Grass-based dairy economics, start-up strategies for young farmers, breeding to select a good pasture cow, and perspectives of internationally known grass-based farmers will highlight the seventh annual Wisconsin Grazing Conference. Slated for Friday, Feb. 12, and Saturday, Feb. 13, the conference will be held at the Marriott Madison West Convention Center in Middleton. The event is sponsored and organized by GrassWorks, Inc., a non-profit organization that facilitates information exchanges among grass farmers.

“This year”s conference will once again blend on-farm and university perspectives and research findings,” says coordinator Carl Fredericks. “We”re excited both by the quality of the speakers this year and the relevance and timeliness of the issues we”ll be focusing on.”

The first morning”s activities include a three-hour forum on grass-based dairy economics and start-up strategies, co-sponsored by GrassWorks, Inc., with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Six grass-based dairying families and three UW-Madison researchers will present the forum.

“Many people are looking to grazing as a potential farm entry pathway, or as a diversification strategy,” says Fredericks. “So it”s important to listen to the experiences of farmers who”ve used this strategy, as well as taking a hard look at existing research data on the economics of grazing. The forum will do that.”

The morning also includes a presentation on kura clover management by Ken Albrecht, UW-Madison agronomist; and a discussion on grazing and water quality with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Dave Vetrano and graziers and researchers involved in the Agricultural Ecosystems Research Project.

Friday afternoon and evening speakers include Washington state dairyman John Tenneson, who will talk about high-producing grass cows; New Zealand dairy grazier Murray Douglas, describing a six-month tour of grass dairies in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia; and Irish dairy grazier Michael Murphy, the first person to adopt New Zealand-style management in Ireland.

Other Friday speakers include Jim Russell, Iowa State University, on extending the beef grazing season in early spring and late fall; Dave Lubben, Monticello, Iowa, on harvesting forage and pasture management; and Wisconsin and Minnesota beef stocker graziers, on features of their operations.

Saturday sessions include a discussion of direct marketing grass-finished meats with Wisconsin producers Kay and Steve Castner and Tom and Sue Wrchota; measuring pasture dry matter with UW-River Falls agronomist Dennis Cosgrove and graziers involved in on- farm research; and the Central Wisconsin River Graziers Network with Paul Daigle of the Marathon County Land Conservation Department.

Additional topics include monitoring soil health and productivity, grazing beef and dairy heifers, measuring pasture dry matter, sheep grazing management, developing grass dairy genetics, and direct marketing.

A trade show opens at 10 a.m. Friday and closes at 3 p.m. Saturday. For registration information, contact Carl Fredericks at GrassWorks, Inc., 1651 Kestrel Lane, Blue Mounds, WI 53517; (608) 437-4395.