NEERA1603: Northeast Pasture Consortium

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

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[01/01/1970] [04/19/2018] [01/01/1970] [03/01/2020]

Date of Annual Report: 01/01/1970

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/02/2017 - 03/03/2017
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2015 - 09/30/2016

Participants

Participants Attachment:

2017 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference Attendee List.doc

Brief Summary of Minutes

Seventy-eight people attended and participated in the Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference held at the Hager Hall Conference Center in Hagerstown, Maryland on May 2 and 3. It was the first time in our 21 years that we held our conference jointly with a co-sponsor. We teamed up with the Maryland Cattlemen's Association this year. We thank Dr. Scott Bario, Executive Vice President, Maryland Cattlemen's Board of Directors, and Dr. Les Vough, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland, for all their efforts to promote and organize the Conference with us this year.

Our Conference theme was From Pasture to Table - Grass Fed Livestock Production of Meat and Milk and Its Preparation - Their Effects on Fatty Acid Composition and Human Health. We had human nutritionists and dieticians primarily from USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD give us the latest findings on pasture-fed and -finished ruminant derived fatty acids (FA's) content in meat and milk and their effect on human health. We also had food chemists from the Wyndmoor, PA Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit of ARS tell us that pasture-fed dairy cow's milk has a unique fatty acid composition that is not easily replicated by confinement fed cow's milk. The dairy rations of the two do not have the same precursor fatty acids in the feedstuffs unless the total mixed rations given confinement dairy cows are especially formulated to increase oleic acid content. Omega-3 FA and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are much higher in pasture produced milk. Both FA's have beneficial health properties. They also told us what effects milk processing has on those fatty acids. Both meat and milk from pastured livestock have a more healthful fatty acid composition, and in the case of meat, it is leaner (less fat). We had three other researchers from around the Nation (MO, OK, & VT) talk about how to produce the best fatty acid composition in meat and milk while the livestock are on pasture. Most grain concentrates fed to pastured livestock reduce the amount of beneficial FA's, such as omega-3, and increase omega-6 in their meat and milk. Americans tend to consume too much omega-6 in their diet which leads to an unhealthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio well above 4, considered to be the upper limit for best cardiovascular health. Interestingly enough, cooking meat does little to change the fatty acid composition of the raw meat. Fat actually becomes more concentrated as the meat loses moisture. The ARS food chemists have found little change in the milk fat composition when the milk is pasteurized. However, reducing the fat content in milk by skimming takes out the more healthy fats along with the less healthy ones.

We also had a session where an Extension Specialist and a Soil and Water Conservation District Grazing Specialist, respectively, told farmers how to plan a grazing management system using a new user-friendly computer program and ration rotational pasture forage using a fill-in-the-blank grazing chart during the grazing season. Preseason planning and then tracking pasture growth and availability during the pasture season keeps the needed amount of fresh grass before the livestock for the longest time. This is essential to maintain the favorable fatty acid composition in the meat and milk produced while the livestock are on pasture. With some extra planning and effort, the grazing season can often be extended.

A session on Mob Grazing was also presented. This grazing practice may actually be detrimental to producing beneficial FA's in meat and milk since livestock are usually stocked on very mature grass. As grass matures, it has less of the required precursor plant FA's. It is best suited for beef cow/calf operations. Milking herds and beef cattle, sheep, and goats being finished on pasture should be stocked on lush, green pastures. Mob grazing of milking herds is done on young, vegetative grass. It is actually a form of break grazing where the herd is confined to a small pasture area and then moved frequently as forage in the grazed area reaches 70% utilization. This was discussed at a previous NEPC Conference. The same can be done when finishing livestock for slaughter, but it requires close management and additional labor. Forage intake cannot be restricted for very long due to the lack of enough grass for the animal to get a full bite each time without hurting milk production or weight gain.

Early Thursday evening after the afternoon conference program, Gary and Betty Burley, East Hill Farms, Warsaw, NY, hosted a raw milk cheese tasting party. They produce this cheese from their dairy cows' milk.

The Thursday evening Producer Showcase ran from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Dr. Scott Barao, who manages Hedgeapple Farm for the Jorgensen Family Foundation, Inc., presented a very informative program about "Producing and Marketing Grass-Fed and Finished Beef in a Profitable and Sustainable Way". He was very keen on making sure that their beef was of excellent quality and priced to return a profit. The second speaker of the evening was Mr. Mark Seibert, owner and operator of Clear Spring Creamery. It is a dairy farm that processes, packages, and sells dairy products from the milk produced on the farm. The title of his presentation was: "Clear Spring Creamery: A Grass-Based Dairy Where Grass and Milk Never Tasted Better". It is a small farm with 40 milking cows. Mark takes a very unconventional way of caring for his milk cows such as outwintering the herd, keeping calves on their mother's milk longer than most dairy farmers do, and milking only once daily. They bottle their milk in plastic containers and also produce a drinkable yogurt, cheese, and smoothies. They sell their products at farmer's markets around Maryland.

A Conference Proceedings will be published later this year to make more people aware of the newer nutritional science as it relates to confinement or pasture-raised meat and milk.

Two sessions were devoted towards determining research, education, and outreach needs of pasture-based livestock farming. In the first session held on Thursday, March 2, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, Executive Committee member, Ms. Susan Parry, USDA-NRCS State Grassland Conservationist for PA,

reviewed the 2016 Farmer Survey responses that they gave on pasture management issues where they expressed a need for further research or additional education and technical assistance to overcome shortcomings in managing their pastures and livestock. The top challenges that they faced were grouped into four categories:

Vegetation Management - Range of issues from consistent forage availability throughout the grazing season to forage balance, weed control, low forage yields, and weather influences,

Infrastructure - Fencing (#1) maintenance and costs, watering facilities,

Soil Fertility/Health - soil acidity, low organic matter, nutrient deficiencies, lack of soil life, and

Livestock Health - Parasites, fly control, and transitioning them to pasture from confinement;

When they were asked, "What can NEPC do?" the following responses were given:

Condense research and technical knowledge to make available to constituents (website, fact sheets, research summaries),

Facilitate linkages and communication regarding farmer mentoring, by way of website: grazingguide.net, and

Connect other sources of assistance such as grazing networks and agency support.

Research ideas from the survey were:

Grazing economics and farm transition from crop to pasture issues,

Livestock species selection for the NE - cost, health, pest resistance,

Small-scale farm logistics - infrastructure, pasture renovations, equipment issues,

Market research- develop online tools for buying/selling livestock/product, identify local/regional gaps in food supply for pasture-based products,

Using “regenerative grazing” and agroforestry techniques to reclaim lands,

Innovative grazing techniques: multi-species grazing, silvopasture, high-stock density grazing (mob grazing), and

Creating “common space” grazing lands…working together to get more bang for the buck!

At the second session held on March 3 that ran from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM, we reviewed the top five research and education priority needs established by the Northeast Pasture Consortium at our 2016 conference. They were:

Transfer of knowledge and information to increase adoption of research findings within the agriculture community (explore new methods),

Impacts of livestock grazing riparian areas on stream water quality versus streambank livestock exclusion,

Research problems with orchardgrass persistence,

Parasite issues for pastured small ruminants, especially given climate change and possibly a longer, warmer grazing season, and

Further research in meat and dairy products regarding nutrition.

Using flip charts to record additional research and education priority needs, the following needs were identified:

Methods for informing consumers; funding to support it and NEPC; Cooperative Extension may be a method for information/research and technology transfer and distribution;

Monetizing Soil Health: ecological resources, relative to nutrient levels in soil; ecosystem services?

YouTube outreach; website resources and links;

Knowledge needed to help farmers meet new Ag Practices/Regulations and funding to install required practices;

Genetic influences on product nutrient values, mineral and nutrient uptake; Breed selection recommendations for the NE states;

Consumer education materials from check-off organizations (Beef and sheep); collaborate with them to get resources out;

Educate regulators and legislators on farm practices' impact on environment (state and federal).

The business meeting of the NEPC was abbreviated this year in order to present a very thorough conference program and prioritize the research and education needs going forward. It was presided over by Executive Director James Cropper. Dr. Margaret Smith addressed the conference attendees Thursday afternoon at the start of business meeting, 4:30 PM, via Skype. Dr. Smith's teaching schedule at Cornell University precluded her being at the Conference in person. She congratulated the Executive Committee for another fine conference program and roster of presenters. She went on to describe our Consortium as being a project of the Northeast Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA). We are designated as a Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group. We are in our first year of another 5-year extension as an active project of NERA approved by the Directors last year. She is very proud of our accomplishments since she became our Administrative Advisor. We have been advancing the science of pasture-based livestock farming now for 21 years by collaborating with scientists at the member universities and USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Extension forage and livestock specialists, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service grazing lands specialists, pasture-based farmers, and agribusiness people involved in agronomic and animal husbandry issues or processing the products produced on pasture.

Mr. Cropper opened up the floor for nominations for two members-at-large to fill vacancies left by outgoing Executive Committee members, Public Sector - Dr. Les Vough and Private Sector, Ms. Diane Schivera. Mr. A. Fay Benson, Cornell University, was nominated to be public sector member-at-large. He accepted the nomination. Motion was made to close the nominations. The motion was seconded and accepted by an unanimous vote of the Consoritum membership. Mr. Angus Johnson reported that the Private Sector had not come up with a new private sector member-at-large when they met for lunch. He asked that we postpone any nomination at the conference and allow the private sector members to find a new member-at-large at a later date. In the interim, Ms. Schivera agreed to stay on the Executive Committee until that person was nominated and approved by the Executive Committee.

Mr. Cropper thanked Dr. Les Vough for his service on the Executive Committee as he had been a valuable member on the Committee for the past four years. Mr. Cropper was especially pleased with Dr. Vough suggesting that we hold our Conference with the Maryland Cattlemen's Association in 2017, arranging to have Dr. Barao work with us on the conference location and venue and handling the registration, and promoting the Conference by writing news articles and contacting other news media with information about our Conference. Mr. Cropper also thanked Ms. Diane Schivera for her very helpful 4 years as a member of the Executive Committee. She had represented the State of Maine and small ruminant producers. Her interest in parasite control in small ruminants led to our having research and education needs on that issue and reports from animal scientists at conference technical sessions during her tenure on the Committee. She was very instrumental in getting the Harraseeket Inn to host our 2016 Conference in Freeport, Maine and helping us with all the arrangements needed to have a very successful conference there.

With that Mr. Cropper asked that the business meeting be adjourned. A motion and second to adjourn was received and the business meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: <ol> <li>Seventy-eight people attended and participated in the NEPC Conference this year. Our Conference theme was From Pasture to Table - Grass Fed Livestock Production of Meat and Milk and Its Preparation - Their Effects on Fatty Acid Composition and Human Health. We had human nutritionists and dieticians primarily from USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD give us the latest findings on pasture-fed and -finished ruminant derived fatty acids (FA's) content in meat and milk and its effect on human health. We also had food chemists from the Wyndmoor, PA Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit of ARS tell us that pasture-fed dairy cow's milk has a unique fatty acid composition that is not easily replicated by confinement fed cow's milk. The dairy rations of the two do not have the same precursor fatty acids in the feedstuffs unless the total mixed rations given confinement dairy cows are especially formulated to increase oleic acid content. Omega-3 FA and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are much higher in pasture produced milk. They also told us what effects milk processing has on those fatty acids.   Both meat and milk from pastured livestock have a more healthful fatty acid composition, and in the case of meat, it is leaner (less fat). We had three other researchers from around the Nation (MO, OK, & VT) talk about how to produce the best fatty acid composition in meat and milk while the livestock are on pasture. Grain concentrates by-in-large fed to pastured livestock reduce the amount of beneficial FA's in their meat and milk. Interestingly enough, cooking meat does little to change the fatty acid composition of the raw meat. Fat actually becomes more concentrated as the meat loses moisture. We also had a session where an Extension Specialist and a Soil and Water Conservation District Grazing Specialist told farmers how to plan a grazing management system and budget pasture forage during the grazing season so that pasture could be before the livestock for the longest time to to maintain the favorable fatty acid composition. A session on Mob Grazing was also presented. This grazing practice may actually be detrimental to producing beneficial FA's as mature grass has less of the required precursor plant FA's. A Conference Proceedings will be published later this year to make more people aware of the newer nutritional science as it relates to confinement or pasture-raised meat and milk.</li> <li>We received an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) strengthening conference grant   in January of nearly $50,000 to help support our 2017 NEPC Conference. This was used to get quality speakers from around the Nation, publish the Proceedings, fund scholarships for beginning farmers and other costs associated with planning and holding the conference.</li> <li>The Executive Committee of the Consortium held a Strategic Planning Workshop on March 1 in Hagerstown. We received a written report from the facilitator guiding us through the next steps to strengthen and enhance the Consortium so we remain focused and achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. Three work groups have been set up: 1) Strengthen Organization Structure, 2) Expand and Strengthen Communication & Public Relations, and 3) Funding Plan for the Future. See item 6, Outputs. </li> </ol> Outputs: <ol> <li>Two newsletters were published, one in September 2016 and another in January 2017, and distributed primarily as attachments to emails to all of the membership. These kept the members informed about the annual conference and new developments in how fatty acid composition in meat and milk produced from pasture-raised animals tends to be a more healthful source of meat and milk.</li> <li>The proceedings of the 2017 annual conference and meeting is being written. Several of the presenters have submitted their papers. The rest of the papers should be finished in June.</li> <li>The Power Point presentations, poster paper abstracts, and speaker biographical sketches are placed on the Consortium website, Northeast Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.</li> <li>Forty-four publications or website series were published in the past year. The website series were directed towards pasture-based farmers to give them suggestions on how to improve their pasture systems and give them calendar of pasture events around the Region. The rest of the publications were research papers or abstracts on pasture-related issues. See Publications document for the cited publications and educational websites.</li> <li>We reprinted the University of Kentucky publication Producer’s Guide to Pasture-Based Beef Finishing to handout to the beef farmer participants at the 2017 NEPC Conference and to disseminate to our beef producer members across the Region.</li> <li>As an outcome of our Strategic Planning Workshop, these draft documents have been produced: <ul> <li>NEPC Organizational Structure Draft 05/04/2017</li> <li>NEPC Organizational Structure Timeline/Plan 05/23/2017</li> <li>Minutes for “Funding Plan for the Future” workgroup Conference Call 05/18/2017</li> <li>NEPC Strategic Action Steps - Working Group Tasks 04/18/2017</li> </ul> </li> </ol> Activities: <ol> <li>The 2017 Annual Conference and Meeting of the Consortium was held on March 2-3 at Hager Hall in Hagerstown, MD. For the first time we held our conference jointly with a co-sponsor, the Maryland Cattlemen's Association on March 2 and 3 at Hagerstown, MD. It was the first time since our inception in 1996 to hold our conference in Maryland. Nine poster papers were presented. Sessions on research and education needs were held after the technical sessions were over at the end of each day. The first session held on March 2 reviewed the 2016 priority research needs that came from the 2016 Farmer Survey Results. Top challenges of the respondents were:</li> </ol> Vegetation Management- Everything from forage availability issues to forage balance and weather influences; Infrastructure - Fencing (#1) maintenance - labor issues and costs, and adequate watering facilities; Soil Fertility (acidic and/or unfertile soils)/Health (concern about soil bioactivity); Livestock Health - Parasites, fly control, and transitioning them to pasture. When asked, What can NEPC do? They responded: Condense research and technical knowledge to make it available to constituents in a format that is easily understood and implemented (website, fact sheets, research summaries); Facilitate linkages and communication regarding farmer mentoring, by way of website: www.grazingguide.net; Connect other sources of assistance such as grazing networks and agency support. <ol start="2"> <li>On March 1, the 12-member Executive Committee held a strategic planning session that was led by an outside professional facilitator. This was a full day of intensive discussions about the direction our Consortium should take and the best way to achieve our goals.</li> <li>The Northeast Grazing Guide website for the Consortium is at: <a href="#http://grazingguide.net/">http://grazingguide.net/</a>. Dr. Sarah Goslee of the Agricultural Research Service Research Unit at University Park, PA is our web master. It is updated as new material arrives. For the first time, two YouTube videos were posted to the site this year.</li> <li>We initiated a scholarship program this year to encourage beginning and veteran pasture-based farmers to attend the 2017 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference using AFRI grant money. A one page flyer was produced and disseminated to promote the scholarship program.</li> <li>Jim Cropper, Executive Director, participated with the Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Work Group and the Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee (AMS) via teleconferencing and email during 2016-2017. He continued to provide input on pasture nutrient management issues to support realistic modeling of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff to the Bay from the pasture landuse. Worked with the AMS on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, Version 2 modeling of erosion on pasture to get realistic values from naturalized pastures. It took two years to accomplish this, but the sheet and rill erosion rates are now much lower and reflect values found in rainfall simulator and natural rainfall research trials on pastures. Pastures are generally near complete canopy cover and normally have good to excellent rainfall infiltration rates to reduce soil loss to a very small rate, less than 100 pounds per acre annually.</li> <li>Teleconferences are held monthly by the Executive Committee to plan the next annual conference and meeting and address other issues that come up during the year.</li> <li>Continuing education credit (CEU) requests were sent to the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the American Forage & Grassland Council (AFGC) for certified crop advisors and certified forage and grassland professionals, respectively, for the 2015 Annual Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference and Meeting. 11.5 CEU's were approved prior to the conference for both certified crop advisors and forage & grassland professionals, that attended the conference. The completed sign-in sheets were sent to ASA and AFGC after the Conference.</li> <li>Revised and updated research need priorities at the 2017 Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Conference and Meeting.</li> <li>NEPC submitted a strengthening conference grant application to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program to hold a special conference in 2017 with the theme, From Pasture to Table - Grass Fed Livestock Production of Meat and Milk and Its Preparation - Their Effects on Fatty Acid Composition and Human Health.</li> </ol> Milestones: <ol> <li>Chesapeake Bay Program assistance on Watershed Model 6.0 agricultural modeling and database input for beta 4 testing was completed in June, 2017 after being delayed to get better input data and modeling techniques in place.</li> <li>The ARS - Penn State riparian management project is a 4-year project. This is Year 2. The team has done 150 riparian surveys in Conservation Reserve Easement Program (CREP) sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD, PA, & VA) with the Production And Conservation Trade-offs (PACT) tool to test its assumptions and review its output for acceptability of its proposed guidance in managing riparian pastures for continued use as pasture in many cases while protecting riparian ecosystem services, such as water quality.</li> <li>We placed Overview of Orchardgrass Research Findings-02/24/2017 YouTube video produced by Virginia Tech on our Northeast Grazing Guide website. We had featured doctoral candidate Gordon Jones at our 2015 and 2016 conferences. He was investigating why orchardgrass was prematurely dying-out in hay stands. We were concerned as some farmers were reporting a similar situation in pastures containing an orchardgrass component in their plant community. This video was the culmination of his very thorough research work. It appears climate change is moving the adaptation range of orchardgrass north of VA. It is does not survive close cutting with a disc mower when soil temperatures rise into the 90's F. Even with higher cutting heights at some warmer research sites, orchardgrass stands thin considerably. Billbugs also seem to be affecting orchardgrass more as the climate warms, but are secondary to cutting orchardgrass when the weather is hot or will be hotter shortly as regrowth commences. Pastures grazed too close to the soil surface may impact orchardgrass similarly. A higher residual forage mass may be needed to avoid or minimize orchardgrass mortality</li> </ol>

