Quebec Organic Dairy Conference Feb 23 & March 2 2021

Date: Mar 02, 2021

 

2021 OAK Conference Jan 26 – 30

Date: Jan 29, 2021
Location: online

Vermont Grazing & Livestock Virtual Conference January 14-16 2021

Date: Jan 16, 2021
Location: online

Grazing Fundamentals with Sarah Flack

Whether you are in the early years of grazing or you’re fine tuning your skills, it is always useful to spend some time with grazing expert Sarah Flack! This year you’ll get to view three pre-recorded webinars of Sarah’s (courtesy of FACT – Food Animal Concerns Trust)before attending a LIVE Question and Answer session with fellow graziers. During the Q&A session, you will get a chance to enter your questions in a pool with other farmer questions and Sarah will take on the highest rated questions; you all get to rate the questions – isn’t technology cool!

 

Added Note: Things are a little different this year and that offers us unique opportunities. Instead of rushing through grazing fundamentals in an hour workshop – you get access to over 3 hours of Sarah’s knowledge (on your own time). Then, we’ll spend our time with her digging deep into your questions. We ask that you view the three pre-recorded videos on your own time, just make sure it is before the Q&A session on Saturday.  https://www.vtgrassfarmers.org/2020-conference/

Grazing workshops in PEI

Date: May 26, 2020

I’ll be teaching in PEI again May 26th and  27th.

Grazing Webinars in February and March

Date: Mar 03, 2020

Join grazing expert Sarah Flack for part 1 of a 3-part series on pasture management strategies. This session will focus on the soil and plant perspective.

Grazing Webinars in February and March

Date: Feb 18, 2020

Grazing Webinars in February and March

Date: Feb 04, 2020

Join grazing expert Sarah Flack for part 1 of a 3-part series on pasture management strategies. This session will focus on the soil and plant perspective.

Grazing Workshops in PEI

Date: Dec 06, 2019

Dates and locations still being sorted out, but I’ll be teaching grazing workshops in early December 2019 and then again in June 2020 when I’ll be in PEI teaching on farm workshops for a few days.

Afternoon pasture workshop and discussion with Sarah Flack at Churchtown Dairy, Hudson NY November 1

Date: Nov 01, 2019

Join Sarah Flack and farm staff at Churchtown Dairy for an afternoon pasture walk and discussion about grass based livestock management.  We’ll talk about what you need to know to use grazing livestock to improve pasture soils, pasture plants and create more high quality forages for the animals.  If weather conditions allow, we will walk the farms pastures and look at the plants, livestock and soils as we discuss the essential principals of good grazing management and how to apply those practices on your own farm to improve pasture productivity, build healthier soils and plants, and lower feed costs.  If the weather isn’t ideal for outdoor discussion, we’ll do the session indoors using slides to look at soils, livestock and plants.

Grazing School at Stone Barns Center

Date: Oct 31, 2019
Location: Stone Barns Center, Tarrytown NY

I’ll be teaching an all day grazing school on October 31 at Stone Barns Center in Tarrytown NY.  https://www.stonebarnscenter.org/engage/for-farmers/technical-workshops/

 

The morning portion of this all day grazing workshop will focus on creating a solid understanding of the basic principles of good grazing management systems.  Starting first from the plants perspective, we will look at the needs of perennial pasture plants and how to meet those needs by following the grazing guidelines.  From there we will do some group exercises and practice to learn how to measure the amount of feed in a pasture, calculate paddock sizes, stocking densities, stocking rates and understand what the ideal number of acres for a flock or herd is.  We will then look at some real on farm examples to practice and learn more about perennial plant anatomy and physiology.

In the afternoon we will look at pasture from the livestock perspective, learning techniques to meet their nutritional needs, maximize pasture dry matter intake, provide low stress handling, provide the correct supplemental feeds and minerals, and when shade or shelter should be planned into the grazing.  We will also spend time in the afternoon discussing techniques to monitor and assess the health of the pasture ecosystem, and the performance and well-being of the livestock.

Pasture Management and Annuals for Summer Grazing, Sept 5th, Cornwall VT

Date: Sep 05, 2019

Pasture Management & Annuals for Summer Grazing – Thursday, September 5, 10:00 am—1:00 pm

Severy Farm LLC, Joe & Nate Severy, 6039 Route 30, Cornwall, VT 05753

Join Cheryl Cesario, Grazing Outreach Specialist, UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Sarah Flack, Livestock Pro-duction Consultant for a pasture walk that will focus on forage quality and soil health. The Severy’s will share their ap-proach to incorporating annual species into their summer grazing system and how that has increased the resiliency of their pastures. Cost: $15 farmers, $25 others (includes lunch).  Please register at www.nofavt.org/ows or call Livy Bulger at NOFA-VT at 802-434-4122, ext. 21.

Workshop on grass based dairy in Highgate VT, August 28th

Date: Aug 28, 2019

Dairy & Forage Production and Nutrient Management – Wed., August 28, 10:30 am -2:00pm

Choiniere’s Dairy, 2465 Gore Road, Highgate, VT 05459

Join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, and host Guy Choiniere for a farm tour and discussion on grass-fed dairy production, soil fertility and nutrient management, forage produc-tion and quality, and much more. The Choiniere’s farm is grass-fed and emphasizes the importance of supporting for-age and animal productivity and quality through managing soil fertility and health.

Free event with lunch provided. Pre-registration requested.

Please register by emailing or calling Susan Brouillette, susan.brouillette@uvm.edu or 802.524.6501. View our Events page on our website for online registration – www.uvm.edu/nwcrops

Climate Resiliency and Pasture Management Workshop, Westfield VT August 27th

Date: Aug 27, 2019

Climate Resiliency and Pasture Management Workshop – Tuesday, August 27, 10:30 am—2:00 pm

Butterworks Farm, 421 Trumpass Road, Westfield, VT 05874

Joshua Faulkner, UVM Farming & Climate Change Coordinator, will lay a foundation for climate science and agric. related climate data and research. Sarah Flack, consultant, will lead a pasture walk and discuss improving soil health and pasture irrigation. Nick Comerci, NRCS, will share technical and financial information for pasture irrigation. Contact Sarah Dam-sell, Orleans County NRCD for info., sarah.damsell@vt.nacdnet.net or 802-334-6090 ext. 7008. Free event with lunch included.

Afternoon pasture walk and discussion at Stonewall Farm, Keene NH. August 13th.

Date: Aug 13, 2019

Join Sarah Flack and farm staff at Stonewall farm in Keene NH for an afternoon pasture walk and discussion about grass based livestock management. We’ll talk about what you need to know to use grazing livestock to improve pasture soils, pasture plants and create more high quality forages for the animals. We will walk the farms pastures and look at the plants, livestock and soils as we discuss the essential principals of good grazing management and how to apply those practices on your own farm to improve pasture productivity, build healthier soils and plants, and lower feed costs.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pasture-walk-and-grass-based-livestock-discussion-with-sarah-flack-tickets-63008864209?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR0UDlaObizhH44CYzA5Fta5YVPTMa8AfoIsM38piRAp5rkx4D5QIYGK0lc

Workshop on grass based dairy farming in Walpole NH, August 12th

Date: Aug 12, 2019

Overcoming Dairy Production Challenges – Monday, August 12, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Brookfield Farm, 460 Old Drewsville Road, Walpole, NH 03608

Join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby and Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, for a pasture walk and talk addressing strategies for overcoming grass-fed dairy production challenges. Chris and Holly Gowdy have been managing a seasonal grass-fed dairy herd with the cows calving in late summer. This allows them to focus on produc-ing high quality first cut hay and align pasture productivity and herd demand.

Free event, but pre-registration is appreciated.

Please register by emailing or calling Susan Brouillette, susan.brouillette@uvm.edu or 802.524.6501. View our Events page on our website for online registration – www.uvm.edu/nwcrops

Grass-milk Production Systems August 8, Charlotte VT

Date: Aug 08, 2019

Grass-milk Production Systems – Thursday, August 8, 10:00 am—2:00 pm

Donegan Family Farm, Joe Donegan, 1506 Carpenter Road, Charlotte, VT 05445

Join Dr. Guy Jodarski, Organic Valley veterinarian, UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, and the Donegans to discuss grass-milk production. There will be a particular focus on grazing management, nutrition, animal housing, and labor efficiency.

Cost: $20 farmers, $30 others (includes lunch provided by the NOFA-VT pizza oven)

Please register at www.nofavt.org/ows or call Livy Bulger at NOFA-VT at 802-434-4122, ext. 21

Raising Youngstock & Barn Design. Danville VT August 7

Date: Aug 07, 2019

Raising Youngstock & Barn Design – Wednesday, August 7, 10:00 am—2:00 pm

Hill View Farm, Henry & Allison Pearl, 476 Pearl Rd, Danville, VT 05828

Join Dr. Guy Jodarski, Organic Valley veterinarian, UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, and the Pearls to discuss their systems for raising young stock. We will also spend time touring the new barn they built in 2015 to facilitate their groups of young stock and dry cows and meet organic outdoor access requirements. Cost: $20 farmers, $30 others (includes lunch provided by the NOFA-VT pizza oven) Please register at www.nofavt.org/ows or call Livy Bulger at NOFA-VT at 802-434-4122, ext. 21

2019 12th Annual Crops & Soils Field Day, Alburgh VT

Date: Jul 25, 2019

Free webinar: Grass Based Livestock Management – how to manage pastures to improve soil health, plant productivity and livestock wellbeing

Date: Jul 24, 2019

In this webinar, we will cover the essentials of what you need to know to use grazing livestock to improve pasture soils, pasture plants and create more high quality forages for the animals.  We will discuss how best to care for the pasture plants and soils, while also maximizing pasture dry matter intake for the herd or flock, to allow improved animal performance and well-being, build soil health, and make steady improvements in pasture quality and productivity. 

This webinar is part of NOFA Mass free webinar series.  For more information

https://www.nofamass.org/events/webinar-Grass-Based-Livestock-Management 

Workshop on grass based dairy production – Constable NY July 11

Date: Jul 11, 2019

Production and Land Reclamation – Thursday, July 11, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Evermint Dairy, 372 County Route 20, Constable, NY 12926-2407

Join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, and host Lawrence Horst for a pasture walk and talk about grass-fed dairy production and strategies for land reclamation and improve-ment. The Horsts manage a grass-fed Holstein herd and focus on maximizing forage production and quality through both annual and perennial forages as well as reclaiming and improving pastures and hay meadows on their farm.

Free event, but pre-registration is appreciated.  

