NEERA1000: Northeast Pasture Consortium
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
Date of Annual Report: 08/07/2007
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 02/01/2007
- 02/02/2007
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2006 - 09/01/2007
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2006 - 09/01/2007
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
Accomplishments
1. Private-sector Consortium members requested Congress to restore $500,000 in the FY2007 federal budget for "sustainable forage livestock systems research and research on nutrient management to protect water quality carried out at the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Station, University Park, PA," that originated as a Congressional add-on in FY2001. This stakeholder advocacy effort was successful and nearly $500,000 was restored by the Congress, effective October 1, 2006.<br /> <br /> <br /> 2. Private-sector Consortium members requested Congress to restore nearly $1.9 million in the FY2007 federal budget to continue the pasture-based beef systems project at the USDA-ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver, WV, in cooperation with West Virginia University, Virginia Tech, and Clemson University. This stakeholder advocacy effort was successful and nearly $1.9 million was restored by the Congress, effective October 1, 2006.<br /> <br /> <br /> 3. Continued support and advocacy for private and public grant proposals that align with the six Consortium stakeholder pasture priority needs.<br /> <br /> <br /> 4. Informed Consortium participants of public hearing opportunities on grazing and conservation policies, e.g., Farm Bill, organic standards, grass-fed definition.<br /> <br /> <br /> 5. Approved action agenda items for CY2007. These are listed in the Consortium annual meeting minutes.<br /> <br /> <br /> 6. Placed the proceedings of the 2007 annual meeting including power point slides and handouts on the Consortium website for post-meeting access.<br /> <br /> <br /> 7. A number of publications that support the goals of the Consortium have been published and are listed below.<br />Publications
Book published<br /> <br /> <br /> Carroll, John E. 2005. The Wisdom of Small Farms and Local Food: Aldo Leopolds Land Ethic and Sustainable Agriculture. New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Durham, NH 03824. 142p.<br /> <br /> <br /> Peer reviewed papers published<br /> <br /> <br /> Adler, P.R., S.J. Del Grosso, and W.J. Parton. 2007. Life cycle assessment of net greenhouse gas flux for bioenergy cropping systems. Ecol. Appl. 17:675-691.<br /> <br /> <br /> Boateng, A.A., H.G. Jung, R.D. Cook, and P.R. Adler. 2006. Pyrolysis of energy crops including alfalfa stems, reed canarygrass, and eastern gamagrass. Fuel 85: 2450-2457.<br /> <br /> <br /> Corson, M.S., R.H. Skinner, and C.A. Rotz. 2006. Modification of the SPUR rangeland model to simulate species composition and pasture productivity in humid temperate regions. Agricultural Systems 87:169-191.<br /> <br /> <br /> Corson, M.S., C.A. Rotz, and R.H. Skinner. 2007. Evaluating warm-season grass production in temperate-region pastures: a simulation approach. Agricultural Systems 93 (1-3): 252-268.<br /> <br /> <br /> Crosson, P., C.A. Rotz and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Conversion from corn to grassland provides economic and environmental benefits to a Maryland beef farm. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2007-0119-01-RS. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/fg/<br /> <br /> <br /> Deak, A., M.H. Hall, M.A. Sanderson, and D.A. Archibald. 2007. Production and nutritive value of grazed simple and complex forage mixtures. Agron. J. 99:814-821.<br /> <br /> <br /> Goslee, S.C. 2006. Behavior of vegetation sampling methods in the presence of spatial autocorrelation. Plant Ecol. 187: 203-212.<br /> <br /> <br /> Hall, M.H., J.H. Cherney, and C.A. Rotz. 2007. Saving forage as hay or silage. p. 121-134. In E. Rayburn (ed.), Forage Utilization for Pasture Based Livestock Production. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service, P.O. Box 4557, Ithaca, NY. <br /> <br /> <br /> Keeney, D.R., and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Forages and the environment. P. 167-176. In R.F Barnes et al. (ed) Forages: The science of grassland agriculture. Iowa State University Press.<br /> <br /> <br /> Labreveux, M., M.A. Sanderson, and M.H. Hall. 2006. Forage chicory and plantain: nutritive value of herbage at variable grazing frequencies and intensities. Agronomy Journal 98:231-237.<br /> <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. and J. Oenema. 2006. Predicting management effects on ammonia emissions from dairy and beef farms. Trans. ASAE 49(4):1139-1149.<br /> <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., J. Oenema, and H. van Keulen. 2006. Whole farm management to reduce nitrogen losses from dairy farms: a simulation study. Applied Eng. Agric. 22(5):773-784. <br /> <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. and T.L. Veith. 2006. Managing the farm for economic and environmental sustainability. In Proc. The John M. Airy Symposium: Visions for Animal Agriculture and the Environment. January 5-6, Kansas City, MO, Dept. Animal Sci., Iowa State Univ., Ames.<br /> <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2006. Implications of forage management on farm profitability and the environment. p. 8-17. In Silage for Dairy Farms: Growing, Harvesting, Storing and Feeding. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. PO Box 4557, Ithaca, NY.<br /> <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. and K.J. Shinners. 2007. Hay harvest and Storage. pp 601-616. In R.F. Barnes, K.J. Moore, C.J. Nelson, and M. Collins (ed). Forages, Volume II: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, Sixth Edition. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, Iowa. <br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., M.S. Corson, C.A. Rotz, and K. J. Soder. 2006. Economic analysis of forage mixture productivity in pastures grazed by dairy cattle. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2006-0929-01-RS. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/fg/<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., K.J. Soder, N. Brzezinski, F. Taube, K. Klement, L.D. Muller, and M. Wachendorf. 2006. Sward structure of simple and complex mixtures of temperate forages. Agronomy Journal 98:238-244.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2006. Management of mixed swards: implications for temperate pasture production. p. 95-102. In: M. Wachendorf, A. Helgadottir and G. Parente (ed.). Sward dynamics, N-flows, and forage utilization in legume-based systems. Proceedings COST Symposium, 10-12 November 2005, Grado, Italy. Published by ERSA-Azienda Regionale Per Lo Sviluppo Rurale, Gorizia, Italy.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2006. Plant species diversity: management implications for temperate pasture production. p. 149-162. Invited book chapter for Climate change and managed ecosystems. CRC Press.