PRINCESS ANNE — Year-round rotational grazing and new forages is the focus of an upcoming workshop at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday, Sept. 7. An all-day session begins at 9 a.m. in the Center for Food Science and Technology on the campus. An evening session starts at 5:30. Presenters will help participants put all the pieces together so they can leave with a clear understanding of the subject matter.

The participants will also receive CEU’s for conservation planning, with certification in an additional discipline pending.

The idea that producers have to use hay for feed during the winter because “that’s the way daddy always did it” is an outdated and costly way of raising animals, says Les Vough, forage agronomist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Our team will show that year-round rotational grazing is practical and that it can greatly reduce feed costs for livestock producers and horse owners.”

One of the featured speakers is Dr. Don Ball, who grew up on a farm near Owensboro, Ky. He attended Western Kentucky University and Auburn University, where he served as Extension forage crop agronomist from 1976 to 2011. He is an author of the popular book “Southern Forages” and numerous other articles and publications as well as a former president of the American Forage and Grassland Council. He is now professor emeritus at Auburn University and a consultant with the four Oregon Forage Seed Commissions.

Dr. Les Vough is a retired University of Maryland forage crops Extension specialist. Often referred to as “The Hay Guy,” Vough is recognized for his research and extension efforts in integrated management systems for improved hay as well as pasture production and utilization. He has written numerous publications on forage production, quality and utilization, including the popular University of Maryland Extension (UME) publication entitled “Evaluating Hay Quality.” He recently purchased a small farm in southcentral Pennsylvania, where he plans to practice year-round grazing, finishing beef and lamb on pasture and raising pastured poultry.

Other workshop presenters include Dr. Enrique Nelson Escobar, small ruminant production and management Extension specialist and interim associate Extension administrator for 1890 programs, UMES; Dr. Jarrod Miller, agricultural educator and soil specialist, UME; Dr. Terron Hillsman, Maryland state conservationist, USDA-NRCS; Shannon Dill, principal agent and marketing specialist, UME; and Eddie Draper, program manager and beef cattle specialist, Wye Angus Facility.

For more information about the New Concepts in Pasture and Grazing Management Workshop, contact Michele Howard at 410-651-6070 or by email at mlhoward@umes.edu. To register, visit pastureandgrazingmanagement.eventbrite.com. The registration fee, which includes educational materials and lunch for the full day session, is $20 per person. The fee for the evening session is $5 per person.

Workshop sponsors include University of Maryland Extension and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Small Farm Outreach Program.

— Suzanne Waters Street, M.B.A., is an agriculture communications specialist at UMES.