Granite State Graziers
6th annual grazing conference
Restoring Grazing Lands
February 25, 2012
at the Holiday Inn on Main Street
in Concord, NH (note new location)
featuring
Kathy Voth of Livestock for Landscapes
and
Brett J. Chedzoy of Cornell University Cooperative Extension
In 2004, Kathy Voth developed a method for training cows to eat weeds in as little as 10 hours over 10 days. The training process is just a matter of understanding how animals choose what to eat and applying some simple behavioral principles. Now the cattle Kathy trains eat every bit as much variety as her goats ever did and they do it without all the hassle of fencing that the goats required. Kathy will bring this experience to bear on the weed challenges faced by graziers here in New Hampshire. Kathy is the author of Cows Eat Weeds and producer of several videos.
Brett Chedzoy is a forester with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, and works with people in southern New York State on various natural resources issues. Brett and his wife Maria Jose also own and operate Angus Glen Farms, LLC near Watkins Glen, NY — a 250-acre grazing operation that includes 65 acres of silvopastures (www.angusglenfarm.com). He’ll talk about the basic principles involved in silvo- pasturing and how to implement them on your farm.
New this Year
We have moved the site of the conference to the Concord Holiday Inn. The new venue provides easy access from major highways and -- more importantly -- has all the rooms for the conference in close proximity and under one roof. There's ample parking in the main hotel lot and an overflow lot behind the hotel if we need it.
In addition to our new location, Granite State Graziers will host a trade show in conjunction with the annual grazing conference. We hope the trade show will provide an opportunity for graziers to learn about potentially useful products and services.
Vendors: if you'd like to set up a display at our trade show, please contact Bill Fosher at 603-399-9975 or use the contact form on this website.
Note: online registration closes the evening of Feb. 24, but you can still register at the door. An additional $10 fee will apply.
Conference Fee: $35 for Granite State Graziers members with paid-up dues; $50 for non-members. (Join and register for $60.) Includes lunch and coffee breaks.
Schedule of Events
(subject to change)
8:00 to 8:45 a.m. check-in, registration, coffee
8:30 a.m. trade show opens
9:15 a.m. Keynote: "Making Peace With Weeds: Why Eating Our 'Enemies' is a Better Approach," Kathy Voth, Livestock for Landscapes, LLC. In 2004, Kathy Voth developed a method for teaching cows to eat weeds. Since then she's taught over 1000 cows (and a few of Ted Turner's bison) to eat many of our most problematic weeds. Her process is based on animal behavior science and takes about 10 hours over 10 days. Educated cows eat weeds in pasture, and teach their offspring and herd mates. With her keynote she'll talk about the benefits of weed-eating cows to our landscapes and our bottom lines.
10 a.m. breakout session I
A: Silvopasture basics: what it is and what it isn't, with Brett Chedzoy.
B: Grazing 101: fundamental concepts, equipment, and practices that will help you set up your grazing program. With Bruce Clement, UNH Cooperative Extension educator emertius and NRCS grazing plan technical service provider.
11 a.m. breakout session II
A: Teaching Cows to Eat Weeds, Part I: Kathy will cover the latest research on how animals really choose what to eat and how we can use that to teach them to eat weeds and brush.
B: Using Animals to Reclaim Pasture: A hands-on description of techniques and strategies used to reclaim overgrown or neglected pasture land using animal impacts as the primary tool. With David Kennard, owner of Wellscroft Farm Fence Systems.
12 noon lunch, networking, trade show
1:15 p.m. breakout session III
A: Teaching Cows to Eat Weeds, Part II: Once you understand how animals choose what to eat and the basic steps, you can get ready to train your own animals. Kathy will take participants through the training process step by step, helping them to adapt it to their own farms and needs. When you leave, you'll have the beginnings of your own training plan to use when the weeds start popping up.
B: Restoring Badly Damaged Land: The remnants of Hurricane Irene were much harder on our Vermont neighbors than they were on us, but flood waters took a toll on pasture land in the Granite State as well. A representative of Resource Management, Inc. of Holderness will describe how to re-establish pasture even when topsoil has been swept away by flooding.
2:15 p.m. breakout session IV
A: Implementing Silvopasturing on Your Farm. Brett provides a practical guide to putting the wooded areas of your farm to use as part of an overall grazing strategy.
B: Farmers' markets: are they right for you? A panel of farmers will discuss the opportunities and challenges that the boom of farmers' markets in New Hampshire present. What are the regulations for selling meat in an open-air market? How much of a time commitment is involved? What sells at farmers markets? What doesn't?
3:15 p.m. trade show, networking, further discussions
4:30 p.m. adjournment; trade show closes