Publications

Alvez, J.P. Can Cows Shoot? On-line at: <a href="https://blog.uvm.edu/pasture-vtpasture/2017/05/23/can-cows-shoot/">https://blog.uvm.edu/pasture-vtpasture/2017/05/23/can-cows-shoot/</a> Alvez, J.P. Have you seen a cow working overtime? On-line at: <a href="https://blog.uvm.edu/pasture-vtpasture/2017/05/23/have-you-seen-a-cow-working-overtime/">https://blog.uvm.edu/pasture-vtpasture/2017/05/23/have-you-seen-a-cow-working-overtime/</a> Bainbridge, M.L., L.M. Cersosimo, A.D.G. Wright, J. Kraft. 2016. Content and Composition of Branched-Chain Fatty Acids in Bovine Milk Are Affected by Lactation Stage and Breed of Dairy Cow. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0150386. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150386. Bainbridge, M.L., L.M. Cersosimo, A.D.G. Wright, and J. Kraft. 2016. Rumen bacterial communities shift across a lactation in Holstein, Jersey and Holstein x Jersey dairy cows and correlate to rumen function, bacterial fatty acid composition and production parameters. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. doi:10.1093/femsec/fiw059. Bishopp, Troy. 2016-2017. The Grass Whisperer Website. At: http://www.thegrasswhisperer.com/. Most recent articles appear on page 1. At the bottom of the screen (be sure to scroll down to the very bottom), click on page number or next arrow to see other articles on pasture management thoughts Troy has and events Troy has attended. Always entertaining and educational. Brink, G.E. and W.K. Coblentz. 2017. Nitrogen source and application effects on pasture productivity, legume persistence, and forage nutritive value. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Cersosimo, L.M., M.L. Bainbridge, J. Kraft, and A.D.G. Wright. 2016. Influence of periparturient and postpartum diets on rumen methanogen communities in three breeds of primiparous dairy cows. BMC Microbiology. 16:78. Cersosimo, L.M., M.L. Bainbridge, A.D.G. Wright, and J. Kraft. 2016. Breed and Lactation Stage Alter the Rumen Protozoal Fatty Acid Profiles and Community Structures in Primiparous Dairy Cattle. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05310. Cersosimo, L.M., R. Tacoma, S. Greenwood, K. Juntwait, A.F. Brito, J. Kraft. 2016. Rumen protozoal community structures are not altered in lactating dairy cows offered alternative forage crops during short-term grazing experiments. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 805. Cersosimo, L.M., R. Tacoma, S. Greenwood, K. Juntwait, A.F. Brito, J. Kraft. 2016. Characterization of rumen bacterial and protozoal fatty acid compositions from lactating Jersey cows offered alternative forage crops. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 639. Cersosimo, L.M., R. Tacoma, S. Greenwood, K. Juntwait, A.F. Brito, J. Kraft. 2016. Alternative forage crops modify the composition and content of bovine milk fatty acids. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 687. Chail, A., J.F. Legako, L.R. Pitcher, T.C. Griggs, R.E. Ward, S. Martini, and J.W. MacAdam. 2016. Legume finishing provides beef with positive human dietary fatty acid ratios and consumer preference comparable with grain-finished beef. J. Anim. Sci. 94:2184–2197. Colby, J., K. Hagen, J.P. Alvez, C. Herrick. 2016-2017. Vermont Pasture Network Calendar. On-line. Monthly. Cole, N.A., S. Radcliff, T. J. DeVries, C.A. Rotz, D. G. Ely and F. Cardoso. 2016. Production, Management, and Environment Symposium: Environmental footprint of livestock production – Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. J. Anim. Sci. 94:8:3137-3138 Dillard, S.L., A.I. Roca-Fernández, M.D. Rubano, and K.J. Soder.   Potential of forage Brassicas for use in pasture-based livestock systems. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Duncan, E.W., Kleinman, P.J., Beegle, D.B., Rotz, C.A. 2017. Coupling dairy manure storage with injection to improve nitrogen management: whole-farm simulation using the integrated farm system model. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. doi:10.2134/ael2016.12.0048. Galvão, J.G.B., A.F. Brito, A.H.N. Rangel, J.B.A. Silva. 2016. Seasonal effects on milk yield and somatic cell score in organic dairy farms from the Northeast United States.   J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 587-588. Garza, J.J., S.P. Greiner , S.A. Bowdridge. 2017. S erum-mediated H. contortus larval aggregation differs by larval stage and is enhanced by complement. Parasit. Immunol. 39:e12409 Griggs, T.C., M.L. Satterfield, J.M.A. Koos, Z.B. Freedman, and C.N. Kelly. 2017. Growth rates of cool-season mixed pastures defoliated at a range of leaf area indices. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Hafla, A.N., Soder, K.J., Brito, A., Kersbergen, R., Benson, F., Darby, H., Rubano, M.D. 2016. Feeding strategy and pasture quality relative to nutrient requirements of dairy cows in the northeastern U.S. Professional Animal Scientist. 32:523-530. Hoffman, K. 2016-2017. NYGC Grazette Newsletter. NY Grazinglands Coalition. Published monthly on-line at: <a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ny/technical/landuse/pasture/?cid">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ny/technical/landuse/pasture/?cid</a>= nrcseprd366641. Jacobs, J.R., K.N. Sommers, A.M. Zajac, D.R. Notter, S.A. Bowdridge. 2016. Early IL-4 gene expression in abomasum is a critical difference in resistance to H. contortus. Parasit. Immunol. 38:333-339. Juntwait, K.A., A.F. Brito, K.S. O’Connor, R.G. Smith, K.M. Aragona, C.P. Ghedini and A.B.D. Pereira. 2016. Performance and ruminal metabolism in lactating dairy cows offered summer available annual forage crops during a short-term grazing experiment. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 295-296. Juntwait, K.A., A.F. Brito, K.S. O’Connor, R.G. Smith, K.M. Aragona, C.P. Ghedini, A.B.D. Pereira. 2016. Performance and rumimal metabolism are not changed in lactating dairy cows offered spring available annual forage crops during a short-term grazing experiment. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 294-295. Pereira, A.B.D., A.F. Brito, T.L. Resende, D.H. Woitschach, R.B. Reis, K.J. Soder. 2016. Feeding ground flaxseed to lactating dairy cows decreases the ruminal proportion of Archaea, but does not change the major species of cellulolytic bacteria. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 797-798. Rayburn, E. 2017. Soil sampling within historic landscape management units to improve cost effective nutrient management. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Reis, S.F., A.F. Brito, C.P. Ghedini, D.C. Moura, A.S. Oliveira. 2016. Effects of Ascophyllum nodosum meal and monensin on performance and iodine metabolism in lactating dairy cows. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 656. Roca-Fernández, A.I., S.L. Dillard, M.D. Rubano, and K.J. Soder. 2017. Effect of feeding legumes containing condensed tannins with orchardgrass on ruminal fermentation and methane production in continuous culture. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Rotz, C.A. and S. Asem-Hiablie. 2017. The role of forage systems in environmentally sustainable beef. Abstract.   American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings. At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Sanderson, M.A., Stout, R.C., Brink, G.E. 2016. Productivity, botanical composition, and nutritive value of commercial pasture mixtures. Agronomy Journal. 108(1):93-100. Santana, R.A.V., A.F. Brito, D.C. Moura, C.P. Ghedini, J.G.B. Galvão, F.A. Barbosa, A.S. Oliveira, A.B.D. Pereira, S.F. Reis, I.A. Souza, K.A. Juntwait. 2016. Okara meal can completely replace soybean meal in diets of early to mid-lactation dairy cows. J. Anim. Sci. 94: supplement5: 683-683. Shepherd, E.A., J.J. Garza, S.P Greiner, S.A. Bowdridge. 2017. Effects of ovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells on Haemonchus contortus larval death in vitro. Parasit. Immunol. 39:e12424 Soder, K.J., Hafla, A. 2016. How well does pasture meet the nutrient needs of dairy cows? Extension Fact Sheets. P. 1. Soder, K.J., Heins, B. 2016. Sprouted barley for dairy cows: Is it worth it? Extension Fact Sheets. P. 1. Soder, K.J., Heins, B., Paulson, J., Chester-Jones, H., Hafla, A., Rubano, M. 2017. Evaluation of fodder production systems for grazing dairy farms. Abstract. American Forage and Grassland. Paper No.1 At: <a href="http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/">http://www.afgc.org/proceedings/2017/</a> Stanton, T. 2016. BFTstudy_NYdemofarms_2014-2016. Power Point presentation. Cornell University. At: <a href="http://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei-resources/">http://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei-resources/</a> Northeast Small Ruminant Parasite Control University of Rhode Island. Toledo, D.N., Sanderson, M.A., Goslee, S.C., Herrick, J.E., Fults, G. 2016. An integrated grazingland assessment approach for range and pasturelands. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 71(6):450-459. Tracy, B.F., K. Albrecht, J. Flores, M. Hall, A. Islam, G. Jones, W. Lamp, J.W. MacAdam, H. Skinner, C. Teutsch. 2016. Evaluation of Alfalfa–Tall Fescue Mixtures across Multiple Environments. Crop Science. 56: 4: 2026-2034. Tunick, M.H., Ren, D.X., Van Hekken, D.L., Bonnaillie, L., Kwoczak, R., Tomasula, P.M. 2016. Impact of processing on the digestibility of milk. Meeting Abstract. 2016 Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting. Book of Abstracts. Tunick, M.H., Ren, D.X., Van Hekken, D.L., Bonnaillie, L., Paul, M., Kwoczak, R., Tomasula, P.M. 2016. Effect of heat and homogenization on in vitro digestion of milk. Journal of Dairy Science. 99(6):4124-4139. DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-10474. Tunick, M.H., Van Hekken, D.L., Tomasula, P.M. 2016. Bioactive compounds in dairy products and their relation to neurodegenerative disease. Meeting Abstract. American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition 251:AGFD23. UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture Veltman, K., Jones, C., Izaurralde, R., Reddy, A., Gaillard, R., Duval, B., Cela, S., Ketterings, Q.M., Rotz, C.A., Salas, W., Vadas, P.A., Jolliet, O. 2017. Comparison of process-based models to quantify nutrient flows and greenhouse gas emissions of milk production. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 237:31-44. 2017. Villalba, J.J., C. Spackman, B.M. Goff, J.L. Klotz, T. Griggs, and J.W. MacAdam. 2016. Interaction between a tannin-containing legume and endophyte-infected tall fescue seed on lambs’ feeding behavior and physiology. J. Anim. Sci. 94:845–857. Waldrip, H., Casey, K., Todd, R.W., Parker, D.B., Rotz, C.A., Cole, N.A. 2017. How well do we understand nitrous oxide emissions from open-lot cattle systems? Waste to Worth Conference. Pg. 74413. Available at: https://articles.extension.org/pages/74413/how-well-do-we-understand-nitrous-oxide-emissions-from-open-lot-cattle-systems.

Impact Statements

With our 2017 Conference, From Pasture to Table - Grass Fed Livestock Production of Meat and Milk and Its Preparation - Their Effects on Fatty Acid Composition and Human Health, we are beginning to show that pasture produced milk and meat have a healthier fatty acid composition than that of most confinement fed milk and meat. We are at the ground level of convincing nutritionist and dieticians that there is a distinct advantage of consuming pasture produced milk and meat for real health reasons, not just for feel good reasons, such as knowing where your food is coming from and supporting local agriculture.

Date of Annual Report: 04/19/2018

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 01/25/2018 - 01/26/2018
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2016 - 09/30/2017

Participants

Bailey, Clyde; C Bailey Farm, Charleston, WV; cbaileyfarm@aol.com
Beiler, Eric; CROPP Cooperative, Willow Creek Farm, Belmont, NY; Facebook
Benson, Fay; Cornell Coop Extension, Cortland, NY; afb3@cornell.edu
Bishopp, Troy; Upper Susquehanna Coalition & Madison County SWCD, Hamilton, NY; troy-bishopp@verizon.net
Bosworth, Sid ; University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; sid.bosworth@uvm.edu
Brinkley, Lydia; Upper Susquehanna Coalition, Owego, NY; lbrinkley@u-s-c.org
Brown, William; Lowland Farm, Warwick, NY; info@lowlandfarm.com
Bucci, Anthony; USDA ARS Dairy & Functional Foods Res. Unit, Wyndmoor, PA; Anthony.Bucci@ARS.USDA.GOV
Burley, Betty; East Hill Farms, Warsaw, NY; easthill@frontiernet.net
Burley, Gary; East Hill Farms, Warsaw, NY; easthill@frontiernet.net
Canane, Ed; Cascade Brook Farm, North Sutton, NH; info@cascadebrookfarm.com
Chedzoy, Brett; Angus Glen Farms, Watkins Glen, NY; bjc226@cornell.edu
Colby, Jennifer; UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Burlington, VT; Jennifer.Colby@uvm.edu
Cropper, James; Northeast Pasture Consortium, Greensboro, NC; jbcropper@yahoo.com
DeClue, Robert; Graze-Ayr Pasture Acres, Norwich, NY; robert.declue@frontiernet.net
Detzel, Jason; Cornell Cooperative Ulster County, Kingston, NY; jbd222@cornell.edu
Donovan, Peter; Soil Carbon Coalition, Enterprise, OR; managingwholes.com@gmail.com
Elkins, Helen; Buck Run Land & Cattle Co. LLC, East Fallowfield, PA; elkins32@gmail.com
Elkins, William; Buck Run Land & Cattle Co. LLC, East Fallowfield, PA; elkins32@gmail.com
Fukagawa, Naomi; USDA-ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD; Naomi.Fukagawa@ARS.USDA.GOV
Glazier, Nancy; CCE/NWNY Team, Warsaw, NY; nig3@cornell.edu
Gonet, Jeffery; USDA-ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Res. Unit, University Park, PA; jeffery.gonet@ars.usda.gov
Goslee, Sarah; USDA-ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Res. Unit, University Park, PA; Sarah.Goslee@ARS.USDA.GOV
Hagan, Erik; Penn State University, University Park, PA; efh5076@psu.edu
Hagen, Kimberly; UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Burlington, VT; Kimberly.Hagen@uvm.edu
Hartman, Morgan; Black Queen Angus Farm, LLC, Berlin, NY; blackqueenangus@yahoo.com
Hatton, Joseph; West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Charleston, WV; jhatton@wvda.us
Hawbaker, Clifford; Hamilton Hgts Farm / PaGLC, Chambersburg, PA ; hhdf@innernet.net
Hemstreet, Steven; Edgewood Farm & Sawmill, Schaghticoke, NY; Facebook
Hines, Eric; USDA-NRCS, Westminster, MD; Eric.Hines@md.usda.gov
Hoffman, Karen; USDA-NRCS, Norwich, NY; karen.hoffman2@ny.usda.gov
Hunsberger, David; Happy Hollow Dairy LLC, Mifflintown, PA; dhuns001@gmail.com
Jablonski, Kevin; Mack Brook Farm, Argyle, NY; mackbrookfarm@mac.com
Johnson, Angus; Berkshire Livestock, Dalton, MA ; anjohnson55@hotmail.com
Knaebel, David; USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD; David.Knaebel@ARS.USDA.GOV
Lawrence, Glen; Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY; Glen.Lawrence@liu.edu
Leonard, Nathan; New Agritech Inc., Locke, NY; nate@newagritech.com
Llewellyn, Dave ; Glynwood, Cold Spring, NY; dllewellyn@glynwood.org
Lock, Adam ; Michigan State University, Lansing, MI; allock@msu.edu
Meeh, Daimon; USDA-NRCS, Epping, NH; Daimon.Meeh@nh.usda.gov
Miller, Peter; CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley, Millheim, PA; peter.miller@organicvalley.coop
Morris, Justin; USDA-NRCS, Madison, WI; Justin.Morris@wi.usda.gov
Nassry, Michael; Penn State University, University Park, PA; nassry@psu.edu
Onwulata, Charles; USDA ARS Beltsville, MD; Charles.Onwulata@ARS.USDA.GOV
Parry, Susan; USDA NRCS Harrisburg, PA; Susan.Parry@pa.usda.gov
Pershouse, Didi; Soil Carbon Coalition, Thetford Center, VT ; didi.pershouse@gmail.com
Phillips, Anne; Triple 3 Livestock, Marathon, NY; anne.phillips@organicvalley.coop
Phillips, James; Triple 3 Livestock, Marathon, NY;
Porter, Rodney; Kings AgriSeeds, Trumansburg, NY; rodp@kingsagriseeds.com
Rayburn, Edward; West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV; Ed.Rayburn@mail.wvu.edu
Reed, Laure; Mountain Valley Angus, Richmondville, NY; reedfarm175@aol.com
Rivington, Bruce ; Kriemhild Dairy Farms LLC, Hamilton, NY; b_rivington@hotmail.com
Roberts, David; USDA-NRCS, Marcy, NY; Dave.Roberts@ny.usda.gov
Schivera, Diane; Forage Farm/ MOFGA, Appleton, ME; dianes@mofga.org
Schrock, Harold; Schrock Beef Farms, Deansboro, NY; haroldschrock@kingsagriseeds.com
Sheffer, Eric ; Sheffer Grassland Dairy, Hoosick Falls, NY; SheffersGrasslandDairy@gmail.com
Smith, Sam; The Intervale Center, Burlington, VT; sam@intervale.org
Soder, Kathy; USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Res. Unit, University Park, PA; Kathy.Soder@ars.usda.gov
Tomasula, Peggy; USDA ARS Dairy & Functional Foods Res. Unit, Wyndmoor, PA; Peggy.Tomasula@ars.usda.gov
Turner, Jon; Wild Roots Farm, Bristol, VT; wildrootsfarmvt@gmail.com
Van Hekken, Diane; USDA ARS Dairy & Functional Foods Res. Unit, Wyndmoor, PA; diane.vanhekken@ars.usda.gov
Wild, Don; Wild Acres Family Farm, Great Valley, NY; wild.acres4750@gmail.com
Williamson, Jessica; Penn State University, University Park, PA; jaw67@psu.edu

Participants Attachment:

2018.NEPastureConsortium.Attendees.pdf

Brief Summary of Minutes

Sixty-three people attended and participated in the Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference held at The Century House in Latham, New York on January 25 and 26. We had a scare earlier in the week of the Conference as the federal government closed its doors on Monday. However, by Monday evening another continuing resolution was passed by Congress and signed by the President. Executive Director, James Cropper, quickly later that evening emailed the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Administrator of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to request they reinstate travel for their employees who had already registered and made reservations to be at our Conference. They promptly did reinstate their employees’ travel.

Our Conference covered many of the research and education priorities that our stakeholders have asked us to work on. Nine continuing education units were approved for Certified Crop Advisers and Certified Forage and Grassland Professionals by ASA-CSSA-SSSA and the American Forage and Grassland Council, respectively. Our first technical session on January 25 was on Riparian Area Management in Pastures. It has been a focus of our Consortium for several years as we prefer to see a more holistic approach to managing pastures in riparian areas, rather than merely fencing off the streams running through them to exclude livestock entry to the water and streambanks. Most often pasture grazing management outside the exclusion area is still wanting and is grazed much too intensely. This leads to contaminated runoff leaving the pasture, more than likely entering the stream unfiltered. ARS and Penn State University have been working on a Riparian Conservation Planning Project for four years. This session was held to update our stakeholders on their progress on evaluating riparian areas on pasturelands and coming up with conservation options that reduce the impact of grazing on riparian areas and stream water quality. Two co-workers from the Project Team presented their findings. Erick Hagan, Riparian Conservation Planning Project Coordinator for ARS, presentation was on Shifting Perspectives in Riparian Conservation - Trade-offs, Options and Opportunities in Managed Ecosystems. He introduced the topic by outlining their objectives: Create an objective justification for flexible riparian management (from farmers to policy makers), work with state and national programs to assess riparian buffers and make recommendations on where grass and forest riparian buffers work best, and avoid “bait and switch” tactics by looking across the ecosystem services of the riparian area and see which services are in play and others that are not. The second speaker was Michael Nassry, Research Associate, Pennsylvania State University Riparia, who presented the Riparian Ecosystem Services Assessmentand Findings from Runoff Assessment Work. Then Eric wrapped up the Project Team findings with their Model Results Quantifying the Different Performance of Riparian Buffers.

A summary of their findings is that there is no magic bullet, such as livestock exclusion from surface waters (streams or ponds). It requires best management practices be applied in the upland areas and floodplains, not just riparian buffers at water’s edge. Grassed and forested riparian buffers both have their good points and their weaknesses. Grassed riparian zones may be better for erosion control (esp. small areas/small streams), infiltration/diffusion of runoff, and drawing down nutrients (if harvested). Forested riparian zones may be better for stream bank protection (larger streams), denitrification (in-stream), and wildlife habitat (stream & buffer). Both can be undone by a site’s stream morphology, riparian soils/geology/hydrology, legacy sediments and nutrients, and upslope/up-watershed conditions (including management). One big issue with linear riparian buffers along streams is rarely is there diffuse flow across the buffer from upslope areas to the stream. Most often water concentrates before reaching the stream buffer sometimes creating a gully or is a small feeder stream. There can be several feet of a buffer doing little to filter runoff and small areas that are overwhelmed by runoff flows. When looking at actively farmed areas try to do the best possible to meet water quality goals. Never compare an agriculture riparian area to a mature riparian forest area, the landuse decision was made long ago as to what it was to be under previous and current ownership. Most farms cannot give up productive agricultural land for some societal benefit without compensation. Evidence suggest buffers can become sources of phosphorus pollution especially if they can be remobilized by flood water. Buffers can denitrify nitrogen when they are on saturated and high organic soils. Not all riparian buffers are in such a setting, however. Most water delivered to streams enters along low-order (small feeder) ones. Larger streams do not receive much direct flow into them from adjacent land. Since low order streams are far-flung, they are not easy to surround with buffers which take up a lot of productive land and fencing them all off is expensive and impractical. In this instance, a grazing management plan that is followed for pastures in these areas keeps a healthy sod in place and is a much easier and more cost-effective treatment with no land retirement required. Therefore, introducing flexibility in riparian management requires a common understanding of production and environmental concerns.

The Project Team is working with state and national programs to assess buffers and make recommen-dations. They are looking at the performance of Conservation Reserve Easement Program (CREP) buffers in Chesapeake Watershed. They toured three states: Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Four USDA agencies are involved the Agricultural Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Forest Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Project Team did field surveys on 150 CREP (CP-22) sites with state foresters. They determined runoff flow patterns through (and around) CREP buffers. They then modeled nutrient and sediment removal by CREP buffers.

Field surveys were conducted using the Stream-Wetland-Riparian (SWR) Index to determine aquatic ecosystem conditions at each site. It is an integrated model that does floodplain-wetland measurements and in-stream measurements of stream habitat assessment scoring, stream incision ratio, and number of stream stressors present. Sedimentation is an example of a stream stressor. What they found out in the Chesapeake Bay was:

Riparian buffers - 88% located at headwaters (out of 8,000).Longer buffers along mainstems.

Variable buffer width - Narrow buffers in headwaters (adj. width), no variable (wider) width at converging areas where more runoff crosses over, and buffer slope - relates to buffer widths

Stream Wetland Riparian Index - Averaged as suboptimal (0.63).Typical of natural buffers but can improve. Northern Appalachian Plateau has most optimalsites, but also less agriculture.

Physiographic regions - Significant differences were observed. Piedmont and Coastal Plain have most issues as they have more agriculture land.

The second step in the Chesapeake Bay assessment of riparian buffers was watershed modeling to predict water quality impacts of the buffers. First objective was to evaluate concentrated flow paths and hydrologic (bypass) features affecting riparian buffers (CP22) effectiveness. Forested riparian buffer flow path analysis was done using high resolution Light Detectionand Ranging (LiDAR)digital elevation model (DEM). It is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflected pulses with a sensor. Differences in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to make digital 3-D representations of the target. This allows the user to detect concentrated flow paths crossing buffers to gauge their effectiveness. Larger flow paths may need to be made into grassed waterways upstream of the buffer to maximize the efficiency of a now conservation management system (waterway + buffer). Watershed modeling is done using the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT allows us to look at the combination of conservation practices in a watershed and determine their effectiveness in keeping nutrients and sediments out of the stream. This tool allows the quantification of nutrient and sediment reduction benefits of the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). It does this by simulating N, P and sediment losses on daily time-step evaluating 3 riparian buffer scenarios:

Pre-CP cropland (no buffer installed)

CP-21: established grass

CP-22: mature forest

Average annual losses are compared across the three scenarios. It does this locally: differences in transport behavior, and across CRPs: total versus effective contributing areas. Once this assessment is done a new tool, Ag Buffer Builder, a performance-based buffer locating tool can show the conserva-tion planner which areas along a stream are the most effective places to install a buffer. The problem up to this point was to put down a blanket buffer along the whole reach of a stream whether any water flowed across it all for varying distances. In one example using Ag Buffer Builder analysis, as designed, one CP22 buffer achieved 86% of potential trapping efficiency of sediment. Approximately, 35% of the buffer accounted for 74% of total sediment removal. The use of Ag Buffer Builder can show the conservation planner how to build a better buffer to reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses to a stream. In one example, the current buffer only reduced N loads by 30% and P loads by 25%. After Ag Builder analysis, the buffer system was improved to treat bypass flows that eluded the original buffer reducing N loads by 50% and P by 39% from the unbuffered condition. Much improved, but it also shows that riparian buffers are not the total solution in reducing sediment, N, and P loads to streams. It is the last defense, although some streams can effectively scrub out some additional N along its way downstream.

