JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture program is pleased to announce the upcoming Pasture Walk to be hosted by Brehm Farm, Inc., owned & operated by Bradley and Jessica Brehm in Falconer, NY. Everyone interested in learning more about improving pastures to graze their livestock are encouraged to attend.
This on-farm pasture walk will be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 26, 2021, from 12:00 Noon until 2:30 pm at Brehm Farm located at 3456 Dry Brook Road, Falconer, NY. A complimentary light lunch will be provided at 12:00 Noon, co-sponsored by local agribusinesses including: Cargill, Inc; Growmark FS; John Wigger’s & Son Inc; NYP Ag Services, Inc; The Forage Source; Lamb & Webster, Inc; Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc; and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.
Please bring a lawn chair to use during lunch. Moderate walking will be required to view the pastures.
Reservations for the complimentary lunch are required by Tuesday, June 22nd by leaving a message with Lisa Kempisty, Dairy & Livestock Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, with your name and number attending at 716-664-9502 Ext. 203 or by e-mail at ljk4@cornell.edu.
Bradley and Jessica Brehm moved their dairy from Erie County to Chautauqua County 5 years ago and now rotationally graze their 150-cow dairy herd on 56 acres of pastures divided into 13 paddocks. Their lactating cattle are rotated every 24 hours to take advantage of high-quality pasture forage. They also feed a “partial” mixed ration in the barn to supplement what the cows are getting on pasture. Rotational grazing has helped the Brehm’s decrease the amount of grain and haylage fed in the barn and time doing barn chores.
Guest presenters at the pasture walk will include:
- Amy Barkley, Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Southwest NY Dairy, Livestock, Field Crops Team
- Don Wild, Wild Acres Family Farm and King’s Agri Seeds – WNY, Forage Management Service
- Bryan Nothdurft, Resource Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Topics to be discussed will include: pasture re-growth and grazing strategies to optimize pasture production, measuring pasture forage in paddocks, managing weeds in pastures, clipping strategies, providing water in the paddocks, pond development, and NRCS programs available to assist agricultural producers and landowners. Peer-to-peer conversations are encouraged in addition to the presentation agenda to incorporate attendees’ collective experiences into the discussion.
This Agriculture Program Pasture Walk 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.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County
