GLCI Grazette
May 2010
As predicted last month, grass did green up much earlier this year than we normally see here in the Northeast. Warmer spring-like temperatures in early April also stimulated the trees to bud, daffodils to bloom, and many other plants and wildlife to emerge from their winter forms. Reports have come in that animals were out grazing the first week of the month. The weather then cooled off, so hopefully farmers have kept an eye on grass growth, and not over-grazed pastures as the growth has slowed. Remember, if you need assistance with figuring out what to do early in the season, there are grazing technicians and specialists through GLCI, NRCS, and local SWCD’s who can provide you with advice – don’t hesitate to call!
(Please continue to send in notices of pasture walks and workshops by 3 days prior to the end of each month - the Grazette is distributed monthly.)
For information on facilities or services, or to request sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids at meetings, please contact the individual listed for the event at least 10 days prior to the meeting date.
Upcoming Pasture Workshops and Related Events:
Spring Pasture Walk – Friday, May 7th – 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm – Bob and Clay Weaver Farm, 12411 Bowen Road, Randolph (Cattaraugus County) - The Weaver’s started milking cows on this farm July 2004. Currently they are milking about 40 cows that are on pasture day and night (since March 29th this year). Their barn is a free-stall converted from a tie stall barn with a flat milking parlor. The cows are feed a high forage diet year round consisting of pasture and/or baleage with a grain supplement. The Weaver’s will share their experiences with rotational grazing and their barn renovations including: Early pasture turn out and managing the spring flush, continued modification of pasture/paddock layout and design over time to better meet the needs of the cow and the pastures, managing a high forage grass based diet with the help of a nutritionist, modifying an existing tie-stall barn into a free-stall barn, and anything else the group would like to discuss. A complimentary light lunch will be provided at 12:00 Noon. Reservations for lunch are REQUIRED by calling Dean Sprague 716-699-2377 Ext. 123 or e-mail das57@cornell.edu by Wednesday, May 5th.
NOFA Vermont Organic Pasture Rule Workshops – May 10th, 12th, 13th, and 19th – 10:30 am to 2:30 pm – various farms – see contact info below - The new pasture rule requires that all ruminants (cows, sheep, goats) over 6 months old get a minimum of 30% of their DMI (dry matter intake) from pasture for at least 120 days each year. There are many additional details in this rule that organic farmers will need to know. At these workshops, 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. Sponsored with support from Horizon Organic and Organic Valley – call NOFA-VT at 802-434-4122 or email info@nofavt.org.
Hudson Mohawk RC&D Grass Masters – Friday, May 21st – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm – Stonebroke Farm, David Huse and family, 456 Karker Road, Warnerville (Schoharie County) – Topics to be covered on the tour include issues related to calving, managing your spring grass so it doesn’t get ahead of you, and using Holistic Management on the farm. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and share information among fellow graziers. The session is being co-sponsored by the Central New York RC&D Council, the Mohawk Valley Graziers, and the Watershed Agriculture Council. The tour is free to attend and participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch. The Watershed Agriculture Council will be taking a van and picking up those interested in carpooling from Delaware County. The van will be stopping at points including Walton, Delhi, and Stamford. This tour is a joint session of the Hudson Mohawk Grass Masters and Mohawk Valley Graziers, both of which are farmer-to-farmer grazing groups. Funded in part by NYS GLCI. For more information, contact Elizabeth Marks, RC&D Coordinator at (518) 828-4385 x 105.
Advance Notice:
3-Day Intensive with Ian Mitchell-Innes – June 22nd to 24th – Eagle Hill School, Hardwick, MA – Learn about mob grazing and ultra high stock density grazing, holistic planned grazing, holistic financial planning, how energy equals money, and fencing, herding, and watering with Ian Mitchell-Innes, Certified Holistic Management Trainer and South African rancher. Cost: $600 for three days, plus $200 for room and board. Contact Ridge Shinn at Rotokawa Cattle Company at 413-477-6500 or ridge@rotokawacattle.com for more information.
Pasture News:
Coming Soon! New Full-Service USDA-Inspected Meat Processing Plant to Open in Central New York - New York Custom Gourmet, LLC will open a new state of-the-art, full-service, USDA-inspected meat processing plant in Bridgewater, New York, at the intersections of Routes 20 and 8 in southern Oneida County. The new renovated facility will have a modern processing line with a high-powered steam pasteurization carcass cleaning system to insure meat safety. The business will offer full service livestock processing, cutting and packaging to livestock producers, meat buyers and distributors. The targeted date for New York Custom Gourmet’s opening is July 2010.
Comprehensive Grazing Planning Training – If you wish to improve the impact of your grazing technical assistance using a comprehensive approach that improves the way farmers manage their farms, this training may be of interest to you. Consider joining other grazing technicians and specialists to learn about grazing with a whole farm (holistic) perspective. Through a Northeast SARE grant individuals in NY and surrounding states can participate in this multi-year program developed specifically for technical assistance providers, educators, and farmer-educators. Eligible applicants include those providing grazing assistance with cooperative extension, conservation districts, NRCS, NGO’s and farmer-educators. For more information and an application (due May15th) contact Nancy Glazier at nig3@cornell.edu or 585-315-7746.
Pasture Management Tips:
In the introduction above, there was encouragement to contact grazing technicians and specialists for assistance with your grazing management if you’re not sure what to do early in the season. Any time of the grazing season, you can contact us for assistance if you have questions. The question is who do you contact and how?
Most counties have a USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office as well as a local county Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). That is usually a good place to begin, as many of them have a person who is available to help. If not, they can usually refer you to someone who is either funded through GLCI or the Graze NY program.
The New York GLCI has grazing technicians available through either Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Councils in the Finger Lakes (607-776-7398), Seneca Trail in Western NY (716-699-2375), Hudson Mohawk (518-828-4385), or the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) in Northern NY (518-891-6200).
Graze NY is a special initiative in Central NY funded by Congressman Michael Arcuri to provide grazing technicians and outreach to farmers. If you are in Broome, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Tompkins, Tioga, or Wayne Counties, contact your local SWCD office.
If all else fails, you can contact Karen Hoffman at 607-334-4632 ext. 116 or karen.hoffman@ny.usda.gov.
Notes:
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Brought to you by the NYS Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is a grass-roots coalition of producers, agricultural industry, and conservation groups with an interest in the sound conservation of private grazing lands. The goal of this newsletter is to increase awareness of grazing events around New York and in neighboring states, as well as to provide information that is useful on the farm. For more information on GLCI, check out the national GLCI website at www.glci.org. Information on the NYS GLCI can be obtained from GLCI Coordinator Karen Hoffman at the email address above.
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