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., P.R. Adler, A.A. Boateng, M.D. Casler, and G. Sarath. 2006. Switchgrass as a biofuels feedstock in the USA. Can. J. Plant Sci. 86:1315-1325.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., L. Holden, E. Rayburn, K. Soder, and B. Bryan. 2007 Assessing forage mass and forage budgeting. P. 20-42. In E. B. Rayburn (ed). Forage Utilization for Pasture-Based Livestock Production. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service Publ. NRAES-173. Ithaca, NY.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., N.P. Martin, and P.R. Adler. 2007. Biomass energy and industrial uses of forages. p. 635-647. In R.F Barnes et al. (ed). Forages: The science of grassland agriculture. Iowa State Univ. Press.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.J. Soder, R.H. Skinner, B.F. Tracy, and A. Deak. 2007. Plant species diversity, ecosystem function, and pasture management: A perspective. Can. J. Plant Sci. (In press, July issue).<br /> <br /> <br /> Sedorovich, D.M., C. A. Rotz, and T. L. Richard. 2007. Greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms. ASABE Paper No. 074096 , St. Joseph, MI: ASABE.<br /> <br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2005. Emergence and survival of pasture species sown in monocultures or mixtures. Agron. J. 97: 799-805.<br /> <br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2005. Cultivar and environmental effects on freezing tolerance of narrow-leaf plantain. Crop Sci. 45:2330-2336.<br /> <br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H., M.A. Sanderson, B.F. Tracy, and C.J. Dell. 2006. Above- and belowground productivity and soil carbon dynamics of pasture mixtures. Agron. J. 98:320-326. <br /> <br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. and K. Moore. 2007. Growth and development of forage plants. p. 53-66. In R.F. Barnes et al. (ed.) Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture Vol. II. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, IA. <br /> <br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2007. Winter carbon dioxide fluxes in humid-temperate pastures. Agric. Forest Meteorol. 144:32-43.<br /> <br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., M.A. Sanderson, J.L. Stack, and L.D. Muller. 2006. Intake and performance of lactating dairy cows grazing diverse forage mixtures. Journal of Dairy Science 89:2158-2167.<br /> <br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., and L.D. Muller. 2007. Case study: A survey of total mixed ration use on grazing dairy farms in Pennsylvania and New York. Professional Animal Scientist. 23:300-307.<br /> <br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., A.J. Rook, M.A. Sanderson, and S.C. Gosleee. 2007. Interaction of plant species diversity on grazing behavior and performance of livestock grazing temperate region pastures. Crop Science 47:416-425.Impact Statements
- Significantly improved interactions and communications among producers (dairy, beef, sheep, goat, and horse), agribusiness suppliers, non-governmental organizations, and public research, extension, and technical transfer agencies (land-grant universities, USDA-ARS, USDA-NRCS) regarding pasture-based animal production systems (traditional and organic).
- Private-sector stakeholder actions resulted in nearly $500,000 more federal funding for research on pasture-based dairy and livestock systems in the Northeast Region.
Date of Annual Report: 06/26/2008
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 03/27/2008
- 03/28/2008
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2007 - 09/01/2008
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2007 - 09/01/2008
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
Accomplishments
1. Private-sector Consortium members supported funding for Univ. Massachusetts which received $170,000 from the Massachusetts Agricultural Innovation Center for Integrated Pasture Management on Dairy and Livestock Farms. This funding was matched by $170,001 from Univ. Mass.<br /> <br /> 2. The Private-sector Consortium members also supported Univ. Massachusetts, in conjunction with Vermont and the ARS Pasture lab (PA), in receiving a SARE grant for $212,000 to evaluate 28 variety mixes/blends by farmers in all New England states who are growing 3-5 of the blends.<br /> <br /> 3. In 2008 ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Station was selected for closure. The Private-sector Consortium members requested that Congress maintain funding ($4,400,000) for the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Station, University Park, PA. The Agriculture Appropriations act passed by the House on 26 June 2008 included funding for this research station.<br /> <br /> 4. Continued support and advocacy for private and public grant proposals that align with the six Consortium stakeholder pasture priority needs.<br /> <br /> 5. Informed Consortium participants of public hearing opportunities on grazing and conservation policies, e.g., Farm Bill and grass-fed standard definition.<br /> <br /> 6. Approved action agenda items for CY2008. These are listed in the Consortium annual meeting minutes.<br /> <br /> 7. Placed the proceedings of the 2008 annual meeting including power point slides and handouts on the Consortium website for post-meeting access.<br /> <br /> 8. A number of publications that support the goals of the Consortium have been published and are listed on the Publications page.<br /> <br />Publications
Adler, P.R. 2007. Biofuels and the Greenhouse Gas Factor. Solar Today 21:26,54.<br /> <br /> Adler, P.R., S.J. Del Grosso, and W.J. Parton. 2007. Life-cycle assessment of net greenhouse-gas flux for bioenergy cropping systems. Ecol. Appl. 17:675691.<br /> <br /> Carroll, John E. 2008. Pastures of Plenty: The Future of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Conservation in New England. New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publication #2340, 142 p.<br /> <br /> Chianese, D.S., C.A. Rotz and T.L. Richard. 2008. Simulating methane emissions from dairy farms. ASABE Paper No. 084098, St. Joseph, MI: ASABE.<br /> <br /> Corson, M.S., C.A. Rotz, R.H. Skinner, M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Adaptation and evaluation of the integrated farm system model to simulate temperate multiple-species pastures. Agric. Systems 94(2):502-508.<br /> <br /> Crosson, P., C.A. Rotz, P. OKiely, F.P. OMara, M. Wallace, R.P.O. Schulte. 2007. Modeling the nitrogen and phosphorus inputs and outputs of financially optimal Irish beef production systems. Applied Eng. Agric. 23(3):369-377. <br /> <br /> Deak, A., M.H. Hall, M.A. Sanderson, and D.A. Archibald. 2007. Production and nutritive value of grazed simple and complex forage mixtures. Agron. J. 99:814-821.<br /> <br /> Dell, C.J., Salon, P., Franks, C., Plowden, Y. 2008. No-till and Cover Crop Impacts on Soil Carbon and Associated Properties on Pennsylvania Dairy Farms. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 63(3):136-142.<br /> <br /> Ghebremichael, L.T., P.E. Cerosaletti, T.L. Veith, C.A. Rotz., J.M. Hamlett, and W.J. Gburek. 2007. Economic and phosphorus-related effects of precision feeding and forage management at a farm scale. J. Dairy Sci. 90:3700-3715.<br /> <br /> Goslee, S.C., and D.L. Urban. 2007. The ecodist Package for Dissimilarity-based Analysis of Ecological Data. J. Statistical Software Vol. 22, Issue 7, Sep 2007.<br /> <br /> Gregorini, P., S. A. Gunter, , P. A. Beck, K. J. Soder, and S. Tamminga. Review: The interaction of diurnal grazing pattern, ruminal metabolism, nutrient supply and management in cattle. Prof. Anim. Scientist. (In press).2008. <br /> <br /> Gregorini, P., Soder, K.J. 2007. A few hours grazing session seems to be enough. Lancaster Farming. October 6, 2007. p. E4.<br /> <br /> Gregorini, P., Soder, K.J. 2007. Allocating fresh pasture during the afternoon enhances daily weight gains& what about milk yield. Lancaster Farming. October 6, 2007. p. E8.<br /> <br /> Kleinman, P.J., and K.J. Soder. Cycling and management of nitrogen and phosphorus on dairy farms in relationship to the role of grazing. In McDowell, R. (ed.), Impacts of pastoral grazing on the environment. In press- Accepted September, 2007. (Book Chapter).<br /> <br /> McDowell, R.W., Z. Dou, J.D. Toth, B.J. Cade-Menun, P.J.A. Kleinman, K.J. Soder,, and L. Saporito. A comparison of phosphorus bioavailability in feed and feces of different dairy herds using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. J. Environ. Qual. (In press). 2008.<br /> <br /> McFarland, M.J., M.A. Sanderson, and A.M.S. McFarland. 2007. Wastewater and reclaimed irrigation water. p. 754-798. In: Design and operation of farm irrigation systems 2nd ed. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.<br /> <br /> Penn, C.J., Bryant, R.B. 2008. Phosphorus Solubility in Response to Acidification of Dairy Manure Amended Soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 72:238-243.<br /> <br /> Penn, C.J., Bryant, R.B., Needleman, B., and Kleinman, P. 2007. Spatial distribution of soil phosphorus across selected New York dairy farm pastures and hay fields. Soil Science. 172:797-810.<br /> <br /> Porter, John. (ed.). 2008. The History and Economics of the New Hampshire Dairy Industry. Univ. NH Cooperative Extension Publications Center, Nesmith Hall, 131 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824.<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E. B., M. S. Whetsell, J. D. Lozier, B. D. Smith, W. L. Shockey, D. A. Seymore. 2008. Initial Nutritive Value and Utilization Affect Apparent Diet Quality of Grazed Forage. Forage and Grazinglands. (electronic journal)<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E.B. (ed.). 2006. Forage Production for Pasture-based Livestock Production, NRAES-172. Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service, Ithaca NY. 139 p.<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E.B. (ed.). 2006. Managing and Marketing for Pasture-based Livestock Production, NRAES-174. Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service, Ithaca NY. 116 p.<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E.B. (ed.). 2007. Forage Utilization for Pasture-based Livestock Production, NRAES-173. Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service, Ithaca NY. 185 p.<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E.B. (ed.). 2008. Animal Production Systems for Pasture-based Livestock Production, NRAES-171. Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service, Ithaca NY. 185 p.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2007. Managing Machinery in the Biological Farm System. Resource Magazine. 14(3):4-5.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2007. Modeling integrated farm systems: a tool for developing more economically and environmentally sustainable farming systems, Proc. International Symposium on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems, 13-15 August, Curitiba, Brazil. <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2007. Storage can make or break a harvest. Hoard's Dairyman. 152(10):379.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., G.H. Kamphuis, H.D. Karsten and R.D. Weaver. 2007. Organic dairy production systems in Pennsylvania: a case study evaluation. J Dairy Sci. 90:3961-3979.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., H.D. Karsten and R.D. Weaver. 2008. Grass-based dairy production provides a viable option for producing organic milk in Pennsylvania. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2008-0212-01-RS.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., Karsten, H.D., Weaver, R.D. 2008. Grass-Based Dairy Production Provides a Viable Option for Producing Organic Milk in Pennsylvania. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1049/FG-2008-1212-01-RS.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., M.S. Corson, and C.U. Coiner. 2007. Integrated Farm System Model: Reference manual, version 2.1. Available at: http://ars.usda.gov/naa/pswmru. <br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., P.J. Kleinman, C.J. Dell, J.P. Schmidt, D.B. Beegle. 2007. Environmental and economic comparisons of manure application methods on dairy farms. ASABE Paper No. 074068, St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. <br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2007. Yield and persistence of forage and root-type chicory cultivars. Forage and Grazinglands. (Online) www.plantmanagementnetwork.org doi:10.1094/FG-2007-1119-01-RS.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Upland switchgrass yield, nutritive value, and soil carbon changes under grazing and clipping. Agronomy Journal 100(3):510-516.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. L. Holden, E.B. Rayburn, K.J. Soder, and W.B. Bryan. Assessing forage mass and forage budgeting. p. 20-42. In: Forage utilization for pasture-based livestock production. Natural Resources and Agric. Eng. Service (NRAES) publ. 173.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Adler, P.R. 2008. Perennial forages as second generation bioenergy crops. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 9:768-788.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Corson, M., Rotz, C.A., Soder, K.J. 2007. Economic analysis of forage mixtures for pastures. Project Grass Magazine. P. 4-6.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Goslee, S.C., Stout, R.C., Gonet, J.M. 2007. Pasture Condition Scoring at the Whole-Farm Scale. Lancaster Farming 52(5)E17.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.D. Klement, and K.J. Soder. 2007. Soil seed bank composition in pastures of diverse mixtures of temperate forages. Agron. J. 99:1514-1520.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, R.H. Skinner, K.J. Soder, B.F. Tracy, and A. Deak. 2007. Plant species diversity, ecosystem function, and pasture managementA perspective. Can. J. Plant Sci. 87:479-487.<br /> <br /> Sedorovich, D.M., C.A. Rotz, P.A. Vadas, and R.D. Harmel. 