For more details, please see the agenda below. 

While registration is requested, walk-ins are welcome. If attending for DEC credits, please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the program to sign in. Please have your NYS pesticide certification ID ready to show the instructor at sign-in.

GVPA Winter Meeting Session 1: Managing Soil Health, Pastures, and Small Grains

Agenda:

9:45 Arrive, DEC Credit Sign-In

10:00 Pasture Management: Rotation Patterns and Best Management Practices by Species (30 minutes) DEC CREDITS - 0.25 credits in 1a & 21

Speaker: Amy Barkley, Livestock Specialist, SWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team

Details: There are several pasture rotation patterns that can be used on-farm. Furthermore, the livestock species that you graze on your farm consume forage differently, resulting in different management needs. Proper management of pastures by species can result in enhanced pasture stability and reduce the need for chemical-based weed management.

10:30  Soil Health (25 minutes)

Speaker: Matt Havens - Soil Scientist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

Details: What makes good soil, what are our soil health challenges in WNY (focus on vegetable crops, but references to pasture and field crops), how can we manage the soils in WNY (gravel, clay) to be productive and healthy, and how we can improve soils if they don't currently meet our needs?

10:55  Soil Compaction (20 minutes)

Speaker: Lynn Bliven - Ag and Natural Resources Issue Leader, CCE Allegany & Matt Havens

Details: This presentation will share how soil compaction happens, how it impacts pasture health & quality, and how managing it impacts the needs for chemical management of weeds. Includes a soil health demonstration.

11:15  Small Grains Crop Protection using Unrestricted Materials and Cultural Practices (30 minutes) DEC CREDITS - 0.5 credits of 1a & 21

Speaker: Perry Denton - Regional Manager, Timac AGRO

Details: While many restricted chemicals can be used in small grains, there is a series of methods that can be used to help reduce the need for these restricted pest control measures. Recommendations for unrestricted chemical applications for crop protection in small grains, particularly oats, will be shared as well as concurrent cultural practices that can increase the success of these applications.

11:45  Small Grains Selection - Choosing the Right Fit for your Farm (30 minutes)

Speaker: Don Wild - Owner, Wild Acres Family Farm and Dealer, King's Agriseeds

Details: Species selection can go a long way to a successful cover or small grains crops. Genetic capacity can help reduce the needs for pesticide use on the farm, increase potential yields of products that are of value to you (seed, straw, green manure), and reduce potential crop failure.

12:15 pm    Session 1 Adjourns for lunch. DEC credit pick-up

A course moderator will check DEC ID cards at roster sign in.  Attendees eligible for DEC credits may not leave the room for more than 10 minutes during a DEC-credit worthy presentation.  The rosters will be picked up 10 minutes after the start of the first DEC credit worthy presentation.