Grazing workshops scheduled
Posted 7/9/03

Midsummer pasture supply slumps can often be minimized by growing warm season grasses. Warm season grasses include natives like Big Bluestem, Switchgrasss and Indiangrass that start late in the spring but hit their stride in July and August.

A pasture walk in warm season grasses will be held at the U of M West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Friday, July 11, following the morning summer station day.

Other programs in the grazing series include the "Upper Midwest Grazing Conference," July 29-31, LaCrosse, Wis. This four-state Extension Service-sponsored event includes presentations and tours. Contact the Dubuque County, Wis. Extension office at (563) 583-6496 or tranel@iastate.edu to register. The conference website is at www.wisc.edu/cias /uppermidwest.

Four additional grazing sessions are scheduled at Morris. Topics and dates are Supplementing Diets when Grass is Short, Aug. 6; Improving Pastures for Next Year, Sept. 10; Extending the Grazing Season, Oct. 10; and Winter Pasture and Lot Management, Nov. 12.

For more information on the Morris workshops, contact Dennis Johnson at (320) 589-1711, dairvdgi@rnrs.umn.edu. The programs are designed for both experienced graziers and those considering implementing a grazing system. Experienced farmers who attend are excellent resources for those who are learning about grazing, Johnson says.