Our colleague Rachel Gilker at the Vermont Pasture Network is offering an unusual opportunity to learn how to use animals to reduce your weed load.
Calling livestock farmers coping with weed challenges in northeastern, northwestern or southern VT: The opportunity has opened up for several grazing-livestock farms to participate in on-farm training with animal behavior expert Kathy Voth as part of a project teaching livestock to eat weeds this summer.
What you’d get:
· Kathy’s book and DVD;
· on-call technical assistance to develop your own personalized weed eating plan;
· follow-up assistance as needed and
· FEWER WEEDS (is the plan!).
What you’d give:
· A 1-2 hour period per day over 7 days with a group of (preferably) younger animals as “trainees”,
· several hours of planning time,
· your permission for UVM researchers to monitor changes in your pasture plants and
· your willingness to host a workshop where Kathy comes to train other farmers in what you’ve just learned.
Sound like a great idea? Contact Rachel at 802-656-3834 or rgilker@uvm.edu
