West Virginia has long been known for the lush grass available for grazing by the livestock on our farms. Better managing available forages can extend the grazing season and reduce annual costs for feeding the beef cattle, sheep and goats that graze our pastures.
Braxton County livestock producers can learn more about grazing management at the March 20 meeting of the Braxton County Farm Bureau. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Flatwoods Community Building. Ben Goff, WVU Extension Agent in Jackson County will be the speaker.
Ben will discuss some of the common pitfalls producers make in grazing management and encourage them to develop a more comprehensive approach to achieve environmental and financial sustainability. Some of the specific topics will include plant physiology/development and their interaction with management decisions, the impact of stocking densities on grazing behavior and animal production, determining optimal and economical carrying capacities, and “putting it all together” with a successful grazing plan.
Ben is originally from Grafton, and was raised on a small cattle farm. He earned is BS in Agronomy from West Virginia University in 2007 before continuing his education and earning his MS from Iowa State University in Crop Production & Physiology and his PhD from the University of Kentucky in Crop Science. Ben currently serves as the Agriculture & Natural Resource Agent for Mason and Putnam Counties. Before coming to WVU, Ben was an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky and taught courses on forage management and statistics, while conducting research on improving the utilization of forage legumes in various cropping systems.
For more information, please contact Debbie Friend by calling the WVU-Braxton County Extension Office, 304-765-2809 or emailing [email protected]