Please register by emailing or calling Susan Brouillette, susan.brouillette@uvm.edu or 802.524.6501. View our Events page on our website for online registration – www.uvm.edu/nwcrops

Grass Fed Dairy Standards Webinar – April 16, 2019

Date: Apr 16, 2019

This webinar will focus on new grass-fed standards, which are designed for dairy farms that are already certified organic. Presenters will give an introduction to grass-fed dairy farming: what it is, and how it differs from other dairy management systems. Organic standards are set nationally by the USDA; however grass fed dairy labels and standards are newer, and there are several. The standards, as well as some of the accreditation information will be discussed, so that viewers can understand the 3rd party accreditation and certification process.

Presenters: Heather Darby, University of Vermont; Sarah Flack, Sarah Flack Consulting; William J. Friedman, Organic Plus Trust; Rachel Prickett, Earth Claims

April 16 at 2PM Eastern Time, 1PM Central, 12PM Mountain, 11AM Pacific Time. It’s free and open to the public, and advance registration is required. Attendees will be able to type in questions for the speakers.

Register now at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_spL0LHo3Tx-AVrFu2-xekw

Grazing workshops in Brussels Ontario

Date: Apr 10, 2019

I’ll be teaching a few workshops in Brussels Ontario on April 10th.  For details go do https://am.gallagher.com/en-ca/passion-for-pasture/events/brussels-spring-pasture-meeting or contact tim@brusselsagri.com

 

What is Good Grazing management?  What can we learn from studying grazing systems which have been successful for decades?  What do the plants in your pastures need so they can thrive, and become more productive and higher quality over time?  How can we use higher or lower stocking densities, taller or shorter pre-grazing heights and decisions on how long to leave livestock in the paddock and how short to let them graze it as tools to improve pastures so we can avoid expensive inputs and reseeding? This session will look at the practical application of basic guidelines of good grazing management based on plant physiology and soil health.

Grazing management from the livestock perspective.  What are the nutritional and behavioral needs of cows, sheep and goats?  How can we use that knowledge to design grazing systems which make it easier to maximize pasture intake by the herd or flock?  This session will include information on how to measure available dry matter in the pasture, and calculate acreage needs for the herd or flock.  We will look at how different pre-grazing heights and post grazing residuals change the nutritional quality of what livestock are able to graze, and how that changes their ability to meet their intake requirements.  We’ll look at photos of both pastures and livestock and review monitoring methods so we are able to be sure our grazing systems are working the way we want them to meet needs of the plants and the livestock.

Write your own grazing plan – St Albans VT March 21

Date: Mar 21, 2019
Location: St Albans Vermont

I will be teaching one day of a four day class hosted by Middlebury UVM Extension.  Contact Cheryl Cesario for full details and all the class dates.  <Cheryl.Cesario@uvm.edu> http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/grazing-class/

Write your own grazing plan – a workshop in Middlebury VT

Date: Mar 19, 2019

I will be teaching one day of a four day class hosted by Middlebury UVM Extension.  Contact Cheryl Cesario for full details and all the class dates.  <Cheryl.Cesario@uvm.edu> http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/grazing-class/

2019 Appalachian Grazing Conference in WV March 7, 8 & 9

Date: Mar 07, 2019

I’ll be speaking at the 2019 Appalachian Grazing Conference which will be held in Morgantown WV on March 7-9, 2019. The theme for the conference will be: “Create a Winning Combination… managing soil, water, plant and animal health.”  http://www.wvagc.com/   

The Art and Science of Grazing – learning from successful grass farmers:

In the last few decades of visiting farms, I’ve had the opportunity to visit many successful grass based livestock farms and learn more about how different farmers in different climates have successfully designed and managed their grazing systems and farm businesses.  In the process, I’ve been reminded that all these successful grass based livestock systems are based on some basic and essential guidelines.  These guidelines aren’t new, they’ve been known for at least 200 years, and during that time farmers and researchers have written about them, developed new technology to make it easier to do, and developed different types of grazing methods.  By studying grazing systems working well on a variety of farms, we can learn more about these grazing principals and how to apply them so that we are caring for the pasture plants, livestock, soils, farmers and our ecosystem.  Along the way, we can be better informed and inspired by the many creative ways that these basic grazing guidelines are in use different farms.

 

Preventing Pasture Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures

Part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. This session will review the key grazing principles that help pastures improve, allow our cattle to maximize pasture dry matter intake pastures and avoid a whole list of potential problems. We will also look ways to observe livestock, manure, soils and plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.  Developing those observation skills will make it easier to find creative ways to adjust the grazing system to improve the well-being of livestock and increase pasture quality and productivity.

 

Sheep, goats, and multi species grazing.

Why do small ruminants graze so differently than cows? Should you graze your sheep with your cows, or should you use a leader follower system?    Does multi species grazing really help with parasite management?  Should you incorporate browse species into the grazing system? How do you manage fence if you are grazing a flock, herd or a mixed “flerd”. We’ll answer these questions and more at this workshop on grazing systems for small ruminants.

 

Grazing workshops at Eco Farm Days conference in Ontario Feb 23

Date: Feb 23, 2019

I’ll be teaching 2 workshops on grazing at the Canadian Organic Growers Eco Farm days conference in Cornwall Ontario on February 23rd.  https://cog.ca/ottawa/eco-farm-day/

 

What can we learn from studying grazing systems which have been successful for decades?  What do the plants in your pastures need so they can thrive, and become more productive and higher quality over time?  How can we use higher or lower stocking densities, taller or shorter pre-grazing heights and decisions on how long to leave livestock in the paddock and how short to let them graze it as tools to improve pastures so we can avoid expensive inputs and reseeding? This session will look at the practical application of basic guidelines of good grazing management and pasture ecosystem monitoring, based on plant physiology and soil health.

What are the nutritional and behavioral needs of cows, sheep and goats?  How can we use that knowledge to design grazing systems which make it easier to maximize pasture intake by the herd or flock?  This session will include information on how to measure available dry matter in the pasture, and calculate acreage needs for the herd or flock.  We will look at how different pre-grazing heights and post grazing residuals change the nutritional quality of what livestock are able to graze, and how that changes their ability to meet their intake requirements.  We’ll look at photos of both pastures and livestock and review monitoring methods so we are able to be sure our grazing systems are working the way we want them to meet needs of the plants and the livestock.

Indiana Grazing Conference Feb 1 and 2

Date: Feb 01, 2019

I’ll be teaching workshops at the annual Indiana Grazing Conference in Shipshewana on the 1st and 2nd of February.  Schedule and details available here http://lagrange-swcd.wixsite.com/lagrangeswcd/nigc

 

Webinar on 100% grass fed dairy production

Date: Dec 10, 2018

Sarah Flack and Dr Heather Darby will present data from the past few years of research.  They will also share information on the next four years of research planned, and will discuss common management challenges and key factors for success commonly seen on grass fed dairy farms in the Northeast. https://articles.extension.org/pages/74739/grass-fed-dairy:-opportunities-and-challenges-in-this-rapidly-growing-market

PEI grazing workshops in November

Date: Nov 25, 2018
Location: PEI

I’ll be teaching some on farm grazing workshops, and some workshops at the ACORN annual conference on PEI November 25 and 26.  details to come later.

4 day Vermont grazing school with Sarah Flack and Cheryl Cesario

Date: Nov 01, 2018

Grass fed dairy workshop with Dr Heather Darby – Larson Farm, Wells VT

Date: Sep 21, 2018

I will be part of a workshop at the Larson Farm in Wells Vermont on September 21.  Heather Darby and I will share some of the information from recent research on grass based dairy farming (all forage rations/no grain).  Details TBA

2 Day Grazing and grass based livestock nutrition workshop in Western NY with Sarah Flack, Silvia Abel-Caines, Steve Gabriel and Jonathan Zeiset

Date: Sep 12, 2018
Location: Western NY

“Lessons we can Learn from the Pasture” will be two full days of workshops on topics including soils, pasture plants, livestock nutrition, silvopasture, increasing pasture intake, pasture improvement strategies, livestock scoring and genetics, livestock handling.  There will also be farm tours, an evening bonfire with live music.

for more detail on the event location, speakers and topics go here 

Full schedule here:

Day One: September 12th

7:30-8:30am: Breakfast

8:30-9:00am: Steve Rockcastle – The Soil is Alive

There will be a review of soil biology and its relationship to foragequality and animal health. This will be a broad overview to set the tone for the day, as far as what to expect.

9:00-10:00am: Sarah Flack – Session #1 Pastures from the Plants Perspective

Successful grazing systems are based on meeting the needs of the plants, soils and livestock. This session will look at perennial pasture plant anatomy and physiology so we can understand how grazing can either improve or damage plant health.

10:15-11:15: Dr. Silvia Abel Caines – Can 100% Grass Diet Meet the Nutritional Requirements of Lactating Dairy Cows? The Link between Soil Health, Forage Quality and Animal Productivity

A review of the nutrient demands of cows on passture and the impact of forage quality in maintaining health and productivity. Understanding the unique nutritional challenges of 100% grass-fed Dairy Cows at different stages of lactation is essential to make timely management decisions.

11:30-1:00pm: Pasture Walk

Observe grazing techniques, multi species seedings on pasture and microbe and liquid fertilizer spray trials effect on pasture growth.

1:15-2:15: Lunch

2:15-3:15: Sarah Flack – Session 2 – Strategies to Maximize Pasture Intake

This session will look at pastures ffrom the grazing animals perspective, with a focus on strategies, which can be used to increase forage intake from pasture so they can maintain better body condition, gain weight faster, make more milk and have better reproductive performance. Cows, sheep and goats can only take a certain number of bits of pasture each day, how can we make each bite count?

3:330-4:30pm: Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines – Strategies to maximize Forage Intake from Birth to 1st Lactation

A discussion on how genetics, calf management and heifer growth impact rumen development and dry matter intake. A review of how simple, successful grass-fed systems from around the country and around the world, strateqize for full-rumen fill when feeding stored feeds

6:00pm: Dinner

Evening Entertainment:

Live Music, Bonfire and a guided tour of the Shiitake Mushroom Yard.

Day 2: September 13th

7:30-8:30am: Breakfast

8:30-10:00am: Sarah Flack – Session 3 – The Graziers Tool Box – Using Livestock to Improve Pastures

Higher quality pasture makes it easier to maximize forage intake and increases the length of the grazing season. This can improve animal performance AND lower feed costs. In this session we will look at how we canuse the livestock to improve pasture quality, density and productivity.

10:30-12:00pm: Dr.Silvia Abel-Caines – Feeding Strategies for increasing Milk Solids in Cows on Pasture

An in-depth look at the role of specific nutrients in involved in milk synthesis and feeding management that results in increased butterfat and milk protein. A discussion on how essential fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals affect how cows utilize nutrients from pasture. What is missing in the soil and in the grass can impact the productivity of the cow and the nutrients present in the milk.

