18th Annual VT Grazing & Livestock Conference: Full Schedule

Conference Schedule

9:00am EST

Building a Productive, Profitable and Pleasurable Farm Operation: Part 1 (Low Stress Livestock Handling)

Part One: This session is devoted to providing a combination of practice and planning for livestock farmers at varying levels of production and business experience. The morning will focus on low-stress livestock handling making the most of Dr. Ben’s veterinary and farming background. After a classroom portion, we’ll move outside for a live animal sorting and chute demo.

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Ben & Denise practice Holistic management on their farm located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For over 30 years they have raised sheep, stocker cattle and 3 children on their 900 acres of owned and rented land. Currently the farm runs 360 ewes and their lambs and 200 head... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2014 9:00am - 12:00pm EST
Edgewater Room Lake Morey Resort

Live Animals Productive Profitable and Pleasurable Farming

9:00am EST

Soil Health: Morning Basics

Part One of the Soil Health: From Basics to Practice day-long session. Join a lineup of regional and national speakers to learn more about how to better understand critical needs for soil to function best. The morning will focus on the basic building blocks of soil health, followed by a rainfall simulation comparing water movement through soils under different management strategies.

Speakers

Ray Covino

District Conservationist, CT-NRCS

Ray graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2002 with a degree in Natural Resource Management and Engineering with a strong Ecology and Evolutionary Biology background. He started working for NRCS immediately following graduation as a Soil Conservationist in CT. From... Read More →

Steve Woodruff

Agronomist, NRCS, East National Technology Support Center

Steve was raised on a small row crop and beef cattle farm in northwest North Carolina. After attending North Carolina State University and receiving a BS in Agronomy in 1983, he began a career with USDA’s Soil Conservation Service and then later, following the name change, the Natural... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2014 9:00am - 12:00pm EST
Theatre Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee VT

Soil Health

12:15pm EST

Lunch Discussion: A Conversation with the VT Agency of Agriculture

We will talk about the upcoming EPA release of a new TMDL covering the Lake Champlain watershed and what that means for the farmers. This will include some of the suggested changes, through the discussions of the Ag Working Group, to the AAP’s and what those changes might mean. We will also discuss the important role that grazing can play as a tool for the right farm to tackle water quality issues, inclusive within an overall framework of farm economic viability and sustainability.

...

Speakers

John Roberts

VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

I have been a dairy farmer in Cornwall Vermont for over 36 years, selling our herd in the fall of 2012. Prior to that I managed a farm in Shelburne Vermont and even further back before I immigrated to the States I have broad experience on sheep, beef and crop farms in England. Since... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2014 12:15pm - 12:45pm EST
Lake Morey Dining Room (Marked Table)

Lunch Discussion

1:00pm EST

Building a Productive, Profitable and Pleasurable Farm Operation: Part 2 (Farm Planning)

Part Two: This session is devoted to providing a combination of practice and planning for livestock farmers at varying levels of production and business experience. In the afternoon, we’ll focus on farm planning—economics, as well as quality of life and the “nuts and bolts” of production. He will help you take a goal to work on, develop a plan to achieve it, and look at the resources you have available to get there.

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Friday January 17, 2014 1:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Edgewater Room Lake Morey Resort

Productive Profitable and Pleasurable Farming

1:00pm EST

Soil Health: Afternoon Intensive

Part Two of the Soil Health Intensive Day: Join a lineup of regional and national speakers to learn more about how to better understand critical needs for soil to function best. In the afternoon session, we’ll dig more deeply into strategies to address soil limitations using examples from around the country, Vermont, and the Northeast.

Speakers

Abe Collins

CEO, Co-Founder, Landstream

Abe Collins is a grazier and the cofounder of LandStream. LandStream reads landscape-function to help people grow deep-topsoil farms and watersheds and measure and transact the new wealth that results. He has grazed sheep, beef and dairy livestock and lives in Winooski, VT.

