By SUSAN MYKRANTZ

Ohio Correspondent

MT. HOPE, Ohio — Grazing principles, low stress livestock management and stray voltage detection and prevention will be the topics of this year’s North Central Ohio Dairy Grazing Conference, Jan. 25-26 at the Mt. Hope Event Center.

Featured speakers during the two-day event include Bob Hendershot, a grazing consultant from Circleville; John Kempf, a soil consultant from Middlefield; Steve Cote, an animal behaviorist from Arco, Idaho; Rodney Martin, a stray voltage consultant from Bridgewater, Wis.; and Dr. Allen Williams, farmer and consultant with Grass-fed Insights LLC, from Starkville Mo.

The conference opens on Jan. 25 and highlights include a presentation on Bear Cave Farm, “Building a Strong Herd Foundation,” by Jeff Miller; “Improving Milk Production on a Grass-Based Dairy” by Kempf; and breakout sessions including “Get the Best Nutrient Uptake From Your Soil” by Kempf, “ABCs of Grazing” by Hendershot and “Benefits of Raising Calves on their Dams” by David Stratton.

Afternoon sessions include “Laying the Foundation-Building a Successful Grazing Operation from the Soil Up” by Williams and “Low Stress Animal Management” by Cote.

That Friday, Williams will lead the sessions with “Three Principles of Adaptive Grazing,” followed by “Stray Voltage, Myth or Must Know” by Martin, and breakout sessions including “Stray Voltage, Avoiding and Remedying the Effect of Stray Voltage,” “Low Stress Weaning” by Cote and “Role of Genetics and Epigenetics in a Successful Grazing Program” by Williams.

The afternoon session will conclude with a choice of two breakout sessions, including “Startup Experiences” by David Hershberger and David Beachy, and “More on Low Stress Animal Management.” The afternoon concludes with a session on “Building Resilience on a Grass-Fed Dairy” by Stratton.

The deadline for registrations is Jan. 15. Cost of the conference is $55 for the first person from each farm and $50 for each additional person if made before Jan. 15. Participants may also register for a single day at a cost of $45. After Jan. 15, registrations may be made at the door and the cost is $75 for both days or $65 for a single day.

The conference fee includes meals, breaks, registration and the vendor show. Checks should be made payable to the Small Farm Institute and mailed to: P.O. Box 214, Millersburg, OH 44654.

The conference is sponsored by the North Central Ohio Grazing Council, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and the Small Farm Institute, and is located at 8074 State Road 241 in Mt. Hope.