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2007 Pasture Walk Series for livestock farmers

AMHERST, Mass. (updated Oct. 4, 2007) – Local farmers and anyone interested in learning about grazing livestock are invited to attend a series of pasture walks hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, UMass Extension and the Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter this summer and fall. 

Raising livestock on pasture offers farmers economic, animal health and labor benefits over feeding livestock grain-based feed. To help farmers properly manage a grazing system and achieve its benefits, this series will cover pasture management, organic transition and herd health, forage species, soil fertility, fencing and water systems and summer and winter grazing.

All pasture walks will take place from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm with the exception of the July 12th Rocky Acres tour, which will begin at 6:15 pm. Please bring your own lunch to the afternoon walks. Bookmark this page www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/news/news_pasturewalks2007.html for directions and updated information. Or, visit the other sponsors' web sites: www.umass.edu/cdl/news.html or www.nofamass.org/programs/organicdairy for more information.

All pasture walks will take place from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, with the exception of the Woolly Mammoth Farm workshop. Please bring your own lunch to the afternoon walks.

Wednesday, October 17
Breese Hollow Farm, Chuck and Diane Phippen
454 Breese Hollow Road, Hoosick Falls, NY
(518) 686-4044

Breese Hollow Farm, near the border of Massachusetts and Vermont, recently became certified organic and are now part of CROPP/Organic Valley. Topics will include transitioning to organic, calf management and improving pastures.

Directions
From Southern VT - Rte. 9 W to NY Rte. 7. Pass “Welcome to NY” sign. Head South on Rte. 100 (also Breese Hollow Rd) 1.7 miles barn on left.
From Williamstown, MA - North on US Rte. 7. Left onto Rte. 346 to NY State. First right onto County Rte. 95. Left after stop sign, continuing on Rte. 95. First right onto Rte. 100 North (also Breese Hollow Rd) 2 miles, barn on right.

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Saturday, October 27th
Woolly Mammoth Farm, Matt Rulevich
12 Barney's Joy Road, South Dartmouth, MA 02748
508-636-2060

Pasture walk: 9:30 am - 12:00 noon, free.

Lunch discussion: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Lunch will be available for a fee.

Afternoon NOFA session: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm, $20/$25 members/non-members. Lunch is included in the NOFA registration fee.

Join us for the day at a 300 acre coastal farm that combines a managed grazing grass finishing program for beef and lamb with grassland bird habitat improvement. Topics to be discussed will include grazing/mowing management to accommodate wildlife and high quality feed, stockpiling forage, and multi-species grazing. The morning pasture walk will focus on pasture/hay field health and forage production. The afternoon will offer a more intensive look into production including: fencing, handling equipment, breed selection, feed supplementation, processing, and marketing.

Matt Rulevich has been raising grass-finished lamb as Woolly Mammoth Farm since 1998 and now finishes beef and lamb on a 300 acre coastal farm in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Matt has raised organic lamb, vegetables and grains at the New England Small Farm Institute and has transitioned his current farm to organic over the last three years. With a Bachelors degree in Math and a Masters in Plant and Soil Science Matt will discuss the economics of all of the above and leave participants with an understanding of the whole process from calves and lambs to a finished product.

Directions:

From points West – Connect to 195 east in Providence. Follow to exit 12 (Faunce Corner Road. Turn right off exit ramp and follow down to the junction with Route 6. Cross over Route 6 onto Old Westport Rd. Bear left onto Chase Road after a few hundred yards. Follow Chase Road to the end (T intersection with Russell’s Mills Road). Turn right onto Russell’s Mills and follow to end (Duval’s Country Store on left). Stay straight onto Horseneck Road, bearing left at fork onto Barney’s Joy Road. Follow to stop sign and turn left (staying on Barney’s Joy Road). Follow to very end and look for signs to Barney’s Joy Farm.

From points East - Connect to 195 west. Follow to exit 12A (Faunce Corner Road). Turn right off exit ramp and follow down to the junction with Route 6. Cross over Route 6 onto Old Westport Rd. Bear left onto Chase Road after a few hundred yards. Follow Chase Road to the end (T intersection with Russell’s Mills Road). Turn right onto Russell’s Mills and follow to end (Duval’s Country Store on left). Stay straight onto Horseneck Road, bearing left at fork onto Barney’s Joy Road. Follow to stop sign and turn left (staying on Barney’s Joy Road). Follow to very end and look for signs to Barney’s Joy Farm.
 

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