Eric Noel

Co-owner, Agri-Dynamics

For nine years, Eric and Hannah raised organic vegetables and grass-fed beef at their family's farm in Highgate (Maplewood Organics). They recently purchased the old Sawyer Bay Farm in South Hero, where they have started to expand their farming business. They raise grassfed beef... Read More →

Steve Woodruff

Agronomist, NRCS, East National Technology Support Center

Friday January 17, 2014 1:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Theatre Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee VT

Soil Health

4:00pm EST

Exhibition Tables Open

Friday January 17, 2014 4:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Lake Morey Room

Tradeshow

5:00pm EST

Vendor Reception

Enjoy some tasty refreshment in the vendor area. Visit the tradeshow and eat fantastic snacks provided by the VT Beef Industry Council featuring local meats and cheeses.

Friday January 17, 2014 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Morey Room

Food Celebration

7:00pm EST

Buffet Dinner Starts (tickets available for purchase through Lake Morey Resort)

Friday January 17, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Dining Room

8:00am EST

New Farmer Coaching

New Farmer Coaching
(for farms in business less than 10 years)
Are you a new or aspiring farmer looking for land, capital, skill development, or business planning advice? Or, have you been farming for a few years and are now considering diversifying, expanding or reaching new markets? Attend a one-on-one coaching
session with a Vermont New Farmer Project consultant to identify steps you can take to meet your priorities. New farmers may also request a feedback session on their draft written business plans. Space is limited; please visit http://tinyurl.com/VTGrazingCoach to sign up.

The VT New Farmer Project is a collaboration between UVM Extension, NOFA-VT, the Intervale
Center, Vital Communities, RAFFL, & AALV, with funding from the USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program.

Speakers

Beth Holtzman

Coordinator, UVM Extension - New Farmer Project/ VT SARE

Beth is outreach and education coordinator for the New Farmer Project and for the Women's Agricultural Network. She has been conducting sustainable agriculture outreach and education since 1992 for a variety of nonprofit organizations. Her background includes public relations, marketing... Read More →

Jessie Schmidt

Program Coordinator, UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Jessie offers program support for the VT New Farmer Project and the Women's Ag Network at UVM Extension. She spent most of her youth dreaming of becoming a farmer and all of her adult life supporting the efforts of farmers. Jessie managed the Capital City Farmers Market in Montpelier... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 8:00am - 8:50am EST
Card Room

New Farmer Coaching

8:00am EST

Exhibition Tables Open

Saturday January 18, 2014 8:00am - 5:00pm EST
Lake Morey Room

Tradeshow

9:00am EST

New Farmer Coaching

Speakers

Beth Holtzman

Coordinator, UVM Extension - New Farmer Project/ VT SARE

Jessie Schmidt

Program Coordinator, UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EST
Card Room

New Farmer Coaching

9:00am EST

A Critical Examination of Northern-tier Grass-Fed/Finished Beef Production Systems

Many northern-tier grass-fed beef producers feed stored feed to their livestock for 200+ days per year and often need to take steers through two winters before they are ready for the plate. The considerable total cost of production associated with this system raises questions about alternative approaches. Are there really approaches that are THAT different?? This interactive discussion will critically examine modern grass-fed beef production systems in northern areas and discuss the possibility of collaborating with farmers in the near-South to increase the economic and environmental sustainability of grass-fed beef production systems.

Speakers

Dan Hudson

Agronomist, UVM Extension

Daniel Hudson serves the Northeast Kingdom and Connecticut Watershed as an agronomist and nutrient management specialist for University of Vermont Extension and is available statewide and regionally as needed. Daniel's work focuses on improving farm profitability and overall sustainability... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

9:00am EST

Soil Health Basics

What does “soil health” mean and what can we do to support the soil food web? What are the spheres influencing the soil food web? How can I tell if my soil is healthy? Join NRCS Agronomist Steve Woodruff for a fresh take on soil, including planning principles to keep in mind. Soil root health, nutrient cycling, and biological diversity will be covered.