2007. Simulating management effects on phosphorus loss from farming systems. Trans. ASAE 50(4):1443-1453.<br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2007. Winter carbon dioxide fluxes in humid-temperate pastures. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 144:32-43.<br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2008. High biomass removal limits carbon sequestration potential of mature temperate pastures. J. Environ. Qual. 37:1319 1326.<br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H. 2008. Yield, root growth and soil water content in drought stressed pasture mixtures containing chicory. Crop Sci. 48:380 388.<br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H., M.S. Corson and T.G. Gilmanov. 2008. Simulating gross primary productivity of humid temperate pastures. Agron. J. 100:801 807.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J, L.S. Saporito, W.L. Stout. Effect of by-product gypsum application rate to grass pasture, grass hay, and corn silage on fermentation by rumen microorganisms in continuous culture. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech. 132:331-340. 2007.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. Meeting nutrient needs of grazing ruminants. Proc. NW PA Grazing Conference, Dubois, PA. 2007. pp.6-10.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. Incorporating a total mixed ration into pasture-based dairy systems: The best of both worlds? Project Grass magazine. 5(7): 19-21. 2007.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., A.J. Rook, M.A. Sanderson, and S.C. Goslee. Invited review: Interaction of plant species diversity on grazing behavior and performance of livestock grazing temperate region pastures. Crop Sci. 47:416-425. 2007. <br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., and L.D. Muller. Case study: Use of partial total mixed rations on pasture-based dairy farms in Pennsylvania and New York. Prof. Anim. Scientist. 23:300-307. 2007.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., and M.A. Sanderson. Effect of morphological traits on intake characteristics of four grass species found in temperate biodiverse pasture systems. Proc. American Forage and Grasslands Council, State College, PA. 2007. pp. 30-33..<br /> <br /> Tracy, B.F., and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Decomposition of forage species mixtures in pasture has inconsistent effects on soil nitrogen. Forage and Grazinglands (Online) www.plantmanagmentnetwork.org doi: 10.1094/FG-2007-0625-02-RS.<br /> <br /> <br />Impact Statements
- 1. Significantly improved interactions and communications among producers (dairy, beef, sheep, goat, and horse), agribusiness suppliers, non-governmental organizations, and public research, extension, and technical transfer agencies (land-grant universities, USDA-ARS, USDANRCS) regarding pasture-based animal production systems (traditional and organic).
- 2. Private-sector stakeholder actions resulted in nearly $552,000 more federal and state funding for research and outreach on pasture-based dairy and livestock systems in the Northeast Region.
Date of Annual Report: 06/04/2009
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 03/04/2009
- 03/05/2009
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2008 - 09/01/2009
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2008 - 09/01/2009
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
Accomplishments
1. Executive Committee Co-Chairs of the Consortium wrote a thank you letter to the Commissioner Soares of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to thank him and the Massachusetts Agricultural Innovation Center for funding the Integrated Pasture Management on Dairy and Livestock<br /> Farms at $170,000 at the Upper Northeast Pasture Center. This funding was matched by $170,001 from University of Massachusetts.<br /> <br /> 2. James Cropper began his duties as Executive Director of the Northeast Pasture Consortium in October, 2008. Dr. Ed Rayburn continues as Principal Investigator for the Consortium.<br /> <br /> 3. Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Tim Holden were sent letters of thank you by the Executive Director and Private Sector Co-Chair for their work and support in 2008 to fund the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Station that had been selected for closure. The Private-sector Consortium members requested that Congress maintain funding ($4,400,000) for the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Station, University Park, PA. <br /> <br /> 4. Letters of support for the Small Farms Institute grant proposal to fund the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed at Coshocton, OH were sent to Congressman Space, Congresswoman Kaptur, Senator Brown, and Senator Voinovich. This grant proposal calls for a five year project of studying the water quality benefits of pastureland and the value pastureland products have in maintaining small farm sustainability. The grant request is for 2.65 million dollars over the 5 years. Ohio State University and the Small Farm Institute are collaborators.<br /> <br /> 5. Informed Consortium members of the public comment period on the federal register for the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It will provide federal grants for agricultural research in addition to research money allocated to research by current USDA agencies.<br /> <br /> 6. Letter of support sent by Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee for a grant proposal submitted by Matt Sanderson, ARS, University Park that collaborates with the University of New Hampshire in to do research into pasture biodiversity for the 'Managed Ecosystem Program' a competitive grant program within the USDA Agricultural Food and Research Initiative (AFRI).<br /> <br /> 7. Letter of congratulations sent to Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USDA and introducing the Northeast Pasture Consortium to her.<br /> <br /> 8. Informed Consortium members of the National Animal Identification System Listening Session at Harrisburg, PA on May 14, 2009.<br /> <br /> 9. Approved action agenda items for CY2009. These are listed in the Consortium annual meeting minutes under the Private and Public Sector reports.<br /> <br /> 10. Placed the proceedings of the 2009 annual meeting including power point slides and handouts on the Consortium website, Northeast Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.<br /> <br /> 11. Sent questionnaire to all Private Sector members asking their input on address changes, their interest in remaining members of the Consortium, research topics, and annual meeting scheduling preferences.<br /> <br /> 12. Produced newsletter in December 2008 announcing annual meeting location at Morgantown with registration information and form. June 2009 newsletter will also be sent. Sent via email primarily.<br /> <br /> 13. Private Sector members were sent a complementary copy of the book, Managing and Marketing for Pasture-Based Livestock Production, NRAES-174, published January 2006. This was a token of appreciation for their contributions to the success of the NE Pasture Research & Extension Consortium.<br /> <br /> 14. James Cropper visited the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed at Coshocton, OH on his way back from the family farm in Illinois. It was his first time to see the storied research facility.<br /> <br /> 15. The Resolution adopted by Northeast Pasture Consortium to assist the Nutrient Subcommittee of the Chesapeake Bay Program was sent to the Chairman of the Subcommittee in late March. <br /> <br /> 16. A number of publications that support the goals of the Consortium have been published and are listed on the Publications page.<br />Publications