12:30-1:30pm: Lunch

1:30-3:00: Tour of John Bricker’s Grassfed Dairy

This tour will give Sylvia and Sarah an opportunity to do dairy animal scoring and speak on grass-fed animal genetics and their relationship with grass based dairy operations.

1:30-3:00: Temple Grandin Inspired Corral

Anyone interested in chute handling procedures can observe chute operationsat Green Heron Growers, I our Temple Grandin inspired corral and loading area. This simple design allows for stress free handling practices.

September 12 & 13, 2018

Questions? Please call or email Steve Rockcastle @ 716.720.3695 srockcastle@gmail.com

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lessons-we-can-learn-from-the-pasture-tickets-44168944502

Grazing School in Westport, MA – August 18th

Date: Aug 18, 2018
Location: Westport, MA

All day grazing school in Westport, MA at Weatherlow Farms – August 18th.

This event is part of 2 days of grazing workshops organized by the Livestock Institute and Weatherlow Farms.  For more information and to pre register to save a space go here

 Matching livestock numbers to land base to increase farm income

Date: Aug 17, 2018
Location: Dartmouth, MA

Full Day Grazing School at Stone Barns Center in NY

Date: Aug 16, 2018
Location: Stone Barns Center, Pocantico Hills, NY

The morning portion of this all day grazing workshop will focus on creating a solid understanding of the basic principles of good grazing management systems.  Starting first from the plants perspective, we will look at the needs of perennial pasture plants and how to meet those needs by following the grazing guidelines.  From there we will do some group exercises and practice to learn how to measure the amount of feed in a pasture, calculate paddock sizes, stocking densities, stocking rates and understand what the ideal number of acres for a flock or herd is.  We will then look at some real on farm examples to practice and learn more about perennial plant anatomy and physiology.

In the afternoon we will look at pasture from the livestock perspective, learning techniques to meet their nutritional needs, maximize pasture dry matter intake, provide low stress handling, provide the correct supplemental feeds and minerals, and when shade or shelter should be planned into the grazing.  We will also spend time in the afternoon discussing techniques to monitor and assess the health of the pasture ecosystem, and the performance and well-being of the livestock.

This session will include indoor classroom time and outdoor time in the pastures.  You will want to bring clothing to be comfortable both indoors, and outdoors in rain or sun.  Bring a calculator and notebook. 

for more info or to register go here

Grazing Workshop at Sweet Rowan Farm in VT

Date: Aug 09, 2018
Location: Sweet Rowan Farm, Vermont

I’ll be teaching a grazing workshop at Sweet Rowan Farm in Albany VT from 10 to 1:00 on August 9th.  This dairy farm has been working to improve their grazing system for several years including some new seedings, new lanes, fences and water lines.  http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/PastureWorkshop%20Outreach%20Fyler.pdf  RSVP Requested by Monday August 6th Contact Sarah Damsell 802-334-6090 x 7008 or email sarah.damsell@vt.nacdnet.net

Workshop on Pasture Management, Once per day milking, and Youngstock in Cornwall VT with Dr Howlett, Sarah Flack and Heather Darby

Date: Aug 06, 2018

 

Join farmer and veterinarian Brian Howlett, UVM Agronomist Heather Darby and Sarah Flack on a tour of Brian’s farm, Ottercrest Dairy. We will take a look at his pasture systems and rotational grazing management. Brian will share strategies for parasite prevention in youngstock on pasture and his experience with milking one time a day.  For more information or to register go HERE

Annual Crops and Soils Field Day on July 26th at Borderview Farm in Alburgh

Date: Jul 26, 2018

Join Sid Bosworth and Sarah Flack to look at crops which can either be grazed or harvested at the Annual Crops and Soils Field Day on July 26th at Borderview Farm in Alburgh. Species will include perennial cool season grasses and legumes, warm season annuals and other species such as chicory. We hope to see you on the 26th –

Robot Grazing Systems & Forage Harvesting – Graniteville VT

Date: Jul 25, 2018

Wednesday, July 25th, 10:30-2:30, Lambert Farm, 437 Lambert Road, Graniteville, VT

Join CROPP/Organic Valley staff veterinarian and grazing specialist Dr. Greg Brickner and grazing consultant Sarah Flack on a tour of the Lambert’s farm, taking a look at their robotic milking system and pastures. The Lamberts’ will share how they have changed their pasture management system with the installation of robots. We will also discuss forage harvesting- looking at management strategies for producing high quality forage and organic corn silage.  For more details and to pre register go HERE or call NOFA VT 802-434-4122

Improving Milk Quality and Pasture Systems with Dr Greg Brickner & Sarah Flack in Newport VT

Date: Jul 24, 2018

Join CROPP/Organic Valley staff veterinarian and grazing specialist Dr. Greg Brickner and grazing consultant Sarah Flack at this workshop focused on milk quality and ways to optimize milk value. We will tour farmer Andy (John) Andrews farm, taking a look at his pastures, discussing grazing systems and how to increase utilization of pasture to reduce feed costs as well as winter outdoor access.

For more information or to pre register call NOFA VT at 802-434-4122 or go HERE

 

 

Grazing Field Day in South Hero Vermont

Date: Jun 14, 2018

Digging Deeper – pasture workshop with Sarah Flack at Wolfes Neck Farm

Date: Jun 12, 2018
Location: Wolfes Neck Farm, Freeport Maine

Join Sarah Flack and farm staff at Wolfes Neck Farm in Freeport Maine for an afternoon pasture walk and discussion about grass based livestock management.  We’ll talk about what you need to know to use grazing livestock to improve pasture soils, pasture plants and create more high quality forages for the animals.  https://wolfesneckfarm.tfaforms.net/105

Grazing Workshops at Green Mountain College

Date: Jun 04, 2018

June 4 at Green Mountain College in Poultney VT, I’ll be teaching a full day introduction to what good grazing management is.  In the morning we’ll look at pasture soils, plants and talk about what they need to be productive and healthy. After lunch (included in your fee) we will discuss livestock nutritional and behavioral needs and then how to put it all together into a practical grazing system.  This will be a small group so bring your questions, there will be plenty of time for questions and hands on learning.  Cost is $65 and includes lunch. For more information contact Eleanor Tison  tisone@greenmtn.edu or 802-287-2944.  We will start at 8:30 in the morning and end around 4:00.  We’ll spend time in the classroom but a lot of outdoor time so come prepared with your sunhat and rain coat.

Grazing Workshops in Chenango and Steuben county NY May 2 & 3

Date: May 02, 2018

Two days of in depth pasture workshops in farms in NY.  Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 in Steuben County in Addison NY and Thursday, May 3^rd in Guilford NY.  Both sessions will run 10 to 3 and will be hands on out in the pastures so please dress appropriately.

These hands-on pasture walks will focus on improving marginal pastures, how to plan out your rotations, early season grazing approaches, determining the best time to graze plants, fertility management, animal impact grazing techniques, weather related management strategies and in-field farmer training exercises to hone your grazier’s eye.

The hosting families raise dairy animals, sheep, beef, horses and have multi-species grazing operations on less than stellar soils with limited fertility added.  The goals are to use pasture management and grazing techniques to nourish the soil, plants, animals, people and create wealth using the tools at hand, including the mind.  Expect fruitful dialogues, reality-based decision-making and networking with peers.

Pre-registration is required to help plan for lunch and logistics

To reserve your place for this unique early season grazing event please contact: Jonathon Barter, Steuben SWCD at (607) 776-7398 Ext. 3 or Brett Chedzoy, Schuyler CCE at (607) 535-7161 and bjc226@cornell.edu for Steuben County workshop

Contact Troy Bishopp at (315) 824-9849 Ext. 110 or Troy-Bishopp@verizon.net to register for Chenango County workshop

Workshop on Improving pasture quality and productivity to increase livestock forage intake in NH on March 23

Date: Mar 23, 2018
Location: The Garden Room, Groh Farm, 135 Temple Rd., Wilton, NH 03086

Grazing Workshop with Sarah Flack

Improving pasture quality and productivity to increase livestock forage intake

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to improve the pastures while also meeting livestock nutritional needs over as long a grazing season as possible. Increasing pasture intake can produce higher rates of gain in young stock, and better body condition & more milk from lactating animals while lowering farm expenses.

Topics covered in this workshop will include an overview of some of the methods to manage & monitor pastures & animals to maximize pasture dry matter intake while using the livestock grazing to improve pasture quality & productivity. We will discuss different types of supplemental feeds, different stocking rates, stocking densities, trampling, variable regrowth periods, taller or shorter pre grazing heights, & post grazing residual as well as different annual and perennial forages and discussion of when to invest in seeds or fertility inputs to build soil health.

Friday, March 23rd, 2018, 7:30 PM

The Garden Room, Groh Farm, 135 Temple Rd., Wilton, NH 03086.

Please email groh.alice@gmail.com or call

603-654-6316 for directions.

They will ask a minimum donation of $10 at the door.

Matching livestock numbers to land base to increase farm income – Workshop at the NY Organic Dairy Conference

Date: Mar 06, 2018
Location: Syracuse NY

This workshop will cover ideas on how to determine what the ideal herd size or stocking rate is for your organic dairy farm, and how to tie that information into cash flow projections and business planning.  We will look at how setting different pasture dry matter intake goals or adjusting the type of grazing system can change how many cows the farm can support, and what the cost of production will be.  This session will include examples to look at how to do paddock size calculations and acreage calculations for several scenarios including: fixed rotational grazing systems, intensive grazing systems, grazing systems for 100% grassfed dairy production as well as lower dry matter intake grazing systems designed to work with robotic milkers.

March 6, 2018, Syracuse NY Organic Dairy Conference

increasing pasture intake of high quality, low cost forages to improve net income – March 6 NY Organic Dairy Conference

Date: Mar 06, 2018
Location: Syracuse NY Organic Dairy Conference

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to improve pastures while also meeting livestock nutritional needs over as long a grazing season as possible. Increasing pasture intake can produce higher rates of gain in young stock, and better body condition & more milk from lactating animals. In this session, we will discuss methods to manage & monitor pastures & animals to maximize dry matter intake from pasture while using livestock grazing to improve pasture quality & productivity. Topics will include the use of different types of supplemental feeds, different stocking rates, stocking densities, trampling, variable regrowth periods, taller or shorter pre grazing heights, & post grazing residual as well as different annual and perennial forages and when to invest in seeds or fertility inputs to build soil health.

What does it take to succeed with 100% grass fed dairy production?

Date: Mar 06, 2018
Location: Syracuse NY - Annual NOFA NY Organic Dairy Conference

I will review the potential challenges to 100% grass fed dairy farming, along with the production practices needed in order to succeed.  I’ll be presenting some preliminary data from the SARE grass fed dairy research project, along with what I’ve learned about during the consulting work I’ve done with all forage fed dairy farms since the mid 1990s.  Grass fed dairy farming is one of the most challenging management systems, but can be done successfully with good management and a solid understanding of what it takes to make it work.