Speakers

Steve Woodruff

Agronomist, NRCS, East National Technology Support Center

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

9:00am EST

To Debt or Not to Debt: Working Together to Decide What Fits

For many farmers, the decision to take on debt isn’t easy. Even when the decision is made to secure debt, lenders may be hesitant to approve the whole request amount, and the farmers may not be including all of the variables in a repayment scenario. This session will include some background on what lenders look for, but most of the time will be dedicated to case studies and specific examples of developing the right loans, in the right amount, at the right time for both farmers and lenders. Presented by VACC loan officer Patty Duffy, Intervale Foundation Business Specialist Sam Smith, and UVM Land Access Coordinator Ben Waterman, with partnering farmers Jonathan LeBlanc and Lindsay Harris.

Speakers

Mark Cannella

Farm Viability, UVM Extension

Mark Cannella has been working in the field of agriculture in VT for over 10 years. He has managed farm operations in vegetable production, maple sugaring and agricultural education. His current focus is the management and delivery of farm business planning programs, business management... Read More →

Patty Duffy

Agricultural Loan Officer, Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation

Patty Duffy became an Agricultural loan officer of Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation in February 2005 after working as a consultant for VACC during 2002-2004. Herprevious professional experience includes County Supervisor- Farmers Home Administration in Vermont and New... Read More →

Sam Smith

Farm Business Director, Intervale Center

Sam brings a passion for farming and food systems to his work at the Intervale. He grew up in Southern Vermont, went to UVM, and received a MBA in Sustainability from Antioch New England. He has worked as both a livestock and vegetable farmer, and been involved in the Vermont agricultural... Read More →

Ben Waterman

Land Access Coordinator, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Ben holds a B.S. in Conservation of Soil, Water, and the Environment from the University of Maryland. He became particularly interested in sustainable agriculture issues after working as a coffee farmer in Costa Rica and a dairy farmer in Russia. He and his wife recently returned... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

Business

9:00am EST

Double Duty: Cover Crops as Forage Crops

The Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team (UVM Extension) will share their experiences and results from their on-farm demonstration and research projects. This presentation will focus on the use of cover crop mixtures and summer annuals as forage crops and how they might fit into a grazing system to provide grazing forage during the early spring, summer slump and fall. The team has been working with small grains, legumes, brassicas, and warm season summer annuals in no-till and tilled situations and have lots of information to share. They will also share how their no-till grain drills have been used in pasture situations and what farmers are finding works (and doesn’t).

Speakers

Kirsten Workman

Agronomy Outreach Professional, UVM Extension

Kirsten works for UVM Extension as an Agronomy Outreach Professional for the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team. She works with farmers to implement practices to improve crop production and protect water quality. It is her goal to provide practical information that farmers... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

Forage

9:00am EST

Grazing Fundamentals

Grazing consultant and diversified farmer Lisa McCrory will review the principles of grazing management including whole farm goal setting, rest & recovery, plant diversity & regrowth, feed quality, manure management, multi-species grazing, troubleshooting, and much more.

Speakers

Lisa McCrory

Co-Owner, Earthwise Farm & Forest

Lisa McCrory is a certified organic farmer, agricultural consultant and dowser with particular expertise in grazing management, and serves on the boards of directors for The American Society of Dowsers, and Rural Vermont. She and her husband, Carl Russell, own and operate Earthwise... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

Grazing Basics

9:00am EST

Low Stress Stock Handling

This program will emphasize meeting society’s expectations, increasing safety and lowering stress for both people and stock, and equally important, increasing profitability. You will learn the Why – low stress handling is important and how low stress handling works, and How - to become a low stress stock handler. From goats in the Virgin Islands to musk ox in Alaska, and lots of dairy, beef cattle and sheep in between, low stress handling works.

