“Pastures for Profit” School Goes Virtual this Winter

Register today!

This coming year between January and March, 2021, the Pastures for Profit curriculum will be offered as a virtual course. One live webinar will be offered per month along with “work at your own pace” videos and exercises that accompany each webinar. The Pastures for Profit program is a collaboration between Ohio State University Extension, Central State University, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council.

Each webinar will be offered live on Zoom beginning at 7 P.M. and feature three presentations 0ver a 90-minute span. Attendees will be able to interact with the speakers and ask questions in real time. Once registered, attendees will be granted access to the online course including the webinars and complementary resources. Participants that attend all three webinars will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion. Registered participants will also receive their choice of a curriculum binder or USB drive of the traditional course delivered via mail.

The webinar schedule and topics are as follows:

Webinar One– Core Grazing Education: 90 minutes, Wed., January 13 at 7 p.m.

  • Evaluating Resources and Goal Setting
  • Getting Started Grazing
  • Soil Fertility

Webinar Two– The Science of Grazing: 90 minutes , Wed., February 3 at 7 p.m.

  • Understanding Plant Growth
  • Fencing and Water Systems
  • Meeting Animal Requirements on Pasture

Webinar Three– Meeting Grazing Goals: 90 minutes, Wed., March 3 at 7 p.m.

  • Pasture Weed Control
  • Economics of Grazing
  • Creating and Implementing Grazing Plans

A series of additional videos that complement each webinar will be accessible to registered participants that include topics such as:

  • Soil Health & Fertility
  • Species Specific Tips
  • Stocking Densities
  • Forage Sampling and Analysis
  • Winter Feeding Strategies
  • Conservation Practices
  • Genetic Traits of Forages
  • Pasture Layouts
  • Farm Economics
  • Pasture Walks/Virtual Tours

These videos will focus on more specific pasture management topics at both the beginner and experienced manager levels.

Cost of the course is $50, which includes the Pastures for Profit manual. Current and new members of the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council are eligible for a $10 discount on registration. Register for the course by visiting https://afgc.org/ofgcwebinar.