Pastured Livestock Farm School – Ohio

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Taylor in Animal Husbandry, Beginning Farmers, Farming Resources, Livestock, Training Programs // 0 Comments

The 2nd Annual Pastured Livestock Farm School will be held on April 21-22, 2018 at Pastured Providence Farmstead in Ohio

Who: Those who are considering starting a sustainable (or transitioning from a conventional) livestock operation
What: A 2-day, intensive educational and networking opportunity, including academic and hands-on sessions
When: April 21-22, 2018
Where: Chillicothe, OH
Why: To equip, inform, and empower current and future farmers for success in sustainable agriculture

These days, more and more people are actively seeking to source their meat from eco-friendly, humane, health conscious, local farms… with the tidal wave of consumer demand only now beginning to swell. We believe that “sustainable agriculture” is the way of the future, and we want to help farmers prepare themselves for a profitable future in their agricultural enterprise. Our Pastured Livestock Farm School targets those who are considering starting a sustainable (or transitioning from a conventional) livestock operation, and seeks to “equip both new and seasoned farmers for success in pasture-based animal agriculture”.

ACADEMIC TOPICS

Rotational, management-intensive, and mob grazing methods
Retail, wholesale, restaurant, and direct marketing opportunities
Website design, social media, online storefront options
Tools, equipment, infrastructure, fencing, farm layout and design
Digital and online tools to increase organization and efficiency
Budgeting, farm finances, appropriate data collection
Holistic animal healthcare, multi-species synergy
Business structures and planning, funding sources
Livestock breed selection, soil mapping, DIY hacks, and so much more

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

Tour entire farm and discuss/view equipment, barn, handling facilities
Rotate cattle/sheep “flerd” to fresh pasture, move temporary fence
Compare electric twine, rope, and netting systems, step-in posts, reels, etc
Move pastured broilers & free-range hens to fresh grass, feed woodlot pigs
“Work” baby lambs & calves (TBD, but the timing is right for lots of cuteness!)
Multiple networking opportunities to connect with other current and future farmers

You can check out www.pasturedprovidence.com/school for more detailed information. In addition, we have created a Facebook event that you can view here: https://www.facebook.com/events/322039338278801. Again, if you do see an opportunity for further partnership, please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email! I’d love to have your perspective, and please feel free to post and share as much as possible!

Learn about other Farmer Training Programs on beginningfarmers.org at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/beginning-farmer-training-programs/