Project Overview
FNE08-627
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2008: $9,315.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2011
Region: Northeast
State: Maine
Project Leader:
Gabe Clark
Cold Spring Ranch
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: general hay and forage crops, grass (misc. perennial), hay
- Animals: bovine
Practices
- Animal Production: feed rations, pasture renovation, winter forage, feed/forage
- Crop Production: no-till
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
- Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, agricultural finance
- Production Systems: integrated crop and livestock systems
Proposal summary:
The goal is to provide quantitative and qualitative information about no-till renovation of pastures and hayfields using a pasture plate meter and forage analysis to see what changes in pasture quality can be measured. The farmer will also investigate the nutrient and production characteristics of different forage species no-tilled into existing sod stands and will develop calibration equations that can be reliably referenced back to tons per acre across different types of pasture. Outreach will be through a field day, pasture walk, and an article in a grass farmers’ newsletter.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.