Once the ecological assessment and watershed modeling is done the final step is to use the Production and Conservation Trade-offs (PACT), an ARS/Penn State assessment tool that came from our grazing in the riparian area project. Comprehensive but does not include impact/quality gradients (either/or). Management flexibility focused on outcomes where different strategies can produce desired ecosystem services using a multifunctional approach. Rating performance of all possible management practices is based upon the literature on their effect on different ecosystem services. These ecosystem services are broken down into three broad categories: provisioning, regulating, and supporting. Generally, the regulating and supporting categories are lumped into an overarching natural resource category. Using pastures as the landuse, three scenarios were evaluated using PACT. Scenario 1: Over grazed pasture along a stream where cattle had total access to the entire stream reach. It scored relatively well for Provisioning services (0.93), but very low for Natural Resource (0.56). Scenario 2: CREP conservation easement so no longer pasture. It had a Provisioning score of (0.00) since it no longer provides any forage or water to livestock, but it does have a relatively high Natural Resource score of (4.89). Scenario 3: Optimized grazing of the pasture with restricted stream water access. This had a provision-ing score of (1.86) due to better forage production, access to stream water, and maximized forage utilization by the cattle. Meanwhile, it scored even higher than CREP in its Natural Resources score (9.53) due to better soil health, reduced soil erosion, better water quality, and improved grassland habitat than when it was continuously grazed in its entirety with unrestricted access to the stream.

This three-step procedure has been well tested now using the Chesapeake Bay CREP study. It is about ready for use by conservation planners that want to work with farmers to improve riparian pastures by implementing a grazing plan that provides more forage to livestock while enhancing natural resource ecosystem services, such as better fishery habitat and stream water quality. The take-home message is: Flexibility is key. Both sides (farmers & policy makers) must recognize the opportunity to enhance both pastures and the environment. Buffer efficacy is contingent on the Site Explicit Context, Land-scape Context, and Management Context. Riparian pastures can act as buffers when they are well grassed and rested from livestock activity for up to 6 weeks between grazing events. These pastures also should be avoided during the winter season and during and shortly after wet weather.

Morgan Hartman, Owner and Operator, Black Queen Angus Farm, LLC, Berlin, NY wrapped up this session with a “Farmer Perspective on Managing Riparian Area Pastures”. Morgan has over a mile of fenced off trout stream that transect his pastures. He now advocates the use of a single fence on one side along a stream and using polywire temporary fencing to rotationally graze riparian pastures. If total exclusion from streams is going to continue to be policy, he also advocates that anyone with a CRP contract involving riparian pastures allow their contract to expire to gain flexibility in how they manage their riparian pastures. He agreed with Erik and Michael that a flexible approach to riparian area pastures is the best way to protect the environment and provide forage for livestock. This flexible approach is often stifled by policy and regulations. He said Maryland has been locked into livestock exclusion fencing now for four years. He advocates results oriented planning and application of conservation (best management) practices. Do the practices have a positive impact to solve resource problems? He mentioned that Dr. Jeff Herrick was working on a tool called Land Potential Knowledge System (Land PKS) that is results oriented. Dynamic soil property data and information is used for conservation planning and natural resource management. As several farmer speakers have said in the past at our Conferences, Morgan wants and needs more technical help from agencies such as Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and more educational information from agencies such as Extension.

During the question and answer period, Joe Hatton requested that ARS deliver Ag Buffer Builder and the PACT tool to the National Employee Development Center of NRCS so that their conservationists and engineers can be trained to use these tools in conservation planning with farmers.

The rest of the morning was devoted to Session 2 a Private Sector Breakout Session moderated by Angus Johnson that discussed the renewal the Stakeholder Action Committee and a Public Sector Breakout Session led by Jennifer Colby that discussed Riparian Area Grazing Management implementation strategies. Eighteen people attended the Private Sector session. The Executive Committee had asked Angus to chair the stakeholders action committee. He stated that two duties of the committee were: 1) to provide local education on the Consortium’s mission and function, and 2) work with elected officials concerning efforts and focus of the Northeast Pasture Consortium. It was agreed by those present to find a co-chairman within six months. It was also agreed to have a secretary for the group. Two names were suggested to serve on the Executive Committee. They were Kevin Jablonski and Gary Burley. Cliff Hawbaker suggested a research and educational need for producer testing of fatty acids and having choices of lab work. Discussion ensued about promoting the goals and priorities of the NEPC. There was also discussion about membership and funding. Possible funding could be by attendance at conference.

At the Public Sector session on how to implement a flexible Riparian Area Grazing Management approach to planning and application, there was a consensus that we can see at the field level that a flexible approach to managing grazing in riparian area pastures is desirable and effective. However, programs planned at the state and federal level are rigid allowing little deviation from how buffers are planned and installed to calling for total livestock exclusion from streams when there are work-around methods that would protect or enhance wildlife habitat and water quality and allow livestock farmers to utilize their riparian pastures productively for their grazing livestock. Earlier in the morning we learned how Ag Buffer Builder and SWAT work together to evaluate buffer effectiveness as installed or to aid in the design of more useful buffers that do not squander productive pastureland or cropland as a linear buffer does with areas that do little to nothing to buffer surface waters from sediment and nutrients or are too narrow to be effective elsewhere along their length where runoff does flow across the buffer, it was evident that these tools need to be implemented by NRCS and other technical service providers. One observation made by Upper Susquehanna Coalition employee was especially perceptive “Buffers are implemented and left alone – landowners don’t know how to bring that buffer to functionality.” In truth, it is doubtful that that most planners and technicians know how to bring a buffer to functionality as it was clearly demonstrated earlier that many already installed buffers have missed the mark in being truly functional. Many are bypassed by feeder streams or have areas that have no runoff passing through them or are not wide enough in other places. Livestock exclusion fences along streams are also left alone once installed. Who, but the land operator, knows whether they remain functional or not as time goes by and floodwaters rise and fall along streams with out-of-bank flows during major runoff events. Bottomline: “Any system needs to be adaptive and monitored so producers can easily manage it as circumstances change”, quipped an NRCS employee.

Session 3 – Pastures and Soil Healthwas the first afternoon session. Soil health a more recent addition to our research and education priorities. Justin Morris, Regional Soil Health Specialist MN-WI, USDA-NRCS Soil Health Division, Madison, WI kicked off this session with a presentation entitled: Improving Soil Health through Adaptive Grazing Management. He opened his presentation with a definition for soil health: “The capacity of a soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.” It focuses on feeding soil biology which feeds the plant, the biological characteristics (living) part of the soil, such as earthworms, dung beetles, and microorganisms, and soil properties, such aggregate stability, organic matter content, and infiltration capacity, that impact soil health for good or bad. Soil health all starts with the sun’s energy captured by plant life. This allows the soil food web to begin as microorganisms and herbivore insects consume the organic matter produced by the plants that in turn are preyed upon by predatory insects and animals. All this living activity in a soil impacts its health in a positive way if not interfered with. Soil biology has the biggest impact of the three things that impact soil: biological, physical, and chemical properties as it can alter the other two as time goes on.

In pastures, we can improve soil health by following adaptive grazing management principles as shown in the adjacent figure. As grazing management affects all four ecosystem processes: water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow, and biodiversity (community dynamics). Soil Health Planning Principles: Minimize “chronic” disturbance to soil and plants, maximize soil cover, use diversity of plants to add diversity to soil micro-organisms, and provide continuous living roots. The goal is to create the most favorable habitat possible for the soil organisms. Chron-ic disturbance of a pasture most commonly is allowing overgrazing to occur, seasonally or months at a time so that much of the vegetative cover is lost. Trailing by livestock to get to a single source of water, feed, shade, and salt is another chronic disturbance in expansive pastures not rotationally grazed. Livestock heavy use areas around water, feed, and salt licks and under shade are also chronic disturbance and are bare of vegetation. To minimize “Chronic” Disturbance:

Keep livestock in one area only long enough to ideally graze an individual plant once, not twice.

Rotate livestock only as fast as the rate at which plants are re-growing.

Monitoring is essential to knowing how quickly to move the livestock. (Observe stubble height and

move them if grass stubble is down to 3-4 inches on orchardgrass and tall or meadow fescue.)

The faster plants grow; the faster livestock should be moving from paddock to paddock.

Provide water and salt at every paddock.

Maximizing soil cover provides these benefits:

Shades soil surface lowering soil surface temperatures

Higher humidity at soil surface that enhances residue and mineral recycling

Enhanced environment (cooler & more humid) for macro-arthropods and earthworms to utilize

manure and plant residues

Less soil moisture evaporates

More soil moisture to grow forage as more precipitation infiltrates the soil in a good sod

cover.

Plants become more drought tolerant due to stronger and deeper root growth

Increased nutrient cycling

Greater plant growth as there is increased soil moisture & cooler soils and there are no bare spots.

Days of grazing increases as summer slump lessens and fall growth is prolonged

Days of supplemental feeding decrease

Reduced costs, and

Increased income from improved weight gain and/or milk flow.

Use diversity of plants to add diversity to soil micro-organisms. We encourage more diversity in our pastures by:

Not overgrazing them,

Shortening the graze period so no species is targeted for preferential selection,

Allow long enough recovery for all plants, and

Reduce diet selectivity by increasing stock density, not stocking rate (Same as second bullet, grazing

period must be shortened when stock density is increased.)

Provide continuous living roots by:

Keep livestock in one area only long enough to graze an individual plant once, not twice.

Rotate livestock only as fast as the rate at which plants are re-growing.

Monitoring is essential to knowing how quickly to move the livestock.

The faster plants grow; the faster livestock should be cycling through the pastures.

Grazing management affects soil biology. Multi-paddock grazing system was the highest in total fungi count. The ratio of total fungi to total bacteria was the highest (3:1) in the multi-paddock grazing system versus all other treatments (1:1): Heavy continuous, light continuous, and grazing exclosure. A high fungus to bacteria ratio in the pasture soil indicates higher potential for plants to extract more water and nutrients from the soil. This is due to that the fungi are predominantly mycorrhizal fungi. They act as extensions to plant roots. This type of fungi may also help retain nutrients in the root zone.

What is meant by “overgrazing”? When a plant that has been grazed severely in the growing season gets grazed severely again while almost solely using energy it has taken from its crown, stem bases, or roots to re-establish leaf. There are three ways to overgraze:

When animals remain too long in a paddock while plants are growing fast.

When animals leave the paddock but return too soon while plants are growing slow.

When the plant is growing new leaf from stored energy in early spring (breaking dormancy).

Since high density stocking has been mentioned, here are some stock density basics:

Stock density will vary over time depending on forage conditions and animal production status.

Make changes gradually in stock density over time.

Monitor daily to see how contented the animals are.

Because forage conditions and animal nutrient demands are constantly in flux, monitor daily to

gauge if forage is being over-or under-allocated for the herd and adjust the paddock size accordingly.

Always focus on animal performance. Never stress the animals by limiting intake, or gains or milk

flow and body condition will suffer.

Fast track to soil health on pastures requires getting the soil pH and fertility in the optimum range for the forage species growing in them, managing for 95% soil cover – green leaf and brown(residue), using high density grazing and moving them as soon as stubble height minimums are reached for quick regrowth (Leave half, take half of the forage [not in inches, but in pounds]), and using recovery periods that allow most pasture paddocks to recover to 8-10 inches of forage height before grazing them again and/or before yellowing of older leaves begins. Adaptive grazing management requires monitoring livestock and grass and knowing the type of forage quality needed for the grazing herd. Rule of thumb dates vary by region and by pasture plant community and herd/flock forage quality and intake needs.

The second speaker for this session was David Llewellyn, Director of Farm Stewardship at Glynwood, Cold Spring, NY. The presentation title was Soil Health and Climate Resilience for Pasture-Based Livestock Farmers. David reported on a SARE partnership grant that seeks to increase soil health and climate resilience education for pasture-based livestock farmers. A Soil Health Field Day, August 23rd was held at the Hudson Valley Farm Business Incubator in New Paltz, NY. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the University of Massachusetts participated in the Soil Health Field Day with Glynwood. David covered soil quality, soil health, testing, interpretation, and how to mitigate soil health constraints in pastures. He defined soil quality as how well the soil can sustain plant and animal health. The capacity of a soil to function. He reported that there are two soil health testing kits available: Cornell’s Soil Health Assessment, $50-150

http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu/and Woods End, $55 at https://woodsend.org/soil-health-test/. The physical indicators measured by soil health testing kits are available water capacity, soil surface hardness in top 6 inches, subsurface hardness at the 6-18-inch depth, and aggregate stability. The biological indicators measured are organic matter (OM), ACE Soil Protein Index (amount of OM present as proteins), respiration by the soil microbes, and active carbon (portion of OM that’s easily used as food by microbes). The chemical indicators measured are pH (soil acidity - determines what nutrients a plant can take up – most taken up when pH ranges between 6.2-6.8.), phosphorus, potassium, and minor essential elements for plant growth. Identifying your limiting factors of your pasture soils is necessary to grow a good forage crop for your livestock. Once they are identified, you can work to improve them. For physical constraints:

Available Water Capacity - build soil to hold more water via rotational grazing, add stable, finished

compost (manure is ok) and reduce tillage if you are in the re-seeding practice of growing annuals.

Surface Hardness - stay off wet fields with cattle or machinery; control/minimize vehicle access and

lighten loads; use an aerator or keyline plow

Subsurface Hardness - reduce/eliminate use of moldboard plow if reseeding; use chisel or keyline;

forage (tillage) radish.

(Compaction is a top constraint given the agricultural history of pasture/hayfields. It stunts root

growth and impairs soil drainage.)

Aggregate Stability - add fresh organic materials; reduce tillage; increase legume percentage in forage stand.

For biological constraints, the improvement practices are similar:

Organic Matter - add manure, compost; reduce tillage

ACE Soil Protein Index - organic N source needs to be low in C; fresh manure is good; reduce

tillage

Respiration - reduce compaction with aerator or keyline; increase diverse OM

Active Carbon - add manure, compost; reduce tillage

With chemical constraints, improvement practices differ considerably from the physical and biological constraints:

pH - lime, but check Mg levels first by soil testing, get agronomic advice.Apply either dolomitic or

high calcium lime depending on Mg level in the soil and agronomic advice given.

Phosphorus - add P per soil test if it is low; adjust pH to 6.2 - 6.8; if it is high, stop adding OM, extra

manure, and P. Drawdown P by taking off a first crop hay cutting and feeding it elsewhere.

Potassium - add K per soil test via manure, compost or fertilizer; if it is high, extract via cover crops

or hay. Caution – grazed crops do not remove nutrients; the livestock do when milk or they are sold.

Minor Elements - add via fertilizer if low per soil test, get agronomic advice; build soil OM, reduce

or eliminate tillage to build mycorrhizal fungal population.

Their SARE grant supports the development of a pasture improvement demonstration area at Glynwood’s Hudson Valley Farm Business Incubator, located at Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz. The demonstration showcases pasture improvement methods for common soil health constraints in our region, such as soil compaction and poor drainage. The pasture improvement treatments include application of limestone and compost, rotational grazing of ruminant animals, and the use of a keyline plow to mitigate soil compaction issues. (Keyline plow is a tillage implement designed to renovate pasture and redirect groundwater without creating a lot of surface disturbance. It creates a channel or pathway for drainage and penetration of roots.) For the purposes of this demonstration, we will use the keyline for breaking surface and subsurface compaction. So, this will be done in straight lines.
The demonstration area includes sixteen plots with every combination of these treatments, plus a control plot. They sent numerous soil samples to the Cornell Soil Health Lab in the fall of 2016 for baseline data from which Glynwood staff and project collaborators will measure outcomes. Each fall, staff will sample soil for follow up analysis to measure the impact of the various treatments.

Since implementing the project, they have conducted forage species counts in the treatment areas to collect baseline information about the native (existing) pasture plants. Over time, they anticipate an increase in the percentage of desirable species as soil health improves in these pastures.

The team has also conducted worm counts in the sixteen demonstration plots by digging up 1’ x 1’ sample areas. The process takes about 10-15 minutes per sample, if you have a digging machine like Dave Llewellyn on your team. Worm counts more than 10 are considered an indicator of good soil health. Glynwood’s initial worm counts averaged 18.5 worms per square foot. We expect those numbers to climb as we mitigate soil health constraints, such as deeper root systems (more habitat for things in the soil food web, more food sources), improved aeration + drainage (worms dig those things), higher pH (preferable to worms), and increased organic matter (food for worms).

The second demonstration component of the SARE grant is the utilization of warm season annual forage as an effective strategy for improving risk management for graziers in mid-summer. Glynwood staff recently seeded a mix of brown mid-rib (BMR) sorghum, pearl millet and crimson clover to be grazed by cattle during the hottest stretch of the summer. Pastures in our region are composed predominantly of cool season perennial plants, which slowdown in the summer. Too frequently in recent years, intense stretches of heat have forced area farmers to purchase hay when forage has been inadequate in the summer. Production of warm season annual forage is a way to create a backstop in the event of inadequate forage. Glynwood staff and partners will compare the cost of production and value of forage against the market rate for hay in the mid-summer. Our intent – measure outcomes + economic benefit with CCE + UMass. How much feed did we produce? How much labor? Cost of seed? Value of feed? Given our variable climate, seeding warm season annuals is a good backstop against a scorching summer. The forage will be high quality and useful, even in a mid-summer, but in a hot one – this is a good climate resilience strategy. Feeding standing forage to happily grazing animals while other farmers are scrambling to source hay in the summer.

Session 4 was a Silvopasture Updategiven by Brett Chedzoy, SCNY Ag Team-Forestry Specialist & Senior Resource Educator, Montour Falls, NY. His presentation title was: Silvopasturing Updates on Progress in the Northeast. Brett defined silvopasturing as the long-term integrated production of quality timber and grazing on the same land. It can be done two ways, adding woods to pasture or adding pasture to woods. Many popular press and research articles have been written to promote silvopasturing, such as in Farm magazine that serves PA, NY, and New England, On Pasture e-newsletter,Grazemagazine, Journal of Forestry, and a publication, Photo Guide to Northeastern United States Silvopasture, by the Northeastern States Research Cooperative through funding from the USDA Forest Service. Educational venues include:

Two dedicated conferences (2011 and 2014),

Five “day course” trainings in four states,

Dozen presentations at major conferences, including the

Grassfed Exchange and Society of American Foresters,

Dozen webinars,

Many dozens of presentations at professional development

trainings and other conferences, and

silvopasture.ning.comforum (currently 320 members).

Looking to the future, these are some priorities for silvopasture research and education:

Viable methodologies for the reclamation and restoration of invasive brushlands and degraded woodlots,

The economics of silvopasturing,

Soil health and ecosystem services benefits,

Using animal impact to manage vegetation in silvopastures,

Health and welfare benefits for livestock,

And lastly, what are the alternatives?

Brett concluded his presentation with a Forest Connect questionnaire that helps farmers make a good decision on whether they have a good site to practice silvopasture on, “Evaluating the Potential of a Site for Silvopasture Development”. This can be accessed on the Web at: http://blogs.cornell.edu/ccednrpublications/miscellaneous-forestry/. Near the top of the page, hover on Forestry, a pop-up appears. Select Agroforestry-Silvopasture. It sends you to a new publication list. In that list, select Silvopasture Site Assessment, this will bring up a pdf file with the title shown above.

The Poster Papersession followed. Six poster papers were displayed in the White Ballroom. The papers are listed below:

Grazing Guide: What can the Northeast Pasture Consortium website offer?

Goslee, Sarah

Ecologist, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA

Pasture Plants of the Northeastern US

Gonet, Jeff¹and Sarah Goslee²

¹Agricultural Science Research Technician and

²Ecologist, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA.

Upper Susquehanna Coalition Comprehensive Riparian Buffer Program

Brinkley, Lydia¹and Troy Bishopp²

¹Buffer Coordinator for the Upper Susquehanna Coalition/Tioga Co. SWCD, 183 Corporate Drive, Owego, NY.

²Upper Susquehanna Coalition East Regional Grazing Specialist/Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, Hamilton, NY.

Can Grazing Selectivity Reduce Fatty Acid Intake Decline in Mature Annual Forages?

Goossen, Caleb¹, Sidney Bosworth², and Jana Kraft³

¹Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Plant & Soil Science

²Associate Extension Professor of Agronomy, Department of Plant & Soil Science

³Research Assistant Professor, Department of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, University of Vermont,

Burlington, VT

Deep-Bed Pack Livestock Facility Planning Tool

Bredeweg, Sally¹, Brian Jerose², Jennifer Colby³, Bob Thompson⁴, and Juan Alvez³

¹P.E., USDA-NRCS, Oregon State Office,

²Managing Partner, Agrilab Technologies LLC, Enosburg, VT

³University of Vermont Extension, Center for Sustainable Agriculture, VT Pasture Network,

Burlington, VT

⁴Civil Engineer, USDA-NRCS, Vermont State Office, Colchester, VT

Studying the Effect of Bovine Milk Consumption on the Human Gut Microbiota Using TWINSHIME

(Twin-Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecology)

Firrman, J.A., L.S. Liu, and P. Tomasula

Dairy & Functional Foods Research Unit, USDA-ARS, ERRC, Wyndmoor, PA

Session 5 – Beef Viability Case Studiesfollowed the Poster Paper Session with Sam Smith, Farm Business Specialist, Intervale Center, Burlington, VT presenting Beef Viability Case Studiesvia Skype.

