2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference

Here is a quick summary of our technical sessions for this year’s conference  The sessions are:

• The Do’s and Don’ts of Silvopasture,
• Pastured Pigs – Feed and Grazing Management,
• The Fescues – Soft-leaf and Meadow
• Pasture Soil Compaction- Identification and Remediation
• Getting the Most out of Winter Grazing by Forage Species Selection/Management and Grazing Management, and the
• Reliance Chesapeake Bay States are Placing on Pasture Management Practices for Achieving their TMDL Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
• Producer Showcase – Pasture-based farmers from VT and NH.

We also have a discussion session at the end where we solicit ideas from pasture-based farmers on what priority needs for research, education, and technical assistance they need to profit from pasture-based agriculture.  This is wide-ranging since not only do we need to produce enough products to keep the farm viable by making the most of the pasture resource, but we also need to have markets that are receptive to the products we produce on pasture.  This only happens through continued research, education, and technical assistance.  In one instance, it requires re-education as it relates to fat intake in the human diet – by health authorities, the press, and the public-at-large.  Newer research is casting doubt about the old bromides about saturated fat, in particular.