As we enter the hottest part of the year, heat mitigation strategies for livestock are important to consider. Already this year thousands of cattle have died from heat stress in southwestern Kansas. Shade, water and an awareness of the weather forecast are critical to maintaining a healthy herd. In the most extreme conditions, adapting feed and handling strategies, and even mitigating levels of flies can help cool livestock.

The University of Missouri Extension produced a chart to factor heat and humidity to determine the temperature danger zone, as well as a video on managing heat stress.

The University of Nebraska Extension has a guide specifically for heat stress management in feedlot cattle, but the basic theories are universal across all production systems.

The livestock viability manager will play a pivotal role in shaping our livestock programming – building, testing and scaling creative solutions that respond to the needs of PFI farmers as they implement new practices and seek markets.

Focused on midwest ecosystems, this project from the Savannah Institute compared three different tree protection methods for newly planted silvopasture: wire cages, electric fences and tree tubes. These were put to the test by sheep, hogs and cattle.

Check out this video on establishing silvopasture by Keefe Keeley from the 2019 PFI Annual Conference!

Directly marketing meat can be a way to capture more of the consumer dollar. By bypassing the middlemen – wholesalers, distributors and retailers – direct marketing allows meat producers to receive retail value for their product.

For the farmers behind Crooked Gap Farm and Over the Moon Farm & Flowers, direct marketing and developing personal connections with customers has been key to getting established in the marketplace.

Join us at an upcoming field day! Read the PFI field day guide to learn more about our 40+ summer events. All field days are FREE and open to everyone!

John Van Horn will interseed annual ryegrass and cereal rye into his standing corn and soybeans. His aims are to grow fall forage for his 100-head of cattle and to help with weed control.

Join us on a tour of his complex network of farmland consisting of row crops with cover crops, pastures, butterfly habitat, quail buffers and a 140-acre wetland to discuss his current on-farm research trials.

Justin and Ellen Rahn invite you to learn how they are making the most of cover cropping on their 1,200-acre farm.

Seeding cover crops after corn, soybean and small-grain harvests allows the Rahns’ cattle herds to graze on cover crops in the spring, summer and fall.

They also work with neighboring farmer, Doug Linker, to get their livestock on even more land.

After converting 15 acres of row crop ground to diverse annual vegetables and pasture five years ago, Eric and Courtney Jensen are now planting chestnuts and other trees to create a silvopasture system on their farm.

We’ll see how they have integrated livestock alongside their diverse vegetable enterprise and budding chestnut orchard. They will give a hands-on demonstration of establishing chestnut seedlings and fencing for pasture-raised sheep.

Mary Damm is looking for a grazier who understands that a diversity of plant and animal species can co-exist alongside cattle.

This gathering includes a pasture walk to discuss grazing, bird habitat and the potential improvements that could be made by a renter, followed by a panel discussion about grazing leases.

Send questions and RSVP directly to Martha McFarland at martha@practicalfarmers.org

This event is FREE and open to everyone. Learn more about our land connection meet-ups here!

July 20: Webinar - Integrating Livestock with Organic Crops

July 26: Pasture Walk - Summer Pasture Walk

Aug. 16: Pasture Walk - Summer Pasture Walk

10:30 a.m. | Gays Mills, WI

Aug. 17: Field Day - Regenerative Farming and Grazing with Allen Williams

Aug. 18: Field Day - Regenerative Farming and Grazing with Allen Williams

Are you planning or hosting a livestock event? Do you want to host a livestock field day? Send the details to amos@practicalfarmers.org