The Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council is hosting three grazing workshops in the Upper Hudson-Mohawk Region this summer. The first workshop will take place at Gaige Farms, 443 Knox Gallupville Road in the Town of Knox on July 31st from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Gaiges operate a 100 registered Holstein cow dairy farm and have been grazing their milk cows for 10 years.
Troy Bishopp, Grazing Specialist for the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, will be leading the workshop session along with Karen Hoffman who serves as Resource Conservationist – Animal Science for the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service. The workshop will cover planned grazing, measuring pasture quality, stockpiling, looking at the biological health of the pasture, estimating dry matter and feeding to optimize milk production and reduce grain costs. The cost of the workshop is $10 per person and includes lunch.
A Silvopasture Field Day will take place at Black Queen Angus Farm, 630 Green Hollow Road in Berlin on August 24th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Silvopasturing is an important new agroforestry system for the Northeast that allows for the sustainable production of timber, forages and livestock on the same land. Join us for this one day course to develop the skills and knowledge that will help you to evaluate, plan and implement silvopasture projects in the context of your own farm or land that you manage for others.
Sessions will cover basic principles, but also focus on practical applications of the knowledge so that you can be more confident and efficient as you make management decisions. Instructors are experienced forestry extension educators and technical specialists from Cornell University Cooperative Extension and Paul Smiths College. Graziers, foresters, agency personnel are especially encouraged to attend. 5.0 Category 1 CEU credits pending for Certified Foresters. Participants are encouraged to watch the archived webinar on silvopasturing at prior to the course. The cost of the Silvopasture Field Day is $10 per person and includes lunch.
The third grazing workshop will take place at Ovinshire Farm, 511 Frog City Road, in Fort Plain on September 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ovinshire Farm is a 600 sheep dairy operated by Scott Burrington. Scott grazes his sheep on fields of native grasses and clover. Ovinshire Farm is partnering with Maple Hill Creamery to produce sheep milk yogurt.
Dr. Jim Hayes, owner of Sap Bush Hollow Farm in Warnerville, Dr. Cindi Shelley, Professor of Animal Science from SUNY Cobleskill and Dr. tatiana Stanton, Extension Associate from Cornell University will be leading the workshop. The workshop will cover breed selection for pasture-based systems, breeding on pasture, lambing on pasture, guardian animals on pasture, performance evaluation, managing your pastures, costs of pasture-based systems and parasite management on pasture. The cost of the workshop is $10 per person and includes lunch.
To register for the Grazing Workshops or Silvopasture Field Day, please contact Susan Lewis at the Albany County Soil and Water Conservation District at (518) 765-7923. Make checks payable to the Hudson Mohawk RC&D Council c/o Albany Co. SWCD, P.O. Box 497, 24 Martin Rd., Voorheesville, NY 12186.
The workshops are sponsored by the Hudson Mohawk RC&D Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts with funding from the New York Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative.
