Penn State Extension hosts Sheep and Goat Pasture and Grazing Management webinars

 

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – One of the most economical feed sources for sheep and goats in Pennsylvania is pasture. Good pasture and grazing management practices not only work together to meet nutritional needs, but also help to keep sheep and goats healthy. Find out more about these practices during the Sheep and Goat Pasture and Grazing Management webinars on September 8 and 15. 

 

“These webinars are a great way for producers to learn more about producing sheep and goats using pasture. Participants will gain some good tips on how to manage those pastures in order to prevent internal parasite problems in their animals,” said Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension livestock educator.

            

The September 8 webinar will include presentations on the importance of soil fertility and how it impacts pasture production, forage species selection, and grazing management practices that promote pasture production and animal performance.

 

The September 15 webinar will cover financial assistance for pasture systems, and how to keep sheep and goats healthy on pastures and fall management tasks to prepare pasture for winter. 

 

Both webinars start at 7:00 p.m. and will conclude at 9:00 p.m.

 

Alongside of Barkley, speakers at the event will include Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension livestock educator, and J.B. Harrold, Natural Resources Conservation Service grazing specialist. 

 

There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested by September 7. Register at https://extension.psu.edu/pasture-and-grazing-management or call 877-345-0691. 

 

For more information, you can contact Melanie Barkley at the Penn State Extension Bedford County office via (814) 623-4800 or meh7@psu.edu. 

 

About Penn State Extension

 

Penn State Extension is a modern educational organization, dedicated to translating scientific research into real-world applications to drive progress. In support of Penn State's land-grant mission, extension programs promote a vibrant food and fiber system, a clean environment and a healthier population for Pennsylvania and beyond.

 

Penn State Extension serves individuals, businesses and communities, helping them address problems and realize opportunities through a robust portfolio of educational programs, products and services. With support from federal, state and county governments, the organization has a tradition of bringing unbiased information and support to the citizens of Pennsylvania for more than 100 years.

 

Facing Farm Financial Stress: Series shows life cycle of a farm bankruptcy

By Sarah Cato, U of A System Division of Agriculture 

Fast facts: 

 

• Farm bankruptcies increased by 23 percent from March 2019 to March 2020 

 

• Bulletin series from NALC designed to help farm families understand each phase of the bankruptcy process Series can be found at https://bit.ly/30NXsvw 

 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Unforgiving weather patterns, trade disputes and low commodity prices have become the perfect storm for financial distress in the agricultural community, with family farm bankruptcies rising 23 percent for the 12 months from March 2019 to March 2020, compared with the previous 12 months. 

 

The deeper story is that the annual rate is merely the most recent of five consecutive years of high Chapter 12 filings. According to a report released this year by the American Farm Bureau, the 627 Chapter 12 filings in the 12 months ending March 2020 account for the third-highest total over the last 20 years. Only 2011 and 2003 saw a higher number. 

 

 “A farming or fishing family can face rising debt for a number of reasons,” Peggy Hall, associate professor and director of the Agricultural and Resource Law Program at Ohio State University, said. “Uncontrollable factors like down markets, weather impacts, a death in the family, medical issues, and a host of unforeseen circumstances could be factors.” 

 

To help farm families fully understand the bankruptcy option, the National Agricultural Law Center has published a bulletin series authored in partnership with Hall and her colleagues at Ohio State University Extension. The series, titled “Facing Farm Financial Stress: An Overview of the Bankruptcy Option,” walks producers through each stage of the bankruptcy process. From first considerations, to court preparation, to recovery, the series takes a look at the entire life-cycle of a farm bankruptcy. 

 

“It’s important to note that the 2019-2020 figures are pre-pandemic,” Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, said. “There’s little doubt that economic disruptions from COVID-19 will not help farmers already in a struggle for their lives. “This resource will be helpful to the many farm families who have been struggling and are reviewing their options,” he said. “By covering each step of the process, this publication will help producers decide if the bankruptcy option is the right fit for their situation.” 

 

The series can be found at https://bit.ly/30NXsvw. For more information on the National Agricultural Law Center, visit https://nationalaglawcenter.org/ or follow @Nataglaw on Twitter. About the National Agricultural Law Center The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. 

 

The Center works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community. The Center is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

Kentucky Summer Forage Tour set for Aug. 6

A local family beef farm will be the hosting site for the 2020 Western Kentucky Summer Forage Tour. Palmer Farms Beef, located in Almo, Ky. near Murray, is owned and operated by Michael and Stacie Palmer and their three children. The Palmer’s GRASS finish and retail approximately 40 head of beef cattle per year. The Palmers’ forage system is based on both cool- and warm-season annual and perennial forages with the goal of providing high quality grazing year-round. Two key forage species in their system are annual ryegrass and crabgrass, grown in rotation. Tour stops and topics will include crabgrass as forage; annual ryegrass for grazing and silage; producing and marketing high quality grass finished beef; increasing productivity with summer annual grasses and legumes; managing perennial pastures; endophyte in tall fescue, grass finishing, fencing for controlled grazing, and more. The tour will be held rain or shine from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 6, 2020, at Palmer Farms in Almo. Registration will take place at 3 p.m. with the tour beginning at 4 p.m. The cost is $10 per person at the door to cover the farm tour, a dinner and a bluegrass band. There is no cost for students. Preregistration is required and will be limited. The walking tour includes a total route length of approximately 1.5 miles. Limited transportation will be provided on a first come, first serve basis for those unable to walk the tour route. Palmer Farms is located at 2629 Hickory Grove Rd. in Almo. Registration is available online at https://wkyforagefieldday2020.eventbrite.com or by contacting Carrie Tarr-Janes, University of Kentucky Master Grazing Coordinator, at carrie.tarr-janes@uky.edu or by phone at (270) 963-8351. For more information on this tour and other forage and livestock related events, visit http://forages.ca.uky.edu or contact Tarr-Janes.