Several grass-fed beef farms have sprung up in Vermont. Case studies were conducted to see what production models these farms were using. The study group kept good records and were realistic about their goals. When the study was first initiated, grass-fed beef sold for $3.00 per pound hanging weight. It is now down to $2.60 per pound. The beef cattle range in size from small to medium framed feeders to large framed cattle in the study group. It is essential to understand the herd’s potential to finish to grade as the meat market demands in reasonable time (20 months from birth to slaughter). Bigger frame cattle not necessarily better, average daily gain genetic potential is more important. It is important to grass-fed beef farmers pay heed to Jim Gerrish’s cardinal sins of grazing: starting grazing too soon in the spring, grazing pastures too short, and coming back too soon to stock cattle on a previously grazed area. This is especially true if the aim is to achieve a good average daily gain (ADG) of at least 2 pounds per day. Otherwise, it would be difficult to get a feeder to meat market size and grade in 20 months. Sam said that a 200-day grazing season for Vermont is “optimistic”. A 180-day grazing season is more realistic unless extending the grazing season by growing brassicas or stockpiling fescue for late fall and early winter grazing. A good feeder program requires:

Selling grass-fed and -finished meat at a price above costs of production + profit margin.

Lowering overhead by leasing pasture (cheaper than owning pastureland).

Improving stock density but moving the cattle more often so as not to restrict intake.

Shoot for the highest ADG possible with the genetics available and a productive pasture sward - track it to be sure it is being maintained on average throughout feeding period.

Decrease days on farm by not over finishing the cattle or not securing a spot ahead of time at the meat processing plant.

Reduce the days of feeding stored feed, it is more expensive than pasture.

Shoot for a 20-month harvest of cattle window – Not achieved with low quality hay or pasture.

The Northeast Pasture Consortium is heartened by the interest in grass-fed and -finished beef as it was one of our first research and education priorities that we tackled.

Session 6 - Soil Health and its Impact on Human Healthwas the last Thursday afternoon session with

Didi Pershouse, Director, The Center for Sustainable Medicine & Board Member, Soil Carbon Coalition, Thetford Center, VT presenting The Ecology of Care. Microbes are in the air, water, plant, soil, and the human gut. Healthy topsoil is a living, carbon-rich sponge that soaks up water. The ground cover on cropland is reduced from sod, as in pasture, with near 100% cover to conventional tillage with near 0% cover. Rainfall simulator demonstrations show that with a sod from a healthy pasture there is practically no runoff and lots of infiltration into the soil as compared to clean tillage where there is practically no infiltration and a lot of runoff. The cause of this vast difference is due both to the amount of ground cover and the differences in soil structure resulting from widely different tillage practices from zero to full tillage. Didi remarked “Perennial foods, wild foods, and pasture-raised animal products are some of the few places we can still get nutrients that have been intelligently sorted, into the right concentrations, ratios, and balances. We need them to maintain our own intelligence and immunity.” She then went on to explain about The Biotic Pump. It is how natural landscapes create their own rain, climates, and health with the aid of microbes. The work of microbes in landscapes can provide:

Abundant clean water, for everyone.

Pleasant livable temperatures and weather, around the world

Protection from floods, drought, wildfire

Nutrient dense food to grow healthy people, plants, and animals.

Strong local economies

Resilient communities inside and outside our bodies, above and below the ground.

Gut Microbes (in humans and animals):

Compete with pathogens at same receptor sites,

Teach our immune systems how to behave,

Influence gastrointestinal, metabolic, neuroendocrine, and circulatory functions,

Influence drug metabolism and toxicity (side effects),

Influence calorific availability (blood sugar & weight gain),

Influence post-surgical recovery times,

Form barricades against disease-causing bacteria,

Influence our moods,

Make our neurotransmitters, and

Turn on brain development.

Healthy topsoil is the mucosal membrane of the land. An intelligent filter that provides a layer of

protection, digestion, respiration, immunity, development, and regeneration of life. Soil is living tissue, with a microbiome, very much like any other being. There are principles to keep it healthy. Microbes are the quiet working class of the world providing our goods and services. We need to stop killing them.

The “Anti-Biotic” Pump: How humans have created their own climates, deserts, and health crises. How many of the issues of climate change can we address by restoring the “soil carbon sponge”?

She cited: “The issue is that, over vast areas of the world, the biosphere is not doing enough work. With livestock confined, and crop monocultures dependent on fossil energy to maintain them, too many of the animals are in prison, too many of the plants are on welfare, and too many of the microbes are dead.” --Peter Donovan, Soil Carbon Coalition Founder.

Why not provide people opportunities to observe and think about whole systems landscape function
while they upload observations to a shared map of data? www.atlasbiowork.com Didi showed several pictures of young children learning about soil health. The first soil health achievement award in 4H was awarded to Atlas Biowork she proudly announced. They are also providing mutual support and ongoing learning groups for farmers. Their motto is “Start with a goal, not a problem.” Figure out what your community wants…. Then hire farmers to create the conditions that will provide it.

Early Thursday evening after the afternoon conference program, Gary and Betty Burley, East Hill Farms, Warsaw, NY, hosted a raw milk cheese tasting party before Conference dinner. They produce several varieties of cheese from their dairy cows' milk. It is cave aged as done in France. It is good.

The Thursday evening Producer Showcaseran from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Two New York dairymen were featured, Bruce Rivington and Eric Sheffer.

Bruce Rivington was first up and introduced us to Churning Up Butter Profits: A Grass-Fed Dairy’s Value-Added Adventure. He and his family moved from Canada to Kriemhild Dairy Farms, Hamilton, NY. The farm is bisected by NY Route 125 so two cattle passes were built underneath the highway. They rotationally stock their dairy cows on pasture. They have a 44-cow milking parlor and a hoop barn for a freestall facility where supplemental feed is fed to the cows.

Bruce quoted Sonny Golden “...You plant corn. What Grows? Grass. You plant soybeans. What Grows? Grass. You plant barley. What grows? Grass. Why aren’t you growing grass?!”

Bruce put in a plug for Sarah Flack’s new book The Art and Science of Grazing. Sarah has been a long-time member of the Northeast Pasture Consortium and a grazing consultant from Vermont.

His dairy farm calves over 400 head seasonally in early to mid-March. The herd is pure Ayrshires and Jersey-Ayrshire crosses. Before deciding to settle down in Hamilton, NY they looked at 18 farms around the eastern US as far south as North Carolina. They moved to New York in 2000.

Among his slides he had one video picture that shows a dairy cow grazing grass in slow motion; showing how she grasped the grass with her tongue to pull it into her mouth. This is possible when the grass is at the proper height for grazing. He prefers short grasses that he refers to as native grasses. The pictured grass looked to be 6 to 8 inches tall and nicely vegetative and lush. He feels his pastures will revert to mostly bluegrass and white clover eventually.

Bruce quoted another person that sums up how he feeds his cows: “The biggest mistake a farmer can make is to feed a cow to her genetic potential” - Michael Murphy.

In 2010 an economic development coordinator contacted him to see if he would want to produce a value-added product. He decided to build a creamery and produce meadow butter under the brand name Kriemhild Dairy Farms. The butter is only produced from grass-fed cows. It was a fortuitous move as in 2014 on the cover of Timemagazine there was a picture of butter with the title “Eat Butter”.

They produce butter by sending their cream to a local milk plant for churning. They take the churned butter back to finalize it. They drain it to produce popcorn sized curds and then cream it. They then pack it into different sized packages. They work with seven distributors to market the butter. Their butter is sold by a well-known grocery chain, Trader Joe’s. The wife of a Trader Joe’s vice president by a chance sampling led to her endorsing it to her husband. Whole Foods also carries the butter as well. Many high-end restaurants also buy the butter. One Manhattan, NY restaurant orders 10 pounds a day. The butter is sold over a wide part of the Northeast from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They have been selling it at farmer’s markets but may only go to two this year. They also have a farm store. Besides the meadow butter, they also produce cultured butter. It is 85% butterfat. It is used to make croissants and other high-end pastries. It makes a flakier crust. The cultured butter is sold in one-pound packages. When they start processing their butter at their own facility completely, they will also sell buttermilk.

Eric Sheffer is a dairyman that just transitioned to organic milk production. His presentation says it all, Transitioning to Organic Dairying in a Troubled Time. The troubled time is the very low milk prices received at the farm. Eric is a partner of Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy, LLC with his Father. The farm has been in the family for 6 generations from 1774. When Eric returned to the farm after graduating from Cornell, he and his Father raised dairy heifers and the farm was known as Sheffer’s Heifers. The early years of planning the dairy was to expand their facilities and pasture base. They went back to what Granddad did, use pasture to feed their livestock. Timing – Dad started to build a new barn while Eric was at Cornell. Capital – Need family or an investor to get into farming today. Why not organic? Eric went to Cornell, but his instructors questioned why he wanted to have his cattle on pastures. He visited Gary Burley’s dairy farm to see how that family were able to grow into a large dairy operation while pasturing their cattle. In 2006-7, they had 115 acres of pasture. At that time, their cattle genetics prohibited them going organic. They started out with 12-cow swing parlor that they expanded to 18 and they left room for 2 more. They still have their first cow. She is 12 years old now. They do intensive rotational grazing. They supplement that diet with less than 12 pounds of grain per cow per day. Cropping is kept simple. The equipment is small and minimal to keep expenses down. They began crossbreeding their cows with New Zealand genetics early on but are now using US genetics. Heifer calves are bottle barrel fed until they are weaned on grass. By 2008, they had 100 milk cows.

The economic challenges faced by Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy have been:

Return on Equity (ROE) swings of -8% to +23%

Herd growth led to needed investments
1. Machinery
2. Barns
3. Added pasture
4. Parlor size increases
5. Added laneway and water

The farm growth has been quick. Growing out of necessity to stay economically viable. They have gone from 100 cows to 235 in 7 years. Hitting troubled times, especially in 2009 dairy prices and now.

They were faced with overcrowding as they expanded their herd so they added a 244-foot barn to alleviate that. They also maxed out pasture base so in 2014 they bought additional land that adjoined their farm. They now have 270 acres of pasture. Double what they had starting out.

2014 was a light bulb year as milk prices were high. They had the land and experience in feed purchasing, cow health, and grazing management. It was time to switch to organic milk production.

Why switch?

- Timing

- Market strength and indicators, and

- Proven success with the bank.

The land transition in the early stages of transitioning to organic milk production:

No large changes because of our basic management – pastures already in place,

Missing urea nitrogen fertilizer, especially with some dry seasons,

Investing in equipment for minimum till management and manure hauling, and

Expansion of fencing and pasture base to ensure adequate grass for diet cost and certification. Thirty acres of woodland were cleared to add to pasture acres.

Building the organic business model required these steps:

Started meeting with industry people early in the process for budgeting and prep,

Met with major organic milk handlers during the first year of transition,

Organic versus Grassfed Organic (no grain feeding), and

Began building forage and grain connections and invested in some grain infrastructure to take advantage of our size.

They decided after careful consideration to work on a first cost plus agreement with Stonyfield Organic. They wanted a change from the typical dairy relationships and wanted a partnership that promoted a mutually beneficial relationship. A lot of trust was established between both parties and countless hours were spent to make it successful.

The cow transition into organic milk production included:

Very little diet change because of their intensive grazing management, however
1. Loss of Rumensin (Feed additive to help cows get more energy from the feed fed to them.),
2. Loss of corn silage,

Planning for cow comfort investment,

Cow health a success (somatic cell-count usually 150,000 or less), and

Lessons learned with nutrition and grazing management.

What is next for Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy?

Better not Bigger (for now)

Finishing and capitalizing on the barn expansion

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (labor source while training someone to become a dairyman)

Focusing on building working capital

Investing in grazing-based improvements, as well as minor investments in balage production.

Major challenges in the organic market

Growing farm size and shrinking farm numbers

Oversupply and depressed prices

Certification dishonesty?

Growing alternative markets

On Friday, January 26, the last technical session was presented at 8:00 AM, Session 7 – The Saturated versus Unsaturated Dietary Fat Controversy as it relates to Pasture-raised Dairy and Meat Products. Our 2017 Conference concentrated on how pasture fed milk and meat products differed in fatty acid composition from confinement fed milk and meat products and how those fatty acids might be affected by processing and cooking. We also learned from nutritionists and dieticians that these fatty acids in pasture fed products tended to be the ones considered to be more heart healthy or more favorable to human health generally. After our Conference in March another conference was held in June that had experts speak out that people have been misled about saturated fats clogging our arteries. We decided to hear two of those speakers out at this year’s Conference. What if we feed our livestock to change fatty acid composition in meat and milk and find out that the old nutritional science has it all wrong?

Our first speaker was Dr. Glen Lawrence, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. His presentation title was: Good Fat versus Bad Fat: How Did They Get It So Wrong? He started his talk by asking the question, “Which is healthier? Vegetable oil or butter and coconut oil? Today’s concensus answer is vegetable oil. But is it? A Framingham Heart Study

published by Kannel, W. B. et al. in 1961 with early results indicated that as serum cholesterol levels increased from low (<200 mg/dl) to medium (200-240 mg/dl) incidence of death due coronary heart disease (CHD) went from 10% to 12% and if above 240 mg/dl to 18%. However, this is but one cause of coronary heart disease. The other risk factors are smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Data from Ancel Keys’ 7 Countries Studyalso showed a trend of more deaths due to coronary heart disease as serum cholesterol levels rose. However, Glen asked “Can we conclude that an increase of 6 mg/dl cholesterol in blood means one more heart attack death per 1000 people, or increased risk of 0.1 %?” Going from 180 mg/dl (low) to 240 mg/dl (border-line high), would increase death risk by only 1%. (Anything above 240 usually indicates dietary changes to reduce cholesterol levels, or if that fails, going on a statin.) The next figure showing data from Ancel Keys’ 7 Countries Study on deaths from all causes shows propensity of more deaths from other causes than from cholesterol. In fact, one site chosen, Ushibuka, Japan, skewed the data in the figure due to mercury poisoning causing many deaths and it was only 40 miles from the Nagasaki where radiation from an atomic bomb could have also been a factor. Overall death rate and CHD deaths for Eastern and Western Finland combined when compared with overall death rate and CHD deaths for Greece and Italy combined gave rise to the Mediterranean Diet (olive oil) being touted as being more heart healthy. Early Studies showed a relationship between dietary fats and serum cholesterol. However, genetic factor is primary determinant for blood cholesterol. Diet is a secondary factor in blood cholesterol levels. Changes in intake of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats makes a difference, but the increase or decrease in serum cholesterol levels is much smaller than the genetic factor effects on blood cholesterol levels. Other early studies:

Diets prepared with only butter or coconut oil as fat sources increased levels of serum cholesterol in confined people.

Diets prepared with vegetable oil as the major source of fat lowered levels of serum cholesterol in confined people.

In one study, a control diet resulted in 250 mg/dL serum cholesterol during one leg of the study but resulted in 225 mg/dL serum cholesterol during another leg of the study.

Later studies in the 90’s compared olive oil and palm oil in a free-living population. The results were much different. Choudhry experimental setup:

Olive oil: Sat, 14%, MUFA, 78%, PUFA, 8%

Palm oil: Sat, 45%, MUFA, 43%, PUFA, 11%

Subjects fed palm oil diets for 30 days, with crossover to olive oil for 30 days or vice versa.

Subjects were young healthy men and women

Results from the Choudhry experiment

Note that total cholesterol was reduced by both palm oil and olive oil over the normal diet to the same extent. There was little change in bad cholesterol levels (LDL). Both palm oil and olive oil lowered good cholesterol (HDL) levels, but olive oil was the lowest of the three diets. The total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio was better for the normal diet although just above the range limit considered healthy of 2.0-4.0 standard. Meanwhile, the olive oil diet was the worst.

Data skewed regarding influence of replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Many studies were not published when the data did not agree with the hypothesis (data selection and publishing bias!)

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (1980 to 2015). Long time with little change due to conformity and with disastrous results:

Guideline - Reduce total dietary fat intake (consequently, carbohydrates replaced fats, and sugar consumption increased dramatically)

Guideline - Reduce saturated fats (vegetable oils were recommended to replace saturated fats, such as butter, to lower serum cholesterol)

Low fat replaced full fat dairy products (there goes your omega-3 fatty acid, the good one)

Consequently, sweetened juices (or soft drinks) replaced milk for many children.

Obesity increased by 2.5 times

Type 2 diabetes increased by 4
Minutes Attachment:
2018 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference & Meeting Minutes.doc

