JAMESTOWN – On May 12, about 30 dairy and livestock producers gathered to learn about rotational grazing and management techniques at Murphy’s Grass Farm in Sherman as part of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Spring Pasture Walk.

Murphy’s Grass Farm is owned and operated by Doug and Dana Murphy. Their family milks about 100 dairy cows, are certified organic and have been on their farm location for the past 15 years. The Murphys use rotational grazing, where paddocks are surrounded by high tensile fencing and are sectioned into smaller pastures using temporary fence. The animals cycle through these smaller pasture portions that cover over 100 acres of the Murphys farm. Rotational grazing allows the Murphys to feed high quality grass forage and lower their purchased feed costs, while using the farm’s land resources to efficiently feed and manage their livestock.

Attendees were able to walk through the lush grass and clover pastures, learn about the history and management of the Murphy farm, as well as their beliefs in organic production and grazing strategies. There were also opportunities for networking among the represented farm businesses.

The Spring Pasture Walk also featured a live demonstration of the Recycling Agriculture Plastics Program’s Bigfoot Baler. Plastics that the Murphys had used on the farm were baled for recycling and attendees viewed proper handling procedures for recycling agricultural plastic.

Also attending was Karen Hoffman, an animal science specialist with Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hoffman was on hand to talk about pasture management, cow health and nutrition, and rotational grazing strategies and timing.

Lisa Kempisty, dairy and livestock educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County facilitated the pasture walk and shared appreciation to Murphy’s Grass Farm for making this event possible. “We would like to thank Doug and Dana Murphy for opening their farm for the Spring Pasture Walk and for sharing their experiences, from which we can all learn. Murphy’s Grass Farm should be proud of all their accomplishments, and for their work with well-managed rotational grazing.”

Businesses with whom Murphy’s Grass Farm works with, including Farmer’s Mill, Inc., Sherman; Gabel’s IBA, Collins; Lakeview Organic Grain, Penn Yann; Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., Buffalo; Agri-Dynamics Inc, Panama; and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, Jamestown. Gratitude also goes to the Murphys and their farm employees who hosted our tour on their dairy farm.

The Spring Pasture Walk is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 664-9502 ext. 202 or 203 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Katelyn Walley-Stoll is the farm business management educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.