This session will be part of the workshop on the new grass fed certification standards.  Co taught with staff from NOFA NY Certification.

 

March 6, 2018, Syracuse NY Organic Dairy Conference

Feb 15 to 16, Dayton Ohio OEFFA conference

Date: Feb 15, 2018

I will be teaching 4 workshops at this conference in Ohio on February 15 and 16 2018. Workshops will include:

Full Day Grazing School

In this day-long workshop we will spend the morning on the basic principals of good grazing management systems. Topics will include grazing and non grazing adapted plant species, soils and management systems that improve pasture quality and productivity. Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. In the afternoon we will go into more depth in our discussion of how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to.

Key Principals of Well Managed Grazing Systems

What are your livestock and pastures telling you about your grazing management system? This workshop will cover the basic principals of good grazing management systems, first from the perspective of the plants, and then from the perspective of the livestock. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will discuss how to monitor pastures and animals so that we can maximize dry matter intake from pasture and use grazing to improve pasture quality and productivity.

Fine Tuning Your Grazing System

This session uses real on-farm examples to help us learn how to “listen” to what our farms, pastures and animals are telling us.  Observing plants, soil, animals and the interactions between them can guide us to improve the conversion of sunlight into high quality plants and healthy livestock through good grazing management.   Topics will include pasture condition scoring and monitoring, grazing management techniques, pasture ecology, and the use of fence, water system, lanes and different stocking densities and re-growth periods.

Grazing Q&A  & Troubleshooting Your Grazing system

This session will not be a formal presentation.  Instead, bring your questions about grass based ruminant farming and we can share ideas and discussion.

 http://www.oeffa.org/conference2018.php

Grazing School – Dec 14 – Southern VT

Date: Dec 14, 2017

https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Agriculture/cv-crops-newsletter-fall-2017.pdf

I’ll be helping teach part of a 4 day grazing workshop on pasture management in Addison County VT on Thursday December 14th.  uvm.edu/…/cv-crops-newsletter-fall-2017.pdf

Grass Based Livestock Management – a full day event in Newport Rhode Island

Date: Dec 03, 2017

In this all-day workshop we will cover what you need to know to set up a new grazing system, or troubleshoot and improve an existing one.  We start the day from the perspective of pasture plants, and then shift to look at grazing from the perspective of the livestock.  This will provide a solid understanding of how to meet the needs of the plants and livestock so that both can thrive.

Topics will include how to use the “Graziers Toolbox” including varied stock densities, trampling and different regrowth periods, pre & post grazing heights to use livestock to improve the pastures.  We will cover “Pasture Pitfalls” as we look at common problems and how to identify the cause and come up with low cost solutions.

We will do the “Pasture Math” to calculate paddock sizes, acreage needs and stocking rates.  We will look at how to maximize pasture intake for the livestock to lower feed costs and improve livestock wellbeing and productivity.

We will use photos and real farm examples of pastures and livestock as we then learn how to observe and monitor so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to, and what we can do to make them better.

https://www.thelivestockinstitute.org/seminars.html

What is good grazing management?

Date: Oct 30, 2017

I’ll be teaching a small introductory session on grazing management on October 30th in NH.  Details TBA

Workshops in Petersham MA including 1.) Graziers Toolbox and 2.) Preventing Pasture Pitfalls at the 2017 Women in Meat Conference

Date: Oct 23, 2017
Location: Harvard Forest, Petersham MA

I’ll be teaching at least 2 workshops at the 2017 Women In Meat Conference  in Massachusetts including the Graziers Toolbox, which will include discussion of how different stocking rates, stock densities, trampling, variable length regrowth or recovery periods, the use of shorter or taller pre grazing heights and the amount of residual pasture left behind effects the animals, soils and plants. By better understanding, and using these “graziers tools” we can change the pasture plant species composition, pasture productivity & quality, soil health, and livestock performance.  Preventing Pasture Pitfalls will include honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. This workshop will review the key grazing principles that help pastures improve, cattle maximize pasture dry matter intake and how to avoid a whole list of potential problems. We will discuss ideas on how to observe livestock, manure, soils and plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.   Then we will talk about creative ways that we can adjust the grazing system to improve the well-being of the livestock and increase pasture quality and productivity.  https://www.leagueofwmn.com/

Northeast Organic Dairy Field Days – September 28 & 29, Truxton NY

Date: Sep 28, 2017
Location: Truxton NY

I’ll be teaching a workshop in Truxton NY September 28th and 29th on strategies for making well-informed and financially sound decisions on major farm management changes, such as whether a robotic milking system fits into your farming and grazing system, and if your farm is suitable to convert to an all grass-based system.  This session will include an overview of how to calculate the right number of cows for the current land base, depending on what management system and what level of pasture dry matter intake the farm is planning for.  http://www.nodpa.com/fielddays_2017_overview.shtml

Planning for the right stocking rate – Workshop at the 2017 NODPA field days

Date: Sep 28, 2017
Location: Truxton, NY

I’ll be teaching a workshop in Truxton NY September 28th and 29th on strategies for making well-informed and financially sound decisions on major farm management changes, such as whether a robotic milking system fits into your farming and grazing system, and if your farm is suitable to convert to an all grass-based system.  This session will include an overview of how to calculate the right number of cows for the current land base, depending on what management system and what level of pasture dry matter intake the farm is planning for.  http://www.nodpa.com/fielddays_2017_overview.shtml

VT Organic Dairy Workshop – Vernon VT, September 12 – Forage Management, Corn Silage & Weed Control

Date: Sep 12, 2017
Location: Vernon VT

The Miller Farm is a 5th generation family farm that converted to organic in 2009 and is milking 170 cows. They grow a variety of crops for forage from corn to alfalfa.  This workshop will focus on organic forage production.  Join farmer Peter Miller, Sarah Flack and UVM Agronomist Dr. Heather Darby as we discuss the installation of their irrigation system, their organic corn silage production, as well as other forages they grow, and how the Millers are using flame weeding tools for weed control. Lunch is provided, and will be prepared in NOFA-VT’s mobile wood-fired pizza oven.  https://nofavt.org/events/organic-dairy-forage-management-corn-silage-weed-control

Organic dairy workshop – Lancaster county PA – September 7

Date: Sep 07, 2017
Location: Lancaster County PA

 

This on farm event will include workshops with Dr Silvia Abel-Caines, Sarah Flack and others on a range of topics in classroom setting and on pasture including but not limited to:

– Energy dense rations for 100% grass-fed dairy cows

– Strategies to maximize pasture intake on the lactating herd

– The Graziers Toolbox: Improving Productivity and Quality

– Connecting the Dots: From Quality Grass, to Healthy Cows, to Quality Milk

– Farmer Panel for an hour in the afternoon followed by some info on the Grass-fed standards.

– Optional visit to the SpringWood nanny/calf herd a few miles away

https://www.farmers.coop/events/advanced-pasture-walk

Organic Dairy workshop – Randolph VT – Pasture and crop management after a drought. August 30

Date: Aug 30, 2017
Location: Randolph VT

Regina and Brent Beidler have been operating their 145 acre farm in Randolph Center since 1998, in 2000 they became certified organic and have been grass-fed for about 12 years.  Join Brent Beidler,  Sarah Flack and UVM Agronomist Dr. Heather Darby as we tour their fields and take a look at the Beidler’s irrigation system, their seed trials of corn, spelt and summer annuals and discuss general grass-fed pasture management and the adaptations they’ve had to make with drought. Lunch is provided, and will be prepared in NOFA-VT’s mobile wood-fired pizza oven.

All day grazing school at the Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture

Date: Aug 10, 2017
Location: Stone Barns Center, Pocantico Hills, NY

I’m teaching a workshop on Grazing at the Stone Barns Center on August 10th 2017.  http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/farm/index.html

Workshop on organic dairy transition and grazing – Danville VT July 31

Date: Jul 31, 2017
Location: Danville VT

http://nofavt.org/events/organic-dairy-transition-developing-grazing-system

Molly Brook Farm began their transition to organic in January 2017. The past two years Rhonda and Miles Goodrich have been building and developing their grazing system; as part of this they had to seed and convert their corn fields to pasture. In this workshop, we will tour their pastures with Sarah Flack and UVM Agronomist Dr. Heather Darby; discussing the organic transition process and challenges that have arisen and how they developed a grazing system by seeding of corn fields to perennial pasture species.  Lunch is provided, and will be prepared in NOFA-VT’s mobile wood-fired pizza oven.  After lunch, service providers will be available to answer any questions you have about transitioning and organic dairy production.

Grazing School/Pasture Ecology workshop at the Roots School in Vermont

Date: Jul 29, 2017

I will be teaching a workshop as part of the Roots School curriculum on grazing and pasture ecology as part of their Four-Season Program in Regenerative Design & Applied Ecologyhttps://rootsvt.com/roots-school-advanced-pdc-vermont-c

Annual crops and soils field day – Alburgh VT July 27

Date: Jul 27, 2017
Location: Alburgh VT

https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=2011815

 

I’ll be teaching a workshop on pasture management with Sid Bosworth at the UVM annual crops and soils field day.  In addition to our session, farm ours will be offered of research trials and sessions ranging from pastures to precision agriculture as well as commercial production of new crops with tastings of end-products from crop research.

On-site check-in gets underway at 9:15 a.m. with a guided tour starting at 10:00 a.m.  Participants will tour the more than 3,000 plots of research trials focused on cereal grain and soybean varieties; reduced tillage in silage corn; innovative crops such as hemp, dry beans, hops and milkweed; and cover crops and other soil health trials for forages and perennial grasses, vegetable and field crops.

Afternoon sessions will focus on perennial forages and pasture management; flame weeding technology for vegetables and hops; a look at hemp; new no-till and cover crop equipment; milkweed floss production; hop yard pest management and crowining; and a grain tour

Grazing School at Sterling College in Vermont

Date: Jun 29, 2017
Location: Sterling College in Vermont

Details TBA, but I will be teaching all day on June 29th and then doing a shorter workshop and book signing in the evening.  https://www.sterlingcollege.edu/course/grazing-soil-building/

Pasture walk in Pawlet VT, May 3, 2017

Date: May 03, 2017
Location: Pawlet, Vermont

Join us at Southwind Farm with the Russo Family in Pawlet VT from 10 to 2 at this workshop.  Organic valley is organizing this event, and topics will include strategies to increase DMI from pasture and drought management and pasture recovery strategies.  Bring your questions and join us for some interactive discussion and the opportunity to share and learn new ideas.