Bishopp, T. 2009. The passing wind. Lancaster Farming. 05/30/2009 Issue.<br /> <br /> Bishopp, T. 2009. What the heck does a grazing specialist do? Lancaster Farming. 04/02/09 Issue.<br /> <br /> Bishopp, T. 2009. Powering up with pasture (Strongman Kevin Fulton). Lancaster Farming and Country Folks. 04/04/2009 Issue.<br /> <br /> Bishopp, T. 2009. Grass-fed beef conference celebrates a green future. Lancaster Farming. 04/02/09 Issue.<br /> <br /> Chianese, D.S., C.A. Rotz, and T. Richard. 2009. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Representative Northeastern Dairy Farm. J. of Env. Qual. Accepted for pub. On 02/18/2009.<br /> <br /> Cropper, J.B., S. Aschmann, S. Brantly, M. Chaney, D. Emmick, T. Nennich. 2008. Profitable Grazing-Based Dairy Systems. USDA-NRCS Range and Pasture Technical No. 1. pp. 40.<br /> <br /> Deak, A., M.H. Hall, and M.A. Sanderson. 2009. Grazing schedule effect on forage production and nutritive value of diverse forage mixtures. Agron. J. 101:408-414.<br /> <br /> Dell, C.J. 2009. Fact Sheet: Soil Carbon Sequestration in Pastures. Northeast Pasture Consortium. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Goslee, S.C., M.A. Sanderson, and Gonet, J. 2009. The effect of pasture fallowing on plant community cover and seed bank properties. Agron. J. Accepted for pub. on 04/21/2009.<br /> <br /> Goslee, S.C. 2009. Pasture Fallowing Fact Sheet. Northeast Pasture Consortium. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Gregorini, P., Soder, K.J., Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Case Study: A Snapshot in Time of Fatty Acids Composition of Grass Herbage as Affected by Time of Day. Professional Animal Scientist. 24(6):675-680.<br /> <br /> Gregorini, P, K.J. Soder, M.A. Sanderson, Ziegler, G. 2009. A snapshot in the effect of time of day on herbage toughness and chemical composition. An. Feed Sci. & Tech. Accepted for pub. on 02/24/2009.<br /> <br /> Rayburn, E. B. 2009. Pasture and Meadow Nutrient Management. Nutrient Management Training. Jackson's Mill, WV 02/17/2009. West Virginia University Ext. Ser. Forage & Livestock Systems video.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2008. The Integrated Farm System Model: A Tool for Whole Farm Nutrient Management Analysis. Proceedings of American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Section 6.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A., Chianese, D.S. 2008. The Dairy Greenhouse Gas Emission Model: Reference Manual. Version 10. Available: http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/19020000/DairyGHGReferenceManual.pdf<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. and Montes, F. 2009. DairyGHG: a tool for evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint of dairy production systems. American Dairy Science Association Proceedings. Accepted on 02/14/2009.<br /> <br /> Rotz, C.A. 2009. The Dairy Greenhouse Gas Model: A Tool for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of dairy production systems. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Fact Sheet: Accurately measuring forage yield in pastures. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheet 2008.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Fact Sheet: Tapping into the pasture seed bank. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheet 2008.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Fact Sheet: Ten Questions about Pastures and Biodiversity. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheet 2008.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Managing forage and grazing lands for multiple ecosystem services: possibilities, progress, and research needs for the eastern USA[abstract]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. p. 1. CDROM.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Soder, K.J., Gregorini, P., and Gierus, M. 2008. Forage budgeting on pasture. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on the Strategic Management of Pastures. p. 185-200.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Bryant, R.B. 2009. Fact Sheet: Soil nutrient levels on grazing farms in the northeastern U.S. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2009. Pastures and biodiversity. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2009. Measuring and budgeting available forage in pastures. Extension Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A. 2009. Pasture seed banks. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Sanderson, M.A., Stout, R.C., Brussel, K., Schwab, C. 2009. Seed bank characterization of pastures and hayfields of the University of New Hampshire Organic Dairy[abstract]. Northeast Pasture Consortium Abstract. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Skinner, R.H., Adler, P.R. 2009. CO2 Sequestration Potential of Switchgrass Managed for Bioenergy Production. Extension Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. 2008. Biodiverse Forage Mixtures: Can They Improve Animal and Pasture Productivity? Extension Fact Sheets. Pub. 04/20/2008.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. 2008. Using a Total Mixed Ration on a Pasture-Based Dairy. Extension Fact Sheets. Pub. 04/20/2008.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. 2009. Energy Requirements of Grazing Activity. Internet Web Page. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J., Sanderson, M.A., Gregorini, P., Orr, R.J., Rubano, M.D., Rook, A.J. 2009. Bite mass of cattle related to sward structure of four temperate grasses in short-term tests[abstract]. Northeast Pasture Consortium Abstract. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Soder, K.J. 2009. Does Sward Structure Affect Bite Mass of Grazing Cattle? - Fact Sheet. Northeast Pasture Consortium Fact Sheets. p. 1.<br /> <br /> Veith, T.L., Rotz, C.A. 2008. Whole-farm simulation to determine effective conservation practices. Proceedings of American Chemical Society National Meeting. Paper #1210774.<br /> <br />Impact Statements
- Significantly improved interactions and communications among producers (dairy, beef, sheep, goat, and horse), agribusiness suppliers, non-governmental organizations, and public research, extension, and technical transfer agencies (land-grant universities, USDA-ARS, USDANRCS) regarding pasture-based animal production systems (traditional and organic).
