NRCS Grazing Specialists Report

NRCS Grazing Specialists Report Submitted by: Susan Parry, Dan Ludwig, Tim Elder, JB Harrold, Suzette Truax January 2016

Statewide Activities:  October 1, Project Grass Grassland Evaluation Contest, about 40 kids participated (all)  Develop a power point for the Pa horse expo on fencing (Truax)  Working with interns from Del Val to put together a train the trainer manual (Truax)  Working with Del Val interns to put together equine fact sheets (Truax)  Pasture Soil Health Card (Truax, Parry, Kraft)  NE Grazing Specialist vacant, to be posted/announced as Resource Conservationist  Susan Parry served on detail as Strategic Analyst October 13th – January 11th, 2016  NRCS State Office relocation: 359 East Park Drive, Suite 2 Harrisburg, PA 17111  10/20/15-NE SARE Silvopasture Project Field Day held; 25 attendees (Parry, Truax)  Attended CBF Grazing project meeting in MD; new CIG project to support grazing groups, technical training and outreach through Capital RC&D (Parry)  Pasture Soil Health Fact Sheets completed (NRCS)  Grazing Specialist meeting held- review of grazing planning guidance performed (all)  12/15- Attendance to National Grazing Conference and NRCS 2-day Training (Parry)  Planning for NEPC Conference, March 16-17, 2016 in Haraseeket, ME (Parry)  Planning for National Pasture NRI training in PA (Bloomsburg) in May 2016 (Parry/all)  Pasture Soil Health and Life in the Soil Video Series completed (Capital RC&D) Regional Reports: Planning/Technical Assistance: SE Region- Dan Ludwig  Beef Producer visits- Lebanon, Juniata, Northampton Co.  Bog Turtle Grazing Visit- Lancaster Co.  Bog Turtle Grazing I & E- Berks Co. SC Region- Suzette Truax  7 CTA/EQIP Equine grazing plans  1 CTA/EQIP Cattle grazing plan  8 field visits – needing plans NW Region- Tim Elder  Developed 19-grazing plans, in 9-counties covering 703 acres of pasture for beef, dairy, sheep, horses & goats  Follow-up with 5-producers for EQIP SW Region- JB Harrold  16 grazing plans written on 650 acres in eight counties  9 requests to write plans, 3 request for water system designs

1 Meetings/Trainings (please include meeting name, participant type and number of attendees): SE Region- Dan Ludwig  Feed Management by the Numbers, approximately 50 farmer attendees  PA Pasture Planning Tool Trainings- NE Field Teams 2, 3, 4, 5; NRCS and District Staff; approx. 30 staff SC Region- Suzette Truax  Horses 101 in Dauphin County NW Region- Tim Elder  10/7- Pasture Tool training CTO 1-student  12/9- Project Grass meeting mercer co., 20-attendees(12-farmers)  12/16-Potter county soil health (PSU), soil health, 30-attendees(20-farmers) TT, slake, aggregate stability SW Region- JB Harrold  Oct 13 SW Project Grass Field day in Indiana, about 50 attendees  Feb 11 SW Project Grass meeting, Grazing Plan Writing Training  Late Feb, early March producer meetings with KBMN and Untied Producers  March 17 NW Grazing Conference  April- SW Project Grass Bus Tour to Rick Young in Ohio. Stocker grazing.  May 12 SW Project Grass Field Day at Tom Ulrich Washington County  September 30, SW Project Grass Conference Fayette County

Additional activities/highlights: SE region- Dan Ludwig  Participated in USFWS Bog Turtle Meeting to discuss grazing for Biological Opinion revision. SC Region- Suzette Truax  Working with Elk/Jefferson (NW Region- Tim) to do equine/livestock pasture meetings NW Region- Tim Elder  Preplanning 2016 NW PA Grazing Conference SW Region- JB Harrold  Oct 16 Helped with the video at Tom Ulrich farm for the RC&D Grant