th annual Heart of America Grazing Conference on January 25-26.

     The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn in Mt Vernon, Illinois. Registration is $35 per day per person or $50 for both days. Late registration paid after January 13 is $70.

     The conference is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council, Illinois Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Association, Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, Indiana Forage Council, Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council, Kentucky Grassland Conservation Initiative, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Missouri Forage and Grassland Council, Missouri Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois Extension, University of Missouri Extension, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service.

     Each year the Heart of America Grazing Conference rotates among five states--Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky--and features speakers from all five states concerning a wide variety of grazing topics.

     Topics being covered include the benefits of grazing and adding clover to pastures, mob grazing, role of novel fescues, grazing for parasite prevention, use of co-products in grazing programs, dairy grazing, pasture management, and cover crops.

     Certified crop advisor credits will be offered. For more information or to register, download the brochure at:          http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ajmpu/hoa/