- The Chesapeake Bay resolution was very well received by the Nutrient Subcommittee of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the EPA office serving the Chesapeake Bay, and the Virginia Department of Environment and Recreation. Efforts are underway to meet at the Chesapeake Bay Office later this year once new staff people are on board at the Chesapeake Bay Office for NRCS and EPA. Coshocton and University Park ARS researchers will be involved in the discussions.
- The questionnaire sent out to the Private Sector members yielded several changes to email and mailing addresses to update the mailing list used by the Consortium. It also helped schedule the 2010 meeting in Vermont to earlier in the winter when most farm people find it easier to get away. It also was a way to see if current mailing list people were still interested in being involved. In two cases, current members suggested new people to add to the membership. The respondents‘ suggestions for annual meeting program sessions are being used to develop the 2010 Annual Meeting agenda.
Date of Annual Report: 04/20/2010
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 01/20/2010
- 01/21/2010
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2008 - 09/01/2009
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2008 - 09/01/2009
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
Accomplishments
1. Northeast Pasture Consortium members, Dr. Rachel Gilker of the Executive Committee, Martha Holdridge of West Wind Farm, and James Cropper, Executive Director, went to Capitol Hill and USDA headquarters October 5 and 6, 2009 to meet with congressional aides, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition staffers, and USDA officials to build their awareness on the merits of pasture-based livestock agriculture to achieve sustainable agriculture, improve Chesapeake Bay water quality, sequester carbon, and reduce energy use.<br /> 2. The Consortium participated in two Chesapeake Bay Program's STAC Pasture Management Workshops in October 27-28, 2009 and March 10-11, 2010. We helped the STAC arrive at new effectiveness ratings for several pasture BMP's for reducing phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment to the Bay. This was the outcome of our sending them our concerns about giving pasture best management practices proper credit in reducing N, P, and sediment loads to the Bay based on the resolution passed at our 2009 Annual Meeting to offer the expertise of our membership to them. Attendees representing the Consortium were Ray Bryant, Howard Skinner, and Matt Sanderson from ARS at University Park, PA and Jim Bonta and Lloyd Owens from ARS at Coshocton, OH, and James Cropper, Executive Director. <br /> 3. Two newsletters were published and distributed primarily as attachments to emails to all of the membership.<br /> 4. The 2010 Annual Meeting of the Consortium was held on January 20-21 at the Lake Morey Resort at Fairlee, Vermont. Seventy-four people were in attendance. It was held just prior to the Vermont Grazing Conference that began on January 22 with workshops. The Consortium and the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture cost-shared the expenses for having Kathy Voth from Livestock for Landscapes travel from Colorado to talk about educating cows to eat weeds they ordinarily refuse before both groups. John Obrycki from the University of Kentucky was also invited as an outside speaker to talk about biological control of multiflora rose, an invasive shrub common to pastures throughout the Northeast. Both gave very informative and attention getting presentations.<br /> 5. Placed the proceedings of the 2010 annual meeting including power point slides and handouts and speaker biographical sketches on the Consortium website, Northeast Grazing Guide, for post-meeting access.<br /> 6. The Northeast Grazing Guide website for the Consortium is still being updated by webmaster Richard Kersbergen, Extension Specialist of the University of Maine. Website address is: http://www.umaine.edu/grazingguide/.<br /> 7. Dr. Margaret Smith Einarson, Cornell University, became NEERA 1000 Administrative Advisor for the Northeast Pasture Consortium in July 2009. She replaced Bruce McPheron, who was promoted to Dean of the College of Agriculture at Penn State University.<br /> 8. Alert emails were sent to the private stakeholders and the entire Consortium on the Mid-Atlantic Grass Finished Livestock Conference, the NYC Watershed Agricultural Council Executive Director position announcement, a Sign-On letter in support of SARE and Organic Transitions funding from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (C. Bailey signed for the stakeholders), a Sign On letter from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) about Conservation Stewardship Program urging Secretary Vilsack to make critical improvements to the Conservation Stewardship Program and initiate a 2010 sign up as soon as possible, an email from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) about Amend the Food Safety Modernization Act sent Sunday, January 31, 2010 for its implications with regard to locally produced and sold pasture-based foods, and nomination packet for the 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemens Foundation for beef cattle producers.<br /> 9. Teleconferences are held monthly by the Executive Committee to plan the next annual meeting and address other issues that come up during the year, such as planning the trip to Washington DC to visit USDA national headquarters and Capitol Hill, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and other actions required to guide pasture-based agriculture in a manner most suitable for the Northeast US.<br /> 10. Letter of support sent for a NIFA - Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative grant proposal submitted by Dr. Andre Brito, UNH entitled Addressing the Nutritional and Reproductive Research and Extension Needs of the Organic Dairy Industry in the Northeast".<br /> 11. Letter sent to Congress members by the Stakeholder Committee to rally support to reinstate the budget for the ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center at Beaver, WV. President Obama's 2011 Budget for USDA has slated it for closure.