'From Paddocks to iPads'

theme for grazing conference

More than two dozen workshops and presentations are on tap for the 21st annual GrassWorks Grazing Conference to be held from Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 17-19, at The Patriot Center here. "From Paddocks to iPads" is the theme for the 2013 conference.

Featured presenters will E. Ann Clark, who retired from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada two years ago as a professor of plant agriculture; Shannon Hayes, a member of a grazier family on a Fulton, NY farm and an accomplished author; and Allen Williams, who is an agriculture and food industry consultant and president of LMC, LLC.

Clark will give a keynote presentation titled "A future-oriented vision of farming" in the opening session at noon on Thursday, Jan. 17. At a breakout session later that day, she will share ideas on how to re-integrate crop and livestock production.

Hayes will speak at three sessions on Friday, Jan. 18 and have a book signing hour that evening.

Following a general session presentation titled "Real Cows in a Parallel Universe," the topics of her breakout presentations later in the day will be the criteria on profitability for a grass-based enterprise and making the most of animal fats.

Williams is scheduled for two presentations on Saturday, Jan. 19. His topics will be the health and building of soil for growing grasses and the lifetime raising of beef cattle on grass rations.

Other speakers at the conference will include grazing practitioners, Extension Service agents and specialists, and representatives of the private sector.

The diversity of topics includes such items as mob grazing, robotic milking, local direct marketing, the grazing of sheep, new technology, Google Earth resources, and retirement planning.

Activities at the conference will also include a trade show, a live auction, and a "SlowFood - Marathon County" demonstration. The conference will close at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19.

To register for the conference, go online at www.grassworks.org, send an e-mail to grazingrocks@gmail.com or info@grassworks.org, or call 715-965-8324.

Full conference and daily registration fee rates are available along with a $25 per person discount on multiple registrations from the same entity.