14th Annual Grazing & Livestock Conference: Farming for Modern Markets
Starts: January 22, 2010
Ends: January 23, 2010
Location: Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT
Featuring Brian Moyer, Executive Director Rural Vermont
Pre-conference workshops Friday, January 22, 2010 and main Conference Saturday, January 23, 2010
Online registration, by credit card, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or personal check will open mid November.
The conference is coordinated by the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture's Pasture Program.
Keynote speaker Brian Moyer will highlight the conference theme of Farming for the Modern Market, speaking to the changing economic times and how we are positioned locally to address these challenges. Mr. Moyer became the Executive Director of Rural Vermont9 in July of 2009. For the last six years he has served on the board of directors of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), for the last 2 years as the Vice President. He also served as Vice President and President of American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA). Mr. Moyer and his wife Holley have been farming for twelve years raising broilers, layers, turkeys, sheep, goats and pigs on the pastures of their 27-acre farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania. They marketed their farm fresh food at their farm, through CSAs and farmers markets, and to restaurants.
The schedule on Friday January 22 will include three day-long workshops, focusing on business planning, farm visits and a weed management intensive with nationally known animal behaviorist Kathy Voth. Ms. Voth is the founder of Livestock for Landscapes, LLC10 and provides consulting services for farms and ranches as well performing research on grazing livestock behavior. Her in-depth workshop will focus on teaching livestock to become weed managers, and each attendee will leave with an individualized plan. The main conference Saturday January 23 will offer over 30 workshops on sustainable livestock production, with topics such as pasture-based research, grazing season extension, soil fertility & productivity, local beef marketing, high quality hay production, transitioning dairy farms to rotational grazing, small ruminant parasite management, swine, poultry and more. A concurrent kids’ conference includes indoor and outdoor activities. Lake Morey Resort’s chefs will highlight the bounty and quality of local and grass-fed foods.
Contact: Jenn Colby
Phone: (802) 656-0858
jcolby@uvm.edu
http://www.uvm.edu/pasture