NOFA NY Organic Dairy Conference – March 16 & 17 2017

Date: Mar 16, 2017

I will be teaching a 1/2 day grazing workshop and also speaking about 100% grass fed dairy production at the annual NY organic dairy conference in Syracuse.  https://www.nofany.org/events-news/events/odfc-conference

Vermont Organic Dairy Conference

Date: Mar 09, 2017
Location: Randolph Vermont

http://nofavt.org/events/7th-annual-vermont-organic-dairy-producers-conferenceI may not be speaking at this event, but I will be there and it is going to be full of great information!

The Graziers Tool Box – improving pasture productivity and quality – MOSES Organic Farming Conference

Date: Feb 24, 2017

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to feed our livestock and improve the pastures. Topics will include different stocking rates, stock densities and trampling. We will also talk about how allowing plants more or less time to regrow, the use of shorter or taller pre grazing heights and the amount of residual pasture left behind effects the animals, soils and plants. By better understanding, and using these “graziers tools” we can change the pasture plant species composition, pasture productivity & quality, soil health, and livestock performance.

MOSES Organic University Grazing School – Feb 23, 2017 – LaCrosse WI

Date: Feb 23, 2017

In this all-day workshop we will start by reviewing the basic principals behind all successful grazing systems. This will include discussion first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the perspective of the livestock. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will move into topics which include how to calculate paddock sizes, stocking densities, stocking rates and acreage needs as well as strategies to maximize the herd or flocks pasture dry matter intake and use grazing to improve pastures. We will talk about how to use different pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species, and encourage healthy soils to increase pasture productivity and quality. Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. We will use photos of pastures and livestock as we then learn how to observe and monitor so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to, and what we can do to make them better.

Grazing workshop at the NOFA VT winter conference – Feb 20.

Date: Feb 18, 2017

I will be teaching an all day intensive on grazing on Monday the 20th of February at the NOFA VT annual conference. http://nofavt.org/events/winter-conference/intensives

Grazing Q&A Fine Tuning & Troubleshooting Your Grazing system at the PASA conference

Date: Feb 04, 2017

This session will not be a formal presentation.  Instead, bring your questions about grass based ruminant farming and we can share ideas and discussion.

The Graziers Tool Box – improving pasture productivity and quality. PASA conference workshop

Date: Feb 03, 2017
Location: State College PA Annual PASA Conference

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to feed our livestock and improve the pastures. Topics will include different stocking rates, stock densities, trampling, variable regrowth periods, the amount of residual pasture left behind, and the pre grazing height of the pasture. Each of these “tools” can be used to change the pasture plant species composition, pasture productivity & quality, soil health, and livestock performance.

Preventing Pasture Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures – PASA conference workshop

Date: Feb 03, 2017
Location: PASA annual conference, State College PA

Part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this workshop, we will review the key grazing principles that help pastures improve, cattle maximize pasture dry matter intake pastures and avoid a whole list of potential problems. We will also look at examples of how to observe livestock, manure, soils and plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.   Then we will talk about creative ways that we can adjust the grazing system to improve the well-being of the livestock and increase pasture quality and productivity.

All-day Grazing School at the PASA conference

Date: Feb 02, 2017
Location: State College PA annual PASA conference

Grazing School at the PASA annual conference in State College PA with Dr Heather Darby:

Grazing part one: Improving pastures and feeding the herd (or flock): The morning 1/2 of this workshop will cover the essentials of how to use livestock to manage pasture plants so that the pasture productivity and quality improve, while also meeting the nutritional needs of the herd or flock. Topics will include how different plants respond to grazing, (good and bad!), how to calculate paddock sizes, stocking density, stocking rates and decide what pre-grazing height and post grazing residual height to use to maximize pasture improvement and pasture dry matter intake for livestock. As time allows, we will look at a variety of real farm grazing systems and discuss system design, fence, water systems, & lanes.

 

Taking grazing to the next level: Monitoring the system and building resiliency

In this session, Dr Heather Darby and Sarah Flack will discuss methods to monitor the pasture system and prepare our grass based farms for drought, high rain fall events and other challenges created by climate change. Using photos of pastures, different plant species, sheep, goats & cows, we can learn to better observe & monitor pastures & cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to. Then we will go deeper into management to improve soil health and fertility and when irrigation may be a useful addition to the farms infrastructure.

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic

Date: Jan 30, 2017
Location: Kimball Library, Randolph Vermont

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic

Monday, January 30, 2017

10 to 12 

Kimball Memorial Library

Randolph Vermont

Do Low Milk Prices Have You Thinking About Organic Transition? Is organic dairy production something you have considered, or are curious about?  Are you confused about the pasture requirements, what products are allowable, how certification works, or simply how to get started? This informal and friendly session with organic dairy consultant Sarah Flack and Stephanie Walsh of Vermont Organic Farmers will provide you with an overview of the transition process.  The presentation will be tailored to the audience to ensure that your questions answered. Representatives from several dairy companies will also be on hand to describe their organic programs, including pay price and bonus structures.  Even if you can’t get a contract with a buyer immediately and don’t start a transition tomorrow, this session can help you get the facts, and lay the groundwork to keep your future options open.

Two more meetings are being planned in Newport and Randolph for early 2017.  If you can’t make it to one of these transition meetings but would still like to learn more, support is available through NOFA-VT’s Farmer Services Program.  

Contact Jen for more information, 802-434-4122, jen@nofavt.org.  

Preventing Pasture Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures – Workshop at NOFA NY Annual Conference

Date: Jan 21, 2017
Location: Saratoga NY

Preventing Pasture Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures

Part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this workshop, we will review the key grazing principles that help pastures improve, cattle maximize pasture dry matter intake pastures and avoid a whole list of potential problems. We will also look at examples of how to observe livestock, manure, soils and plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.   Then we will talk about creative ways that we can adjust the grazing system to improve the well-being of the livestock and increase pasture quality and productivity.

Grazing school (1/2 day intensive) at the NOFA NY Annual Conference Jan 20 – 21 Saratoga

Date: Jan 20, 2017
Location: Saratoga NY

 

Intensive (1/2 day) Grazing School

This workshop will cover the basic principals of good grazing management systems, first from the perspective of the plants, and then from the perspective of the livestock. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will discuss how to monitor pastures and animals so that we can maximize dry matter intake from pasture and use grazing to improve pasture quality and productivity.  Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. We will talk about how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and strategies to maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures, sheep, goats and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to.

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic – Jan 17 Newport Vermont

Date: Jan 17, 2017
Location: Newport Vermont, Goodrich Memorial Library

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

12 – 2 pm

Goodrich Memorial Library

Newport Vermont

Do Low Milk Prices Have You Thinking About Organic Transition? Is organic dairy production something you have considered, or are curious about?  Are you confused about the pasture requirements, what products are allowable, how certification works, or simply how to get started? This informal and friendly session with organic dairy consultant Sarah Flack and Stephanie Walsh of Vermont Organic Farmers will provide you with an overview of the transition process.  The presentation will be tailored to the audience to ensure that your questions answered. Representatives from several dairy companies will also be on hand to describe their organic programs, including pay price and bonus structures.  Even if you can’t get a contract with a buyer immediately and don’t start a transition tomorrow, this session can help you get the facts, and lay the groundwork to keep your future options open.

Two more meetings are being planned in Newport and Randolph for early 2017.  If you can’t make it to one of these transition meetings but would still like to learn more, support is available through NOFA-VT’s Farmer Services Program.  

Contact Jen for more information, 802-434-4122, jen@nofavt.org.  

Maximizing pasture intake

Date: Jan 12, 2017
Location: Delhi NY Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference

Maximizing pasture intake:

Increasing pasture intake is essential for higher rates of gain in finishing animals, better body condition & more milk from lactating animals. In this workshop we will discuss methods to manage & monitor pastures & animals to maximize dry matter intake pasture while using grazing to improve pasture quality & productivity.

Improving pasture quality and productivity to increase livestock forage intake

Date: Jan 12, 2017
Location: Delhi NY Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference

The Graziers Tool Box – improving pasture productivity and quality.

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to improve the pastures while also meeting livestock nutritional needs. Topics will include the use of different stock rates, stock densities, trampling, variable regrowth periods, taller or shorter pre grazing heights, & post grazing residual as well as different annual and perennial forages and soil health.

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic – 12/16/16 St Albans VT

Date: Dec 16, 2016
Location: St Albans Vermont Library

Transitioning a Dairy Farm to Organic

Friday, December 16, 2016

12 – 2 pm

St. Albans Free Library

11 Maiden Lane, St. Albans

Do Low Milk Prices Have You Thinking About Organic Transition? Is organic dairy production something you have considered, or are curious about?  Are you confused about the pasture requirements, what products are allowable, how certification works, or simply how to get started? This informal and friendly session with organic dairy consultant Sarah Flack and Stephanie Walsh of Vermont Organic Farmers will provide you with an overview of the transition process.  The presentation will be tailored to the audience to ensure that your questions answered. Representatives from several dairy companies will also be on hand to describe their organic programs, including pay price and bonus structures.  Even if you can’t get a contract with a buyer immediately and don’t start a transition tomorrow, this session can help you get the facts, and lay the groundwork to keep your future options open.

Two more meetings are being planned in Newport and Randolph for early 2017.  If you can’t make it to one of these transition meetings but would still like to learn more, support is available through NOFA-VT’s Farmer Services Program.  

Contact Jen for more information, 802-434-4122, jen@nofavt.org.  

Two day workshop on 100% grass fed dairy production

Date: Dec 13, 2016
Location: Harrisburg PA

I will be co teaching two days of workshops with Dr Silvia Abel-Caines, DVM PhD and the Staff Ruminant Nutritionist Organic Valley.  These workshops will all focus on 100% grass fed (zero grain) dairy farming, and be held at the Growing Pennsylvania’s Organic Farms Conference in Harrisburg PA on the 13th and 14th of December.  On the 13th there will be sessions on 100% grass fed dairy nutrition, strategies to improve pasture quality, how to maximize forage DMI during the grazing season and non grazing season.  On the 14th we will cover micro nutrients, minerals and dig deeper into maximizing pasture quality, productivity and dry matter intake to improve herd health, longevity and production.

http://gpofconference.org/schedule#dairy

Observations on the Grass-Fed Dairy Production Model

Date: Oct 18, 2016
Location: Syracuse NY Maple Hill Producers Meeting

October 18th in Syracuse NY at the Maple Hill Producers Meeting

What can we learn about the challenges, solutions and innovations on the growing number of 100% grassfed dairy farms?  This workshop will cover strategies to maximize forage dry matter intake, monitor livestock and pasture performance, and use both old and new technologies to better understand and manage all forage dairy farms.

