Department of Animal Sciences

Events - Grazing Conference

Multi-Species Grazing Conference and Field Day:

Management to Achieve a Landscape Goal

 

On May 8, 2007 WSU Extension will host a multi-species grazing conference followed by a field day on May 9 in the Tri-Cities Washington area that focuses on using goats and cattle as a tool in an integrated approach to managing unwanted plant species commonly called noxious weeds.  Topics that will be covered by nationally recognized goat and cattle graziers include:

Goats feeding on Russian Olive
  • Management and marketing of meat goats
  • What you can accomplish with goats
  • Grazing and browsing principles
  • Fencing, water and mineral needs
  • Use of guard dogs
  • Contract vegetation management; fee grazing
  • Range monitoring
  • Creating wildlife habitat           


The Conference will be held in Richland, Washington at the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Room 216 of the Consolidated Information Center building located at 2710 University Drive - Richland, WA 99354.  The Field Day will be held at the Barker Ranch located at 85305 N. Snively Rd., W. Richland, Washington.    On both days registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., the program will start at 9:00 a.m. and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. 

Click on one of the links below for a list of nearby hotels:

The Barker Ranch, located near Richland, WA, is a 2,000-acre hunting ranch bordering the Yakima River that creates artificial wetlands to attract waterfowl.  It was the one of the sites used in a 3-year USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant funded study conducted by WSU Extension to evaluate the use of multi-species grazing (i.e., goats and cattle) in conjunction with mowing and herbicides to control invasive plants, such as Russian olive, bulrush and perennial pepperweed. 

Field Day topics will include on-the-ground demonstration of the following:


Speakers:


An Peischel, Tennessee State University Extension Goats and Small Ruminant Specialist, Nashville, TN

Roger Ingram, University of California Farm Livestock and Natural Resources Farm Advisor, Auburn, CA

Craig Madsen, owner of contract vegetation management company, Healing Hooves, LLC, Edwall, WA

Doug Warnock, Consultant/writer and former WSU Extension Livestock Agent, Walla Walla, WA

Michael Crowder, M.S. Wildlife Management and resident manager of Barker Ranch, W. Richland, WA

Amy Hummer, M.S. graduate student at WSU Tri-Cities, Richland, WA who worked on SARE Multi-Species Grazing project at Barker Ranch

Click one of the links below to access speaker biographical information:

Sponsors:

USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Washington State University Extension
Managing Change Northwest
Mid-Columbia Chapter of the Society of Range Management
Big Bend Resource Conservation and Development Council

Conference program (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)


8:30-9:00 a.m.: Registration – Andrea Mann

9:00-9:10 a.m.: Program introduction and logistics for Conference and Field Day—Don Nelson

9:10-10:10- a.m.: What you can accomplish with goats – An Peischel
                                               
10:10-10:55 a.m.: Grazing and browsing principles using goats – Roger Ingram

10:55-11:10 a.m.: Break

11:10-11:55 a.m.: Fencing, water, minerals and guard dogs – An Peischel

11:55-1:00 p.m.: Lunch (boxed lunch on-site)

1:00-1:30 p.m.: Russian olive control in a riparian area using multi-species grazing – Amy Hummer

1:30-2:15 p.m.: Goat marketing – Roger Ingram

2:15-3:00 p.m.: Observation and changes at Barker Ranch and Sprague Lake after 3-years of targeted grazing with goats – Craig Madsen, Healing Hooves, LLC

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Break

3:15-4:15 p.m.: Land EKG: A range monitoring technique – Doug Warnock

4:15-5:00 p.m.: Q & A/discussion
                       

Barker Ranch Field Day program:


8:30-9:00 a.m.: Registration – Andrea Mann

9:00-9:15 a.m.: Introduction, logistics and overview – Don Nelson

The following presentations/demonstrations will be made by the team of An Peischel, Roger Ingram, Craig Madsen, Doug Warnock and Michael Crowder:

 9:15-9:45 a.m.: Tour bulrush site

9:45 -10:15 a.m.: How to build and troubleshoot electric fence

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Break

10:30-11:15 a.m.: Construct electric fence and put goats in paddock

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Observe goats, discuss goat behavior and plants

12:15 –1:45 p.m.: Lunch – Car pool to and from W. Richland golf course for lunch 

1:45-2:15 p.m.: Russian olive control in a riparian area using multi-species grazing – Amy Hummer

2:15 -3:15 p.m.: Body condition scoring of goats and FAMACHA training (i.e., a visual technique developed in S. Africa to diagnose internal parasites)

3:15-3:30 p.m.: Break

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Range monitoring and browsing planning – Doug Warnock

4:30-5:00 p.m.: Question/answer session and closing activity

 

Registration Fees (Click here to register online)

  Individual Couple
Early Registration (By May 1st) $30 $50
Regular Registration (After May 1st) $40 $70
Conference ONLY $25 $40
Field Trip ONLY $25 $40

 

For additional information e-mail Don Nelson, WSU Dept. of Animal Sciences, at nelsond@wsu.edu or call 509/335-2922.

 

Department of Animal Sciences , 116 Clark Hall, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-6310
Phone: 509-335-5523, Fax: 509-335-1082, Email