Finger Lakes Grazing Advocacy Program

Finger Lakes Grazing Advocacy Program

Summary

The primary purpose of the Finger Lakes Grazing Advocacy Program is to initiate a pilot grazing advocacy project by contracting with consultants knowledgeable in the principles of prescribed grazing and conservation planning. Presently local, state and federal conservation/environmental programs are continually experiencing decreases in their respective budgets. Therefore, these agencies/organizations have limited ability to provide technical assistance to the livestock
industry and more specifically grazing farms.

Under the direction of the Finger Lakes RC&D Council,Inc. a regional non-profit 501C.3 organization, the Finger Lakes Grazing Advocacy Program allows for the more efficient use of local, state, federal, and private services resulting in the development of grazing plans and the installation of Best Management Plans associated with prescribed grazing. Regional representatives of Cornell Cooperative Extension in collaboration with the private consultants and other agency personnel have been able to conduct seminars, pasture walks, and field days that have emphasized prescribed grazing.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. make 125 contacts with new graziers

   coordinate a minimum of 30 pasture walks with an average of 15 attendees for a total of 450 participants

   conduct 9 grazing seminars/workshops with an average of 35 people for an attendance of 315 participants

   make 200 farm follow up visits

   prepare 45 grazing plans with an average of 65 acres of pasture/plan totaling 2925 acres
   install BMPs on a minimum of 10 farms with grazing plans

   take 50-60 forage samples over two growing seasons

   prepare 24 articles on grazing, dairy nutrition and management for submission to the
   local media and Country Folks

   establish one in the field demonstration plot with side by side comparisons of management techniques per year

   establish and maintain a database of landowners in the Finger Lakes Region that are interested in grazing.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. grazing advocates have made 110 contacts with new graziers

   14 pasture walks have been held with 200 attendees averaging 14.3 people/pasture walk

   5 workshops or seminars held with 290 attendees which is an average of 58 people/event

   299 farm follow-up contacts made

   36 grazing plans have been completed and distributed by the grazing advocates

   best management practices such as fencing (interior & perimeter); laneway improvement;
   livestock watering systems; well, pasture improvements, and brush management have
   been installed on 25 livestock farms

   48 forage samples have been taken and analyzed

   35 articles have been written on grazing, dairy nutrition and dairy management

   2 half acre demonstration plots have been established

   Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Area Dairy and Field Crops Team for Cortland,
   Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties is maintaining the landowner
   database.

   Due to illness Grazing Advocate John Wildeman was forced to resign from this project. His deliverables have assigned to the Steuben County Soil & Water District as well as Cornell University’s Notheast NY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team. This modification was approved by David Holm on July 15, 2003.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The project sponsor, Finger Lakes RC&D Council, Inc. continues to be extremely pleased with the progress which has been made since the inception of this SARE grant. Local NRCS, Cooperative Extension, and Soil & Water Conservation District offices are referring new and established graziers to the grazing advocates for assistance in developing grazing plans. Consequently the advocates are providing a quality product which can be used by the partnering agencies to expedite the installation of Best Management Practices on grazing farms throughout the Finger Lakes Region.

To date, BMPs such as interior and perimeter fencing, livestoock watering systems, laneways, seedings and pature improvement have been completed on 25 livestock farms. The grazing plans completed by the Grazing Advocates have proven to be extremely valuable as they are being used as the foundation for implementing BMPs that have been funded through the NYS Enviromental Protection Fund and USDA’s Agricultural Management Assistance Grants.

Through this collaborate effort, information on grazing and dairy/livestock management is being disseminated through regularly held pasture walks and grazing workshops. Requests for technical assistance from graziers are no longer being buried on the desks of overworked/underfunded agency personnel but are being serviced in a timely fashion. Names of graziers who have been contacted by the advocates,are now being incorporated into databases that can be accessed for future state or federal grant applications.

The project’s outreach efforts have allowed for the sharing of information collected through forage samples, on-site demonstrations, and pasture walks that have provided opportunities for farmer-to-farmer dialogues. Although many of the project’s performance targets have already been exceeded, the Finger Lakes RC&D Council fully expects to easily exceed the project goals. Such success will continue to allow local S&WCD, NRCS, and CCE personnel to use private sector assistance that can result in the implementation of environmentally sound and economically efficient conservation practices.

The Finger Lakes RC&D Council building upon its success demonstrated through this project has discussed with NRCS the possibilities of continuing this Grazing Advocacy project. If approved by NRCS in New York funding for this initiative would be provided through the USDA’s Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative.

Other RC&D Councils throughout New york State have looked at this project with envy and hope to emulate it with GLCI funding via NRCS.

Collaborators: