The upcoming 2024 Summer Kentucky Beginning Grazing School, hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), promises an immersive learning experience for livestock producers. This summer’s program, “Electric Fencing for Serious Grazers: Installation and Troubleshooting,” aims to help livestock producers master the art of electric fencing.  

The June 12 event takes place at Butler County Cooperative Extension Office before heading to a local dairy farm. The workshops kick off at 9:00 a.m. CST with refreshments and concludes at 4:30 p.m.  

"While this school is geared toward those just starting out, the topics covered and discussions held will benefit producers at all stages," said Chris Teutsch, forage extension specialist at Martin-Gatton CAFE. 

The curriculum features subjects such as soil fundamentals, rotational grazing techniques, optimizing nutritional balance on pasturelands, grazing arithmetic principles and a visit to a local grazing operation. 

Post-lunch sessions at the farm explore electric fencing for grazing control, offset strategies, grounding 101, general tips and troubleshooting. Speakers include Jeremy McGill with Gallagher Animal Management and Morgan Hayes, assistant extension professor at Martin-Gatton CAFE.  

Registration costs $35 per participant and ends June 8. It includes a notebook, refreshments, safety glasses and a catered lunch. Registration is limited to the first 30 participants. To register, visit the UK Forage website and navigate to the events section at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/events or visit https://2024ElectricFencing.eventbrite.com. 

To register by mail, send a $35 check payable to KFGC at the following address: UK Research and Education Center, Caroline Roper, PO Box 469, Princeton, KY 42445. Please specify "2024 Summer Electric School" in the check memo line.  

This year’s event is organized and sponsored by the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council, UK Cooperative Extension Service and the Master Grazer Program.  

###

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.