Tour to showcase effective non-traditional grazing methods

"The tour is designed to target the importance and success of grazing lands in Indiana," said Susannah Hole, grazing land specialist for the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "We will look at new practices that have been implemented within the last five years and see how they have managed to be successful."

The focus will be on pasture and hay land planting, improved watering systems using pipelines and water tanks, fencing and heavy-use area protection. Agricultural specialists will be available for questions during and after the tours.

There is no charge for the tour and lunch is included. Participants must pre-register by Aug. 22. To register, call (317) 290-3250 or go online.

Participants will meet at Indiana Downs, located off Interstate 74 at Exit 109, 4200 N. Michigan Road, Shelbyville. Check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. and buses will leave Indiana Downs at 9 a.m. The first tour, at Estes Farm, will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Kerry and Christiana Estes, along with their children, Damon and Laura, operate a 100-cow seasonal, intensive-grazing dairy in northwest Shelby County. They began milking in March 2005. Their paddocks consist of perennial ryegrass, orchardgrass and festulolium, and are mixed with clovers. Alfalfa-orchardgrass hay is harvested at other farms. Cows are fed soyhulls, whole cottonseed and corn for energy and fiber; protein is provided by the pasture and has been tested at 26 percent.

A box lunch will be provided at noon followed by a tour of the Reding Farm at 1 p.m.

Gary and Patty Reding operate Langeland Farms in central Decatur County. Half of their 600 acres is in conventional tilled row crops, while the remainder is in organic crops and pasture. The pasture is set up for intensive grazing for their 30 Angus cows, along with additional custom grazing during parts of the year. All of the crop and fields have 50-feet-wide buffer strips for erosion and chemical control, which are also used for pasture and hay production.

Buses will return to Indiana Downs at 3:30 p.m.

The Indiana Grazing Lands Tour is part of the Indiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, a nationwide collaborative process where individuals and organizations work together to maintain and improve the management, productivity and health of privately owned grazing land.

The tour is sponsored by the Indiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, NRCS, Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Indiana Forage Council, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

For more information, contact Cathy Deal at (317) 290-3250 or cathy.deal@in.usda.gov.

Writer: Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Sources: Cathy Deal, (317) 290-3250, cathy.deal@in.usda.gov

Susannah Hole, (765) 474-9992, ext. 123, susannah.hole@in.usda.gov

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Related Web sites:
Grazing Land Conservation Initiative Web site

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service National Web site

Hoosier Heartland RC&D Web site

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