MONTPELIER — The 25th Annual Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference will take place virtually on January 14-16, 2021. This year’s theme is As Above, So Below: Taking Stock of What We See, To Care for All We Grow. The conference will address practical land-assessment skills and specific on-farm management practices by highlighting the thriving ecosystems inherent to well-managed agricultural lands. Using an online platform brings these presentations right to the kitchen table, facilitating conversations and shared experiences among farmers, service providers and interested neighbors. Jenn Colby of the UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture states, “Farmer-to-farmer connection is an essential part of the conference, and this year’s format enables participants to meaningfully engage with each other in a new way.” Online presentations, question-and-answer sessions, and keynote conversations will be available to conference goers in a user-friendly online format.
Conference Dates: January 14 – 16, 2021
Location: Virtual
Registration : https://2021vtgrazelivestock.eventbrite.com
General Information: https://www.vtgrassfarmers.org/2021_conference/
Agenda : https://www.vtgrassfarmers.org/2021_conference/2021-conference-agenda/
Speaker List : https://www.vtgrassfarmers.org/2021_conference/conference-speakers/
Our keynote speakers, Nicole Masters and Jonathan Lundgren, are each world-renowned agroecologists. They will join local experts in a unique conversational format, framing Nicole and Jonathan’s international experience through the lens of New England’s challenges. Nicole Masters speaks on Friday, January 15th about the intricately woven relationship between below-ground activity and what happens above-ground with resilience, climate, plant and animal health, profit and human wellness. On Saturday, January 16th Jonathan Lundgren talks about his work reimagining agriculture using ecological principles, based on independent, farmer-driven research. He and his team work to make regenerative agriculture a standard for food systems.
The conference is aimed at helping farmers make informed management decisions, reduce risk and thrive! Presentations and farmer panels over the three days will cover a wide variety of topics, each with practical applications ready to be used on any farm. Discussions will include livestock guardian animals, practical pasture assessment, no-cost/low-cost 4 season watering systems, insect impact, grazing essentials, forage analysis, slaughter bottlenecks, electro-net repair, silvopasture and so much more. “We are excited by the challenge and opportunity to host this conference online. The technology gives us the chance to bring together a phenomenal group of speakers and any farmer with an internet connection,” says Meghan Sheradin of Vermont Grass Farmers Association.
The 25th Annual Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference is co-hosted by Vermont Grass Farmers Association and the UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Registration and full program available at https://2021vtgrazelivestock.eventbrite.com
–Vermont Grass Farmers Association
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