USDA Announces Initial Purchase of Vaccine for National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the initial purchase of vaccine for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). APHIS will invest $27.1 million in foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, which the Agency would use in the event of an outbreak to protect animals and help stop the spread of disease. “While we are confident we can keep foot-and-mouth disease out of the country, as we have since 1929, having access to vaccine is an important insurance policy,” said Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “Vaccines could be an important tool in the event of an incursion of the disease in the U.S, but their use will depend on the circumstances of the incursion and require careful coordination with the affected animal industries.” Vaccination helps control the spread of infection by reducing the amount of virus shed by animals and by controlling clinical signs of illness. While an outbreak would temporarily disrupt international markets, vaccination would allow animals to move through domestic production channels. Foot-and-mouth disease is not a threat to public health or food safety. It is also not related to hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is a common childhood illness caused by a different virus. The NAVVCB is one component of a three-part program established by the 2018 Farm Bill to comprehensively support animal disease prevention and management. The new U.S.-only vaccine bank—a concept APHIS officials have long discussed with stakeholders and industry—makes a much larger number of vaccine doses available than we currently have through the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank. APHIS will continue to participate in the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank, and this new program adds to the nation’s level of protection against this devastating disease. In the event of an outbreak, animal health officials would decide when, where and how to use the available vaccine, based on the circumstances of the outbreak. More information about these programs is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/farmbill.

Virtual Vet Science Camp gives youth a peek into the profession

Virtual Field Day: Choosing the Best Forage Variety

There are some upcoming forage related programs coming up that I wanted to make you aware of, sorry for the short notice on the first one. They can all be found, and more at the UK Forge event web page: https://forages.ca.uky.edu/Events. The events are scheduled, If you are interested in forage or are thinking about renovating a pasture, the field day tomorrow would be a good one to attend.

Plan to attend the upcoming KFGC/UK Virtual Field Day from the comfort of your home. Although we are all looking forward to in-person field days in the near future (hopefully), for now KFGC and UK specialists are working hard to find alternatives to deliver important information. The virtual field day will include a video tour of the UK Forage Variety Test plots managed by Gene Olson. We will show the performance of varieties of tall fescue, orchardgrass, red and white clover, alfalfa and many other forage species. The field day will include presentations by UK specialists on how to choose the best varieties for you farm and your individual hay fields and pastures. To join the field day use the following link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/6435014290.

 

September 8, Kentucky Grazing School Woodford County

 

October 27, 28, 29 – Kentucky Grazing Conference, Conference is one day, but at three locations: Winchester, Elizabethtown, and Wester KY.

 

Ken Andries

 

Ken Andries, Ph.D.

Interim Director of Graduate Studies

Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment

Associate Professor, Animal Science

College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment

Kentucky State University

CEB 105/113

Office: 502-597-5094

Cell: 502-229-8719

e-mail: Kenneth.andries@kysu.edu

You’ve Goat This: Wisdom to Get You Through the Good, Baaad, and Everything in Between

You’ve Goat This:

Wisdom to Get You Through the Good, the Baaad, and Everything in Between

Featuring Heartwarming Photos of the Adult and Baby Goat Stars—Guaranteed to Give Everyone in the Family a Big Smile!

Given the stressful times we’re living in, it’s no surprise that adorable animal photos are in high demand. But while puppies and kittens have little to add, good-natured goats have it all and can teach us to take life by the horns! With their philosopher’s beards, stately horns, and outgoing charm, these versatile animals know that working hard is just as important as cuddling up. Whether they are hopping up the peaks of mountains, through the treetops, or onto the backs of cows, goats are natural masters of balance, famed for their brains, brawn, and bawdy good humor.

In You’ve Goat This: Wisdom to Get You Through the Good, Baaad, and Everything in Between (Apollo Publishers; June 9; Hardcover: $17.99/ISBN: 978-19480-6250-3), the wily, lovable stars of the Instagram sensation Goats Gone Grazing Acres (38,500 followers) are featured in vibrant, smile-inducing full-color photos taken on their Kentucky farm, along with inspirational quotes on everything from health, romance, family, and work to finding yourself and learning to stop being riddled by your human insecurities.

The book, sure to brighten any darkened day, brims with:

• Photos divided into chapters such as: Ewe Can Do It!, Thinking Outside the Barn, The Udder Half, and much more!
• Quotes from the likes of Joan Rivers (“I don’t exercise. If God wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor.”), Blake Lively (“It’s the choice you have to wake up every day and say, “There’s no reason today can’t be the best day of my life.”), Mr. T (“I pity the fool who just gives up.”), and many more!
• 200 photos of goats paired with motivating quotes on staying true to yourself and living life to the fullest.

GOATS GONE GRAZING ACRES, based in Western Kentucky, is a small, loving goat farm run by former city folk Jessi and Josh Pottebaum. They opened their doors in 2009 with two goats, Suzie Q and Sophie Lou, and now care for 54 goats, whose pictures have gone viral on Instagram (@goats_gone_grazing_acres) and been featured in Buzzfeed and Mashable.