Accomplishments
Short-term Outcomes: <ol> <li>The 2018 Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference was held at The Century House in Latham, NY on January 25 and 26. It was held in conjunction with Winter Green-Up Grassfed Beef Conference that was held on January 27 at The Century House.  Sixty-three people participated in our Conference.  Several grassfed beef producers from New York and nearby states attended since our Conference preceded the grassfed conference. Kevin Jablonski, one of the grassfed beef producers, was nominated and approved to be the Private Sector member-at-large of the NEPC Executive Committee.  The Conference this year covered a wide range of research and education priorities that we have set our sights on to improve pasture-based farming economics and environmental stewardship.  Our first technical session on January 25 was on Riparian Area Management in Pastures.  It has been a focus of our Consortium for several years as we prefer to see a more holistic approach to managing pastures in riparian areas, rather than merely fencing off the streams running through them to exclude livestock entry to the water and streambanks.  The USDA-ARS working with Penn State University has developed and tested some new computer tools to help conservationists and farmers evaluate riparian pastures for their many ecosystem services, choose appropriate best management practices, and evaluate the effectiveness of riparian grassed or forested buffers.  The Stream-Wetland-Riparian (SWR) Index is used to determine aquatic ecosystem conditions at each site.  This tool was developed by the Penn State Riparia Department.  The Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) developed by ARS allows us to look at the combination of conservation practices in a watershed and determine their effectiveness in keeping nutrients and sediments out of the stream. Ag Buffer Builder, a performance-based buffer locating tool, can show the conserva-tion planner which areas along a stream are the most effective places to install a buffer or evaluate the effectiveness of existing riparian buffers.  Many installed riparian buffers are either bypassed or overwhelmed with concentrated runoff flows.  Meanwhile, many of them have areas where no runoff enters them at all, concentrated or sheet flows.  The second technical session.  The final step is to use the Production and Conservation Trade-offs (PACT), an ARS/Penn State assessment tool, that rates performance of all possible management practices based upon the literature on their effect on different ecosystem services.  A suite of management practices or several possible suites of practices can be scored with PACT to determine how they rate for delivering ecosystem services.  The landowner selects the suite of practices that best serve his farm and protect the water associated with the riparian area.  Morgan Hartman, Owner and Operator, Black Queen Angus Farm, LLC, Berlin, NY wrapped up this session with a “Farmer Perspective on Managing Riparian Area Pastures”.  He uses short duration rotational grazing management to graze his riparian pastures, keeps his cattle out them during wet weather, and likes fencing only one side of a stream to control woody vegetation from invading along the streambanks.  He is allowing his Conservation Reserve Program contracts to lapse to give him more flexibility in how he controls grazing in his riparian pastures.  Pastures and Soil Healthwas the first afternoon technical session.  Soil health is a more recent addition to our research and education priorities. We learned that we can improve pasture soil health by following adaptive grazing management principles. It involves three principles: high stock density, a short grazing period, and full plant recovery.  Following these three principles we avoid chronic (prolonged) disturbance of the plant community, maximize plant soil cover, and increase plant diversity that in turn creates diversity of the soil organisms.  Doing all this improves the resiliency of pastures to rebound from drought and other weather-related events or mistakes in management.  Silvopasture Update was the next technical session.  Silvopasture is the long-term integrated production of quality timber and grazing on the same land.  It can be done two ways, adding woods to pasture or adding pasture to woods.  In the Northeast, it is stocking cattle on low-grade woodlots where many of the trees are culled to promote better grass growth among the remaining trees that have some commercial value.  Cornell University has been promoting silvopasture through various means over the past six years.  Some priorities for silvopasture research and education are viable methodologies for the reclamation and restoration of invasive brushlands and degraded woodlots, the economics of silvopasturing, soil health and ecosystem services benefits, using animal impact to manage vegetation in silvopastures, and the health and welfare benefits for livestock.  Our poster paper session followed next.  Six poster papers were displayed: 1. Grazing Guide: What can the Northeast Pasture Consortium website offer?, 2. Pasture Plants of the Northeastern US Guide, 3. Upper Susquehanna Coalition Comprehensive Riparian Buffer Program, 4. Can Grazing Selectivity Reduce Fatty Acid Intake Decline in Mature Annual Forages?5. Deep-Bed Pack Livestock Facility Planning Tool, and 6. Studying the Effect of Bovine Milk Consumption on the Human Gut Microbiota Using TWINSHIME (Twin-Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecology).  The next technical session was Beef Viability Case Studies.  This session dealt with grass-fed and -finished beef farms in Vermont.  We learned that to be successful raising beef on grass that these are important things to adhere to: selling grass-fed and -finished meat at a price above costs of production + profit margin, lowering overhead by leasing pasture (cheaper than owning pastureland), improving stock density by moving the cattle more often so as not to restrict forage intake, shoot for the highest average daily gain (ADG) possible with the genetics available and a lush pasture sward - track ADG to be sure it is being maintained on average throughout the feeding period, decrease days on farm by not over-finishing the cattle or not securing a slaughter slot ahead of time at the meat processing plant, reduce the days of feeding stored feed, it is more expensive than pasture, and shoot for a 20-month harvest of cattle window (not achieved with low quality hay or pasture).  Grass-fed beef was our first big research and education project for the NEPC.  There is a lot of interest among beef farmers in the Northeast.  Our foresight has been well rewarded.  Soil Health and its Impact on Human Health was the last Thursday afternoon session.  Here we learned that microbes are in the air, water, plant, soil, and the human gut.  Healthy topsoil is a living, carbon-rich sponge that soaks up water.  Pasture soils, when well-managed with proper grazing management and agronomic practices, create a healthy topsoil. We were introduced to the concept of The Biotic Pump.  It is how natural landscapes create their own rain, climates, and health with the aid of microbes.  The work of microbes in landscapes can provide:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Abundant clean water, for everyone.</li> <li>Pleasant livable temperatures and weather, around the world</li> <li>Protection from floods, drought, wildfire</li> <li>Nutrient dense food to grow healthy people, plants, and animals.</li> <li>Strong local economies</li> <li>Resilient communities inside and outside our bodies, above and below the ground.</li> </ul> The Thursday evening Producer Showcasepresented two New York dairymen, Bruce Rivington and Eric Sheffer.  Bruce and his family rotationally stock their dairy cows on pasture.  He also runs a creamery making butter from his cows and from neighbors’ cows cream.  He has a wide-flung market covering much of the central part of the Northeast.  Whole Foods and Trader Joes are retailers who sell his butter.  The butter is also sold to high-end restaurants.  Meanwhile Eric farms in partnership with his Father.  He talked about his transition into organic milk production and the expansion they have done since he graduated from Cornell University.  They currently ship their milk to Stonyfield Organic.  They rotationally graze their milk cows on 270 acres of pasture.  They also have a dairy grazing apprentice working at their farm.  We introduced this nation-wide program to the Northeast at our 2016 Conference in Maine. On Friday morning, January 26, our last technical session was The Saturated versus Unsaturated Dietary Fat Controversy as it relates to Pasture-raised Dairy and Meat Products.  Dr. Glen Lawrence from Long Island University and Dr. Adam Lock from Michigan State were the two speakers.  Both were of the view that saturated fats found in meat and milk are wrongly accused of being harmful to cardiovascular health.  Dr. Lawrence thought that PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids (the omega-6 ones), were one of the real culprits as they are oxidized during digestion into some harmful byproducts to cardiovascular health.  Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are metabolized differently in the human gut and are not harmful.  Thus, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 has been recommended to be 4 or lower for good cardiovascular health.  Another culprit is fructose, a sugar.  Most adverse health effects erroneously attributed to saturated fatty acids are known to be exacerbated by high fructose consumption.  Dr. Lock agreed with Dr. Lawrence that the original work that pointed to saturated fat clogging arteries was fatally flawed.  Later research that disputed the earlier findings were often ignored or stifled.  He also explained why it is very difficult to change the fatty acid (FA) composition of milk through adjusting milk cow diets.  His take on the fatty acid controversy was: <ul> <li>Milk fat synthesis is highly coordinated.</li> <li>In large part, presence of numerous FA in milk fat is due to rumen biohydrogenation of PUFA.</li> <li>Overall, pattern of milk FA can only be very modestly changed.</li> <li>It is important to consider effects on animal production/efficiency and product quality.</li> <li>Milk and dairy products are a source of dietary saturated FA</li> </ul> - Earlier efforts that demonized milk fat were inaccurate and inappropriate - Will take time for this message to work its way through educators, medical   community, and consumers. The rest of Friday morning was devoted to looking at our research and education priorities by both the Private Sector and the Public Sector separately.  The two groups were gratified that they were thinking so much alike.  2018 Research and Education Priorities are: 1)    Explore new methods to transfer knowledge and information to increase adoption of research findings within the agriculture community; incorporate social science research into increased adoption and technology transfer. <ul> <li> Including Farm Bureau to additionally influence regulations and legislations</li> </ul> 2)    Ecosystems Services and Disservices from Pasture Systems and Grazing Management: <ul> <li> Impacts to riparian areas</li> <li> Impacts to water quality</li> <li> Wildlife benefits to adaptive grazing management</li> <li> Impacts of permanent stream and streambank exclusion from livestock grazing riparian area pastures</li> </ul> 3)       Research problems with orchardgrass persistence and breeding in hay fields and pastures; variety and species evaluation (outreach component) 4)       Parasite issues for pastured small ruminants, especially given climate change and possibly a longer, warmer grazing season; 5)        Further fatty acid research in meat and dairy products regarding human nutrition and health; support of human artificial gut model for milk digestion studies <ul> <li> Including A2 milk casein research </li> </ul> 6)        Addressing the Heavy Use Area/Pasture interface (vegetation management) 7)        Incorporating and maintaining more legume-base within pasture systems (quality, N-fixation, and other benefits.) Flipchart ideas from 2017 farmer research/education priority session: <ul> <li>Methods for informing consumers with latest research findings; funding to support it and Northeast Pasture Consortium; Cooperative Extension may be a method for information, research, and technology transfer and distribution;</li> <li>Monetizing Soil Health - ecological resources, carbon sequestration, relative to nutrient levels in soil; ecosystem services; impact of improved production</li> <li>YouTube outreach; website resources and links;</li> <li>Knowledge needed to help farmers meet new Ag Practices/Regulations and funding to install practices;</li> <li>Genetic influence on livestock product nutrient values, mineral and nutrient uptake; Breed selection recommendations for the Northeast states;</li> <li>Consumer education materials from check-off org’s (Beef and sheep); collaborate with them to get resources out;</li> <li>Educate regulators and legislators on farm practices (state and federal);</li> <li>Addition of social science presentations to NEPC agenda; and</li> <li>Improved availability of FA testing for farmers to evaluate their products.</li> </ul>   Italicized priorities are ones with a research component. Bold print items came directly from the private sector session   Our Reports session included the presentation of the above research and education priorities.  We also had USDA agency reports from Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.  We also had a special report by Dr. Allen Matthews, Director and Instructor of Sustainable Agriculture, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PAon Grass Fed Beef Value Chain Marketing.  This niche market is being taken over by aggregators as most Northeast beef farms have too few cattle to market without excessive overhead and do not have a consistent supply of meat on hand.  A problem of buying locally produced beef is that grass-fed does not mean the animals are finished on grass.  Due to inconsistent meat quality of grass-finished cattle, some of the aggregators take cattle from farmers that are grain finishing their cattle. Native pastures (whatever grows out there) are often not productive enough to finish cattle well.  This defeats the purpose of being grass-fed as the fat composition of their meat, if grain-finished, will be no different than feedlot raised cattle.  Margins for the producers are also not that great.  Meat purchasers are price-sensitive.   Locally produced meat may be desired, but there is a limit to how much more people are willing to pay for locally sourced meat versus the price at the supermarket of unknown origin.  The cattle producers are getting paid for hot, hanging weight at prices no better than sending them to an auction barn where they are paid for the live animal weight when the vast difference in weight between live animal and hot, hanging weight are considered for fed cattle.  Cost of processing a small number of cattle at a small processing plant is hundreds of dollars higher than a large-scale processing plant.  This report is available on the Consortium website.   At the business meeting, Gary Burley was nominated and approved to fill a private sector vacancy on the Executive Committee.  It is a one-year term.  Kevin Jablonski was nominated and approved to a 4-year term as the new private sector member-at-large.  On the public sector side, Daimon Meeh, NRCS resource conservationist from New Hampshire, was nominated and approved to a 4-year term as a member-at-large.  Conference informal proceedings are nearly completed. They will be posted to theConsortium website at: <a href="http://grazingguide.net/">http://grazingguide.net/</a>. <ol> <li>We received permission from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to extend the period of using an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) strengthening conference grant to help support our 2018 NEPC Conference.  This was used to get quality speakers from outside the NEPC, fund scholarships for beginning and veteran farmers, and other costs associated with planning and holding the conference.</li> <li>Three work groups, 1) Strengthen Organization Structure, 2) Expand and Strengthen Communication & Public Relations, and 3) Funding Plan for the Future, have been working on drafts of by-laws, business plan, and scoping out different ways to fund the NEPC, an outcome of our Strategic Planning Session held in March of 2017. </li> </ol>   Outputs: <ol> <li>Two newsletters were published, one in September 2017 and another in December 2017, and distributed primarily as attachments to emails to all the membership.  These kept the members informed about the annual conference and new developments on what organic milk cows should be fed and when, biosecurity measures for small flocks of pasture roaming chickens, improving soil organic matter in pastures, and drought management of hayfields and pastures. They also announced the 10th Winter Green-Up Grass-Fed Beef Conference, 22nd Annual VT Grazing and Livestock Conference, the Second Southern New England Livestock Conference, and Sarah Flack's book on The Art & Science of Grazing.</li> <li>The proceedings of the 2018 annual conference and meeting are in draft form.</li> <li>The Power Point presentations, poster paper abstracts, and speaker biographical sketches are placed on the Consortium website, NEPC Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.</li> <li>Twenty-seven publications or website series were published in the past year.  The website series were directed towards pasture-based farmers to give them suggestions on how to improve their pasture systems and give them calendar of pasture events around the Region.  The rest of the publications were research papers or abstracts on pasture-related issues.  See Publications document for the cited publications and educational websites.</li> <li>The University of Kentucky publication Producer’s Guide to Pasture-Based Beef Finishingwas a handout at the registration desk for the beef farmer participants at the 2018 NEPC Conference.</li> <li>Grass Fed Beef Value Chain Marketingby Dr. Allen Matthews, Director and Instructor of Sustainable Agriculture, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA was posted to the Consortium’s website. This is an important report for beef producers thinking about going into grass-fed and/or grass-finished beef production.  Some thought and research are needed to see what it will take in good to excellent pasture, find a local processor or aggregator that is willing to work with you, and a re-education on when to calve and not worry about having a tight calving period.  It is better to avoid having cattle ready for slaughter during deer season and have a few calves drop throughout the year provided you can house calf and cow in inclement weather.</li> <li>Version 6.0 of the Chesapeake Bay Model is being modeled with the new data sets being used to determine sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loading to Bay waters.  Mr. Cropper contributed advise and literature reviewed input on the pasture landuse contribution to those loads.  There is still too much reliance on fencing off streams in riparian pastures as an easy way to reduce those loads.  However, if the pastures are not managed to keep good soil cover on them, the usual small area of ungrazed buffer on the stream side of the livestock exclusion fence will do little to attenuate N and P loads to the stream.  Eventually that sod will disappear as woody vegetation invades the excluded zone.  Sediment reduction may be reduced initially by keeping heavy livestock traffic off the streambanks, but this is very situational.  Unarmored streams that meander down the valley erode along the outside curves regardless of whether they receive animal traffic or not.</li> <li>As an outcome of our Strategic Planning Workshop in 2017, these draft documents have been produced by two of our subcommittees in late 2017 and early 2018:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Draft Bylaws 04/19/2918</li> <li>NEPC Business Plan Draft 08/21/2017</li> </ul>   Activities: <ol> <li>The 2018 Annual Conference and Meeting of the Consortium was held on January 25 and 26 at at The Century House in Latham, NY.    Six poster papers were presented. Sessions on research and education needs were held from 10 AM to 12 PM on both days.  The results of those sessions are posted in the item 1 narrative of Short-Term Outcomes.</li> <li>Two of our subcommittees that were formed during the 2017 strategic planning session were active this year and produced the two products listed in number 6 of the Outputs.</li> <li>The Northeast Grazing Guide website for the Consortium is at: http://grazingguide.net/. Dr. Sarah Goslee of the Agricultural Research Service Research Unit at University Park, PA is our web master. It is updated as new material arrives.  Several YouTube videos were posted to the site this year.  We are also posting pasture-related seminars, tours, and conferences that are being held around the Region.</li> <li>We continued the scholarship program this year to encourage beginning and veteran pasture-based farmers to attend the 2018 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference using AFRI grant money.  A one-page flyer was updated and disseminated to promote the scholarship program.</li> <li>Jim Cropper, Executive Director, participated with the Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Work Group and the Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee (AMS) via teleconferencing and email during 2017-2018.  The AMS work is completed for now while Model 6.0 is being tested.</li> <li>Teleconferences are held monthly by the Executive Committee to plan the next annual conference and meeting and address other issues that come up during the year.</li> <li>Continuing education credit (CEU) requests were sent to the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the American Forage & Grassland Council (AFGC) for certified crop advisors and certified forage and grassland professionals, respectively, for the 2018 Annual Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference and Meeting. Nine CEU's were approved prior to the conference for both certified crop advisors and forage & grassland professionals, that attended the conference.  The completed sign-in sheets were sent to ASA and AFGC after the Conference.</li> <li>Revised and updated research and education need priorities at the 2018 Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Conference and Meeting. </li> </ol>   Milestones: <ol> <li>Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Model 6.0 agricultural model testing is now underway.</li> <li>The ARS - Penn State riparian management project is a 4-year project.  The Stream-Wetland-Riparian (SWR) Index used to determine aquatic ecosystem conditions at each site is ready for use.  This tool was developed by the Penn State Riparia Department.  The Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) developed by ARS that allows farm planners to look at the combination of conservation practices in a watershed and determine their effectiveness in keeping nutrients and sediments out of the stream is ready for use. Ag Buffer Builder, a performance-based buffer locating tool that can show the conservation planner or farmer which areas along a stream are the most effective places to install a buffer or evaluate the effectiveness of existing riparian buffers is ready for use.  The Production and Conservation Trade-offs (PACT), an ARS/Penn State assessment tool, that rates performance of all possible management practices based upon the literature on their effect on different ecosystem services is also ready for use.  One of our members at the Conference recommended that NRCS adopt these tools to do resource conservation planning and grazing management plans on riparian pastures.</li> </ol>
Publications
Names in boldare Northeast Pasture Consortium members as contributing authors.  Publications listed in alphabetical order by NEPC member author.   Bishopp, Troy.  2017-2018.  The Grass WhispererWebsite.  At: http://www.thegrasswhisperer.com/.  Most recent articles appear on page 1.  At the bottom of the screen (be sure to scroll down to the very bottom), click on page number or next arrow to see other articles on pasture management thoughts Troy has and events Troy has attended.  Always entertaining and educational.  Troy writes a news article about the Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference.   Casler, M.D., Brink, G.E., Cherney, J.H. 2017.  Registration of Azov meadow fescue. Journal of Plant Registrations.  11:9-14.   Colby, J.  2017. Pasture Improvement Tools: Biodrilling by Forage Radishes and Keyline Plowing.  University of Vermont Extension.  <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/?Page=whatwedo/index.php">http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/?Page=whatwedo/index.php</a>  2 pp.   Colby, J., K. Hagen, J.P. Alvez, C. Herrick.  2017-2018. Vermont Pasture Network Calendar. On-line.  Monthly.   Duiker, Sjoerd W.  2018.  Soil Compaction Threat from Grazing Animals on Steep Slopes.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/soil-compaction-threat-from-grazing-animals-on-steep-slopes">https://extension.psu.edu/soil-compaction-threat-from-grazing-animals-on-steep-slopes</a>  1 p.   Gilker, R. and K. Voth.  2017-2018. On PastureWebsite.  Published weekly.  At: On Pasture,4435 E San Carlos Place N, Tucson, AZ 85712.  R. Gilker is a Northeast Pasture Consortium member from NY.   Goslee, S.C., Gonet, J.M., Skinner, R.H. 2017.  Freeze tolerance of perennial ryegrass and implications for future species distribution.  Crop Science.57:2875-2880.   Graziosi,Michelle and Joshua Faulkner.  2016.  Designing Variable-Width Filter Strips on Vermont Fields Using the AgBufferBuilder ArcGIS Tool.  University of Vermont Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/?Page=whatwedo/projectsresearch/agbufferbuildervt.php">http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/?Page=whatwedo/projectsresearch/agbufferbuildervt.php</a>  7 pp.     Wang, A., Goslee, S.C., Miller, D., Sanderson, M.A., Gonet, J.M. 2017.  Topographic variables improve climate models of forage species abundance in the northeastern United States. Applied Vegetation Science.20:84-93. doi: 10.1111/avsc.12284.   Hartman, David W.  2018.  Cover Crops for Livestock Grazing.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/cover-crops-for-livestock-grazing">https://extension.psu.edu/cover-crops-for-livestock-grazing</a>   1 p.   Hartman, David W.  2018.  Silvopasture Could Work on Your Farm.  Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/silvopasture-could-work-on-your-farm">https://extension.psu.edu/silvopasture-could-work-on-your-farm</a>  2 pp.   Hautau, Mena.  2018.  Fall Management for Pastures: Renovate or Restore? Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/fall-management-for-pastures-renovate-or-restore">https://extension.psu.edu/fall-management-for-pastures-renovate-or-restore</a>  4 pp.   Hoffman, K.  2017-2018. NYGC Grazette Newsletter.  NY Grazinglands Coalition.  Published monthly on-line at:   <a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ny/technical/landuse/pasture/?cid">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ny/technical/landuse/pasture/?cid</a>= nrcseprd366641.   Leroux, Matthew. 2018.  Improved Meat Marketing for Small Scale and Direct Marketing Farms in the Northeast.  Cornell Small Farms Program.  Cornell University.  Winter 2018 Quarterly.  <a href="http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2018/01/08/improved-meat-marketing/">http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2018/01/08/improved-meat-marketing/</a>   Matthews, Allen.  2017.  Grass Fed Beef Value Chain Research.  Rosalie J. Wilson Business Development Services, PO Box 575 Norwich, VT.  16 pp.   Rinehart, Lee.  2017.  Building Healthy Pasture Soils.  Cornell Small Farms Program.  Cornell University.  Fall 2017 Quarterly.  <a href="http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2017/10/02/building-healthy-pasture-soils/">http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2017/10/02/building-healthy-pasture-soils/</a>.   Dillard, L., Roca-Fernandez, A., Rubano, M., Elkin, K.R., Soder, K.J. 2018.  Enteric methane production and ruminal fermentation of forage brassica diets fed in continuous culture. Journal of Animal Science. doi: 10.1093/jas/sky030.   Hafla, A., Soder, K.J., Brito, A., Kersbergen, R.,Benson, F., Darby, H., Rubano, M., Dillard, L., Kraft, J., Reis, S.  2018.  Winter supplementation of ground whole flaxseed impacts milk fatty acid composition on organic dairy farms in the northeastern United States.  Abstract.  American Forage and Grassland Conference Proceedings.95(4).   Soder, K.J., Heins, B., Chester-Jones, H., Hafla, A., Rubano, M.  2108.  Evaluation of fodder production systems for dairy farms.  Professional Animal Scientist.34(1).   Dillard, S.L., Soder, K.J. 2017.  Productivity and nutritive quality of three brassica varieties for use in pasture-based systems.  Abstract.  ASA-CSSA-SSSA Proceeding, October 22-25, 2017, Tampa, FL.  P. 1.   Stanton, tatiana L. and Michael L. Thonney.  2017.  Integrated control of internal parasties in pasture-based small ruminants. <a href="http://blogs.cornell.edu/smallruminantparasites/resources-for-farmers-youth/">http://blogs.cornell.edu/smallruminantparasites/resources-for-farmers-youth/</a>. 8 pp. pdf.   Taber, Rich.  2017.  The Green Lie: Grassland Version.  The Green Lie of Hay and Grazing Lands: Deceivingly Green Pastures Performing at a Fraction of Their Potential.  Cornell Small Farms Program.  Cornell University.  Summer 2017 Quarterly.  <a href="http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2017/07/03/the-green-lie-grassland-version/">http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2017/07/03/the-green-lie-grassland-version/</a>.   Tunick, M.H., Van Hekken, D.L. 2017. Fatty acid profiles of in vitro digested processed milk. Foods. 6:99.   Van Hekken, D.L., Tunick, M.H., Ren, D.X., Tomasula, P.M.  2017.  Comparing the impact of homogenization and heat processing on the properties and in vitro digestion of milk from organic and conventional dairy herds.  Journal of Dairy Science. 100:6042-6052.   Williamson, Jessica A.  2018.  Extending the Grazing Season Using Brassicas. Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/extending-the-grazing-season-using-brassicas/">https://extension.psu.edu/extending-the-grazing-season-using-brassicas/</a>  1 p.   Williamson, Jessica A.  2018.  Grazing Residue Height Matters.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-residue-height-matters">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-residue-height-matters</a>  1 p.   Felix, Tara L., Jessica A. Williamson, and David W. Hartman.  2018.  Grass-Fed beef production - Grass-fed Beef Markets and Terminology.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grass-fed-beef-production/">https://extension.psu.edu/grass-fed-beef-production/</a>  4 pp. pdf
Impact Statements
1. 7. Soil health is much improved when pastures are grazed using adaptive grazing management. Soil cover is greater, root growth denser, less soil compaction present, and soil organic matter higher than on heavily grazed pastures or tilled cropland. This allows for more rainwater and snowmelt infiltration into well-managed pasture soils. Reducing water runoff and providing more available soil moisture to produce more forage for grazing. This been well demonstrated by the traveling rainfall simulator of the soil health mobile that has been touring the Northeast and shown in videos at grazing conferences around the Region. Many of our farmer members have noticed that soil organic matter has increased a good deal in their pasture soils as they get soil samples back from soil testing laboratories over the years.
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Date of Annual Report: 01/01/1970

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 02/19/2019 - 02/20/2019
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2017 - 09/30/2018

Participants

Name, Last, First, Institution/Farm
Ayers, Ariel, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Bailey, Clyde, C Bailey Farm, Charleston, WV
Beam, Joy, King's AgriSeeds, Inc., Lancaster, PA
Benson, A. Fay, Cornell University Extension, Cortland, NY
Bignell, Hank, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Belvidere, NJ
Billman, Eric, USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Res. Unit, Univ. Park, PA
Bomgardner, Matt , Blue Mountain View Farm, Anneville, PA
Bookhamer, Dennis, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Bosworth, Sid, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Bousquet, Kate, USDA-NRCS, Warick, RI
Campbell, Brian, USDA-NRCS, Grazing Specialist, Forest Hill, MD
Cauffman, Glen, Pure American Naturals Angora Goat Farm, Millersville, PA
Colby, Jenn, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Program Coordinator, Burlington, VT
Conley, Ghyllian, USDA-NRCS, Warick, RI
Cropper, James, Northeast Pasture Consortium Executive Director, Greensboro, NC
Crowl, Erika, University of Maryland Extension, Cockeysville, MD
Faulkner, Joshua, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Firrman, Jenni, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Flythe, Michael, USDA-ARS, Forage-Animal Production Research, Lexington, KY
Fukagawa, Naomi, USDA-ARS, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD
Glazier, Nancy, Cornell University Extension. Small Farms/Livestock Specialist, Penn Yan, NY
Goering, Elizabeth, Western MD Resource Conservation Development, Grazing Specialist, Hagerstown, MD
Gonet, Jeffery, USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Res. Unit, Univ. Park, PA
Grev, Amanda, University of Maryland Extension, Pasture Management. Keedysville, MD
Hagen, Kimberly, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Grazing Specialist, Burlington, VT
Harvatine, Kevin, Pennsylvania State University. University Park, PA
Hatton, Joseph, Hatton Farm, Morgantown, WV
Hawbaker, Clifford, Hamilton Heights and Emerald Valley Dairy Farms, Chambersburg, PA
Hotchkiss, Arland, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Jablonski, Kevin, Mack Brook Farm, Argyle, NY
Johnson, Dale, Western MD Research and Education Center, Farm Management Specialist, Keedysville, MD
Kness, Andrew, University of Maryland Extension, Street, MD
Liu, LinShu, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Malot, Jana, PA Cattlemen’s Association, Harrisonville, PA
Martin, Doug, Pleasant Valley Jerseys LLC, Chambersburg, PA
Martin, Julie, Pleasant Valley Jerseys LLC, Chambersburg, PA
McKee, Morgan, USDA-NRCS, Warick, RI
Meader, Joyce, University of Connecticut Extension, Brooklyn, CT
Miller, Peter, Organic Valley/Crop Cooperative, Millheim, PA
Moyer, Glenn, Moyer Dairy Farm, Manns Choice, PA
Neff, Tracy, King's AgriSeeds, Inc., Manchester, PA
Onwulata, Charles, USDA-ARS, Northeast Area Director's Office, Beltsville, MD
Qi, Phoebe, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Rayburn, Edward, West Virginia University Extension, Morgantown, WV
Renye, John, USDA-ARS, Dairy and Functional Foods Res. Unit, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Rotz, Alan, USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Res. Unit, Univ. Park, PA
Sayre , Lawrason , Waffle Hill Farm, Churchville, MD
Schivera, Diane, Maine Organic Farmers & Gardners Association, Appleton, ME
Sheradin, Meghan, Vermont Grass Farmers Association, Executive Director, Barre, VT
Smucker, Michael, Smuckers Meats, Mount Joy, PA
Soder, Kathy, USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Res. Unit, Univ. Park, PA
Tomasula, Peggy, USDA-ARS, Eastern Regional Res. Ctr., Wyndmoor, PA
Veith, Tamie, USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems & Watershed Mgt. Res. Unit, Univ. Park, PA
Vough, Lester, University of Maryland, Professor of Agronomy Emeritus, Hanover, PA
Wild, Don, Wild Acres Famil Farm, Great Valley, NY
Ziehm, Eric, High Meadows of Hoosic LLC, Hoosic Falls, NY
Williamson, Jessica, Pennsylvania State University Extension, University Park, PA

Participants Attachment:

2019.NE Pasture Consortium Attendees.pdf

Brief Summary of Minutes

The 2019 Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference was held at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey Conference Center & Hotel on February 19 and 20. It was held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Forage Conference that was held on February 21 at the same venue. Fifty-seven people from ten states participated in our Conference despite another winter storm and partial federal government shutdown that kept USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service participation down to only 3 employees from Rhode Island and one from Maryland. USDA-Agricultural Research Service scrambled to get their employees to our Conference in very good numbers having been only restored from furlough status the Friday before our Conference began. Our Conference was shortened by 6 hours this year as it followed a federal holiday and due to inclement weather on Wednesday, the last day of the conference. We managed to get in our five technical sessions, they were: How to Transition a Dairy Farm from Confinement Feeding to Pasture, Promoting Clover Growth in Pastures: Why? – New & Old reasons, and How?, Meat Marketing Strategies with Small Meat Processors, Dairy Issues: Grass Only Milk, A1 versus A2 beta-casein milk, and Milk Fatty Acid Testing to Adjust Dairy Rations, and Managing Pastures before, during, and after Weather Extremes. We also held our Producer Showcase session Tuesday evening with speakers Doug and Julie Martin of Pleasant Valley Jerseys and Don Cauffman, an Angora goat producer that markets their wool as finished apparel products. We reinstituted farmer panels in two of our technical sessions at this conference. These were helpful as they brought a practitioners approach to transitioning dairy cows from confinement feeding to pasture and managing pastures before, during, and after weather extremes.

