Winter Grazing Conference Planned for March 4

The Northwest Wisconsin Graziers Network, UW River Falls Forage Project and UW-Madison Extension would like to invite you to attend this year's winter grazing conference in Shell Lake from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 4.

The conference will be held at the Shell Lake Community Center, 200 West Lake Drive next to US Hwy 63, in Washburn County. The Community Center is less than a block east of Hwy 63 in center of town. Registration and the trade show will start at 8:30 a.m. The meal will be catered by Celebrations at the Gables, a local rural business.

This conference will continue our strong tradition of an informative and friendly networking environment to learn about grazing planning, bale grazing, finishing lambs on pasture, grazing ecology, predator control with sheep and a wolf management update.

The conference should be of interest to new farmers, part-time or full-time operators, low-income startups, graziers or non-graziers. Several agency and commercial exhibitors will be available to network with throughout the day.

Specific topics will include:

- Developing & Using your Grazing Plan. – Adam Abel, WI State Grazing Specialist, NRCS

- Bale Grazing Benefits – Jason Cavadini, Grazing Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Extension

- Finishing Lamb on Quality Pasture – Janet McNally, Tamarak Lamb & Wool, Hinckley, MN

- Grazing Ecology Case Studies - Stephen Thomforde, Senior Ecologist, Stantec, Minneapolis, MN

- "Native Grazed" and Ashly Steinke, Cadott, WI, Wetland restoration and Grazing

- Predator Control in Sheep & Goats – Janet McNally, Tamarak Lamb & Wool, Hinckley, MN

- Wolf Management Update – Eric Fromm, USDA-MRP-APHIS, Rhinelander, WI

Pre-registration for the conference is due by Feb. 28, cost is only $20 and includes lunch, refreshments and materials. Late registration is $30. For credit card pre-registration go online to our page, nwgn.org, or call Beth Bartol at 218-206-4351.

For more grazing information contact UW-Madison Extension, Kevin Schoessow, at Spooner Ag Research Station 715-635-3506; or NW Graziers, Lynn Johnson, 715-225-9882.