We had the perfect weather for a day up at Little Timber Farm in Blackduck! The day started off with introductions and Rachel Gray giving an overview of her cattle operation.

From there, the group dove into hands-on learning. Sabrina Claeys (Ducks Unlimited) walked everyone through how to use a grazing stick in the field, while Tarah Young (University of MN Extension) covered forage ID and estimating forage. Tarah did a great job in the field collecting a variety of grasses, legumes, and forages for us to review and identify. Sabrina also showed us how to take a clipping and estimate forage that way, and Rachel added that you can snap a photo of your grazing stick in the pasture and ask ChatGPT to estimate the field based on size. Rachel returned to talk parasite management, and Kelly Andersen (Minnesota Department of Ag) shared insights on bale grazing and overwintering. Sabrina and Kelly then teamed up for an Infrastructure 101 session, looking at the water system and fencing in place on the farm and explaining different options.

After a lunch provided by MN Nice Cafe & Catering, Tarah led a hands-on manure distribution activity, followed by an open Q&A. The day wrapped with a producer panel featuring Rachel Gray, Kelly Klinkhammer (Northland Community College), and Kelly Andersen(Minnesota Department of Ag) before final thoughts and departure.

Check out the news clip here: https://youtu.be/zm81Ocjyug4?si=dY1OlwPd3KC_lWGL — and a big thank you to Lakeland PBS for sharing our event with their audience!

A big thank you to our partners for making this day possible!