Hi All,

There is still plenty of room at the grazing Program we are having at the
Farm Show on March 23. I am extending the deadline for registration to this
Friday March 19.  I strongly urge you to consider attending this program if
you have any interest in grazing any type of livestock. We are going to have
it no matter what, but I would really like to fill the place for our out of
state speaker.

 

I am also going to offer this deal to anyone that has already registered,
and to any one that registers between now and Friday.

 

If more than one person from your farm wants to attend, I will allow that
person to attend for ONLY $10.00.  This price includes LUNCH and one set of
materials per farm. So the first person pays $25, and others pay only
$10.00.  

 

I am also going to paste information on this program below, the rest can be
found on the website below.

 


Mid-Michigan Farm Show offers Grazing Program


 

March 23, 2010, MSU Extension, Farm Bureau, Farm Service Agency, and Natural
Resource Conservation Service will host a "Going GREEN with Grazing"
workshop during the Mid-Michigan Farm Show.  Participants will hear directly
from one of the nation's experts in UHSD grazing, commonly referred to as
"Mob Grazing." 

 

Doug Peterson, rancher and Missouri NRCS Grassland Conservationist, will be
the featured speaker. He grew up on a crop and livestock farm near Newtown,
Missouri.  Today he operates a cow/calf and contract grazing operation with
his father running 450 cows while utilizing Management Intensive Grazing and
High Density Grazing to improve soil health, eliminate most need for
purchased fertilizer and limit hay needs to one bale per cow per winter.
Doug has been an NRCS employee for over 22 years working in several counties
across the state.  Currently he is a State Grassland Conservationist
assisting producers in west and northwest Missouri.


 


What is "Mob Grazing"? Ultra High Stock Density (UHSD) or "Mob" grazing is
based on some of the same principals as Management intensive Grazing (MiG).
Two important principles are to monitor plant growth and graze pasture only
after allowing adequate recovery and monitor livestock condition and insure
forage quality and quantity meets livestock requirements.


 

UHSD is a management strategy that, when compared to more common grazing
systems, increases the length of rest period, shortens the grazing period,
and greatly increases stock density. Some landowners around the country have
used densities of one million pounds per acre.  Stock densities of up to
500,000 lbs per acre have been used effectively in Missouri already.

 

Is "Mob Grazing" for everyone?  Probably not, but it is recommended that
every producer evaluate using higher stock densities.  UHSD cannot be used
year around, but maybe a few months a year, on certain pastures, or with dry
cows.

 

"All grazing styles and grazing systems have a place as long as they are
monitored and managed correctly. I believe that UHSD has the potential to
benefit more farm resources than any other type of grassland management.
Everyone should be knowledgeable enough about this type of resource
management to be able to make decisions about what type of system will best
suit their resources and objectives," said Doug Peterson.

 

The program will also feature "Cow Size and Resource Management" by Dr.
Jason Rowntree, Beef Specialist, Department of Animal Science, MSU; "How Mob
Grazing Fits the NRCS Prescribed Grazing Standard" by Dr. Betsy Dierberger,
Michigan NRCS State Grassland Conservationist; and "A Discussion on Cost
Share Programs Available from NRCS" by James Iaquinta, NRCS District
Conservationist.  

 

Program fees of $25 per person include materials, lunch, and travel expenses
for speakers.  For more information and to register, please visit
www.michiganfarmshow.com <http://www.michiganfarmshow.com/>  or call MSU
Extension-Gladwin County at 989-426-7741.

 

 

http://www.michiganfarmshow.com <http://www.michiganfarmshow.com/> 

 

 

Kable Thurlow

ANR Extension Educator

Michigan State University Extension

County Annex Building, Suite A

555 W. Cedar Avenue

Gladwin, MI 48624

Email: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind1003%26L%3DMICH-ORGANIC%26E%3D7bit%26P%3D198149%26B%3D------%253D_NextPart_000_0069_01CAC45D.DC2ADE40%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Dus-ascii" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>

Clare     (989) 539-7805

Gladwin (989) 426-7741

MSUE Website <http://msue.msu.edu/gladwin>  

MSU Beef Team Website <http://beef.msu.edu/> 

 


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