Kentucky Grazing School set for April 13-14

LEXINGTON, Ky., (Mar 16, 2011)

University of Kentucky’s Grazing School will be held April 13 and 14 at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton.

“Good pasture management allows a producer to maximize profit while reducing investment, so it is of critical importance to the economic health of a farm,” said Donna Amaral-Phillips, UK extension dairy cattle specialist and a conference speaker. “Producers can extend their grazing season, reducing the need for stored feed and labor. Maximizing pasture is key to being a profitable producer—small changes can produce large outcomes.” 

With an emphasis on ruminants—beef, dairy, sheep and goats—the two-day course covers rotational grazing, traditional forages, establishing forage, mineral and nutritional needs of different animals, and parasite control, among other topics. Experts in forage, beef cattle, grazing, dairy cattle, and fencing from the UK College of Agriculture , Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Gallagher USA will lecture on these topics.

 “If producers only slightly increase grazing management, they can see significant improvements in forage and livestock health and performance,” said Lyndsay Jones, UK grazing coordinator.

Lectures will be followed by hands-on sessions in which participants gain practical field experience. They will build a rotational grazing system, learn about temporary water and fence systems, and learn how to build and use temporary and high tensile fencing. Participants should bring an aerial map of their farm, which they will use to design a grazing system tailored to the needs of their land and animals.

Co-sponsors of the event are Master Grazer Educational Program, Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund , UK College of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council.

Registration is $50 and includes materials, grazing manual and lunch. Preregistration is necessary and limited to the first 45 respondents. Both days of the grazing school begin at   7:30 a.m. CDT. For more information or to register, contact lyndsay.jones4@uky.edu or call 859-257-7512. 

Contact: Lyndsay Jones, 859-257-7512

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