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As more Vermont dairy producers look to increase homegrown forage and reduce purchased feed costs, there has been an increased interest in corn and soybeans grown for grain in Vermont.
With the implementation of new crops come new challenges. Join UVM Extension for a workshop designed to provide
practical information on growing, harvesting, and storing grains, as well as the impact on water quality and soil health. This is the second workshop in an ongoing series related to grain production for dairy farms.

This meeting is a collaboration among three UVM Extension teams — Ag Business, Northwest Crops and Soils, and Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team. It is co-hosted by the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition.

Thursday
March 21, 2024
9:30 a.m. − 2 p.m.

The day’s agenda includes:

23 Pond Lane, Suite 300
Middlebury, VT 05753

Heather Darby and Northwest Crops and Soils team will discuss considerations on varieties of corn and soy
optimal for the Northeast.

Abby Augarten and Joshua Faulkner from the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture team will present
preliminary data on nutrient balances and the water quality impacts of growing soybeans.
A farmer panel comprised of producers who have integrated grain production into their operations will share
the knowledge they have gained.

This is a free event and lunch will be provided.  In the event of inclement weather, this workshop will be rescheduled to March 28. To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, contact Whitney Hull at 802-279-7517 or whitney.hull@uvm.edu by Friday, March 1, 2024 so we may assist you. Contact Whitney with program questions or for additional information.

Winter Farmer Meeting to be held 2024-03-06 in St. Albans Town.

To learn more, contact Hannah Mahar at hmahar@friendsofnorthernlakechamplain.org or 802-373-4156.  

Multiple potential locations have been identified, have not yet confirmed which one we would like to commit to.

Additional information:
The Winter Farm Meeting will bring together farmers from across Franklin County to hear from organizations working within their county, including FNLC, UVM Extension, and others. Topics will include water quality results from FNLC and Fitzgerald Environmental Consulting on their work in Rock River, updates from UVM Extension, and potentially others depending on availability.

NOFA-VT has organized the following event: Maintaining Fertile Grasslands through Climate-Smart Hayland Management to be held 2024-03-21 in Virtual/Online.

To learn more, contact Kevin Haggerty at kevin@nofavt.org or 9253036344.  

Additional information:
Dr. Jaime Garzon, Assistant Extension Professor and Forage Educator at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will talk about soil fertility in grasslands and climate-smart hayland management. After his presentation we will dive into farmer discussion on how you and your peers are managing your soil fertility. Originally from Colombia, Dr. Jaime Garzon got his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Animal Sciences from the National University of Colombia, working with cool and warm-season forages and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Later, he obtained a Ph.D. in Agronomy at the University of Florida, where he evaluated nutrient management and other ecosystem services from legume-grass pastures. Finally, Dr. Garzon became an Assistant Extension Professor and Dairy Forage Educator at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in 2022. His extension program seeks to develop and conduct educational outreach and applied research in the Maine dairy industry, emphasizing forage production, soil health, and regenerative pasture management.

https://nedairyinnovation.com/summit/

April 2-3, 2024 at the Marriott Albany in Albany, NY

Join us in April, when dairy farmers, processors, service providers, policy makers, and industry stakeholders from across the Northeast will come together to lead dairy into the next decade.

What does dairy look like in 10 years? We see a future dairy sector where:

• New systems and strategies lead to increasing profits and farm viability 
• Dairy leads the region on net-zero agriculture 
• Committed, talented people are excited to work across the sector and have access to training and jobs that support their growth 

At the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit, we’ll chart a strategic path forward to a resilient and thriving regional dairy sector.

With session tracks on workforce development, dairy farm innovation, processing expansion, and goat & sheep dairy, we’ll dig into the current challenges and opportunities in the Northeast. Through two days of workshops, conversations, and food, we’ll set a vision for the future of dairy, how we get there successfully, and what we gain when adopt new ideas and practices.

You’ll learn from farmers and processors who are leading the way with strategies that increase profits, build climate resiliency, and expand the dairy workforce. You’ll leave with new ideas to put into action, peer-to-peer connections, and strategies to build a more resilient dairy sector. 

Registration is open now, with discounted rates for dairy farmers, processors, and students.

Early Bird discount ends March 1. Register today for the best rate:

Register Today