Join us for a fun and informative day learning about multi-species rotational grazing practices you can use on your farm. Beneficial management practices like well-managed grazing can help to build soil, sequester carbon, improve pastures, increase crop yields and create a diversified ecosystem where plants and animals can thrive. Beginners are welcome but this field day is geared towards more experienced grazers who are interested in optimizing their systems and improving their management practices. We will send out recommended reading/viewing material to all registrants prior to the event.

Rotational grazing is a set of techniques used to control the time aspect of grazing that typically leads to overgrazing in a continuous grazing system. Livestock are moved into a defined area, typically called a paddock, where they have access to graze the plants in that area. They are then rotated to a new paddock while grazed plants have a chance to recover. The livestock are not moved back to that paddock again until the plants there have fully recovered.

In this field day, we will discuss the key tools that you need to ensure a successful rotational grazing program:

• Continuous movement
• Portable infrastructure
• Balance between grazing and rest
• Correct stocking rate & stocking density
• Appropriate species/breed

In addition to classroom learning, there will be hands-on workshop stations and demonstrations on building, maintaining and troubleshooting electric fence infrastructure including:

• Permanent high tensile fencing
• Building braces
• Tying knots
• Installing insulators
• Grounding, energizers and troubleshooting
• Portable electric fences and rotational grazing infrastructure

Farm tour including:

• Moving cattle & poultry in a rotational grazing system
• Managing mobile water, mineral, feed
• Housing infrastructure

We invite farmers to join us and hear from our speakers, tour Spray Creek Ranch, see a variety of integrated livestock systems and learn about their rotational grazing program. Farmers will be able to meet other farmers in the area and learn about different operations. This will be an opportunity to hear from industry specialists, fellow farmers, and the owner/operator of our host farm. Lunch will be provided.