Observations on the Grass-Fed Dairy Production Model

Date: Oct 18, 2016
Location: Syracuse, NY

What can we learn about the challenges, solutions and innovations on the growing number of 100% grassfed dairy farms?  This workshop will cover strategies to maximize forage dry matter intake, monitor livestock and pasture performance, and use both old and new technologies to better understand and manage all forage dairy farms.

Late Season Pasture Walk in Whitingham Vermont

Date: Oct 06, 2016
Location: Whitingham Vermont

Join me at The Corse Farm Dairy in Whitingham Vermont from 11 to 2 on October 6th.  We will walk the pastures and talk about grazing management strategies, reflect on how this season was, and share information to help us begin planning for next years grazing season. We will definitely be talking about drought management strategies and we reflect on this summer.  We will also look at the recently constructed cattle lanes, and discuss the extensive pasture water system.

NOFA Mass Summer Conference grazing school

Date: Aug 12, 2016
Location: NOFA Mass summer conference

This pre conference intensive workshop will run from noon to 3:30 on Friday August 12th.

This workshop will cover the basic principals of good grazing management systems, first from the perspective of the plants, and then from the perspective of the livestock. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will discuss topics which include how to monitor pastures and animals so that we can maximize dry matter intake from pasture and use grazing to improve pasture quality and productivity.  Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. We will talk about how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and strategies to maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures, sheep, goats and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to. 

Grazing School – Kingston, Ontario – August 4th

Date: Aug 04, 2016
Location: Kingston, Ontario

Grazing School (Kingston, Ontario August 4th all day)

In this 9 to 5 workshop we will spend the morning on the basic principals of good grazing management systems. Topics will include grazing and non grazing adapted plant species, soils and management systems that improve pasture quality and productivity. Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. In the afternoon we will go into more depth in our discussion of how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to.

Grazing Workshop – Kingston, Ontario – August 3rd

Date: Aug 03, 2016
Location: Kingston, Ontario

Multi Species Grazing (Kingston August 3rd evening)

Should you graze your sheep with your cows, or should you use a leader follower system?    Does multi species grazing really help with parasite management?  How do you manage fence if you are grazing a flock, herd or a mixed “flerd”. We’ll answer these questions and more at this workshop on multi species grazing systems.  Topics will include fencing and pasture water systems for cows, goats, and sheep.  We’ll discuss how each type of animal grazes, and the best ways to manage their pastures to keep your animals healthy and the pastures productive.

Grazing School – Dundalk Ontario – August 2nd

Date: Aug 02, 2016
Location: Dundalk, Ontario

Grazing School (Dundalk August 2nd all day)

In this 9 to 5 workshop we will spend the morning on the basic principals of good grazing management systems. Topics will include grazing and non grazing adapted plant species, soils and management systems that improve pasture quality and productivity. Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. In the afternoon we will go into more depth in our discussion of how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to.

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning from livestock and pastures. Dundalk Ontario

Date: Aug 01, 2016

August 1, Dundalk Ontario

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls:  Learning from our livestock and pastures (Dundalk August 1st, evening)

Grass based organic farmers know the importance of pasture as the primary feed source for their cattle. But part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this workshop, we will review the key grazing principles that help your cattle maximize dry matter intake from pastures and avoid potential problems. We will also learn how to observe the livestock, their manure, and pasture plants to determine the health of your pasture management.

Southern VT Grazing School

Date: Jun 22, 2016
Location: Consider Bardwell Farm 1333 VT Route 153 West Pawlet, Vt

This Grazing School will be hosted by both Consider Bardwell and Wayward Goose Farms in West Pawlet. Grazing consultant Sarah Flack will lead a pasture walk with farmers Peter and Dan Brooks as we talk about the concepts of management-intensive multi-species grazing with both dairy cows and goats. Angela Miller, owner of Consider Bardwell Farm, and her team will give us an overview of their business model with partnering farms to produce award-winning cheeses and other farm products. Research and development, quality control and distribution of their cheese will also be covered. Both farms are certified as ‘Animal Welfare Approved’ and we will learn more about those standards and the certification process. Lunch will be provided by the NOFA-VT mobile pizza oven.

 

http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/files/2015/10/Grazing_School_Flier.pdf

Creative Application of Grazing Science: Keynote at the Maine Grazing Conference

Date: Mar 19, 2016

As part of the background research for her upcoming 2016 book, The Art and Science of Grazing,  Sarah toured a series of grass-based farms in the US and Europe. This session will discuss how the core principals of good grazing management–including careful planning, observation and monitoring–are being applied in very unique ways on different farms in different climates and regions using creative application of grazing system design, infrastructure, stocking densities, and plant species selection.  We will discuss how best to care for the pasture plants and soils, while also maximizing pasture dry matter intake for the herd or flock, to allow improved animal performance and well-being, build soil health, and make steady improvements in pasture quality and productivity.

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures: A workshop at the Maine Grazing Conference

Date: Mar 19, 2016

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning from Our Livestock and Pastures

Grass farmers know the importance of pasture as a low cost feed source for their cattle. But part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this workshop, we will review the key grazing principles that help your cattle maximize dry matter intake from pastures and avoid potential problems. We will also look at examples of how to observe the livestock, their manure, soils and pasture plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.   Then we will talk about creative ways that we can adjust the grazing system to improve the well-being of the livestock and increase pasture quality and productivity.

Zero grain dairy: Lessons learned from farm successes and disasters

Date: Mar 17, 2016
Location: Freeport, Maine

Workshop on zero grain dairy farming at the annual meeting of the Northeast Pasture Consortium.

This workshop will feature information from the many zero grain farms I visited in the last few years.  Some of these farms are doing really well, others not so much. So I will try to summarize what factors seem to be contributing to these successes and failures.

While there are some farms successfully producing milk on zero grain rations, other farms have tried 100% grassfed dairy farming and encountered significant problems.  Farms seeing success with zero grain dairying planned ahead to be sure the lower levels of milk production would still allow the farm to do well economically.  They are also maximizing forage dry matter intake and providing mineral supplements using a variety of good management methods.  Many farms also had to adjust their stocking rates, and bring in additional soil fertility inputs.  Farms seeing long-term success with zero grain systems also monitor cow performance and well-being closely including milk production, MUNs, BCS and key measures of reproductive performance. 

Grazing Basics: a workshop at the New Hampshire Grazing conference

Date: Feb 20, 2016

GRAZING BASICS:  What are your livestock and pastures telling you about your grazing management system? This workshop will cover the basic principals of good grazing management systems, first from the perspective of the plants, and then from the perspective of the livestock. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will discuss how to monitor pastures and animals so that we can maximize dry matter intake from pasture and use grazing to improve pasture quality and productivity.

http://grazenh.com/

Grazing Infrastructure – A workshop at the NH Grazing conference

Date: Feb 20, 2016

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GRAZING: This session will build on the first workshop I am teaching at this conference on the basic principals of good plant and animal management which all well managed grazing systems share.  In this workshop, we will look at how farmers have used fence, lanes, water systems, shade and irrigation in their grazing system design.  This grazing infrastructure, when well planned and creativly applied, can make it easier to use livestock to improve pasture quality, maximize pasture dry matter intake, spread manure evenly, protect and improve pasture soils and water quality, improve plant species and productivity, and improve livestock wellbeing and performance.

 

http://grazenh.com/

South East PA grazing conference

Date: Feb 16, 2016

I will be teaching a couple of workshops at the annual grazing conference in Lancaster PA on the 16th and 17th of February.  Topics will include high forage pasture rations, zero grain dairy, maximizing pasture intake, and discussion of the key principals that all well managed grazing systems share. We will look at the many creative ways that farms are using good grazing practices to care for their farm ecosystems, improve pasture quality and maintain productive healthy livestock.

Details coming soon

The Art and Science of Grazing workshop at the NOFA VT Winter Conference

Date: Feb 13, 2016
Location: Burlington Vermont

The Art and Science of Grazing

While researching her next book, Sarah visited many farms in the US and Europe.  This workshop will look at how the core principals of good grazing management–including careful planning, observation and monitoring–are being applied in very unique ways on different farms in different climates and regions using creative application of grazing system design, infrastructure, stocking densities, and plant species selection.  We will discuss how best to care for the pasture plants and soils, while also maximizing pasture dry matter intake for herd or flock, to allow improved animal performance and well-being, and steady improvements in pasture quality and productivity.

http://nofavt.org/annual-events/winter-conference

Organic Dairy Transition Information session at the VT Farm Show

Date: Jan 28, 2016
Location: Vermont Farm Show, Essex VT

Is a Dropping Milk Price Making You Think About Organic Transition?

Is organic dairy production something you have considered, or are curious about?  Are you confused about the pasture requirements, what products are allowable, how certification works, or simply how to get started?  This informal and friendly session with organic dairy consultant Sarah Flack and Ashley Green of Vermont Organic Farmers will give you an overview and tailor their presentation around getting your questions answered.  Representatives from several dairy companies will also be on hand to describe their organic programs, including pay price and bonus structures.  Even if you don’t start a transition tomorrow, this session can help you lay the groundwork to keep your future options open.

Blue Ribbon Pavilion, Bissonette Room at the VT Farm Show in at the Essex Fairgrounds on Thursday the 28th.

The Creative Application of Grazing Science. A workshop at the Vermont Winter Grazing Conference Jan 15 & 16, 2016

Date: Jan 16, 2016
Location: Fairlee, Vermont

The Creative Application of Grazing Science

As part of the background research for her upcoming 2016 book, The Art and Science of Grazing Management,  Sarah Flack toured a series of grass-based farms in the Eastern US and Europe.  Sarah will show how the core principals of good grazing management–including careful planning, observation and monitoring–are being applied in very unique ways on different farms in different climates and regions using creative application of grazing system design, infrastructure, stocking densities, and plant species selection.

https://www.uvm.edu/~pasture/conference.html

Producing and Marketing Beef: A workshop at the Vermont Winter Grazing Conference Jan 15 & 16, 2016

Date: Jan 16, 2016
Location: Fairlee Vermont

Comparing Different Ways to Produce and Market Your Beef

Are you a beef producer wondering whether you would make more money as a feeder, cow/calf, or grass-finished beef operation?  Would you aim at wholesale, direct, or institutional markets? Business planning specialists Rose Wilson and Sarah Flack will highlight production-side expenses such as feed, labor and infrastructure, and market channel income potential, such as how different marketing methods impact sale margins.  They will help walk through assessing net return on investment and quality of life impacts to help you figure out what’s a good fit for you.

https://www.uvm.edu/~pasture/conference.html

Transitioning to Organic Dairy Production? A workshop at the VT Winter Grazing Conference Jan 15 & 16

Date: Jan 15, 2016

Is a Dropping Milk Price Making You Think About Organic Transition?

