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WI Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative |
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Summary of the Proposals
Modules, Mentoring and Management: Building
on the North Central Grazers" Success
Summary: This project will focus grazing education
on farmers in North Central Wisconsin. The program will target farmers
who are new to grazing and those who are already members of the North Central
Grazers Network. Funds will help the project staff develop learning modules
for grazers at various levels of the grazing learning curve, establish
a mentoring program between experienced and beginning grazers, develop
a newsletter and a grazers handbook, and work with lending libraries to
make grazing resources easier to obtain.
Moving Beyond the Basics of Managed Grazing
Summary: This project will provide grazing
education for farmers in South and East Central Wisconsin. The project
will establish two demonstration farms, one to highlight the use of native
grasses and one to investigate the ecological and economic advantages of
cattle reducing woody vegetation and reed canary grass along a stream.
The project will host a number of pasture walks and a winter meeting.
Promotion of the Implementation of Management
Intensive Grazing
Summary: This project will support ongoing
grazing education efforts in Marathon and Lincoln Counties. In addition
to pasture walks and winter meetings staff will provide one-on-one planning
assistance for farmers doing grazing. The project will also educate local
agribusiness professionals and lenders about grazing.
Coulee Grazer's Managed Intensive Grazing Education
Program
Summary: This project will conduct 8 pasture
walks, 6 grass series walks, 6 winter meetings, two grazing workshops and
direct one-on-one assistance for current and beginning grazers in Buffalo,
Jackson, La Crosse and Monroe Counties.
Gearing up for Grazing in Sauk County
Summary: This project will coordinate with
MATC-Reedsburg to conduct a beginning grazing training class. The project
will also assist the Sauk County Grazers network conduct pasture walks
and educate the general public about the benefits of grazing via presentations
to community groups in Sauk County.
One-on-One Till It's Done: Grazing Education
in Central Wisconsin
Summary: This project will provide grazing
education for farmers in the River Country RC&D area. Major objectives
include one-on-one assistance for 20 beginning grazers and 5 current grazers,
and coordination of 8 pasture walks with help from the Chippewa Grazers
Network. The project will also host a site for a satellite program on beginning
grazing (Program provided by the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers)
and provide educational materials and some level of support for 25 other
farmers interested in grazing.
Successful Transitioning from Confinement Dairying
to Intensive Grazing
Summary: This project will host a series of
Winter meetings for 40 confinement dairy farmers. The project will also
host four pasture walks on farms belonging to participants at the Winter
meetings. Participants will have an opportunity to develop #528 Prescribed
Grazing Plans.
Plan and Promote Statewide Educational Activities
for New and Existing Grazers
Summary: This project will primarily help
fund a coordinator for GrassWorks a statewide grazing association. The
coordinator will help organize the 2002 Wisconsin Grazing Conference and
assist Glasswork as it transitions itself into a dues paying membership
organization. This position will also help Grass Works carry out its educational
mission to "facilitate the exchange of information among grass farmers."
School for Beginning Dairy Farmers: Streaming
Internet Outreach
Summary: This project will develop and offer
a UW College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Short Course on Grazing via
the internet. The project hopes to reach 50 beginning grazers through the
15 week course.
Central Wisconsin Grazers
Summary: This project will help strengthen
the Central Wisconsin Beef Grazing Association. Major activities will include
3 grazing workshops and 7 pasture walks.
Expanding prescribed Grazing in East-Central
Wisconsin
Summary: This project will attempt to establish
a grazing network in East-Central Wisconsin. Major activities will include
formation of a committee to develop a plan for the formation of a grazing
network, 3 pasture walks, and one-on-one assistance for farmers interested
in learning more about grazing.
Farmer to Farmer No-Till Demonstrations &
Mentoring to Promote Grazing on Small Farms
Summary: This project will demonstrate the
cooperative use of a no-till drill among current grazers to help establish
and renovate pastures.
Upper Midwest Grazing Conference
Summary: This project will support a tri-state
grazing conference for farmers from the driftless area or Wisconsin, Iowa,
and Illinois.
Grass and Clover ID Pocket Booklet for Graziers
Summary: This project will develop a pocket
booklet to help grazers identify grass and clovers and other legumes.