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Join VFGC for this comprehensive fence-building school. You will learn from leading industry experts about materials selection, brace design and fence layout and construction. The afternoon portion will include hands-on fence construction in the field under the guidance of our instructors. The 2023 Fence Building School will be held at two locations: WED, APRIL 19: Bedford Extension Office.  1257 County […]

Join VFGC as we explore How Stockmanship, Infrastructure, and Forage Management can work together to work for you.   Curt Pate has worked across the U. S. to teach effective stockmanship principles based on his lifelong experience in ranching and animal handling.  His “for profit” approach highlights the increased economic benefits of handling stock correctly – not only chute side, […]

These workshops are designed for farmers looking to transform their farm operation into a profitable business with less work and stress. Dave Pratt has helped thousands of farm families build happier, healthier lives and improve the health and productivity of  millions of acres and will be leading this 2-day advanced workshop . Dave began his career with the University of […]

The VFGC would like to feature more good photos from different farms around the state in the annual grazing calendar. To encourage you to send in your best photos, we have decided to have a contest. Who is eligible:  Anyone can submit a photo, but to win one of the prizes you have to be a dues paying member of […]

The USDA fact sheets described below were developed from a Conservation Innovation Grant with Virginia Tech titled, Demonstrating conversion of wildtype to novel endophyte fescue pastures for greater livestock performance and better environmental outcomes. Follow this link https://vaforages.org/resources/publications/ to the Publications tab to view the fact sheets and learn more about fescue toxicosis, fescue sampling, strategies for mitigation, conversion to […]

Matt Booher, Rockingham County Extension Agent, has started a weekly digital forage mini-newsletter. If you would like to get on the email list to receive this, please contact Matt at mrbooher@vt.edu.  

Keith Tuck, Tuck Farms, Moneta VA Keith Tuck owns and operates a commercial cow-calf operation in an all grass production system. He typically carries 100 cow-calf pairs and develops about 15-20 replacement heifers. The farm is located just north of Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, VA, in southern Bedford County. Historically this had been a tobacco farm and about 20 […]

Demonstrating conversion of tall fescue to native warm season grasses for greater livestock performance and better environmental outcomes Project Background While tall fescue (Schedonorous arundinaceus) is the predominant forage species in Virginia pasture systems, the species has limited productivity during the summer months. In addition, most of the tall fescue in Virginia is infected with an endophyte that produces ergot […]

The Grazing School originally scheduled for May 12-13, 2020, in Glade Spring has to be cancelled for now due to the uncertain conditions regarding the Corona virus and the Governor’s stay at home order through June 10th.  Everyone who sent in registration checks will get refunded in full.  If possible we will try to reschedule this grazing school in the […]

Please contact John Fike at jfike@vt.edu or Gabriel Pent at gpent@vt.edu regarding these events. Are you interested in starting a pasture-finished beef operation or improving your existing forage-finished beef operation? If so, consider attending one of the upcoming Pasture-Finished Beef Production Meetings held at three convenient locations around Virginia. These workshops are part of a collaborative effort between Virginia Tech, […]