Contributors: Chris Teutsch, Jimmy Henning, Smith, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Donna Ammarl-Phillips, Katie VanValin, Morgan Hayes, A, Kevin Laurent, John Grove, Greg Halich, and Edwin Ritchey, University of Kentucky, Jeremy McGill, Gallagher Fencing, and Adam Jones, Kentucky NRCS 

The Kentucky Beginning Grazing School was established in 1996.  This two-day workshop provides new livestock producers with critical skills needed for designing and implementing a rotational grazing system. It consists of classroom presentations and hands on activities in the field. Topics covered include benefits of rotational stocking, forage plant growth, forage species, pasture renovation, soils and fertility, animal nutrition, grazing system design, grazing math, watering and fencing systems, weed management, and opportunities for financial assistance.  Hands on activities and demonstrations include estimating forage availability, using temporary fencing and water to set up a grazing paddock that is stocked with 2 steers or heifers overnight, soil sampling pastures and hayfields, hay sampling and testing, and forage plant ID. Over the past 25 years this program has trained more than 1,600 beginning grazers.  In a post-school survey, all participants agreed or strongly agreed that one or more of the management practices that they learned would increase the profitability of their operation. Participant comments included “excellent class”, “a huge thank you to Jeff for the grazing math”, “outstanding educational opportunity”, “expand program to three days”, pasture utilization exercise was especially interesting”, and “much better understanding of methods and considerations as well as planning tools”.