Is organic dairy production something you have considered, or are curious about?  Are you confused about the pasture requirements, what products are allowable, how certification works, or simply how to get started?  This informal and friendly session with organic dairy consultant Sarah Flack and Ashley Green of Vermont Organic Farmers will give you an overview and tailor their presentation around getting your questions answered.  Representatives from several dairy companies will also be on hand to describe their organic programs, including pay price and bonus structures.  Even if you don’t start a transition tomorrow, this session can help you lay the groundwork to keep your future options open.

https://www.uvm.edu/~pasture/conference.html

getting your dairy farm ready for succession planning

Date: Nov 07, 2015
Location: Choiniere Farm, Highgate Vermont

At this years Organic Valley 2015 East Gen-O Gathering, Sarah will lead a workshop on how the business planning process is an important first step in getting the next generation of farmers into organic dairy farming.

Sarah will talk about land-base assessment, grazing planning, forage inventory and feed cost planning to help with decision making on the ideal herd size for the farm.  Then we will discuss how that leads us into creating a business plan for the farm.  Along the way we will talk about how to use planning “tools” including land-base assessment, forage inventory/use planning, grazing planning, enterprise analysis, cash flows, balance sheets and whole farm business planning to help farm families with decision making and some of the important first steps in succession planning.

For more information on this event, contact kristina.ralph@organicvalley.coop or

http://www.farmers.coop/generation-organic/gen-o-events/generation-organic-regional-gatherings/registration-form/

Fall Feed Inventory and Land Improvement

Date: Sep 30, 2015

Join us at McKnight Farm in East Montpelier to discuss strategies for evaluating feed stock needs and action plans to address those needs before the winter ahead.  Additional topics that will be covered during this workshop include grazing, land improvements including tillage, establishing new seedings, ‘new’ species, and managing soil fertility.

This workshop was developed in collaboration with the UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program.

 

http://nofavt.org/events/fall-feed-inventory-and-land-improvements

Irrigation, Pasture Renovation and Cow Health

Date: Sep 21, 2015

Join us in Fairfield at Stony Pond Farm, where we will discuss their new irrigation system, recent pasture renovations, and their experience with different feed rations. Additionally, we will be joined by a trained veterinarian to discuss tools for identifying and treating common metabolic diseases, such as milk fever, ketosis and grass tetany.

This workshop was developed in collaboration with the UVM Extension  Northwest Crops & Soils Program.

More information and registration at www.nofavt.org/ows(Registration opens June 15th.)

 

http://nofavt.org/events/irrigation-pasture-renovation-and-cow-health

Seeding, Infrastructure and Zero Grain Dairy Farming

Date: Aug 26, 2015

Join us in Addison for a morning at Harrison’s Homegrown where we will be discussing a variety of projects including establishing new seedings, installing tile drainage, new laneways and fencing, and lessons learned from the Harrison’s transition to organic.  For the second half of the day we will be at Mike’s Farm, where Mike Eastman, a seasoned grazier and no-grain farmer will be hosting a pasture walk and discussion about his lessons learned during his herd’s transition to a no-grain ration.

This workshop was developed in collaboration with the UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program.

 

http://nofavt.org/events/seeding-infrastructure-and-zero-grain

 

Fertility Improvements and Organic Transition

Date: Aug 11, 2015
Location: St Albans Vermont

Join us at Holyoke Farm, run by John & Heather Brigham in St Albans, where we will see the progress of management and infrastructure investments such as a fertility practices, pasture improvements, and an underground manure pipe. We will also hear the Brigham’s lessons learned from their farm’s transition to organic. There will also be an opportunity for interested farmers to have questions answered by regional milk buyers and VOF certification staff.

This workshop was developed in collaboration with the UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program.

 

http://nofavt.org/events/fertility-improvements-and-organic-transition

Managing Cows, Pastures & Nutrients

Date: Jul 15, 2015
Location: Westfield Vermont

Water quality has been a hot topic in Vermont this year. Organic standards address issues of erosion prevention and require farming practices that promote healthy soils and water.  For dairy farmers these practices can also promote profitability and animal health. Join us at Spring Brook Farm in Westfield, within the Lake Champlain watershed, for a workshop where we will discuss herd management, grazing and other practices to best manage nutrients on the farm.

This workshop was developed in collaboration with the UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program.

 

http://nofavt.org/events/managing-cows-pasture-and-nutrients

Workshop on the Challenges of Setting Up a Grazing System that Works with a Robotic Milking System

Date: Mar 11, 2015
Location: Vermont Organic Dairy Conference, Randolph VT

At the annual VT Organic Dairy conference in Randolph Vermont.  Organic diary farmer Jennifer Breen will share her experience transitioning to a robotic milking  system on her family farm. Sarah Flack will join her to talk about considerations before installing robotic milkers on your farm.

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/news-events/?Page=organicdairy.html#.VMeOWGQbDJg

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning from Our Cows and Pastures

Date: Feb 14, 2015
Location: NOFA VT annual conference, Burlington VT

Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning from Our Cows and Pastures

Grass based organic farmers know the importance of pasture as the primary feed source for their cattle. But part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this workshop, presented by grazing and organic certification specialist Sarah Flack, we will review the key grazing principles that help your cattle maximize dry matter intake from pastures and avoid potential problems. We will also look at 3 items to observe to determine the health of your pasture management: livestock, their manure, and pasture plants.

http://nofavt.org/annual-events/winter-conference

Feb 14, 2015

IOIA Livestock Feed Audit training webinar

Date: Feb 06, 2015

February 6 & 9, 2015.  The Livestock Feed Audits webinar training course will include information and practice on doing feed audits for NOP and the COR Standards. This course will specifically cover topics to prepare webinar participants to evaluate organic certification requirements for ruminant and non-ruminant livestock operations

http://www.ioia.net/schedule

Grazing School and Organic Livestock Production Workshops

Date: Jan 08, 2015
Location: Minnesota Organic Conference, all day grazing school in St Cloud, Minnesota

In this 9 to 5 workshop we will spend the morning on the basic principals of good grazing management systems. Topics will include grazing and non grazing adapted plant species, soils and management systems that improve pasture quality and productivity. Using examples of real farm grazing systems we will cover system design, fence, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. In the afternoon we will go into more depth in our discussion of how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species to improve pasture and maximize dry matter intake from pasture. We will use photos of pastures and cows to talk about how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle so that we can better understand if our grazing systems are working the way we want them to. On January 9th, there will be a workshop from 9 to 10 AM on pasture management for certified organic farms. This workshop will cover some of the specific needs of certified farmers.www.mda.state.mn.us/en/food/organic/conference.aspx

Learning from Our Observations of Pastures & Livestock: Preventing Pasture Problems on the Organic Dairy Webinar by eOrganic

Date: Dec 18, 2014

All organic dairy farmers know the importance of pasture as the primary feed source for their cattle. But part of managing pastures well is honing our observation skills to assess what the plants and animals are telling us about their health. In this webinar, presented by grazing and organic certification specialist Sarah Flack, we will review the key grazing principles that help your cattle maximize dry matter intake from pastures and avoid potential problems. We will also look at examples of how to observe the livestock, their manure, soils and pasture plants to determine how well your pasture management system is working.

http://www.extension.org/pages/71819/learning-from-our-observations-of-pastures-livestock:-preventing-pasture-problems-on-the-organic-dai#.VLfExWQbDJg

IOIA feed audit training for organic inspectors

Date: Oct 04, 2014
Location: State College PA

www.ioia.net/schedule_onsite.html

Grazing Basics workshop

Date: Oct 01, 2014
Location: Brixey, MO

What are your cows and pastures telling you about your grazing management system? This workshop will cover the basic principals of good grazing management systems, first from the perspective of the plants, and then from the perspective of the cows. Once we put those two important pieces together, we will discuss how to monitor pastures and cows so that we can maximize dry matter intake from pasture and use grazing to improve pasture quality and productivity.

 

NODPA annual field days

Date: Sep 25, 2014
Location: Keene NH

“I Knew this Milk when it was Grass”: Panel discussion on Trends and Opportunities for Grass Based Dairies in the Wholesale Organic Milk Market. Peter Miller, CROPP Cooperative, Joe Miller, Trickling Springs Creamery, Mike Davis, Upstate Niagara, invited, Max Winter, Dairy Buyer, Brattleboro Food Cooperative, and Sarah Flack, Organic Dairy Consultant, Sarah Flack Consulting Learn from processors, producers, and retailers about new marketing opportunities that will increase pay price by utilizing existing production practice. Sarah Flack will discuss the transition process and how it impacts your herd. www.nodpa.com/fielddays_2014_overview.shtml

 

Late-Season Grazing School

Date: Sep 13, 2014

Learn the fundamentals for setting up or improving your grazing system. Farmer Adam Wilson and NOFA-VT Farm Advisor Sarah Flack will discuss how to boost pasture productivity and quality through thoughtful management. We’ll cover identifying forage species and weeds, choosing the right stocking density and grazing method, fencing and watering systems, pasture design and layout, calculating dry matter intake, and more. nofavt.org/events/late-season-grazing-school

 

Grazing School in Bethel Vermont

Date: Aug 12, 2014

nofavt.org/upcoming-events-calendar

 

Grazing Management Workshop

Date: May 13, 2014
Location: Prince Edward Island Canada

Vermont Organic Dairy Conference

Date: Mar 01, 2014

Workshop on the challenges of transitioning to a zero grain dairy production system. Other speakers and date TBA.

Date TBA

 

Grazing Management Workshop

Date: Feb 15, 2014
Location: Burlington, Vermont

NOFA Vermont 2014 Annual Conference.
nofavt.org/events/nofa-vt-2014-winter-conference

 

Feed Audits

Date: Feb 01, 2014
Location: Webinar

Feed Audits – a training for organic livestock inspectors. Two webinars in February, 2014 www.ioia.net
www.ioia.net/schedule_onsite.html

Feed Audits

Date: Jan 28, 2014
Location: Webinar

Feed Audits – a training for organic livestock inspectors. Webinar on January 28 & 30, 2014
www.ioia.net/

 

NOFA Vermont Journey Farmer Program Workshop

Date: Dec 08, 2013
Location: Randolph, Vermont

Workshop for program participants which will focus on grass based livestock production, pastures and assessing cost of production. The Journey Farmer Program is a two-year program for beginning farmers who are in the first few years of running their own farming enterprise in Vermont.

nofavt.org/beginning-farmer/journey-farmer

 

Pasture To Plate Workshop 1: The Pasture

Date: Apr 03, 2013
Location: CADE Office5 Elm Street Oneonta, NY

Learn with renowned pasture and grass based livestock expert Sarah Flack about what an optimum pasture contains for grass based beef production and how to get there. Sarah will lead the group through the strategies of basic grazing management, factors that influence Dry Matter Intake (DMI) and Dry Matter Demand (DMD), improving yield and quality of pasture, the need (or not) for soil amendments and seeding, the impact of rotational grazing in summer and surviving the winters, and a discussion of fencing and watering systems.

www.cadefarms.org/indexC.php

 

Champlain Valley Grazing Symposium

Date: Apr 01, 2013
Location: American Legion, Vergennes, VT

Come hear grazing expert, Sarah Flack provide helpful tips to fine-tune your existing grazing system. She’ll also discuss the most common grazing mistakes and how to avoid them for increased pasture potential. Guy Choiniere of Highgate,Vermont will share his strategies for producing top quality forage, which allows him to maintain a 50-55 pound per cow production average on 6 pounds of grain per cow. Brent Beidler of Randolph Center, Vermont will discuss his successes with annual crops such as millet, forage oats, turnips and others to increase overall pasture productivity. Brent will also cover the importance of variable paddock sizes and how he maximizes forages to minimize grain feeding.

blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/2013/03/18/champlain-valley-grazing-symposium-april-1st-2013/

 

There are No Shortcuts to Productive Pasture!