The business meeting was held after the Producer Showcase ended Tuesday evening, February 19 as the snowstorm was predicted change over to an ice storm Wednesday afternoon. We decided to end the Conference Wednesday morning at 12:00 noon.

A report from Sarah Goslee on Internet and Social Media was handed out to attendees that covered calendar year 2018 achievements. It is shown immediately below.

Northeast Pasture Consortium

2018 Internet and Social Media Report

Sarah Goslee, sarah.goslee@usda.gov or grazingguide@gmail.com

Website: grazingguide.net

In 2018, had 3,300 users, viewing 3,700 pages.

54% of visits came from the United States; six continents were represented.

The most popular facts sheets described research on dung beetles, intestinal parasites, and pasture biodiversity.

Popular pages include:

events calendar.

grazing dashboard.

pasture plant guide.

Social media

Grazing Guide Facebook page has 87 followers

@grazingguide twitter account has 82 followers

NEPC also has Grazing Guide Flickr and YouTube channels.

New in 2018

A NEPC MailChimp mailing list service, configured with both administrative and general membership email lists. This will allow people to sign themselves up for the general membership list to receive newsletters.

The Northeast Pasture Consortium collection at the Internet Archive* (archive.org) has been created as a repository for consortium archives and past documents. This collection will enable permanent online storage for valuable information. All archive documents will also be indexed at grazingguide.net

If you have materials you think would be a good fit for a NEPC archive, please contact grazingguide@gmail.com to discuss next steps.

*"The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge."

After briefly discussing Sarah’s report, Executive Director Jim Cropper opened up nominations for Public Sector 2019 Member-at-Large. Jessica Williamson nominated Amanda Grev of the University of Maryland. Jana Malot moved to close the nominations. Cliff Hawbaker seconded the motion and the motion carried. Amanda Grev accepted the nomination. Jim Cropper then opened up the nominations for Private Sector 2019 Member-at-Large. Cliff Hawbaker nominated Glen Moyer, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer. Clyde Bailey moved to close the nominations. Kevin Jablonski seconded the motion and the motion carried.

In other business, Jim Cropper was directed to write a letter to Director, J. Scott Angle, of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture congratulating him on his appointment to head the Agency. Scott is a former professor of soil science and Director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and Maryland Cooperative Extension at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Ed Rayburn requested that Jim Cropper send him the Northeast Pasture Consortium letter head to him for some technical sheets he was developing for the Consortium.

Jim Cropper closed the business meeting by thanking Jennifer Colby and Gary Burley for their service on the NEPC Executive Committee for the past 4 years. Jennifer had been a big help in writing and receiving approval for a grant proposal to put on the 2017 NEPC Conference that explored the scientific evidence on how fat intake affects human health and how animal diets can be manipulated to achieve less fat by feeding them more fresh grass and increasing the better fats in meat and milk. Gary filled a vacated spot on our Executive Committee and with his vast experience as a pasture-based dairyman gave us sage advice at our teleconferences or later on via email. Jim then announced that Fay Benson and Don Wild will be co-chairs of the Executive Committee in 2019 and until the end of the 2020 Conference.

The research and education needs breakout sessions yielded these priority needs:

2019 Research Priorities (2/20/19)

Explore new methods to transfer knowledge and information to increase adoption of research findings within the agriculture community; incorporate social science research into increased adoption and technology transfer.

Including Farm Bureau to additionally influence regulations and legislations

USDA-ARS—keep working with and building partnerships

Seek new contact with USDA-NRCS Chief, commitment to encourage reps from every state (electronic options for joining?)

Strengthen Extension research connections, work listservs and across communication methods

University research connections, work listservs and across communication methods—use OREI funding opportunity

Invite farmers from all NEPC states (Cedar Tree grant—NE states, could apply to USDA-OTT, USDA-NIFA Scott Angle)

Ecosystems Services and Disservices from Pasture Systems and Grazing Management:

Impacts to riparian areas

Impacts to water quality (citizen involvement)

Wildlife benefits to adaptive grazing management

Impacts of permanent stream and streambank exclusion from livestock grazing riparian area pastures

Economic models for ecosystem service payments (measurement, payment, structure)

Silvopasture contributions to carbon sequestration; adaptive strategy in changing climate conditions

Research adjustments in forage management needs in a changing climate;

Regional management approaches (understanding variability)

Species adaptation and evaluation (meadow fescue, use of annuals, increase in invasive plants)

Soil biology and management impacts on animal health and human health

Small ruminant parasite research at WVU, Rhode Island, Cornell

Red and white clover functions in animal and soil health, pollinators, forage and animal production

Grazing management as it affects soil health (compaction, worms)

Further research in meat and dairy products regarding human nutrition and health;

Fatty acid updates, importance of side chains on long chain FAs (Jana Kraft), and short chain FAs

Artificial gut for milk digestibility

Whole milk/fats

Probiotics/prebiotics

C3, C4 grasses, forbs, and effects on omega-3 content in milk and meat

Addressing the Heavy Use Area/Pasture interface (vegetation management)

Comparison of options (deep-bed packs, composted packs, wood chips)

Biological composition of bedded packs and livestock health (mastitis—John Barlow & Deb Neher)

Bale grazing & in-field winter management/calving

Species evaluation for vegetated heavy use areas

Farm profitability and upcoming cultural/societal changes

Compare different philosophies, results, benchmarks.

Development of artificial meat (and other animal products), and how will that affect our work, audience, research?

Ecological/carbon footprint of animal production compared to ecological footprints of alternative products.

Quality assurance program requirements; impacts on profitability

Minutes Attachment:

2019 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference.Sessions.Abstracts.ARSReport.doc

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: 1. The 2019 Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference was held at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey Conference Center & Hotel on February 19 and 20.  It was held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Forage Conference that was held on February 21 at the same venue.  Fifty-seven people from ten states participated in our Conference despite another winter storm and partial federal government shutdown that kept USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service participation down to only 3 employees from Rhode Island and one from Maryland. USDA-Agricultural Research Service scrambled to get their employees to our Conference in very good numbers having been only restored from furlough status the Friday before our Conference began.  Our Conference was shortened by 6 hours this year as it followed a federal holiday and due to inclement weather on Wednesday, the last day of the conference. We managed to get in our five technical sessions, they were: How to Transition a Dairy Farm from Confinement Feeding to Pasture, Promoting Clover Growth in Pastures:  Why? – New & Old reasons, and How?,  Meat Marketing Strategies with Small Meat Processors, Dairy Issues: Grass Only Milk, A1 versus A2 beta-casein milk, and Milk Fatty Acid Testing to Adjust Dairy Rations, and Managing Pastures before, during, and after Weather Extremes.   We also held our Producer Showcase session Tuesday evening with speakers Doug and Julie Martin of Pleasant Valley Jerseys and Don Cauffman, an Angora goat producer that markets their wool as finished apparel products.  The research and education needs breakout sessions yielded these priority needs: 2019 Research Priorities (2/20/19) A. Explore new methods to transfer knowledge and information to increase adoption of research findings within the agriculture community; incorporate social science research into increased adoption and technology transfer. <ul> <li>Including Farm Bureau to additionally influence regulations and legislations</li> <li>USDA-ARS—keep working with and building partnerships</li> <li>Seek new contact with USDA-NRCS Chief, commitment to encourage reps from every state (electronic options for joining?)</li> <li>Strengthen Extension research connections, work listservs and across communication methods</li> <li>University research connections, work listservs and across communication methods—use OREI funding opportunity</li> <li>Invite farmers from all NEPC states (Cedar Tree grant—NE states, could apply to USDA-OTT, USDA-NIFA Scott Angle)</li> </ul> B. Ecosystems Services and Disservices from Pasture Systems and Grazing Management: <ul> <li>Impacts to riparian areas</li> <li>Impacts to water quality (citizen involvement)</li> <li>Wildlife benefits to adaptive grazing management</li> <li>Impacts of permanent stream and streambank exclusion from livestock grazing riparian area pastures</li> <li>Economic models for ecosystem service payments (measurement, payment, structure)</li> <li>Silvopasture contributions to carbon sequestration; adaptive strategy in changing climate conditions</li> </ul> C. Research adjustments in forage management needs in a changing climate; <ul> <li>Regional management approaches (understanding variability)</li> <li>Species adaptation and evaluation (meadow fescue, use of annuals, increase in invasive plants)</li> </ul> D. Soil biology and management impacts on animal health and human health <ul> <li>Small ruminant parasite research at WVU, Rhode Island, Cornell</li> <li>Red and white clover functions in animal and soil health, pollinators, forage and animal production</li> <li>Grazing management as it affects soil health (compaction, worms)</li> </ul> E. Further research in meat and dairy products regarding human nutrition and health; <ul> <li>Fatty acid updates, importance of side chains on long chain FAs (Jana Kraft), and short chain FAs</li> <li>Artificial gut for milk digestibility</li> <li>Whole milk/fats</li> <li>Probiotics/prebiotics</li> <li>C3, C4 grasses, forbs, and effects on omega-3 content in milk and meat</li> </ul> F. Addressing the Heavy Use Area/Pasture interface (vegetation management) <ul> <li>Comparison of options (deep-bed packs, composted packs, wood chips)</li> <li>Biological composition of bedded packs and livestock health (mastitis—John Barlow & Deb Neher)</li> <li>Bale grazing & in-field winter management/calving</li> <li>Species evaluation for vegetated heavy use areas</li> </ul> G. Farm profitability and upcoming cultural/societal changes <ul> <li>Compare different philosophies, results, benchmarks.</li> <li>Development of artificial meat (and other animal products), and how will that affect our work, audience, research?</li> <li>Ecological/carbon footprint of animal production compared to ecological footprints of alternative products.</li> <li>Quality assurance program requirements; impacts on profitability</li> </ul> 2. We received a $5000 grant from USDA-Agricultural Research Service to fund our farmer stakeholders’ travel expenses to and from the conference this year and conference room rental.  This was a big financial help to augment the money received from conference registration fees. 3. The Northeast Pasture Consortium by-laws were completed and approved at the May 18, 2018 Executive Committee teleconference. 4. Funding was restored to the USDA-ARS Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit at Wyndmoor, PA.  With the continuing drop in milk consumption in the US, it is vital that more research on bioactive compounds in milk be done to see if there are additional health benefits to drinking milk or consuming other milk derived dairy products.  This unit is also looking deeper into how milk proteins are digested in the human gut.  This too could lead to finding ways to enhance their absorption in the GI tract and make milk a more attractive health food. 5. The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program is active in 7 Northeast Region states: Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.  This program has Master Graziers who take apprentices under their wing to mentor them on pasture-based dairy farming.  The apprentices work at the farm for 4000 hours with pay.  Currently, there are 9 Master Graziers in Maine, 1 in Massachusetts, 2 in New Hampshire, 2 in New Jersey, 23 in New York, 14 in Pennsylvania, and 20 in Vermont.  We showcased this program at our 2016 Conference in Freeport, ME and toured a Master Grazier’s farm nearby. 6. University of  Vermont received a grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation for Developing Measurement and Increasing Capacity of a Coordinated New England Grazing Network.  The 6 New England states and NEPC are involved.  The goal is to increase the number of regenerative grazing farms (adaptive grazing management or management intensive grazing adopted).   Outputs: <ol> <li>Two newsletters were published, one in August 2018 and another in late December 2018 (later revised in early January 2019), and distributed primarily as attachments to emails to all the membership.  These kept the members informed about the annual conference and a wide range of topics, such as the continuing controversy on saturated fats found in meat and milk and their real effect on cardiovascular disease and cholesterol levels in human consuming them, when and how to renovate pastures, how to raise and market pasture-finished beef, and ten reasons to add legumes to pastures.  They also announced the Pennsylvania Forage Conference.</li> <li>The proceedings of the 2019 annual conference and meeting are in draft form.</li> <li>The Power Point presentations, poster paper abstracts, and speaker biographical sketches are placed on the Consortium website, NEPC Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.</li> <li>Fifty-six publications or website series were published in the past year.  The website series were directed towards pasture-based farmers to give them suggestions on how to improve their pasture systems and give them calendar of pasture events around the Region.  The rest of the publications were research papers or abstracts on pasture-related issues.  See Publications document for the cited publications and educational websites.</li> <li>The remaining copies of the University of Kentucky publication Producer’s Guide to Pasture-Based Beef Finishingwere handouts at the registration desk for the beef farmer participants at the 2019 NEPC Conference.</li> <li>Version 6.0 of the Chesapeake Bay Model is continuing to be tested in 2019 with the new data sets being used to determine sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loading to Bay waters.  Mr. Cropper contributed advise and literature reviewed input on the pasture landuse contribution to those loads.  There is still too much reliance on fencing off streams in riparian pastures as an easy way to reduce those loads.  However, if the pastures next to the ungrazed buffer are not managed to keep good soil cover on them, the usual small area and width of ungrazed buffer on the stream side of the livestock exclusion fence will do little to attenuate N and P loads to the stream. Eventually that sod will disappear as woody vegetation invades the excluded zone.  Sediment reduction may be reduced initially by keeping heavy livestock traffic off the streambanks, but this is very situational.  Trees growing on streambanks create eddies that cause bank erosion often undermining those trees eventually. Unarmored streams that meander down the valley erode along the outside curves regardless of whether they receive animal traffic or not when streams are at bank-full flow during major runoff events.  This happens in floodplain cropfields just as much as in bottomland pastures and in urban areas and wildlands.</li> <li>As an outcome of our Strategic Planning Workshop in 2017, these draft documents have been produced by two of our subcommittees in late 2017 and early 2018:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Draft Bylaws 04/19/2018 (approved on 05/18/2018)</li> <li>NEPC Business Plan Draft 08/21/2017 (Still pending – more rewrite required)</li> </ul>   Activities: <ol> <li>The 2019 Annual Conference and Meeting of the Consortium was held on February 19 and 20 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel and Conference Center in Grantville, PA.    Nine poster papers were presented.  Two concurrent sessions, Private Sector and Public Sector groups, on research and education needs were held from 10 to 11 AM on February 20. The results of those two sessions are posted in the item 1 narrative of Short-Term Outcomes.</li> <li>The Stakeholder Action Committee Chair, Angus Johnson, sent a letter to USDA-Agricultural in Research Service leadership to reinstate funding proposed to be cut by 2.269 million dollars from the fiscal year 2019 ARS budget to the Dairy and Functional Food Research Unit at Wyndmoor, PA.  This would have virtually wiped out the research unit.  Angus also telephoned the Northeast Area Director of USDA-ARS to ask him to reconsider this action.</li> <li>The Northeast Grazing Guide website for the Consortium is at: <a href="applewebdata://53E1D1E4-16B8-4F45-BEEE-4CFFBBBAB4C2#http://grazingguide.net/">http://grazingguide.net/</a>. Dr. Sarah Goslee of the Agricultural Research Service Research Unit at University Park, PA is our web master. It is updated as new material arrives.  More YouTube videos were posted to the site this year.  We are also posting pasture-related seminars, tours, and conferences that are being held around the Region.  A NEPC MailChimp mailing list service was added and a NEPC collection at the Internet Archive (archive.org) has been created as a repository for consortium archives and past documents.</li> <li>We continued the sponsorship program this year to encourage agribusinesses to support the 2019 Northeast Pasture Consortium.  A one-page flyer was updated and disseminated to promote the program.</li> <li>Jim Cropper, Executive Director, participated with the Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Work Group via teleconferencing and email during 2018-2019.  He also participated in a face-to-face meeting of the Work Group on June 20th and June 21st in Lancaster County, PA. The first day was a field tour that looked at a wetland restoration project in the midst of a pasture, a confinement dairy manure system where the barn and barnyard are alongside a small creek, and a small dairy farm where traditional manure storage facilities are cost-prohibitive to install.  In the last case, it would be far better to pasture the dairy herd for as long as practicable.</li> <li>Teleconferences are held monthly by the Executive Committee to plan the next annual conference and meeting and address other issues that come up during the year.</li> <li>In November, the NEPC agreed to partner with UVM on Cedar Tree Foundation grant proposal and wrote a support letter for inclusion in the application.  It was approved for funding.</li> <li>Continuing education credit (CEU) requests were sent to the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the American Forage & Grassland Council (AFGC) for certified crop advisors and certified forage and grassland professionals, respectively, for the 2019 Annual Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference and Meeting. 8.5 CEU's were approved prior to the conference for both certified crop advisors and forage & grassland professionals that attended the conference.  The completed sign-in sheets were sent to ASA and AFGC after the Conference.</li> <li>Revised and updated research and education need priorities at the 2019 Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Conference and Meeting.</li> <li>Comments on USDA-ARS NP306, Product Quality and New Uses National Program on Nonfood Priorities were uploaded to their website on 02/12/19 at the request of Dairy & Functional Foods Research Unit Leader, Peggy Tomasula.  Two priorities were given:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Dairy whey can be a source for edible films so that the whey does not end up in the waste stream. Continued research on this would be helpful.</li> <li>Dairy cow milk is a promising source for oligosaccharide recovery, as underutilized dairy processing streams in whey processing were recently shown to contain oligosaccharides similar to those found in human milk. Milk oligosaccharides are receiving increasing attention in the field of human health research due to their theorized ability to improve health status and serve as prebiotics for developing infants.  The ability of oligosaccharides to manipulate intestinal bacterial communities could also be significant for adults, as specific gut microbial compositions have been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes.</li> </ul> 11. A letter of support was sent to A. Fay Benson, Program Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County, for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program proposal entitled: Training the Next Generation of Dairy Graziers in New York. This will support and expand the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program in the State of New York. 12. Letter was sent to the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Honorable Sonny Perdue, concerning the continuous purchase and use of non-organic dairy heifers by large organic dairies instead of heifers raised by organic rules from birth.  It is putting our Northeast Region dairy farmers at an economic disadvantage that raise their own heifers under the USDA organic rules.  It also reduces their market for organically raised heifers since those heifers cost more to raise and buy than nonorganic heifers that are then transitioned to being organic the year before their first calf. Milestones: <ol> <li>USDA-Agricultural Research Service resumed funding the Northeast Pasture Consortium after a nine-year hiatus.  This is essential to provide a financial incentive (by paying their travel expenses) to bring pasture-based farmers to come to our conference since it is a 2-day commitment of time away from their farm when economic times are not good.  They provide us with needed feedback on what research work and education needs are of most benefit to help them stay economically viable while at the same time doing it in an environmentally sensitive manner.</li> <li>Seven Northeast Region states out of 12 states nationwide are active in the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program.  Seventy-one Master Graziers from the Northeast Region (out of 180 nation-wide) have volunteered to train young aspiring dairy men and women by having them come to work on their grazing dairy farms for a salary while learning all there is to know about feeding, caring, and milking grazing dairy cattle and operating the equipment needed to meet their herd’s daily needs and handle the milk produced.</li> </ol>

