Grazing Management Workshops Offer Tips to Increase Production, Reduce Costs

WOODSFIELD, Ohio – Livestock producers looking to improve the forage quality of their pastures, grow healthier forage plants and improve plant persistence should consider rotational grazing, says an agriculture and natural resources expert with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

Not only does rotational grazing promote timely utilization, it also allows producers to conserve surplus and reduce inputs, said Mark Landefeld, an Ohio State University Extension educator in Monroe County. In addition, it has a positive impact on the environment.

“Rotational grazing is really about better management of grazing for livestock producers,” he said. “Rotational grazing reduces the size of the paddock and allows grass to have a rest period and for roots to have a better chance to regrow and replenish the root stocks to improve both the quality and quantity of forages.”

To provide more information on grazing management, Landefeld and co-workers are organizing a series of workshops for livestock producers March 29, April 5 and April 12. The workshops will focus on several management issues, all designed to help producers increase production and reduce costs.

“Producers who attend the workshop can learn how to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and the environment, as well as increase their knowledge about forage growth,” he said. “Participants can also learn ways to increase net profit for their farm business.”

The workshops will be led by OSU Extension and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center researchers and educators as well as by agriculture industry representatives, Landefeld said.

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college. 

Workshop locations, times and topics are:

March 29, 5:30-9 p.m., at the Barnesville Library Annex, 611 N. Chestnut St. in Barnesville.

Topics will include:

• Reducing Grass Tetany and Bloat.
• U.S. Department Of Agriculture Programs at Work.
• Your Grazing Management Plan.
• Financial Assistance.
• Body Condition Scoring.

April 5, 5:30-9 p.m., at the Monroe County Extension Office, 101 N. Main St. Room 17, in Woodsfield.

Topics will include:

• System Layout and Design.
• Forages and Moisture Testing.
• Planned Calving.

April 12, 5:30-9 p.m., at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station, 16870 Township Road 126, in Belle Valley.

Topics will include

• Discussion of the Eastern Agricultural Research Station Research Projects.
• Mud Management and Reseeding.
• Veterinarian Feed Directive.
• Renovation of Water Systems.

Registration for all three workshops is $45, which includes dinner, notebook and handouts, or $15, which includes dinner but not materials. The deadline to register for the workshops is at least two days before each session, Landefeld said.

For more information and a registration form, contact Landefeld at 740-472-0810 or landefeld.6@osu.edu. Registration forms and payment can be send to OSU Extension, Monroe County, 101 N. Main St., Room 17, Woodsfield, OH 43793.