Temple Grandin Autism Presentation Saturday January 21 at 7 pm

In addition to Temple Grandin's two presentations for our farmer audience at the day conference, Dr. Grandin will also be presenting to a general audience in the evening of January 21, at 7 pm.  She'll be talking about her life and experience as an autistic person.  This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who would like to learn more about living life with autism.  Tickets are $10 per person, or $25 for a family of four.  If you are registered for the day conference Saturday, your admission is already covered.

Oh!  And we've set up an online rideshare board, for both the main conference, and for just the evening session. 

VT Grazing & Livestock Conference January 20 & 21

Happy New Year, and it's time to start thinking about the next grazing season.  Too soon?  Not at all!  The time to learn and think and plan is NOW.  Well, soon.

We are extremely excited to be hosting Dr. Temple Grandin as this year's keynote speaker, at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT.  Just off I-91, the conference is easily accessible throughout New England, and well worth the drive.

Detailed conference schedule HERE.

We do welcome walk ins (hey, we know farmers!), BUT if you preregister by January 13, you'll be included in the door prize drawing, and that ain't hay.

Grazing Resources

From time to time I run across some amazing resources and breadth of grazing experience shared by farmers who are also excellent writers.  Dave Forgey is one of these people whom we all can learn from.

As the days grow darker and you all think about professional development readings for next season...check this out:

Dave Forgey's farm web site & writing

And...I hope you enjoy this photo from earlier in the summer.  Don't forget you can use your livestock to manage those pesky weeds!  Feel free to contact the Pasture Program to learn more about how to implement this simple process.

Teaching cows to eat weeds at Windhorse Farm in East Hardwick, VT

Tillage Radishes & Pasture Compaction

Coming up next week, a highlight of the Pasture Program project on reducing compaction in pastures using practical, inexpensive methods.   One aspect of the project has been assessing keyline plowing.  The other method has been the use of tillage radishes.  Tillage radishes, a variation of the daikon radish, have been tested for use addressing compaction on cropped land.  Using them to address compaction in pastures is a new application.

If you'd like a sneak preview, check out this field-recorded video:

Tillage radish YouTube link

To watch the segment in its entirety, please watch 'Across the Fence' on WCAX-TV, Channel 3 at 12:10 on Nov. 8.  The full-length program will also be archived on the UVM Extension website: uvm.edu/extension

Water Quality on a VT Grass-Based Farm

Farmer Eric Noel in Highgate shared these videos with us.  His land is located in the Rock River watershed, one of the priority areas affecting Lake Champlain.  Water from about 2,500 acres surrounding him drains through his farm.  Eric believes very strongly in grazing to protect water quality, and here's video documentation of why he feels that grazing and clean water are a natural fit.  By the way, if you'd like to learn a little more about happenings on Eric's farm, check out the July "dart throwing" post.

First, a shot of Eric's farm and the water from his runoff.  He raises beef and does custom pasturing of other farms' cows on his 100% grazing farm.  He practices mob stocking and a holistic planned grazing system.

http://www.youtube.com/vtpasture

Second, a shot of the runoff from Eric's farm and another grazing farm (the water coming from the right) and the runoff from a dairy farm with a roughly 1/2 hay, 1/2 cropping system.

http://www.youtube.com/vtpasture

Finally, a shot of the water coming from the mixture of the two grazing farms and the dairy on the right, and the runoff  from a crops-only farm on the left.  Note that what was "dirty" in the second video is now what looks "clean" in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/vtpasture

We in the VT Pasture Network appreciate all kinds of farms, and we are here to help them create improved water quality through grazing and good pasture management.

Give us a call at (802) 656-0858, email jcolby@uvm.edu or visit www.uvm.edu/pasture

Additional Flooding Resources for Pastures & Forages

Extension Agronomist Sid Bosworth has updated his web site with a bunch of flood-related materials, including a new handout Managing Flood Damaged Crops from Tropical Storm Irene.

Free soil testing of flooded fields

The Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab at the University of Vermont Department of Plant and Soil Science is assisting commercial farmers in Vermont with assessment of post-flood soil conditions in their fields.

Upon request, they will expedite the turn-around time on tests for both routine soil fertility and heavy metals, with results available in a matter of days. They offer heavy metals screening as an add-on to the routine fertility test as well as a heavy metals test similar to what an environmental lab would run. Choose the latter if your only concern is possible metal contamination. The heavy metal screening that accompanies the fertility test will inform you as whether or not a metals problem exists (the environmental test will give more precise concentrations).

Both tests are now being offered until October 15, 2011 at no charge to commercial Vermont farms for flooded fields only; please note on the soil questionnaire submitted with the sample that the soil is from a flooded field. The form is available at http://pss.uvm.edu/ag_testing or call 802-656-3030.

For non-flooded fields and home garden plots, please refer to the website for regular turn-around times and price information for soil testing and other analyses.

In addition, UVM's Vern Grubinger and Don Ross have just released an information sheet called, "Intrepreting the Results of Soil Tests for Heavy Metals" -- it can be found at:

http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/interpreting_heavy_metals_soil_tests.pdf

A forage handout with updated recommendations is currently being completed and will be shared as soon as it is final.

Be safe out there and PLEASE contact me if you need assistance in any way.

Jenn