Publications

Names in bold are Northeast Pasture Consortium members as contributing authors.  Publications listed in alphabetical order by NEPC member principal author. Bishopp, Troy.  2018-2019.  The Grass WhispererWebsite.  At<a href="http://thegrasswhisperer.com/">http://thegrasswhisperer.com/</a>.  Most recent articles appear on page 1.  At the bottom of the screen (be sure to scroll down to the very bottom), click on page number to see other articles on pasture management thoughts Troy has and events Troy has attended.  Always entertaining and educational.. Smith, Richard G., Sonja K. Birthisel, Sidney C. Bosworth, Bryan Brown, Thomas M. Davis, Eric R. Gallandt, Ann Hazelrigg, Eric Venturini, and Nicholas D. Warren.  2018. Environmental correlates with germinable weed seedbanks on organic farms across Northern New England.  Weed Sci. 66:78–93. Zang, Y., Silva, L. H. P., Ghelichkhan, M., Miura, M., Whitehouse, N. L., Chizzotti, M. L., & Brito, A. F.2019. Incremental amounts of rumen-protected histidine increase plasma and muscle histidine concentrations and milk protein yield in dairy cows fed a metabolizable protein-deficient diet. Journal of Dairy Science, 102(5), 4138-4154. doi:10.3168/jds.2018-15780  Isenberg, B. J., Soder, K. J., Pereira, A. B. D., Standish, R., & Brito, A. F.2019. Production, milk fatty acid profile, and nutrient utilization in grazing dairy cows supplemented with ground flaxseed. Journal of Dairy Science, 102(2), 1294-1311. doi:10.3168/jds.2018-15376 Ghedini, C. P., Moura, D. C., Santana, R. A. V., Oliveira, A. S., & Brito, A. F.2018. Replacing ground corn with incremental amounts of liquid molasses does not change milk enterolactone but decreases production in dairy cows fed flaxseed meal. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(3), 2096-2109. doi:10.3168/jds.2017-13689 Brossillon, V., Reis, S. F., Moura, D. C., Galvão, J. G. B., Oliveira, A. S., Côrtes, C., & Brito, A. F.2018. Production, milk and plasma fatty acid profile, and nutrient utilization in Jersey cows fed flaxseed oil and corn grain with different particle size. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(3), 2127-2143. doi:10.3168/jds.2017-13478 Colby, J., K. Hagen, J.P. Alvez, C. Herrick.  2018-2019.Vermont Pasture Network Calendar. On-line.  Monthly. Brackenrich, Justin and Sjoerd W. Duiker. 2018. Avoid Overgrazing Your Pastures.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/avoid-overgrazing-your-pastures">https://extension.psu.edu/avoid-overgrazing-your-pastures</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W. 2019.  Cropping Options After Small Grain Harvest - Instead of leaving the land fallow after small grains, double crop soybeans, plant cover crops, or plant annual forages for grazing to improve your operation. Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/cropping-options-after-small-grain-harvest%20%20">https://extension.psu.edu/cropping-options-after-small-grain-harvest</a> 1 p. Duiker, Sjoerd W. and Jessica A. Williamson. 2019.. Extending the Grazing Season with Plant Diversity,Agronomy Facts 79.  Pennsylvania State University. As a PDF, 6 p.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/extending-the-grazing-season-with-plant-diversity">https://extension.psu.edu/extending-the-grazing-season-with-plant-diversity</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W.  2018. Grazing Crop Residues and Cover Crops.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-crop-residues-and-cover-crops%20">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-crop-residues-and-cover-crops</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W.  2019. Grazing Management to Avoid Soil Compaction.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-management-to-avoid-soil-compaction">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-management-to-avoid-soil-compaction</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W. and Jessica A. Williamson. 2018. Integrating Grazing in No-Till Systems on a Grain Farm.  As a PDF, 6 p.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/integrating-grazing-in-no-till-systems-on-a-grain-farm">https://extension.psu.edu/integrating-grazing-in-no-till-systems-on-a-grain-farm</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W., Wilson, D. O., and J. A. Williamson. 2018. No-Till Annuals to Beat the Summer Slump on a Dairy Farm. Pennsylvania State University.  As a PDF, 4 p. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/no-till-annuals-to-beat-the-summer-slump-on-a-dairy-farm">https://extension.psu.edu/no-till-annuals-to-beat-the-summer-slump-on-a-dairy-farm</a> Duiker, Sjoerd W. 2018. Soil Compaction When Grazing in a Wet Summer. Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/soil-compaction-when-grazing-in-a-wet-summer">https://extension.psu.edu/soil-compaction-when-grazing-in-a-wet-summer</a> Firrman, J., Liu, L.S., Van Den Abbeele, P., Tanes, C., Bittinger, K., Tomasula, P.M.2019. Applying in vitro culturing technology to establish and evaluate the human gut microbiota. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 144:1-12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3791/59054">https://doi.org/10.3791/59054</a>. Firrman, J., Liu, L.S., Arango Argoty, G., Zhang, L., Tomasula, P.M., Wang, M., Pontious, S., Kobori, M., Xiao, W. 2018. Analysis of temporal changes in growth and gene expression for commensal gut microbes in response to the polyphenol naringenin. Microbial Insights. 11:1-12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1178636118775100">https://doi.org/10.1177/1178636118775100</a>. Gilker, R. and K. Voth.  2018-2019. On PastureWebsite.  Published weekly.  At: On Pasture,4435 E San Carlos Place N, Tucson, AZ 85712.  R. Gilker is a Northeast Pasture Consortium member from NY.  <a href="https://onpasture.com/">https://onpasture.com/</a> Gonet, J.M., Goslee, S.C. 2019. Understanding agricultural species distributions in the greenhouse, field, and landscape[abstract]. US-International Association for Landscape Ecology. p. 1. Gonet, J.M., Goslee, S.C. 2019. Let it snow! Snow cover reduces freezing mortality in perennial ryegrass[abstract]. Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting Proceedings. p. 1. Gonet, J.M., Goslee, S.C. 2018. Seedling identification guide for northeast pastures. Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting Proceedings. P. 1. Goossen, C.P., J. Kraft, and S.C. Bosworth.  2018. Fatty acids decrease in pearl millet forage from relative increases of pseudostem. Agric. Environ. Lett. 3:180016. doi:10.2134/ael2018.03.001 <a href="https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ael/pdfs/3/1/180016?search-result=1">https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ael/pdfs/3/1/180016?search-result=1</a> Goossen, C.P., Bosworth, S.C., Darby, H.M., Kraft, J.  2018. Microwave pretreatment allows accurate fatty acid analysis of small fresh weight (100x202f;g) dried alfalfa, ryegrass, and winter rye samples. Animal Feed Science and Technology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.02.014 Guindon, Casey.  2019. Spring Fertility Management in Grass Forages - Early spring is the time to make the most of the flush of growth from our cool-season pastures and hayfields.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/spring-fertility-management-in-grass-forages">https://extension.psu.edu/spring-fertility-management-in-grass-forages</a> Hashemi, M., Corcoran, S., and Stephen Herbert. 2017. Reseeding pastures and hay fields. As a PDF, 5 p. University of Massachusetts. <a href="https://ag.umass.edu/crops-dairy-livestock-equine/fact-sheets/reseeding-pastures-hayfields-17-01">https://ag.umass.edu/crops-dairy-livestock-equine/fact-sheets/reseeding-pastures-hayfields-17-01</a>  (Not reported earlier) Hoffman, K.  2018-2019. NYGC Grazette Newsletter. NY Grazinglands Coalition. Published monthly.  To subscribe contact: karen.hoffman2@ny.usda.gov   Liu, L.S., Firrman, J., Tanes, C., Bittinger, K., Thomas-Gahring, A.E., Wu, G.D., Van Den Abbeel, P., Tomasula, P.M.2018. Establishing a mucosal gut microbial community in vitro using an artificial simulator. PLoS One. 13(7):1-20. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197692">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197692</a>. Meader, Joyce. 2018. Milkweed Toxicity to Livestock. In Milkweed Asclepias.  As a PDF, p.5 of 5. UConn Home & Garden Education Center.  <a href="http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/asclepias-milkweeds.php">http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/asclepias-milkweeds.php</a> Rayburn, E. B., Shaffer, K., and M. Minch.  2018. Forage and Livestock Management after a Flood. ANRPub#16-255. West Virginia University.<a href="https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/pasture-hay-forage/flooded">https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/pasture-hay-forage/flooded</a> Rotz, C.A. 2018. Whole-farm dynamics of forage and grazinglands in a changing climate[abstract]. Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America Meeting. 1. Rotz, C.A., Asem-Hiablie, S., Place, S., Thoma, G. 2019. A national assessment of the environmental impacts of beef cattle production. Waste to Worth Conference, April 22-26,2019,Minneapolis,Minnesota. p. 1. Rotz, C.A., Asem-Hiablie, S., Place, S., Thoma, G. 2018. An environmental assessment of beef cattle production in the United States. American Society of Animal Science. P.1. Rotz, C.A., Hristov, A. 2019. Are our cattle causing an increase in global warming? National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Annual Meeting. P. 1. Rotz, C.A., Hristov, A. 2019. Are our cattle causing an increase in global warming[abstract]? Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting Proceedings. p. 1. Asem-Hiablie, S., Rotz, C.A., Battagliese, T., Stackhouse-Lawson, K. 2018. A life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of beef in the united states. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 1-15. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1464-6">https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1464-6</a>. Asem-Hiablie, S., Rotz, C.A., Stout, R.C., Place, S.E. 2018. Management characteristics of beef cattle production in the eastern United States. Professional Animal Scientist. 34(4):311-325. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15232/pas.2018-01728">https://doi.org/10.15232/pas.2018-01728</a> Castano-Sanchez, J.P., Rotz, C.A., Karsten, H.D.2018. Elevated atmospheric CO2 effects on dairy crops in the Northeast US: comparing IFSM and DSSAT models to FACE data. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. P. 1. Cordeiro, M.R., Rotz, C.A., Kroebel, R., Beauchemin, K., Hunt, D., Bittman, S., Koenig, K.M., McKenzie, D.B. 2019. Prospects of increased dairy farm forage production under climate and land-use changes in Newfoundland, Canada. Agricultural Systems.9(1):2-20. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9010031">http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9010031</a>. Gunn, K.M., Holly, M.A., Veith, T.L.,Buda, A.R., Prasad, R., Rotz, C.A., Soder, K.J., Stoner, A. 2019. Projected heat stress challenges and abatement opportunities for U.S. milk production. PLoS One.14(3):1-21. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214665">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214665</a>. Veltman, K., Rotz, C.A., Chase, L., Cooper, J., Forest, C., Ingraham, P., Izaurralde, R., Jones, C.D., Nicholas, R., Ruark, M., Salas, W., Thoma, G., Jolliet, O. 2019. Environmental impacts of dairy production systems in the changing climate of the Northeast. Waste to Worth Conference, April 22-26,Minneapolis,Minnesota. p. 1. Soder, K.J., Heins, B., Chester-Jones, H., Hafla, A., Rubano, M. 2018. Evaluation of sprouted barley fodder production systems on organic dairy farms in temperate regions of the United States. Proceedings of International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores. P. 1. Billman, E.D., Dillard, S.L.,Soder, K.J.2019. Forage brassicas: extending the grazing season with an alternative forage[abstract]. Extension Fact Sheets. p. 1. Dillard, L., Hancock, D.W., Harmon, D.N., Mullinex, K.M., Beck, P.A., Soder, K.J. 2018. Animal performance and environmental efficiency of cool-and warm-season annual grazing systems. Journal of Animal Science.96:3491-3502. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky025 Dillard, L., Roca-Fernandez, A., Rubano, M., Elkin, K.R., Soder, K.J.2018. Enteric methane production and ruminal fermentation of forage brassica diets fed in continuous culture. Journal of Animal Science. 96:1362-1374. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky030.">https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky030.</a> Galvao Jr, J., Rangel, A., Brito, A., Silva, J., Fay Benson, A., Hafla, A., Darby, H., Soder, K.J., Kersbergen, R., Brossillon, V. 2018. Using milk somatic cell score to predict of milk yield losses of organic dairy farms in the Northeast United States. American Dairy Science Association Abstracts. P. 1 Hafla, A., Soder, K.J.,Brito, A., Kersbergen, R., Benson, F., Darby, H., Rubano, M., Dillard, L., Kraft, J., Reis, S. 2018. Impacts of seasonal variation and winter supplementation of ground whole flaxseed on milk fatty acid composition of organic dairy cows in the northeastern United States. Professional Animal Scientist. 34:397-409. University of Rhode Island. 2018-2019. Northeast Small Ruminant Parasite Control website. <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/</a> University of Rhode Island. 2018-2019. Forage-based Parasite Control In Sheep and Goats In the Northeast U.S. <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei/</a> University of Rhode Island. 2018-2019. New Approaches for Improving Integrated Parasite Control Strategies for Small Ruminants in the Northeast.  <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/parasite-control/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/parasite-control/</a> Williamson, Jessica A., and Casey Guindon.  2019.  Annual Forage Alternatives to Corn Silage - Continued wet weather in many parts of the state has delayed corn planting. Take a look at some annual crops that may help to fill in your forage gap this year..  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/annual-forage-alternatives-to-corn-silage%20%20">https://extension.psu.edu/annual-forage-alternatives-to-corn-silage</a> 1 p. Williamson, Jessica A. and Marvin Hall.  2018. Fall Forage Establishment.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/fall-forage-establishment">https://extension.psu.edu/fall-forage-establishment</a> Williamson, Jessica A., Lingenfelter, D., and Duiker, S. W.  2019.  Grazing Cover Crops Prior to Planting Corn.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-cover-crops-prior-to-planting-corn">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-cover-crops-prior-to-planting-corn</a> Williamson, Jessica A. 2018. Grazing Residue Height Matters.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-residue-height-matters">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-residue-height-matters</a> Williamson, Jessica A. 2019. Selecting the Correct Forage Species.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/selecting-the-correct-forage-species">https://extension.psu.edu/selecting-the-correct-forage-species</a> Felix, Tara L. and, Jessica A. Williamson.  2019. Ruminant Nutrition.  Series of 3 videos – A Symbiotic Relationship, Forage Quality, and Species and Forage Management.  Pennsylvania State University.  <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/ruminant-nutrition">https://extension.psu.edu/ruminant-nutrition</a> Freitas, Tiago B., Jessica A. Williamson, and Tara L. Felix. 2018. Grazing Corn Stalks with Beef Cattle.  Pennsylvania State University.  As a PDF, 3 p. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-corn-stalks-with-beef-cattle">https://extension.psu.edu/grazing-corn-stalks-with-beef-cattle</a>

Impact Statements

The Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit of USDA-ARS at Wyndmoor, PA was saved from a very deep cut in funds for fiscal year 2019. Their work on identifying bioactive compounds in milk and elucidating their health enhancing capabilities is vital to claw back milk consumption that has been declining now for several years. Much of it is due to the campaign to reduce saturated fats and total fat in human diets. Newer studies on fat in the diet are calling into question the previous health recommendations on fat consumption. If these bioactive compounds have probiotic or prebiotic effects, this boosts milk’s status as a health food rather than something to avoid. This unit is also studying how milk is metabolized in the human gut. This could lead to some new discoveries on how milk could be modified through processing if need be to make it more digestible.

Date of Annual Report: 03/01/2020

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 01/15/2020 - 01/16/2020
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2018 - 09/30/2019

Participants

Participant list in attached Word document.

Participants Attachment:

2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference Participant List .docx

Brief Summary of Minutes

Business meeting minutes are as follows. More extensive minutes, covering the conference presentations and discussions, are attached.

Business Meeting

After the public and private sector reports on revised and new research, education, and technical assistance priorities were presented and discussed, the business meeting followed. Fay Benson, Public Sector Co-Chair and Don Wild, Private Sector Co-Chair, presided. The first order of business was to nominate and elect a public sector member-at-large and a private sector member-at-large to the Executive Committee. Jim Cropper nominated Dr. Tom Griggs, West Virginia University forage agronomist, for the public sector member-at-large. Jessica Williamson nominated Dr. Ben Goff, West Virginia University Extension ANR Agent- Mason & Putnam Counties. Once she nominated Dr. Goff, Dr. Griggs withdrew his nomination citing that he will be retiring before the 4-year term was up most likely and moving to Vermont. Thereupon, Jim Cropper seconded Jessica motion to nominate Dr. Goff. Nominations were closed by those present at the meeting. Dr. Ben Goff was unanimously elected to the Executive Committee. Don Wild announced that they had several private sector people interested in being a member-at-large, but when Aimee Braxmeier was proposed as a candidate, the other people rallied around her candidacy. Mrs. Lora Goss made a motion to nominate Ms. Braxmeier as the private sector member-at-large. Mr. Rob DeClue seconded the motion. Nominations were closed by those present at the meeting. Ms. Aimee Braxmeier was unanimously elected to the Executive Committee. Jim Cropper said he would send out their duties in a welcoming email along with background information about the Northeast Pasture Consortium since they were first year attendees.

Margaret Smith, NEPC Administrative Advisor, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, NY presented a PowerPoint “NEPC is a Project of the Northeast Regional Association of Ag. Experiment Station Directors, NEERA 1603”. She provided a brief history of the origin of the Northeast Pasture Consortium that began as a concept and was approved by the Northeast Ag Experiment Station Directors in 1995. The first Multistate Project was established for the Consortium as NEERA1000 in 2001. It brought together a diverse, integrated group: University research and extension, USDA-ARS, NRCS, and farmers and industry. Two impact statement leaflets were produced for the Consortium for the last two 5-year projects, 2006-2011 and 2011-2016, with editorial support from the National Association of Ag. Experiment Station Directors. A support flyer was also produced to inform state and national agricultural agencies what the role of the Northeast Pasture Consortium is to bring this integrated group together to promote pasture-based livestock production and marketing. Already it is nearly time to submit a Project proposal - we need to renew! The current 2016-2021 project is almost over. After a question and answer period, Margaret asked the membership if they thought it worthwhile to renew for another 5 years. It was a general consensus that the partnership of private and public sector people were advancing the research, education, and technical assistance needed to create productive pastures throughout the Northeast in a manner that was cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and produced wholesome food. It is more important than ever to combine the ever-shrinking resources of university and agency people and funding to continue advancing the science and art of pasture-based farming.

Jenn Colby and Sid Bosworth reminded the attendees to submit any filled-in Future of the NEPC questionnaires that were still outstanding. They explained that these would be helpful to guide an ad hoc committee on how to proceed with the Consortium with Jim Cropper retiring as Executive Director in February and Sid Bosworth, the Principal Investigator, retiring in March.

Jim Cropper wrapped up the business meeting by thanking Jessica Williamson and Cliff Hawbaker for their many contributions while being on the Executive Committee. Both had served out their 4-year terms with distinction. He welcomed Ben Goff and Aimee Braxmeier to the Executive Committee. The two new co-chairs were announced, Kevin Jablonski- Private Sector and Daimon Meeh-Public Sector. The 2020 business meeting was then adjourned earlier than originally planned so those residing in the western part of the Northeast could head home in advance of a slow moving snowstorm.

Minutes Attachment:

2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference and Business Meeting Minutes.docx