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Denise Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

Livestock Production Beef

9:00am EST

Designing and Delivering On-Farm Research

As you go about the daily business of farming, what questions would you like to answer? And if you think you know how you’d go about testing your ideas, how can you get it funded? UVM Extension Agronomist Sid Bosworth and NE SARE Farmer Grant Coordinator Carol Delaney will help guide you toward measurable and fundable projects. Sid will highlight a checklist of research design pieces and setting up practical measurements that will get you the information you need. Carol will describe what she’s seen from the “funded project” side and how to go about making sure work hasn’t been funded somewhere else. The session will conclude with a farmer who’s conducted on-farm research talking about their project and experiences. Depending on the number of attendees, we may break into small groups to help you work through ideas.

Speakers

Sid Bosworth

Extension Agronomist, UVM Extension

Sid Bosworth is an Associate Extension Professor in the Plant and Soil Science Department at the University of Vermont and has served as a specialist in forage crops for almost 30 years at Penn State and for the past 22 years with UVM Extension. At UVM, Sid teaches courses in Forage... Read More →

Carol Delaney

Farmer grant specialist, Northeast SARE

Carol Delaney works for a USDA/NIFA funded grant program, Northeast SARE, www.nesare.org. This competitive grant program funds innovative projects that improve the sustainability of farmers in the Northeast. Carol gives support to farmers and farm service providers whom may apply... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 10:30am EST
Lake Morey TBA

Research All Audiences

9:00am EST

Kids' Conference

A full day kids’ conference will take place on site at Lake Morey targeted for kids ages 6-12. Indoor and outdoor activities may include arts and crafts, group challenges, storytelling around a campfire, shelter building, sledding, cross country skiing, or ice skating on Lake Morey. Children should be ready to be inside and out plus bring a change of clothes in case things get wet.

Led by VT Envirothon Coordinator Carrie Riker, plenty of great activities will be included!

The kids’ conference is FREE, but we do ask that you register your kids in advance to help us plan for staffing and materials needs.

Speakers

Carrie Riker

Environmental Educator

Carrie Riker has been the Education Coordinator for Lamoille County Conservation District since 2000. She joined LCCD after completing her MS in Environmental Science. Carrie organizes the annual Vermont Envirothon, Lamoille County Nature Center’s Summer Camp and Vacation... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 9:00am - 12:00pm EST
Room 231

Kids' Conference

10:30am EST

New Farmer Coaching

Speakers

Beth Holtzman

Coordinator, UVM Extension - New Farmer Project/ VT SARE

Jessie Schmidt

Program Coordinator, UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Saturday January 18, 2014 10:30am - 11:20am EST
Card Room

New Farmer Coaching

10:45am EST

Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Speech

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Saturday January 18, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm EST
Terrace Ballroom

Productive Profitable and Pleasurable Farming

12:15pm EST

Lunch Discussion: A Conversation with the VT Agency of Agriculture

...

Speakers

Laura DiPietro

John Roberts

VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

Saturday January 18, 2014 12:15pm - 1:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Lunch Discussion

12:15pm EST

Lunch Discussion: Conserving Grassland Bird Habitat

In New England, grassland birds like Bobolinks and Meadowlarks use hayfields and pastures during the breeding season, but their populations have been significantly declining in the last 30 years. Graduate student Jamie Sydoriak has initiated an outreach program in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire to help landowners learn more about these birds and their habitat needs. Find out more about the targeted bird survey, other project results, and how we can help manage fields for grassland bird populations."

...

Speakers

Jamie Sydoriak

Saturday January 18, 2014 12:15pm - 1:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Lunch Discussion

12:15pm EST

Lunch Discussion: Vermont Farm Resilience in a Changing Climate

While many Vermont farmers have been negatively impacted by the changing climate, many are also experimenting with ways to adapt to its effects. In this session you will hear from UVM researchers and innovative farmers who have partnered to identify on-farm management practices that are best suited to enhance agricultural resilience in Vermont. Join us to explore and suggest ways in which Vermont agriculture can shift the focus from disaster relief to climate resilience!...

Moderators

Kate Westdijk

Speakers

Eric Noel

Co-owner, Agri-Dynamics

Saturday January 18, 2014 12:15pm - 1:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Lunch Discussion

12:15pm EST

Lunch Discussion: VT's New On-Farm Slaughter Law: Is It Working For You?