<br /> 12. Provide support on NRCS's effort to develop the De-Md-Va Grazing Monitoring Project to look for grant money and develop some basic monitoring protocols to address critical needs in the Chesapeake Bay model for pastureland resource conservation effects on water quality.<br /> 13. Recruited eleven new farm members to the Consortium to replace retiring farm members.<br /> 14. Letter to David White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, sent July 2009 to congratulate him on his promotion to Chief and let him know what we are and what we do.<br /> 15. Letters of support to Dr. Diane Van Hekken for two new Wyndmoor ARS projects entitled: "Processing methods to modify the levels of biologically active compounds in milk and cheese" and Impact of Seasonal Changes in Animal Feed on the Biologically Active Compounds in Milk from Grass-based and Conventional Dairy Herds that address private-sector research priorities.<br /> 16. Sent letter of congratulations to Dr. Rajiv Shah, Chief Scientist for USDA and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and told him about the Consortium's work and how it related to REE research priorities.<br /> 17. Private Sector members were sent a complementary copy of the book Animal Production Systems for Pasture-Based Livestock Production, NRAES-171, as a token of appreciation for their contributions to the success of the NE Pasture Research & Extension Consortium.<br /> 18. Sent letter of support to Dr. Martin Shipitalo of ARS at Coshocton, OH for a OARDC NIFA planning grant proposal to entitled Environmental Sustainability of Organic Farming Systems: On-Farm, Experimental, and Watershed Assessments .Publications
Impact Statements
- 1. Significantly improved interactions and communications among producers (dairy, beef, sheep, goat, and horse), agribusiness suppliers, non-governmental organizations, and public research, extension, and technical transfer agencies (land-grant universities, USDA-ARS, USDANRCS) regarding pasture-based animal production systems (traditional and organic). We are especially pleased with the interaction between the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and us.
- 2. The Chesapeake Bay resolution culminated in 2 workshops with the Chesapeake Bay Programs Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee. ARS researchers and the Executive Directors estimates of pasture BMP impacts on reducing N, P, and sediment to the Bay were put in the watershed model and gave good relationships. This created impetus to do further research on these BMPs and seek money for monitoring within the watershed to validate these estimates and refine them if necessary.
- 3. Multi-state forage research trials of different species and varieties survival, yield, and seasonal growth distribution are providing needed new guidance on yields from species mixtures, climate suitability, and seasonal distribution of pasture forage production. This meets a stated priority of the private-sector members: Evaluate and promote forage species and improved varieties under grazing management and changing climatic and soil conditions to extend the grazing season.
- 4. The University of New Hampshires Organic Dairy Research Farm is now fully staffed and operating. This is a one of a kind research facility in the United States. We are pleased to have this new research capability fully functional in the Northeast. They are partners in cooperative research being conducted by ARS and other Northeastern land grants, such as the UMass Upper Northeast Pasture Center.
Date of Annual Report: 04/13/2011
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 02/01/2011
- 02/02/2011
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2009 - 09/01/2010
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2009 - 09/01/2010
Participants
Akin , Thomas, thomas.akin@ma.usda.gov, USDA-NRCSBailey , Clyde, cbaileyfarm@aol.com, C Bailey Farms
Bonta, Jim, jim.bonta@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Brito , Andre, andre.brito@unh.edu, Univ. of New Hampshire
Bryant, Ray, ray.bryant@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS-PSWMRU
Byington, Evert, evert.byington@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Cassida , Kimberly, kim.cassida@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Cauffman, Glen, grc1@psu.edu, Penn State University
Chase , Larry, lec7@cornell.edu, Cornell University
Clapham, Bill, william.clapham@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Colby , Jennifer, jcolby@uvm.edu, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Cropper, James, jbcropper@yahoo.com, Northeast Pasture Consortium
DeClue , Robert, robert.declue@frontiernet.net, Chenango County SWCD
Dubin, Mark, mdubin06@umd.edu, University of Maryland
Erickson , Terrell, terrell.erickson1@wdc.usda.gov, USDA-NRCS
Fultz, Stanley, sfultz@umd.edu, University of Maryland
Gilker , Rachel, rgilker@uvm.edu, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Gonet, Jeffery, jeffery.gonet@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS-PSWMRU
Goslee, Sarah, sarah.goslee@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS-PSWMRU
Green, Ashley, avi3@unh.edu, University of New Hampshire
Hagen , Kim, khagen@sover.net, Vermont Grass Feeders Assoc
Hashemi , Masoud, ma98pt10@yahoo.com, Univ. of Massachusetts
Hatton , Joe, wvfarmin@juno.com,
Hautau, Mena, mmh10@psu.edu, Penn State Extension - Berks County
Herbert, Stephen, sherbert@cns.umass.edu, Univ. of Massachusetts
Hoffman , Karen, karen.hoffman2@ny.usda.gov, USDA-NRCS
Horner , Joe, 573-864-2883, Dairy Grazing Services of DFA
Howlett , Bruce, bruce.howlett@ma.usda.gov, MACD
Hyde , Jim, james.hyde@ct.usda.gov, USDA-NRCS
Ireland, William, ireland01bill@aol.com, Ireland Farm
Ireland , Sally, ireland01bill@aol.com, Ireland Farm
Johnson , Allison Bell, ANJohnson55@hotmail.com, Sweet Meadow Farm
Johnson , Angus, ANJohnson55@hotmail.com, Sweet Meadow Farm
Jones , Jennifer, 304-661-6777, Swift Level
Malot, Jana, jana.malot@pa.usda.gov, USDA-NRCS
Miller, Peter, peter.miller@organicvalley.coop, CROPP/Organic Valley
Miller , Kenneth, kbm.miller@gmail.com, Toro Hill Farm
Morgan , Jack, jack.morgan@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS, Crops Research Laboratory