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: <ol> <li>The annual conference and meeting of private and public sector stakeholders held this year in Vermont focused on the fescue forage species and variety differences, pastured pigs, silvopasture, winter grazing, soil compaction in pastures, and pasture practices to achieve Chesapeake Bay’s TMDL pollution goals. Two pasture-based farms were highlighted at our Producer Showcase session. Randy Robar, owner and operator of the “Kiss the Cow” dairy farm in Vermont, spoke about how he started with just one cow and a few ducks and chickens to a farm with 175 acres of pasture, a farm store, a processing facility - 3000 poultry per year, maple syrup shack, and hire apprentices to run the farm and store. Lora Goss raises Polled Red Devon beef cattle on her New Hampshire farm and has done a lot of conservation and grazing management practices in cooperation with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Eighty people attended and participated in the Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Conference held at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. This was our best turnout since 2017. This was helped by a Cedar Tree grant received by the University of Vermont that was used to bring New England collaborators of that grazing lands project together to attend this conference and financial support from USDA-Agriculture Research Service to fund farmer travel expenses. The federal budget was passed and signed into law just before Christmas 2019 so this allowed the highest attendance of grazing lands specialists and conservationists from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in some years. Several of them used this occasion to meet immediately after the Conference to discuss several pressing grazing lands issues facing the Agency. Our Conference was also providentially sited and timed to avoid any big winter storms for a change by adjourning two days ahead of a major snowstorm that swept across the Northeast. Eleven continuing education units (CEUs) were approved for Certified Crop Advisers and Certified Forage and Grassland Professionals by ASA-CSSA-SSSA and the American Forage and Grassland Council, respectively for our Conference technical sessions.  The research and education needs breakout sessions yielded these priority needs:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Research Priorities (1/16/20)</li> </ul> A. Explore new methods to transfer knowledge and information to increase adoption of research findings within the agriculture community; incorporate social science research into increased adoption and technology transfer: 1. Including farm organizations and advocacy groups to additionally influence regulations and legislations. 2. USDA-ARS—keep working with and building partnerships and communicate with ARS headquarters about upcoming events. 3. Seek new contact with USDA-NRCS Chief, seek a commitment to encourage reps from every state (electronic options for joining?) and invite NRCS Chief to the 2021 NEPC Conference. 4. Strengthen Extension and university research connections, work listservs and across communication methods; —use OREI funding opportunity. a. Utilizing connections within Pasture Consortium; grazingguide.net b. Expand distribution list to a set list within each state for advertising date of upcoming NEPC (even if it is only a Save the Date w/o a set agenda) c. Advertise NEPC on already-existing websites and social media accounts owned by Consortium members (ex: Facebook pages, Instagram, websites) d. Invite farmers from all NEPC states (Cedar Tree grant—NE states, could apply to USDA OTT, USDA-NIFA Scott Angle) by reaching out to existing grazing networks within each state to reengage farmer participation. (Cedar Tree Foundation and NE Grazing Network as source of funding??) e. More efficient outreach of objectives: - Industry (ex: Organic Valley) - Review newsletter distribution (one-click unsubscribe? Which email list to use? Sarah Goslee discussion; outreach to admin within universities and agencies) - Educating new farmers; reaching the next generation. B. Ecosystems Services and Disservices from Pasture Systems and Grazing Management: 1. Impacts to riparian areas, 2. Impacts to water quality and availability (citizen involvement), 3. Wildlife benefits to adaptive grazing management, 4. Impacts of permanent stream and streambank exclusion from livestock grazing riparian area pastures in the Northeast and economic impacts on producers, 5. Economic models for ecosystem service payments (measurement, payment, structure). C. Silvopasture contributions to carbon sequestration; adaptive strategy in changing climate conditions. D. Research adjustments in forage management needs in a changing climate: 1. Regional management approaches (understanding variability), 2. Species adaptation and evaluation (meadow fescue, use of annuals, increase in invasive plants), 3. Impacts of grazing on greenhouse gas emissions and environmental resiliency, 4. Management practices to reduce invasion of undesirable plant species due to increased water and lack of infiltration in pastures, 5. Research on nutritional value of weeds, and 6. Does climate change affect native/invasive species? Does it change pasture management? Change animal intake or increased lignification of plants? E. Soil biology and management impacts on animal health and human health 1. Small ruminant parasite research at WVU, Rhode Island, Cornell, 2. Red and white clover functions in animal and soil health, pollinators, forage and animal production, 3. Tanniferous forages to reduce worm load and increase bypass protein in animal diets, and 4. Grazing management as it affects soil health (e.g., compaction, worms). F. Further research in meat and dairy products regarding human nutrition and health: 1. Fatty acid updates, value of side chains on long chain FAs (Jana Kraft), and short chain FAs, 2. Artificial gut for milk digestibility located at the Wyndmoor, PA ARS Laboratory, 3. Whole milk/fats; A2A2 milk – effects on human health and getting information out to a larger audience, 4. Milk probiotics/prebiotics identified and their function in human health discovered, 5. C3, C4 grasses, forbs, and effects on Omega-3 content in milk and meat, 6. Impacts of plant-based products marketed as “meats” and “milks” to farmers and environment, 7. Dairy cow plant fiber digestibility impact on milk quality, and 8. Continue to quantify research in nutrient-dense foods; how does cooking affect beef/food nutrition values? G. Addressing the Heavy Use Area/Pasture interface (vegetation management) 1. Comparison of options (deep-bed packs, composted packs, wood chips) and economic impact on handling facilities, heavy use areas, and cost-effective options, 2. Biological composition of bedded packs and livestock health (mastitis—John Barlow & Deb Neher), 3. Bale grazing & in-field winter management/calving, 4. Species evaluation for vegetated heavy use areas, 5. Using summer annuals to restore winter sacrifice areas, and 6. Research fact sheet updates? H. Farm profitability and upcoming cultural/societal changes 1. Compare different philosophies, results, benchmarks, 2. Development of artificial and plant-based “meat” and “milk” (and other animal products) and how they will that affect our work, stakeholders, audience, and research.Three papers of interest listed below: a. Paper in Global Change Biology, Proceedings for Natl Academy of Sciences “Soil carbon sequestration is an elusive climate mitigation tool.” (2018 Nov 13; 115(46): 11652–11656), b. EAT-Lancet Commission Summary Report – “Our Food in the Anthropocene: Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems”, Jan 16, 2019, and c. American Farmland Trust - Testimony of Dr. Jennifer Moore–Kucera, Climate Initiative Director of American Farmland Trust, before the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, October 30, 2019. 3. Ecological/carbon footprint of animal production compared to ecological footprints of alternative products, 4. Quality assurance program requirements; impacts on profitability I. New: Research on planting mixes of 6-12 species together to see what mix works well and remains diverse under well-documented grazing conditions, which species complement one another, and the economics involved in trying to maintain a diverse, as-planted mixture (cost versus value-added with increased meat and milk production and food quality).   <ol start="2"> <li>We received a $5000 grant again this year in December from USDA-Agricultural Research Service to fund our farmer stakeholders’ travel expenses to and from the conference. This was a big financial help to augment the money received from conference registration fees.</li> </ol>   <ol start="3"> <li>The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program is active in 7 Northeast Region states: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. This program has Master Graziers who take apprentices under their wing to mentor them on pasture-based dairy farming. The apprentices work at the farm for 4000 hours with pay.  Currently, there are 15 Master Graziers in Maine, 2 in Massachusetts, 3 in New Hampshire, 2 in New Jersey, 25 in New York, 16 in Pennsylvania, and 21 in Vermont.  Of NY’s 25 approved Master Graziers, six are paired with Apprentices. Two Apprentices graduated in 2019, two celebrated their one-year anniversary in the program, and two just started the program. PA currently has 4 active host farm/apprentice pairs. We showcased this program at our 2016 Conference in Freeport, ME and toured a Master Grazier’s farm, Wolfe’s Neck, nearby. Currently they have 2 apprentices working and learning on the dairy. Five apprentices have graduated from Wolfe’s Neck since 2016. </li> </ol>   4. University of  Vermont received a grant in late 2019 from the Cedar Tree Foundation for Developing Measurement and Increasing Capacity of a Coordinated New England Grazing Network.  The 6 New England states and NEPC are involved in 2020.  Some of the grant money was used to pay for cooperators of the Network to attend the 2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference to help with pasture priority needs and gain knowledge from the technical sessions.   Outputs:   <ol> <li>Two newsletters were published, one in September 2019 and another in December 2019, and distributed primarily as attachments to emails to all the membership. These kept the members informed about the annual conference and a wide range of topics. The September issue featured articles on each technical session being offered at the 2020 Conference outlining their importance and introducing the reader to the subject matter. This issue also introduced readers to the silicate issue associated with tall fescue, especially the K-31 variety. Different varieties have differing amounts of silicate in their leaves. As silicates increase in the leaves, the less palatable the leaves are. As they are grazed, silicates can increase to defend the grass from grazing. Pasturing pigs is nearly a lost skill. The September issue also featured a book section on pasturing pigs from Morrison’s Feeds and Feeding circa 1916. The December issue featured an article on an heirloom hog called the Large Black Hog. Our featured speaker on pasturing pigs at the Conference, Phil Race, has a herd of them. This issue also featured a book review on The Low-Fat Lie: Rise of Obesity, Diabetes and Inflammation by Glen D. Lawrence (speaker at our 2018 Conference) and a review in the on-line magazine of Nature Reviews Cardiology <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrcardio%20">http://www.nature.com/nrcardio</a> “Dietary fats and cardiometabolic disease: mechanisms and effects on risk factors and outcomes” by Jason H. Y. Wu, Renata Micha, and Dariush Mozaffarian. The upshot of these two publications is that there is much controversy over dietary fat in the human diet. What you have heard for years is being challenged mightily now. The two news updates also announced the Vermont Livestock and Pasture Conference that was paired with our annual conference commencing the next day after ours ended.</li> <li>The proceedings of the 2019 annual conference and meeting were completed over the summer and sent to Sarah Goslee, webmaster of the NEPC Grazing Guide website, to be posted on it.</li> <li>The 2020 proceedings are currently being worked on for their inclusion on the Grazing Guide website. The session on forage fescues has two presentations written and illustrated.</li> <li>After much delay, the 2017 Conference proceedings were finished in September 2019. Two authors never completed their papers so the Executive Director used their PowerPoints and cited references to write the papers for them. It is yet to be posted to the Grazing Guide website. This was the first formal proceedings of a NEPC Conference where the presenters in addition to their oral presentations were also asked to write a paper.</li> <li>The Power Point presentations, poster paper abstracts, and speaker biographical sketches are placed on the Consortium website, NEPC Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.</li> <li>Thirty-four publications, videos, or website series were completed in the past year. The website series were directed towards pasture-based farmers to give them suggestions on how to improve their pasture systems or give them calendar of pasture related events around the Region. The rest of the publications were research papers, fact sheets, or abstracts on pasture-related issues. See Publications document for the cited publications and educational websites.</li> <li>To keep everyone abreast of what is taking place in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Program, Jim Cropper and Mark Dubin from the Bay Office in Annapolis, MD planned a session for the 2020 Conference on what is expected for managing pastureland in the Watershed to meet total maximum daily loadings (TMDL’s) for sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus. There is a very big workload to improve grazing management especially along stream corridors. Mark presented this topic in a special session on the morning of January 16 at the Conference.</li> <li>The Executive Director received a letter in early January 2020 from Agricultural Marketing Service saying they had received the NEPC letter that we sent to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture June 19, 2019 about our concerns about the origin of livestock in the USDA organic dairy regulations. They have begun reviewing all the comments only now as they had extended the comment period to December 2, 2019. The NEPC letter backed the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance stance on the issue of continued use of non-organic dairy replacement heifers by some organic farms to replace cows culled out of their milking herd.</li> </ol>     Activities: <ol> <li>The 2020 Annual Conference and Meeting of the Consortium was held on January 15 and 16 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. Fifteen poster papers were presented. Two concurrent sessions, Private Sector and Public Sector groups, on research and education needs were held from 10 to 11 AM on January 16. The results of those two sessions are posted in the item 1 narrative of Short-Term Outcomes.</li> <li>The Northeast Grazing Guide website for the Consortium is at: <a href="applewebdata://744196C9-8B6E-4B07-8954-B07101CEFD78#http://grazingguide.net/">http://grazingguide.net/</a>. Dr. Sarah Goslee of the Agricultural Research Service Research Unit at University Park, PA is our web master. It is updated as new material arrives. More YouTube videos were posted to the site this year. We are also posting pasture-related seminars, tours, and conferences that are being held around the Region. A NEPC MailChimp mailing list service is available and a NEPC collection at the Internet Archive (archive.org) is used as a repository for consortium archives and past documents.</li> <li>Teleconferences are held monthly by the Executive Committee to plan the next annual conference and meeting and address other issues that come up during the year.</li> <li>In November, the NEPC agreed to partner with UVM on Cedar Tree Foundation grant proposal and wrote a support letter for inclusion in the application. It was approved for funding.</li> <li>Continuing education credit (CEU) requests were sent to the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the American Forage & Grassland Council (AFGC) for certified crop advisors and certified forage and grassland professionals, respectively, for the 2019 Annual Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference and Meeting. 11 CEU's were approved prior to the conference for both certified crop advisors and forage & grassland professionals that attended the conference. The completed sign-in sheets were sent to ASA and AFGC after the Conference.</li> <li>Revised and updated research and education need priorities at the 2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Conference and Meeting.</li> <li>Fay Benson, Public Sector Co-Chair, asked the Executive Committee to support Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance position on curtailing the continuing use of nonorganic dairy heifers as replacements in organic dairy herds. It makes easier to build up herds quickly and barely meets the letter of the regulations in converting them into organic dairy cows. Formal letter was sent to the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Honorable Sonny Perdue on June 19, 2019 concerning the continuous purchase and use of non-organic dairy heifers by large organic dairies instead of heifers raised by organic rules from birth. It is putting our Northeast Region dairy farmers at an economic disadvantage that raise their own heifers under the USDA organic rules. It also reduces their market for organically raised heifers since those heifers cost more to raise and buy than nonorganic heifers that are then transitioned to being organic the year before their first calf.</li> <li>Two Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) support letters were sought after and approved at the January 2020 Executive Committee teleconference. The first request was from Dr. Heather Darby for an OREI planning grant proposal entitled “Managing Organic Forages in a Changing Climate”. The primary focus of this planning proposal is to identify gaps in farmer knowledge, key research priorities, and resources that are integral in supporting the viability of organic dairy farms in a changing climate by developing and circulating a survey out to organic farmers. This survey will be analyzed to see what needs are perceived by the producers themselves. The second OREI proposal was from Dr. Andre Brito, University of New Hampshire, “A multi-regional approach to balancing milk and forage quality trade-offs in organic dairies feeding high-legume diets”. In this proposal, UNH will examine strategies and tradeoffs associated with increasing legumes in pastures on grazing dairies. The NEPC will be involved in the dissemination of their findings.</li> <li>Tamara Scully, a freelance agriculture and local food systems journalist, covered our 2019 Conference in Grantville, PA. Her articles about our Conference were posted in the Progressive Dairyman and Country Folks magazines in May through July. Troy Bishopp covered our 2020 Conference. His article appeared in Country Folks in February.</li> <li>Jim Cropper retired as Executive Director effectively at the end of February 2020 after eleven years in the position. He was honored for his service at the 2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium Conference.</li> </ol>     Milestones: <ol> <li>USDA-Agricultural Research Service continued funding the Northeast Pasture Consortium after a nine-year hiatus. This is essential to provide a financial incentive (by paying their travel expenses) to bring pasture-based farmers to come to our conference since it is a 2-day commitment of time away from their farm when economic times are not good. They provide us with needed feedback on what research work, technical assistance, and education needs are of most benefit to help them stay economically viable while at the same time doing it in an environmentally sensitive manner.</li> </ol> 2. Seven Northeast Region states out of 13 states nationwide are active in the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program.  Eighty-four Master Graziers from the Northeast Region (out of 185 nation-wide) [Source: <a href="https://www.dga-national.org/">https://www.dga-national.org/</a>] have volunteered to train young aspiring dairy men and women by having them come to work on their grazing dairy farms for a salary while learning all there is to know about feeding, caring, and milking grazing dairy cattle and operating the equipment needed to meet their herd’s daily needs and handle the milk produced.

Publications

Names in bold are Northeast Pasture Consortium members as contributing authors.  Publications listed in alphabetical order by principal author.   Antaya, N., Ghelichkhan, M., Pereira, A., Soder, K.J., Brito, A. 2019. Production, milk iodine, and nutrient utilization in Jersey cows supplemented with the brown seaweed ascophyllum nodosum (kelp meal) during the grazing season. Journal of Dairy Science.102(9):8040-8058. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-16478.   Billman, E.D., Andreen, D.M., Williamson, J. 2019. Choosing a grazing system: Mob vs. rotational. Progressive Forage Grower. Pg 1.   Billman, E.D., Andreen, D.M., Williamson, J., Soder, K.J. 2019. Mob or rotational grazing for pastures[abstract]. Extension Fact Sheets. P. 1.   Billman, E.D., Dillard, L.S., Soder, K.J. 2019. Brassicas as an alternative forage in the northeastern United States[abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. P. 1.   Bishopp, Troy.  2019-2020.  The Grass Whisperer Website.  At <a href="http://thegrasswhisperer.com/">http://thegrasswhisperer.com/</a>.  Most recent articles appear on page 1.  At the bottom of the screen (be sure to scroll down to the very bottom), click on page number to see other articles on pasture management thoughts Troy has and events Troy has attended.  Always entertaining and educational..   Bishopp, Troy.  2019-2020. Troy Bishopp The Grass Whisperer - YouTube. At <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHb5NB0n96jZIrODQ89S7bQ/videos">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHb5NB0n96jZIrODQ89S7bQ/videos</a>   Bishopp, Troy.  2019-2020. Troy Bishopp – On Pasture. At <a href="https://onpasture.com/author/troy-bishopp/">https://onpasture.com/author/troy-bishopp/</a>   Brackenrich, Justin, Nicole Santangelo, Jessica A. Williamson, Ph.D., and David Hartman. 2020. Care and Condition of Sacrifice Areas. Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/care-and-condition-of-sacrifice-areas">https://extension.psu.edu/care-and-condition-of-sacrifice-areas</a>   Brito, Andre and Silva, LHP. 2019. Symposium review: Comparisons of feed and milk nitrogen efficiency and carbon emissions in organic versus conventional dairy production systems. (abstract) Journal of Dairy Science. [Online ahead of print] DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17232.   Colby, J., K. Hagen, J.P. Alvez, C. Herrick.  2019-2020. Vermont Pasture Network Calendar.  On-line.  Monthly.   Dillon, J., Rotz, C.A., Karsten, H.D. 2019. Eco-efficiency of Northeast U.S. grass-fed beef systems. American Society of Animal Science Proceedings[abstract]. P. 1.   Firrman, J., Liu, L.S., Van Den Abbeele, P., Tanes, C., Bittinger, K., Tomasula, P.M. 2019. Applying in vitro culturing technology to establish and evaluate the human gut microbiota. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 144:1-12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3791/59054">https://doi.org/10.3791/59054</a>.   Firrman, J., Tanes, C., Bittinger, K., Mahalak, K.K., Rinaldi, W., Liu, L.S. 2019. Metagenomic assessment of the Cebus Apella gut microbiota. American Journal of Primatology. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23023">https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23023</a>.   Flack, Sarah. 2019. Rotational Grazing Tips with Sarah Flack (e.111).  The Ruminant Farm Blog & Podcast Archives. At <a href="http://www.theruminant.ca/blog/2019/6/18/rotational-grazing-tips-with-sarah-flack-e111?fbclid=IwAR2sZ">http://www.theruminant.ca/blog/2019/6/18/rotational-grazing-tips-with-sarah-flack-e111?fbclid=IwAR2sZ</a>   Flack, Sarah. 2020. Three part webinar series - Part one is an introduction to grazing management from the plants perspective. Part two is looking at grazing systems from the livestock perspective. Part three is the grazier’s tool box – putting it all together. At <a href="http://www.sarahflackconsulting.com/publications-and-video/videos/">http://www.sarahflackconsulting.com/publications-and-video/videos/</a>   Gilker, R. and K. Voth.  2019-2020.  On Pasture Website.  Published weekly on-line.  At: On Pasture, 4435 E San Carlos Place N, Tucson, AZ 85712.  R. Gilker is a Northeast Pasture Consortium member from NY.  <a href="https://onpasture.com/">https://onpasture.com/</a>   Goslee, S.C. 2019. Drivers of agricultural diversity in the continental United States[abstract]. US-International Association for Landscape Ecology. p. 1.   Grev, Amanda. 2019. Stockpiling Pasture for Fall and Winter Grazing. Maryland Agronomy News. <a href="http://blog.umd.edu/agronomynews/author/agrev/">http://blog.umd.edu/agronomynews/author/agrev/</a>   Hartman, David. 2019. Preventing Pasture Damage During Prolonged Periods of Wet Weather. Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/preventing-pasture-damage-during-prolonged-periods-of-wet-weather">https://extension.psu.edu/preventing-pasture-damage-during-prolonged-periods-of-wet-weather</a>   Hoffman, K.  2019-2020.  NYGC Grazette Newsletter.  NY Grazinglands Coalition.  Published monthly.  To subscribe contact: <a href="mailto:karen.hoffman2@ny.usda.gov">karen.hoffman2@ny.usda.gov</a>   Ma, L., Derner, J.D., Harmel, R.D., Tatarko, J., Moore, A., Rotz, C.A., Augustine, D.J., Boone, R., Coughenour, M. 2019. Application of grazing land models in ecosystem management: Current status and next frontiers. Advances in Agronomy. 158:173-216.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2019.07.003">https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2019.07.003</a>   Pereira, ABD, Moura, DC, Whitehouse, Nancy, Brito, Andre. 2020. Production and nitrogen metabolism in lactating dairy cows fed finely ground field pea plus soybean meal or canola meal with or without rumen-protected methionine supplementation. Journal of Dairy Science. [Online ahead of print] DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17186.   Ranck, E., Holden, L., Soder, K.J., Dillon, J., Rotz, C.A. 2019. Use of the integrated farm system model to determine economic and environmental impacts of double cropping winter annuals with corn[abstract]. American Dairy Science Association Proceedings. P. 1.   Roca-Fernandez, A., Dillard, L., Soder, K.J. 2019. Ruminal fermentation and enteric methane production of legumes containing condensed tannins fed in continuous culture[abstract]. Advances in Animal Biosciences. 10(3):520.   Rotz, C.A., Hristov, A. 2019. Are our cows causing an increase in global warming? Hoard's Dairyman. P. 398-399.   University of Rhode Island. 2019. Effects of feeding birdsfoot trefoil on parasite control, nutritional status & profitability. <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orgbft/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orgbft/</a> (Print version available at this URL.)   University of Rhode Island. 2019-2020. Northeast Small Ruminant Parasite Control website. <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/parasite-control/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/parasite-control/</a>   University of Rhode Island. 2019-2020. Forage-based Parasite Control In Sheep and Goats In the Northeast U.S. <a href="https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei/">https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/orei/</a>   Van Hekken, D.L., Renye Jr, J.A., Bucci, A.J., Tomasula, P.M. 2019. Characterization of the physical, microbiological, and chemical properties of sonicated raw bovine milk. Journal of Dairy Science. 102:6928-6942. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-15775.   Williamson, Jessica A. and Sjoerd Willem Duiker. 2019. Changes to Grazing Management in Late Summer and Early Fall. Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/changes-to-grazing-management-in-late-summer-and-early-fall">https://extension.psu.edu/changes-to-grazing-management-in-late-summer-and-early-fall</a>   Williamson, J., Soder, K.J., Andreen, D.M. 2019. Interseeding forage crops into corn[abstract]. Extension Fact Sheets. P. 1.   Williamson, Jessica A. 2019. Reducing Pasture Damage During Winter Feeding.  Pennsylvania State University.   <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/reducing-pasture-damage-during-winter-feeding">https://extension.psu.edu/reducing-pasture-damage-during-winter-feeding</a>     Williamson, Jessica A. 2019. Reducing the Risk of Nitrate and Prussic Acid Poisoning in Livestock. Pennsylvania State University.<a href="https://extension.psu.edu/reducing-the-risk-of-nitrate-and-prussic-acid-poisoning-in-livestock">https://extension.psu.edu/reducing-the-risk-of-nitrate-and-prussic-acid-poisoning-in-livestock</a>   Williamson, Jessica A. 2019. Seeding Perennial Forages: Restoration / Renovation of Pastures and Hay Fields. Pennsylvania State University. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/seeding-perennial-forages-restoration-renovation-of-pastures-and-hay-fields">https://extension.psu.edu/seeding-perennial-forages-restoration-renovation-of-pastures-and-hay-fields</a>

Impact Statements

The Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit of USDA-ARS at Wyndmoor, PA was saved from a very deep cut in funds for fiscal years 2019 and 2020. Their work on identifying bioactive compounds in milk and elucidating their health enhancing capabilities is vital to claw back milk consumption that has been declining now for several years. Much of it is due to the campaign to reduce saturated fats and total fat in human diets. Newer studies on fat in the diet are calling into question the previous health recommendations on fat consumption. If the bioactive compounds have probiotic or prebiotic effects, this boosts milk’s status as a health food rather than something to avoid. This unit is also studying how milk is metabolized in the human gut. This could lead to some new discoveries on how milk could be modified through processing if need be to make it more digestible.