southern indiana grazing conference

Conference Registration
Lodging - Meeting Location Map
Name_______________________________
Gasthof Village Inn on the north side of Montgomery on CR 650 E includes a complimentary
breakfast. Reservations can be made by calling 812-486-2600.
Baymont Inn, 7 Cumberland Drive, Washington, IN 812-254-7000
Holiday-Inn Express, Business 50, Washington, IN 812-254-6666
Other locations are available upon request.
Address_____________________________
City_________________________________
State/Zip____________________________
Southern Indiana Grazing Conference Location Map
SOUTHERN
INDIANA
GRAZING
CONFERENCE
Phone_______________________________
E-mail_______________________________
____# pre registration (until 2/18/2015) x $35.00
____# registration (after 2/18/20135 x $45.00
“Grazing Management—important to large
and small family farms”
MARCH 4, 2015
Total Enclosed _______________
List additional names this registration is for:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
____________________________________
Online Registration:
https://sigc.eventbrite.com
or
Return this form with check payable to:
Daviess Co. S.W.C.D.
Attention: Toni Allison
Daviess Co. SWCD
2526 E National Hwy.
Washington, IN 47501
7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.)
Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. (E.S.T.)
West Gate Academy
IN-558 & E County Road 1650 N
Odon, Indiana 47562
Pre-Registration Fee: $35 per person
Must Be Postmarked by February 18
Registration & Walk-in: $45 per person
After February 18 at 4:00 p.m.
$35 Pre-Registration: postmarked by Feb. 18th
$45 Registration & Walk-in’s: after Feb. 18th
Meet the Speakers at Dinner on March 3rd
Additional Fee Required,
Please Call (812) 254-4780 Ext 3
Online Registration: https://sigc.eventbrite.com
Phone In Registration Requested by Feb. 18th
Includes: Refreshments & Lunch
*No Refunds after February 18, 2015
Event Speakers
Gearld Fry is considered a revolutionary by some, but actually his
journey to the top of the grass fed
beef industry was evolutionary…
measured, natural and inevitable.
Gearld was just seven years old,
a little boy on the family farm near
Rose Bud, Arkansas when he
was assigned his first milking cow. By the age of 14, he had
purchased his first steer and was showing it around the
state. Too poor to purchase a top bull, he taught himself artificial
insemination.
By then, Gearld’s eye had taught him pretty well what to look for
in outstanding livestock and he had developed the habit of listening to the old-time cattlemen. But like all farmers, he had been
educated in the grain-fed paradigm and dutifully chased the
“bigger is better” philosophy. It wasn’t until he established his
own Reproductive Center that the doubts began to grow.
Knowing he was on to an important breakthrough, he widened
his circle of contacts and began reading literature from centuries
ago. He concluded that grain should not be fed to a herbivore,
but found he was virtually alone in that view. The scientific research of his day was totally dominated by the feed lot paradigm. No one was interested in what grain feeding, much less
antibiotics and hormones, were doing to the vigor of American
cattle herds.
Fry did discover a few men who confirmed and broadened his
own observations; men whose conversations and writings educated him in the mysteries of genetics, immune function, embryonic development and the functionality of the bovine.
Fry’s reading took him back to the 17th and 18th century and the
writings of Robert Bakewell of England and Francis Gynon of
France. From their writings he begin to understand the importance of line-breeding---breeding the best to the best
(consistency)---and the importance of the escutcheon in mirroring
the butterfat and milk potential of the cow, important for both milk
and meat. He also acknowledges a debt to the research of Dr.
Weston A. Price and Dr. Francis Pottenger for their work in diet
and health.
Fry’s own writings have appeared in many agricultural journals
and in 2003 he authored “Reproduction and Animal Health”,
which is a guide to selecting, breeding and managing a herd for
health and performance on grass.
With Fry’s advocacy, interest in the pure bred Devon launched a
renaissance in the breed which once had been at the forefront of
American cattle. Close to being placed on the Endangered Species List, Devon today top the list of desired grass fed animals
thanks to Fry’s founding of both Bakewell Reproductive Services
and the North American Devon Association, of which he is president.
Ernest Weaver
Ernest Weaver was born
and raised on a farm in
Southern Illinois near the
town of Anna. He and his
wife Regina have 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl
ranging from 19 to 5 years
old. Ernest has been involved in grazing since
1992 and the seed business since 1996 serving as a forage consultant for the past 19
years with Byron Seeds. He has worked with producers
throughout many states.
Kate Yegerlehner
She was raised on her family dairy
farm and has enjoyed working with
cows almost as long as she can remember. She works with her parents, Alan and Mary, in managing the
farm and has been the unofficial herd
manager for several years now. We
have been rotationally grazing our
herd since the early 90’s, and have
been 100% grass-fed since 2000. At
that time we began direct-marketing
the dairy and beef products from our
herd, which has been shifted to a more dual-purpose phenotype
since our early years of grazing. In 2005 she first heard Gearld
Fry speak on grass-fed cattle genetics and have been seeking to
select for and develop those types of cows in our herd ever
since. We are in pursuit of a holistic balance in improving ecosystems and building soil, being sustainably profitable in business, and maintaining our quality of life goals. It’s been an elusive balance thus far, and she frequently writes about their experiences, both good and challenging, in The Stockman GrassFarmer.
Dr. Peter Ballerstedt
Dr. Peter Ballerstedt earned his
bachelors degree at the University
of Kentucky and his graduate degree at Oregon State University. He has an extensive background in forage production, utilization, and forage-based livestock
production systems. He was the
forage extension specialist at Oregon State University from 1986
until 1992. His personal experience has led him to re-examine
human diet and health. What he’s learned doesn’t agree with the
advice we’ve been given for the past several decades. This new
understanding, combined with his forage background, has given
him an interest in local, sustainable animal production systems
specifically in grassfed beef production.
Southern Indiana Grazing Conference
Agenda
7:00 a.m. (E.S.T.) – Registration – Rolls, juice, coffee & milk
8:00 a.m. – Welcome & Introductions – Planning Committee members
8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Kate Yegerlehner
“Make Grazing Your Business”
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. - BREAK
9:45 a.m.– 10:45 a.m. – Gearld Fry
“Animal Indicators for Insight”
10:45 a.m.– 11:00 a.m. – BREAK
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. – Dr. Peter Ballerstedt
“Meat as Medicine”
12:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.– LUNCH
(Meal made by The Schnitzelbank)
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Ernest Weaver
“Filling in the Voids with Forages for Energy”
2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - BREAK
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Gearld Fry
“Selecting the Right Animals for Grass”
3:30 p.m.– 3:45 p.m. – Questions for the Speakers