2023 Farmer Training Graduates Persisted Through Rain-Soaked Season

A group of men and women who graduate from the UVM farmer training program.
Photo credit: Rachel Stievater.

In late October a graduation ceremony was held for the 2023 cohort of Farmer Training Program students. The students, ranging in age from 19 to 54, arrived in May from all over the country, including Vermont, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Texas. Continue reading “2023 Farmer Training Graduates Persisted Through Rain-Soaked Season”

UVM Extension Hosts October Bedded Pack Barn Workshops

Black and white Holstein cows laying down in a bedded pack floor in a hoop house barn.
Photo credit: Whitney Hull

UVM Extension and guest speaker Dr. Marcia Endres will present a free workshop on bedded pack barns for dairy and livestock producers on two dates in October. Dr. Endres, a University of Minnesota animal sciences professor, will discuss the benefits, challenges, and management best practices to consider when planning a bedded pack barn for milkers, dry cows and heifers. Continue reading “UVM Extension Hosts October Bedded Pack Barn Workshops”

Extension Farm Viability Peer-to-Peer Meets at Pigasus Farm

A group of about 10 people are visiting a farm field where a herd of pigs is grazing, on a sunny, summer day.
Photo credit: Dana Ruppert

The UVM Extension Farm Viability Program’s Farmer Peer-to-Peer (FPtP) Discussion Group met during August at Pigasus farm in South Hero, VT. The FPtP is a group of farming peers which meets monthly over the course of a year, to tour and learn from participants varied farming operations, share challenges and opportunities, and hone business management skills. Continue reading “Extension Farm Viability Peer-to-Peer Meets at Pigasus Farm”

Sheep and Goat Farmers Earn Certification in IPM

A group of farmers and trainers are sitting in a barn learning about sheep and goat parasites.
Photos by Jake Jacobs and Kelsie Meehan

Twenty-two sheep and goat producers from Vermont and the Northeast earned certification in the FAMACHA method of monitoring small ruminants for internal parasites in a three-part workshop series culminating in an on-farm training held on May 23, 2022 in Whiting, VT. Part 1 and Part 2 of the workshop series are available to view as recorded webinars. The course was co-hosted by UVM Extension, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Cornell Sheep and Goat program. Continue reading “Sheep and Goat Farmers Earn Certification in IPM”

Extension Offering Internal Parasites in Sheep & Goats Trainings for Producers

A small flock of sheep in a barn feeding on hay in a trough.

UVM Extension is pleased to offer a free parasite management and FAMACHA training course for sheep and goat producers (including dairy, meat and fiber) co-hosted by the Cornell Sheep & Goat Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. The dates are May 9 and May 16, 2022 for the webinars, and a three-hour on-farm workshop in Whiting, VT on May 23. Continue reading “Extension Offering Internal Parasites in Sheep & Goats Trainings for Producers”