Moyer , Glenn, gmoyer@highridgetechnologies.com,
Muller , Larry, ldm@das.psu.edu, Penn State
Noel , Eric, maplewoodorganics@yahoo.com, Maplewood Organics
Ogles, Kevin, kevin.ogles@gnb.usda.gov, NRCS
Owens , Lloyd, lloyd.owens@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Paul, Moushumi, moushumi.paul@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Piechnik, Denise, dap26@psu.edu, Penn State-PSIEE/USDA-ARS
Purdy , Stephen, srpurdy@vasci.umass.edu, University of Massachusetts
Rayburn, Ed, erayburn@wvu.edu, WVU Extension
Richardson , Martha, rockyacresfarm@verizon.net, Rocky Acres Farm
Richardson , Robert, rockyacresfarm@verizon.net, Rocky Acres Farm
Roberts, Dave, dave.roberts@ny.usda.gov, NRCS
Ross , Shara, sharaross84@gmail.com,
Rotz, C. Alan, al.rotz@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Russell , James, jrussell@iastate.edu, Iowa State University
Sayre , Larson, nancyann@mcguirk.net, Waffle Hill Farm
Schmidt, John, john.schmidt@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Seneca , Megan, mix3@cisunix.unh.edu,
Skinner , Howard, howard.skinner@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Smith , Sam, ssmith@shelburnefarms.org, Shelburne Farms
Soder , Kathy, kathy.soder@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Stout, Robert, 814-235-1924,
Swartzentruber , Richard, rcswartz1@yahoo.com,
Taylor, Richard, rtaylor@udel.edu, University of Delaware
Timmons , John, john.timmons@de.usda.gov, USDA-NRCS
Tomasula, Peggy, peggy.tomasula@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Tunick, Michael, michael.tunick@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Van Hekken , Diane, diane.vanhekken@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Veith, Tamie, tamie.veith@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Vough, Lester, vough@umd.edu, University of Maryland
White, Todd, taw17@psu.edu, USDA-ARS-PSWMRU
Wilson, David, davidwilson@kingsagriseeds.com, Kings Agriseeds, Inc
Ziska, Lewis, lewis.ziska@ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS
Brief Summary of Minutes
Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual MeetingBusiness Meeting Minutes, February 2, 2011
Ramada Conference Center & Inn, State College, PA
Meeting was called to order by the Co-Chairs of the Public and Private Sector, Stephen Herbert and Clyde Bailey, respectively at 3:30 PM.
Margaret Smith, Administrative Advisor for the Northeast Pasture Consortium, NEERA 1000 Project of the Northeast Agricultural Experiment Station Directors Association, addressed the members attending the meeting over speaker phone. She said the Consortium Executive Director, James Cropper, had submitted a proposal in September 2010 to renew the Consortium project for another 5 years, from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2016. This had been accepted, and time was of the essence for members to submit their Appendix E information to show the amount of research and extension support the Consortium project has. The project was to be formally approved as a renewed project at the next meeting of the Agricultural Experiment Station Directors on March 22-23, 2011. Therefore, there was some urgency in getting Appendix E's submitted before March 22.
The election of a Private Sector member and a Public Sector member to the Northeast Pasture Consortium as members-at-large was the next order of business. Tom Akin, Agronomist and GLCI Coordinator, USDA-NRCS, at Amherst, MA was nominated and seconded to be the Public Sector member-at-large for 2011. Nominations were closed and he was unanimously elected to serve. The Private Sector had not been able to come up with a person to accept the nomination at the meeting as the ice and snow storm had kept their attendance low. A motion and a second to refer the nomination and election of the Private Sector member-at-large to the Executive Committee was received. Every-one voted in favor of the motion to refer the nomination and election of the Private Sector member-at-large to the Executive Committee. (Joe Hatton, beef and sheep producer, from Morgantown, WV, was nominated and elected by the Executive Committee, prior to their February 24 teleconference to be the Private Sector member-at-large.)
Other business was the next order of business. There being no old business, new business was brought to the floor. A proposal to work on producing a new website for the Northeast Pasture Consortium was brought to the floor by Angus Johnson. The old website was not getting very many visitors. He thought the web address was not intuitive enough so people were not finding it. Ed Rayburn had checked into finding a domain that was not currently being used. The grazing guide domain was available. Sarah Goslee, ecologist, USDA-NRCS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit at University Park, PA, has webmaster experience and volunteered to work on the new website as a part of ARS outreach efforts. Clyde Bailey made a motion that the Executive Committee come up with a new name for the Consortium's website and purchase the domain by their February 24th teleconference. Bill Ireland, Private Sector member, seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The next new business was a letter of support from the Northeast Pasture Consortium to the New Department of Agriculture and the NY Governor's Office to support Pro-Dairy and integrated pest management (IPM) programs that are in jeopardy of being defunded or cut drastically. Karen Hoffman made the motion for the letter of support to be written by the Consortium and delivered by NY farmer members. Angus Johnson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
As the last order of business, James Cropper, Executive Director, thanked the outgoing Executive Committee members, Gabriel Clark, Private Sector Past Co-Chair, and Karen Hoffman, Public Sector Past Co-Chair, for their great efforts in assisting the Executive Committee over the past 4 years. He welcomed Tom Akin to the Executive Committee. Rachel Gilker was announced as the 2011-2012 Private Sector Co-Chair and Jill Ott was announced as the 2011-2012 Public Sector Co-Chair.
There being no other business to come before the Northeast Pasture Consortium, the meeting was adjourned.