Pasture Walk for dairy, beef & livestock owners

Aldrich Farm in Cassadaga welcomes all to attend

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture program is pleased to announce the upcoming Pasture Walk to be hosted by Doug and Colleen Aldrich in Cassadaga, NY. All agricultural producers interested in learning more about improving soil health, rotational grazing, and direct marketing of meat & eggs to consumers, are encouraged to attend.

This on-farm pasture walk will be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 29, 2019 from Noon until 2:30 pm at the Doug & Colleen Aldrich Farm, 2841 Tarbox Road, Cassadaga, NY. A light lunch will be provided, with donations accepted that day to help cover the cost of lunch. Pre-registration is required by contacting Lisa Kempisty at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County at 716-664-9502 Ext 203 or ljk4@cornell.edu by June 27th with the number of people planning to attend.

Our farm hosts Doug and Colleen Aldrich have a great interest in improving the soil health on their farm, where they use manure compost to fertilize their pastures. They manage 200 acres of grass pastures, using rotational grazing, currently raising 70 dairy heifers and 20 beef animals, including cow-calf pairs, heifers and steers. Doug & Collen have developed a high tensile perimeter fencing system, dividing the 8 pasture lots using poly wire as temporary fencing for the interior of the paddocks. Water hydrants every 300 feet provide water to tubs for the livestock in each of the paddocks. Doug & Colleen look forward to sharing their 14 years of grazing experiences, and learning from others’ comments.

Our discussion leaders will include:

– Rob Halbohm, Water Quality Technician with the Chautauqua County Soil & Water Conservation District, will lead a discussion on the Pennsylvania Soil Quality Assessment worksheet, in which all participants will receive a copy to evaluate their own farm’s soil health. This assessment is a tool that any producer can use in the field to evaluate the condition of their soils, and begin the development of a plan to improve soil quality.

– Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension – Chautauqua County, will lead a discussion on local marketing, covering the opportunities and challenges associated with direct marketing products to consumers, focusing on meat and egg sales. Printed resources will be made available, and ideas for local marketing initiatives will be covered.

Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and questions throughout the pasture walk. To maintain biosecurity, please wear footwear that can be easily disinfected at the farm or wear the plastic boots that fit over your boots/shoes that will be provided.

 

 

The Agriculture Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.