Chris Teutsch: Old and Young Dogs Welcome

Old and Young Dogs Welcome

Chris Teutsch Univerity of Kentucky Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, Princeton, Kentucky

Everyone has heard the old saying “old dogs can’t learn new tricks”. I don’t believe it! We are all lifelong learners, although that learning seems to take a little longer as we age! This fall’s Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council’s grazing conference offers a prime opportunity for both old and new dogs. The theme of the conference is “Profitable Pastures from the Soil Up” and will feature two nationally known experts in soil ecology and grazing management. Conferences are being held in Leitchfield on October 26 and in Winchester on October 27. More information on the conferences and how to get registered can found on the UK Forages webpage under UPCOMING EVENTS or by contacting your local extension office. My soils colleagues and I always stress the importance of soil testing at meetings and fields days, and it is 100% true that we need a base level of soil fertility to support healthy and productive pastures. There is no question that balancing soil chemistry is crucial, but this approach alone fails to give livestock producers an appreciation for the life that is present in a healthy pasture soil and the role that this life plays in developing strong and robust nutrient cycles. Our first keynote speaker, Ray Archuleta, will share his passion for the living ecosystem that is present in a healthy pasture soil. Ray has more than 30-years of experience as a soil conservationist and educator. He will describe the organisms, big and small, that are present in the soil and role they play in healthy and productive pastures. Our second speaker is Dr. Les Anderson, an award-winning extension educator from the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Les will share both research and experience regarding the role of cow size in profitable grazing operations. Following this presentation, Dr. Greg Halich, from the Agricultural Economics Department at the University of Kentucky will discuss several “grazing myths” that can impact the profitability of ruminant livestock operations in the Commonwealth. Greg draws on not only his academic experience, but also practical hands-on experience from his own livestock operation. To round out the morning, the Dynamic Duo from Adair County, Nick Roy, extension educator and Fred Thomas, producer, will discuss a novel strategy for building soil fertility in times of high fertilizer prices. This strategy revolves around feeding hay in a manner that capitalizes on the nutrients and organic matter that it contains. Every ton of hay has approximately 40, 15, and 60 pounds of N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively. Following lunch, a producer panel and Forage Spokesperson Contest participants will share practical tips on how they keep their operations profitable, even when input prices are high and livestock prices are low. The conference will conclude with our second keynote speaker, who is is well known grazing circles, Jim Gerrish. Jim will discuss how to increase profitability by reducing your reliance on conserved forage. He worked for more than 20 years as an extension educator at the University of Missouri before moving into private consulting. He has a plethora of real-world experience to compliment the academic training that he received at the University of Kentucky. If there is one conference that you should go to this year, it should be this one! Two nationally known speakers with more than 70 years of experience between them and right here in our own backyard. I hope to see all of you old and young dogs at this fall’s conferences…there is still a trick or two to be learned!

FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS Kentucky Fencing Schools

Where: Lebanon and Manchester, KY When: November 1 and 3, 2022 More information at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/Events.

Pasture Walk with Greg Brann

Where: Adolphus, KY When: October 30, 2022 More information at https://gregbrann.com/wp-content/ uploads/2022/07/2022-pasture-walk-flyer-1.pdf.

FEATURED PUBLICATION

This month’s featured publication is: “Extending grazing and reducing stored feed needs” by Don Ball and others. You can access it by clicking on this link or visiting your local extension office.

FEATURED VIDEO

Extending Grazing: Getting Started by Chris Teutsch. Presentation was given as part of Year-Round Grazing-From Pasture Establishment to Grazing Management and Soil Health Workshop. January 25 and 27, 2018. University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD. Available on the KYForages YouTube Channel.

FENCING TIP

Avoid using metal t-posts in electric fencing applications. Metal T-posts are durable, easy to install, and cost competitive. Unfortunately, they are also dead grounds if the insulators fail. In contrast, posts constructed of wood, plastic or fiberglass have no or limited conductivity and will not result in fence failure is an insulator cracks or breaks.

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Feed hay and allow pastures to stockpile for winter grazing. • Do NOT harvest alfalfa fields. • Inventory forage and hay supplies and make plans to purchase any needed hay. • Remove livestock from sorghum-sudangrass pastures and pastures that contain johnsongrass prior to frost events. This will reduce chances of prussic acid poisoning. • Begin grazing winter annual once they are 6-8 inches tall and root systems are well anchored. • Utilize temporary electric fencing and solar chargers to more efficiently utilize winter annuals and stockpiled forage.