Moderators

Andrea Stander

Rural Vermont

Speakers

Lisa McCrory

Co-Owner, Earthwise Farm & Forest

Saturday January 18, 2014 12:15pm - 1:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Lunch Discussion

12:30pm EST

New Farmer Coaching

Speakers

Beth Holtzman

Coordinator, UVM Extension - New Farmer Project/ VT SARE

Jessie Schmidt

Program Coordinator, UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Saturday January 18, 2014 12:30pm - 1:20pm EST
Card Room

New Farmer Coaching

1:15pm EST

Grass-Based Farm Demonstrations: Year 1

Well-managed rotational grazing farms have been shown to improve soil and water quality benefits, but what practices in Vermont help pastures be at their best? UVM Extension and Center for Sustainable Agriculture partners have been working with three farms (beef, sheep, and dairy) to monitor and demonstrate the impacts of a range of production and management practices on soil quality, forage production, energy use, biological activity, and economics. The first year of this three-year project has just been completed, with interesting data and observations to share.

Speakers

Juan Alvez

Pasture Technical Coordinator, University of Vermont - Extension

Juan P. Alvez joined the Center for Sustainable Agriculture in 2012. He comes from a two-generation pasture-based family farm in Rivera, Uruguay. He obtained his BS in Agronomy in Brazil, his MS in Plant and Soil Science with Bill Murphy and his Ph.D. in Natural Resources at the University... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

All Audiences On-farm Demonstration

1:15pm EST

Deciding Whether to Farm Full Time: A Farm Viability Scenario

Are you feeling the squeeze of a growing farm business? Are you ready to make the leap to farming full time? A team of farm viability and grazing assistance providers worked together with farmers Michelle and Roland Ayer over the course of a year to develop various options comparing sheep numbers with labor, expenses, and land capacity. Ultimately, this team approach helped Michelle and Roland make their decision. Co-presented with Mark Cannella of UVM Extension, Sam Smith of Intervale Foundation, and Kimberly Hagen of the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture Program.

Speakers

Mark Cannella

Farm Viability, UVM Extension

Kimberly Hagen

Grazing Specialist, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Kimberly joined the Center for Sustainable Agriculture in February 2012 to provide technical assistance and support for grass-based farms – for those already immersed in the practices, those planning to transition, and everything in between. Kimberly spent several years working... Read More →

Sam Smith

Farm Business Director, Intervale Center

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Business Sheep

1:15pm EST

Higher-Quality Haylage and Baleage Means More Money in Your Pocket

Feed costs often exceed 25-30% of a dairy or beef farm’s expenses. Timing, handling methods, and storage choices of harvested feeds for cattle can translate quickly into thousands of dollars. Learn how to pack the greatest punch into your forage with this session co-presented by UVM Agronomist Sid Bosworth and feed consultant Mike Thresher. Sid will focus on the plant and harvest side of the equation. Mike will cover how stored feeds of varying quality will affect the nutrition and production of your animals, and how to address any shortcomings in your feed program. This session will include hands on quality evaluation and information useful for any farm looking to maximize production.

Speakers

Sid Bosworth

Extension Agronomist, UVM Extension

Mike Thresher

Dairy Feed Specialist, Morrison's Custom Feeds

Mike is a 3rd generation Vermont farmer with a passion to see the farms in Northern New England survive and flourish. He graduated with a degree in Agribusiness Management, worked early on in the dairy feed business, then joined the family dairy and took over the farm in 1997. In... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Dairy Forage

1:15pm EST

Troubleshooting Fence From Design to Containment

Choosing the right fence moves you toward a better farm system, but what happens if the fence isn’t meeting your needs? Join David Kennard of Wellscroft Farm (and Wellscroft Fence Systems) to learn about designing systems that work for you and help troubleshoot many of the top reasons why your fence might not be living up to your expectations.

