Raising Livestock Workshop Series

Our last class in this "Livestock Production" series on Monday, September 17 in Owego will cover regulations for selling and processing your livestock.  With Matt LeRoux, Ag Marketing Specialist.

Looking for something to do with your land? New York's Southern Tier is well suited for pasture-based livestock production. If you want to have animals and sell pasture-raised meats, this series of classes is for you. Learn from the experiences of other successful farmers, and from Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.

Preparing for Livestock: 

This first set of 2012 winter classes are at the county office building on 56 Main St, Owego, Tuesday evenings. Check for times below!

• Tuesday, February 7:  Planning for Livestock. Ten things to consider when choosing the animal species to raise on your land.  With Brett Chedzoy, CCE Schuyler County. 
• Tuesday, February 21: Soils and Stocking Rates.  Evaluate your soils, make improvements, and plan the appropriate size herd for your land base. With  Wendy Walsh, Tioga County Soil and Water District, and Heather Birdsall, South Central NY Livestock Specialist. 
• Tuesday, March 6:   Fencing, watering, and buildings.  Choose infrastructure that works for grazing both now and in the future.  With John Wickham, Upper Susquehanna Coalition, with Suzy Daubert, NRCS.
• Tuesday, March 20:  Pasture management and problems.  Fighting with mud and weeds in your pastures?.  Learn strategies to turn goldenrod into nutritious pasture, as well as sound grazing strategies.   With  Fay Benson, Cornell Grazing specialist.  
• Wednesday, April 4:   Good quality hay production.  

  Janice Degni, CCE Field Crops Specialist, will teach how to measure hay quality and choose the best time to harvest. Follow this with a tour of Side Hill Acres goat dairy, where they milk over 75 goats and make dairy products from cheese and fudge to bottled milk. LOCATION: Class starts at 5:00 at the Candor Ambulance Hall, 58 Main St, Candor. At 6:00 we'll move down the road to Side Hill Acres dairy (79 Spencer Rd, Candor) for the farm tour, hosted by owner and cheese-maker Rita Kellogg.

On-farm animal husbandry workshops:  

Come dressed for the weather and learn how farmers care for their animals, from feeding to parasite management and more. 5:30-7:30 pm

• Tuesday, April 18:  Raising Hogs. Kingbird Farm, 9398 W. Creek Road, Berkshire
• Tuesday, May 15:  Raising Beef. Twin Brook Farm, 304 Lainhart Road, Owego
• Tuesday, June 19:  Raising Sheep and Goats. Griffin's Nest, Tioga Center
• Tuesday, July 17:  Raising Pastured Poultry. Heritage Pastures, 2343 Stanton Hill Rd, Nichols
• Tuesday, August 21:  Caring for Horses. Twin Creek Stables, Lisle Road, Owego
• Monday, September 17:  6:00-8:00pm  Livestock Processing, Regulations for Selling, Business Plans.  At 56 Main Street, Owego.  To make money with livestock, you have to sell them. Learn how to navigate the regulations in NY, and how to plan for profit.  With Matt LeRoux, Ag Marketing specialist.

Cost per class is $10 per farm ($75 for the whole series) and includes light snacks and hand-outs. To register and for class details, call (607) 687-4020, or email mew58@cornell.edu

 

DATES

Tuesday August 21, 2012: 05:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Monday September 17, 2012: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM

FEE

$10/farm or $75/series

LOCATION

CCE-Tioga County
Tioga County Office Building
56 Main Street
Owego, New York 13827