By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Pastureland around the state witnessed a comeback in 2009 after a couple of drought stricken years that left many livestock producers looking for winter hay supplies.

Those times of need shed new light on the importance of quality pastures. This year the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture will offer two grazing schools to help more producers meet those needs in good times and bad.

The Kentucky Grazing School program is open to anyone, but is geared toward new farmers and existing farmers who want to improve their grazing operation according to information from UK.
Adam Probst, UK Master Grazer Program coordinator said grazing is the most cost-effective way for livestock producers to feed their animals.

“Grazing is the cheapest way to feed your animals. This program will show participants different grazing systems that allow producers to grow forages earlier and longer,” he said. “Pastureland is probably one of our most under utilized resources.”

Probst also said that according to research by UK specialist that utilization rate could be as low as 35 percent. But with more intensive management techniques it’s conceivable to raise that rate to 60 or 70 percent.

While this is technically the second year for the program, a similar project was in place around 10 years ago said Probst, but sort of fell by the wayside until the fall of 2009 when it resurfaced and took place in Woodford County. The event was so well-received the decision was made to present a second school this year.

The program will cover many topics with much of it going toward management on intensive grazing, taking a look at temporary fencing, assisting in pasture production and focusing on the best times to put livestock in and when to take them out said Probst.
“The best time to move them is almost when it looks like you’re wasting a little bit just to allow for better re-growth of the grasses we have here,” he added.

The schools will also look at breaking the farm up and developing entire grazing systems as well as classroom and hands-on training.
Those attending will have a chance to visit field sites, tour demonstration plots and then design a grazing system based on their own property by the end of the program.

“The school we are having in the spring will focus a little bit more on spring grazing options and the one in August will focus a little more on summer grazing options looking at warm season annuals or maybe grazing corn and that sort of thing,” said Probst. “We’ll take an area and really hit it hard. We are trying to emphasize that the better you maintain your pasture, the more productive it will be and the more available it will be in extreme times of the year like the middle of summer or later in the winter.”

The first school will be held April 14 and 15 at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton. The second is scheduled for Aug. 9 and 10 at the Woodford County Extension Office and UK Animal Research Center in Versailles.

For both sessions, day one begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. local time. Day two starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.
Presenters will include UK dairy, beef and forages specialists, a grazing specialist with the Natural Resources and Conservation Service and the Kentucky territory manager of the fencing company Gallagher USA. UK Extension Ruminant Veterinarian Michelle Bilderback will also make a presentation.

For more information, go to www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage There will be a $45 registration fee and preregistration is necessary due to space being limited to the first 45 applicants at each site. To pre-register, contact Probst at 859-257-0597 or adam.probst@uky.edu or a local county extension agent. All participants need to bring an aerial map of their property to design their grazing system. These are available at local Farm Service Agency offices.