Speakers

David Kennard

Owner, Wellscroft Fence Systems and Wellscroft Farm

For the past 37 years David Kennard has raised commercial Dorset crosses using IRG to maximize the forage on the hilly, rocky terrain on the 100 acres known as Wellscroft Farm in Chesham, NH. David uses a blend of Sylva culture and agriculture to maximize the out-put of the land thereby... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Grazing Basics

1:15pm EST

On-Farm Research Results From Around the Region

A round up of farmer-led research on beef, dairy and other livestock farms from around the region. With Carol Soule of Miles Smith Farm, and UVM Extension Diversified Livestock Specialist Joe Emenheiser (also a farmer).

Speakers

Joe Emenheiser

Diversified Livestock Specialist, UVM Extension

Joe was raised on a small family farm in Pennsylvania. His livestock experience includes managing sheep farms in New York, butchering, genetic evaluation, teaching and judging. His research has focused on using ultrasound for genetic improvement of lamb composition, and on... Read More →

Carole Soule

Owner, Miles Smith Farm

Carole Soule is the co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, NH where she and her husband, Bruce Dawson, have raised cattle since 2002. The farm sells local meat including beef, pork, and lamb in an on-farm retail store, at farmers' markets, at local grocery stores, and to institutions... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Research

1:15pm EST

Grazing and Soil Health

Soil Health is one of the four pillars of animal agriculture: Grazing animals, plants, human management, and soil health. The cropping community is waking up to cover crops, organic matter, no or reduced tillage but what about pasture-based farmers? Are our grazing practices building or destroying the land? This session will begin to uncover the relationship between grazing, soil life, and how our management can make measureable differences. NRCS Agronomist Steve Woodruff and Dr. Ben Bartlett will talk about specific aspects of building the soil food web through grazing and how to measure changes in the soil as a result.

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Steve Woodruff

Agronomist, NRCS, East National Technology Support Center

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Soil Health

1:15pm EST

From Growing to Showing: How to Make Your Swine Shine!

The Blue Ribbon 4-H Club will lead a discussion on what each of them go through to select, prepare and grow their pigs for showing and market. They’ll talk about swine husbandry and how to keep your pig in good health. With a demonstration, including live show pigs, they will teach people how to handle their pigs before and during a show. With real life stories and personal experience the Blue Ribbon 4-H Club will give the information to understand what it takes to make your swine shine whether in a breeding program, a show or on a plate!

Speakers

Matt Whalen

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
Waterlot

Swine Youth Live Animals

1:15pm EST

Kids' Conference

Speakers

Carrie Riker

Environmental Educator

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:15pm - 4:15pm EST
Room 231

Kids' Conference

1:30pm EST

New Farmer Coaching

Speakers

Beth Holtzman

Coordinator, UVM Extension - New Farmer Project/ VT SARE

Jessie Schmidt

Program Coordinator, UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Saturday January 18, 2014 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST
Card Room

New Farmer Coaching

2:45pm EST

Fertilizer from Urine: Clean Rivers. Sustainable Farms

For two years, the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, VT has been working at the intersection of sanitation and agriculture to provide solutions to problems in each sector. With the rising cost of fertilizer, farmers and farming communities can benefit from the use of human urine as a local, inexpensive and abundant natural source of nitrogen and phosphorus for their fields. Removing urine from the waste water stream also reduces pollution caused by these nutrients being discharged into rivers and groundwaters from our current sewage and septic practices. The project includes collection of urine (3,000 gallons in 2013), transport, storage, treatment and application to hay. USDA funded studies have established urine’s effectiveness as a replacement for synthetic fertilizer. The scientific principals of urine nutrient reclamation and field trial results will be shared.

