BURLINGTON, Vt. — The 2017 Summer Organic Dairy Series, which begins July 31, will focus on strategies for success with workshops planned at three Vermont farms.
Dairy producers will have an opportunity to hear from other farmers about their organic dairy production, pasture management and forages as well as their challenges and successes in transitioning from conventional to organic operations. Fairfield grazing consultant Sarah Flack and University of Vermont (UVM) Extension agronomist Dr. Heather Darby will be on hand at each event to lead discussions and answer questions.
The workshop series is sponsored by the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT). The fee per workshop is $20 for farmers, $30 for all others, and includes lunch from NOFA-VT’s Pizza Oven.
Preregistration is required with the deadline for each event 10 days in advance. Registrations will be accepted online at www.nofavt.org/ows.
All workshops will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dates and locations are as follows:
July 31–Organic Dairy Transition: Developing a Grazing System; Molly Brook Farm, 39 Cow Hill Rd., West Danville. This workshop will focus on how owners Rhonda and Miles Goodrich recently transitioned their farm to organic and how they developed a grazing system through new seeding of corn fields.
Aug. 30–Pasture Management: Recovery after a Drought; Beidler Family Farm, 821 South Randolph Rd., Randolph Center. This 145-acre farm, established in 1998, became a certified organic farm in 2000. Farmers will tour the farm with owners Regina and Brent Beidler to observe their irrigation system and seed trials of corn, spelt and summer annuals. They also will learn about the Beidlers’ management strategies for grass-fed pasture and the adaptations they have made to handle drought conditions.
Sept. 12–Organic Dairy Forage Management: Corn Silage and Weed Control; Miller Farm, 1732 Fort Bridgman Rd., Vernon. Farmer Peter Miller will share his experiences growing organic forages including production of organic corn silage and other forages, installation of the irrigation system and use of flame weeding tools for weed control. The farm is a fifth-generation family farm, currently milking 170 cows, that was converted to organic eight years ago.
Anyone requiring a disability-related accommodation to participate is asked to contact Susan Brouillette at (800) 639-2130(Vermont calls only) or (802) 524-6501, ext. 432, three weeks’ prior to the event.
–UVM Extension
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