Date: Sep 27, 2012
Location: Brattleboro, VT

How to avoid the 10 top mistakes in pasture management Grazing experts Sarah Flack (VT), Cindy Daley (CA) and Kathy Soder (PA) share their experience of managing organic pasture across the country. NODPA annual field days workshop.  www.nodpa.com

Webinar – Verifying compliance to NOP Pasture Rule

Date: Sep 14, 2012
Location: Webinar

This essential session for the livestock Inspector or reviewer will prepare participants to verify compliance with the NOP Pasture Rule. The Presenter is Sarah Flack of Vermont. The course includes pre-course reading assignments. It is geared for Inspectors with an understanding of livestock Inspection. The session will review the new regulations and provide Inspection tools and guidance to verify them. Topics include basic grazing management; an overview of the various common grazing systems for ruminants; factors that cause pasture Dry Matter Intake (DMI) to go up or down; methods for determining Dry Matter Demand (DMD); and an introduction to making qualitative assessment of pasture. The course focuses primarily on cattle dairy operations but also includes information for beef, sheep, and goats. Participants will see examples of DMI calculations and work sample exercises. At the conclusion of the course, participants will have the opportunity to complete an additional assignment to qualify for a Certificate of Completion. www.ioia.net

 

Improved Grazing and Pasture Management

Date: Jul 24, 2012
Location: NOFA Vermont Summer Workshop in Irasburg, Vermont

Join us for a workshop on pasture management featuring grazing consultant Sarah Flack. Topics will include: getting the most from your pasture through informed grazing decisions, how to increase the amount of dry matter your herd gets from pasture to cut feed costs, and how to calculate dry matter intake. We’ll also cover pasture record keeping systems for organic farms. There will also be information on troubleshooting electric fence issues, balancing rations with pasture and preventing parasite problems in young stock. Presented in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture Program and the Vermont Grass Farmers Association. www.nofavt.org

 

Grazing Management for Ruminants

Date: Feb 11, 2012
Location: Burlington, Vermont

Workshop to be held at the NOFA VT annual winter conference in Burlington Vermont.

nofavt.org/annual-events/winter-conference

 

Overview of the Requirements of the National Organic Program Pasture rule

Date: Jan 25, 2012
Location: Latham, NY

Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting.

Advanced Grazing Discussion and Q&A Session at the Vermont Grazing Conference

Date: Jan 21, 2012
Location: Fairlee, Vermont

www.uvm.edu/~pasture/?Page=conference.html

 

Out to Pasture Day

Date: Aug 02, 2010
Location: Mountain Farm in Hartland Vermont

August 2, 2010: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Out to Pasture Day hosted by Cedar Mountain Farm in Hartland Vermont and featuring national grazing consultant Sarah Flack Topics covered during the day will include: using livestock grazing to improve pastures, how to avoid overgrazing damage, managing spring & fall grazing, keeping animals within their fences, balancing rations with pasture, and avoiding parasites. The workshop will also include discussion of the Organic pasture rule, NRCS Conservation Prac- tices, plant ID, and integrating wildlife management into your pasture rotation. Bring a brown bag lunch, refreshments provided. QUESTIONS? UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, (802) 656-5459, sustainableagriculture@uvm.edu, www.uvm.edu/pasture

 

Organic Farming and Gardening Conference

Date: Jan 24, 2009
Location: Rochester, NY

NOFA NY 2009  Extending your pasture growing season. www.nofany.org

 

NH Annual Grazing conference

Date: Mar 08, 2008
Location: Plymouth, NH

Workshops on grazing basics, multi species grazing, and pasture improvements
www.extension.unh.edu/news/2008/02/grassfed_from_pasture_to_plate.html

 

PASA Conference

Date: Feb 08, 2008
Location: State College, PA

What You Need to Know to Transition Your Dairy to Organic www.pasafarming.org/

 

PASA pre Conference

Date: Feb 07, 2008
Location: State College, PA

Lactic Vegetable Fermentation: Health Benefits and How To www.pasafarming.org/

 

Vermont Grass Farmers Annual Conference

Date: Jan 19, 2008
Location: Randolph, Vermont

Lunchtime discussion session on transitioning a farm to organic. (802) 656-0858

 

Acres USA conference

Date: Dec 06, 2007
Location: Louisville KY

December 6 – 8, 2007  Advanced Livestock Grazing Strategies workshop and consulting session. www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm

 

Introduction to Pasture Management: Using Ruminants to Improve Pasture

Thursday, July 7th 2pm – 5pm Osprey Hill Farm – North Middlesex Vermont $10 for NOFA-VT and VGFA members, $20 non-members Grazing expert Sarah Flack will cover the fundamentals of setting up a new grazing system for ruminants – or improving an existing one. Using practical examples of grazing systems, we’ll discuss pasture plant species and how to manage them for desirable plants, as well as how to do so with livestock and fence rather than expensive plowing and planting. Topics include plant species, grazing methods, fence, water systems, pasture design and layout, paddock size, and acreage. Hosted by Osprey Hill Farm, a small, but growing, sheep farm that struggles with poor glacial soils and uses various pasture management systems to improve overall soil quality. www.nofavt.org

 

Vermont Organic Dairy Workshop

January 13. Teaching a workshop for dairy farmers on the key points of the organic pasture standards with discussion of what records farmers can keep so they can show their inspector & certifier that they are meeting the rule.www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/2010vtorganicdairyworkshopbrochure.pdf

 

IOIA inspector training Webinar on the new organic pasture rule

January 12 Topics will include an overview of the new rule and how to do the pasture dry matter intake calculations. www.ioia.net www.ioia.net/

Setting Up a Grazing System on Your Organic Dairy Farm Webinar by eOrganic

October 1 – In this webinar, Cindy Daley, professor in the College of Agriculture at the California State University, Chico, and Sarah Flack, national consultant on grass-based livestock farming, will address the basic principles of setting up a grazing system to improve pasture quality and animal performance. They will discuss paddock size calculations, recovery periods, maps and record-keeping, avoiding pasture pitfalls, and further resources. www.extension.org/article/28799

 

eOrganic Webinar on how to do the dry matter intake calculations to meet the new organic pasture standards

Location: Webinar

August 20  2:00 to 3:00 PM. eorganic.info/

 

NOFA Vermont Workshop: Setting up a new grazing system or improving an existing one

July 31  This workshop will run from 1:00 to 3:00 and will cover the basic principals of how to set up a grazing system which will improve pasture quality and animal performance. Location to be announced. www.nofavt.org

 

IOIA inspector training Webinar on the new organic pasture rule.

June 29 – Topics will include an overview of the new rule and how to do the pasture dry matter intake calculations. www.ioia.net/www.ioia.net/

 

IOIA inspector training Webinar on the new organic pasture rule.

June 2 Topics will include an overview of the new rule and how to do the pasture dry matter intake calculations. www.ioia.net/

 

Organic Pasture Rule Workshops

NOFA VT, with support from Horizon Organic Dairy and Organic Valley, is organizing four workshops on what the new pasture rule means for organic livestock farms in Vermont. Sarah Flack will lead a morning discussion about how to calculate your herd’s dry matter intake from pasture. We will also discuss methods for extending your grazing season and maximizing your animals’ dry matter intake from pasture. This can cut your feed costs, AND ensure you are meeting the pasture rule! Nicole Dehne from VOF will lead an afternoon session on pasture record keeping. There will also be time for your questions about the rule.May 10th, May 12th, May 19th, May 19th www.nofavt.org

 

NH Annual Grazing Conference

March 6th, Manchester NH. Two workshops titled: “Making your grazing system work” & “Multi Species Grazing” www.events.unh.edu

 

NODPA’s 9th Annual Field Days Practical Tools for Efficient Organic Dairy Farming in these Tough Economic Times

Noon Thursday August 13 5 pm Friday August 14th Spring Wood Organic Farm, Kinzers, Pennsylvania www.nodpa.com/

 

Beef producers conference.

Location: Lyndonville, VT

August 25,  Workshop on setting a new grazing system or improving an existing one.

 

NOFA Summer Conference

Location: University of Amherst, MA

August 8th Grazing 101 www.nofa.org/conference

Transitioning A Dairy Farm to Organic

Location: University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

August 7th – NOFA Summer Conference. www.nofa.org/conference

 

NOFA NY 2009 Organic Farming and Gardening Conference

Location: Rochester NY

January 23,  Organic Grazing School. This day long workshop intensive will cover grazing management for all types of livestock. www.nofany.org

 

NOFA VT annual Conference

February 15th  Randolph VT. Pasture Management workshop.
www.nofavt.org

NOFA VT annual conference

Location: Randolph, VT

February 15th – An Introduction to Lactic fermentation of vegetables: how to make sauerkraut, kim chi and other natural pickles using only salt and vegetables www.nofavt.org

 

Prince Edward Island Canada

July 29 & 30  Organic Dairy Grazing system. PEI organic Dairy Project

Multi Species Grazing

Location: University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

August 9th – NOFA Summer Conference. www.nofa.org/conference

 

Transitioning A Dairy Farm to Organic

Location: University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

August 9th – NOFA Summer Conference  www.nofa.org/conference

 

IOIA training in Iowa

April 21 & 22, Understanding Dairy Rations & Feed Audits for organic inspector. www.ioia.net

 

NOFA NY annual conference

Location: Syracuse, NY

January 25 – 27  An Introduction to Lactic fermentation of vegetables: how to make sauerkraut, kim chi and other natural pickles using only salt and vegetables. www.nofany.org/index.html

 

PASA Pre Conference

Location: State College, PA

February 7th  – Pasture Layout & Fine-tuning part one and part two www.pasafarming.org