Speakers

Kim Nace

Administrative Director, Rich Earth Institute

Our mission is to advance and promote human "waste" as a resource. We are passionate about creating clean, locally produced and nutrient rich fertilizer from human "waste", specifically from urine. Farmers have a great opportunity to increase crop yields, to help preserve millions... Read More →

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

All Audiences Forage

2:45pm EST

From Farmers to Processors: Transition Lessons Learned--SESSION CANCELLED

In deference to Bruce and Beth's fire this week, we are cancelling this session in order to give them more time to figure out their next steps. We wish them good fortune and many blessings as they put things back together.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20140113/NEWS02/301130012/Fire-leaves-iconic-Richmond-barn-complete-loss?fb_action_ids=10152121926384788&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=artrectop&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[1434543603443798]&action_type_map=[%22og.recommends%22]&action_ref_map=[%22artrectop%22

Speakers

Bruce Hennessey

Maple Wind Farm

Maple Wind Farm, owned by Bruce Hennessey and Beth Whiting, is a diversified pasture-based livestock, organic vegetable, and maple products farm located on two conserved properties in Huntington and Richmond, VT. Using environmentally sustainable practices and alternative energy inputs... Read More →

Beth Whiting

Owner, Maple Wind Farm

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Business Processing

2:45pm EST

Balancing Ruminant Nutrition in a Pasture-based System

Do you hear the terms “protein” and “energy” in a pasture system and wonder what they mean? Have you assumed that animals on pasture are automatically getting the best nutrition to meet your farm production and bottom line goals? Mike Thresher of Morrison’s Custom Feeds works with farmers within a wide range of production systems to help balance making the most of pasture with purchased and harvested feed. While focused mainly on ruminant nutrition within this session, Mike also consults on poultry and swine farms, and may answer some additional non-ruminant questions if time allows.

Exhibitors

Mike Thresher

Dairy Feed Specialist, Morrison's Custom Feeds

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Forage Grazing Basics

2:45pm EST

Feeding Into December: Twenty Years of Season Extension

Do you know that it’s possible to keep grazing into December without supplemental feed? David Kennard of Wellscroft Farm has been raising pastured sheep and meat goats into early winter for over twenty years, using strategic placement and portable fencing on hay aftermath. David will share his experience and documented feed numbers over time.

Speakers

David Kennard

Owner, Wellscroft Fence Systems and Wellscroft Farm

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Grazing Basics Season Extension

2:45pm EST

Soil and Water Movement Through a Farm: Observations and Meaning

Water movement through a farm can be greatly impacted by ecological and soil conditions, much of which can be observed easily. What do the things you observe mean for the health of your farm ecosystem? Kimberly Hagen and Joshua Faulkner of the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture will outline a number of examples from farms around the state and lead a discussion about what’s going on above and below the soil surface.

Speakers

Joshua Faulkner

Farming & Climate Change Coordinator, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Joshua works as the Farming and Climate Change Program Coordinator for the UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture. In this position, his primary goal is to help address the impacts of climate change on Vermont agriculture. His experience lies in agricultural hydrology... Read More →

Kimberly Hagen

Grazing Specialist, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

On-farm Demonstration Soil Health

2:45pm EST

More Sheep, Less Work: What’s the Right Size?

Are you working for your sheep or do your sheep work for you? A new way to look at your sheep operation. Don’t try to do everything right! Instead, work on your Weak Link. This program will focus on key management factors to consider as you “right-size” your sheep flock. Denise and Ben Bartlett have lambed close to 10,000 ewes and raised over 18,000 lambs in their 35-year career and have many tips to share.

Speakers

Dr. Ben Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Denise Bartlett

Owner, Log Cabin Livestock

Saturday January 18, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Lake Morey TBA

Sheep

2:45pm EST

Using New Soil Knowledge to Test and Demonstrate Ideas

By attending to the needs of plants and soil organisms, can we achieve high animal performance, quality biomass production and soil health improvement? We’ll describe a handful of mental checklists we’re thinking through at Health Hero Farm for addressing limiting physical, chemical and biological conditions to photosynthesis and humification. We’ll review some of basics of the physiology and needs of forage plants and soil organisms and how Eric is tailoring his management to meet those needs. We’ll also describe why and how we’ve been monitoring soil, forage, water and livestock performance so far, and we’ll plan to in the future. With Abe Collins of Collins Grazing and Eric Noel of Health Hero Farm.

Speakers