Workshops featuring grazing consultant Jim Gerrish will be held in different locations across Iowa August 18-22. Each day will include classroom discussions and pasture walks at local farms. Topics will include maintaining plan diversity to increase production and environmental benefits, using annual and perennial forage crops in your grazing system, and reducing cow costs with extended grazing.
Each local meeting also will include brief updates from Iowa Beef Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association staff on current Iowa forage and beef production topics.
Jim’s experience includes over 20 years of beef-forage systems research and outreach while on the faculty of the University of Missouri, as well as 20 years of commercial cattle and sheep production on their family farm in northern Missouri. The University of Missouri – Forage Systems Research Center (FSRC) rose to national prominence as a result of his research leadership. His research encompassed many aspects of plant-soil-animal interactions and provides foundation for many of the basic principles of Management-intensive Grazing.
Jim was co-founder of the very popular 3-day grazing management workshop program at FSRC. These schools were attended by over 3000 producers and educators from 39 states and 4 Canadian provinces from their inception in 1990 through 2003 when Jim left MU. At least sixteen other states have conducted grazing workshops based on the Missouri model, and Jim has taught in twelve of these states.
Sponsors of this series include the Iowa Beef Center of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the North Central SARE program, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Practical Farmers of Iowa, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, the Iowa Forage and Grasslands Council, and the Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee.
The grazing series consists of five separate workshops, one each day, at various locations:
Monday, August 18
10:30 a.m. – Program/lunch at McNay Farm – Chariton
5:00 p.m. – Pasture walk/barbecue at Jeff Lutz farm – Powersville, Missouri
Tuesday, August 19
10:00 a.m. – Pasture walk at Dan Hostetler Farm – Grand River
12:00 p.m. – Program/lunch at the Clarke County Fairgrounds – Osceola
5:00 p.m. – Pasture walk/barbecue at Justin Rowe farm – Dallas Center
Wednesday, August 20
1:00 p.m. – Program at Maxwell Community Center – Maxwell
4:30 p.m. – Pasture walk/barbecue at Bruce Carney farm – Maxwell
Thursday, August 21
9:00 a.m. – Pasture walk at John Schulte Farm – Norway
1:00 p.m. – Program/lunch at Jones County Extension office – Monticello
5:00 p.m. – Pasture walk/barbecue at Dave Lubben farm – Monticello
Friday, August 22
1:00 p.m. – Program at Lee County Extension office – Donnellson
4:30 p.m. – Pasture walk/barbecue at Mark Hulsebus farm –Donellson
Registration is $40 for the public or $20 for current IFGC, ICA or PFI members. Fees are payable to Lucas County Extension or to the local site coordinator prior to August 15. Attendees do not pre-register and are paying at the door will be charged an additional $10 per person per day.
The Gerrish grazing class is included in the 2014 Greenhorn Grazing and Certified Grazier registration fees, so there is no added cost for registered participants in those courses.
Source:iastate.edu