The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Clay County Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council (KFGC) held the Eastern Kentucky KFGC Field Day at the Bowling family’s Old Homeplace Farm in Oneida on Oct 3. The event featured a tour of the 90-acre pasture-based farm, cookout, and presentations on sustainable farming practices.

The field day was an opportunity for farmers, livestock producers and consumers to learn about the benefits of forage-based agriculture and the importance of supporting local food systems. The field day showcased the multi-generation family's management philosophy and their unique challenges raising cattle, sheep and goats on a mix of bottomlands and steep hillside pastures.

“Old Homeplace Farm is one of the most innovative livestock producers in the state,” said Ray Smith, extension professor and forage specialist in the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. “They manage hillside pastures in Eastern Kentucky to maximize production and produce direct-to-consumer meat products. They have few weed problems by using cattle, goats and sheep in their grazing system.”

Tour stops include grazing paddocks, where participants will see a multi-species grazing system in operation. Raising multiple animal species allows them to use different parts of the pasture and reduce the risk of parasite infestations. The family also uses novel tall fescue varieties and native warm-season grasses, both of which reduce the potential for fescue toxicity issues during summer months.

The event concluded with a dinner grilled by local members of Oneida Tourism. The meal allowed participants to connect with the Bowling family and learn more about the benefits of locally grown meats and the overall ideas & philosophy that has led to the management decisions they have chosen.  There were participants that traveled from all over the state of Kentucky to learn about practices being implemented on this east Kentucky farm. Many learned about the layers of opportunities of fescue forages, rotational grazing, multispecies grazing, hillside and upland usage, water management, and fencing strategies. 

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