If you are raising livestock you need clean water, good nutrition, and good fences. Often, producers spend a lot of time getting clean water and good nutrition right but neglect to put up what would be considered a good fence. Unfortunately, without good fences, livestock owners can find themselves having to go to a lot of trouble to keep their livestock on their property rather than on their neighbors, or worse on the road causing dangerous road hazards and potential legal issues. It doesn't take long on a drive throughout any county to find a dilapidated fence with rotting corner posts, sagging wire, and a lot of patchwork. Many people aren't willing to invest the extra money into making a good fence, or they just haven't been taught proper methods. 

To meet the need for fencing education, the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council, UK Cooperative Extension Service, and the Master Grazer Program created a series of fencing schools that rotate throughout the state hosted by different county extension offices. These are 1-day programs spent in the classroom learning about different types and costs of fences, construction basics, innovative technologies, and fence law. After lunch, the groups move out to a host farm in that county to get hands-on experience putting their classroom knowledge to the test. Graves County had the opportunity to be a host site for a spring fencing school on April 25th. The classroom portion took place at the Graves County Extension Office in Mayfield and the hands-on portion took place at a local farm with a beginning beef farmer.

This program was well attended by 29 participants of varying age and experience. Participants learned about safety when using fencing tools, constructed H-braces, learned how to tie knots, install insulators, stretch fixed-knot fence, and put up a few strands of high tensile electric fencing. Thanks to other partners such as Stay-Tuff and Gallagher fencing suppliers, the structure was put up to stay at no cost to the host site. 

In the time leading up to the event, one producer made the comment that he already knew how to put up a fence and didn't see the value in coming to the program. However, he did decide to attend and afterward commented that he didn't realize what he didn't know, found the material to be excellent, was very glad that he came, and plans to start improving his fences. Another response was that they appreciated the in-depth explanations as to why certain methods and materials are better than others and the cost breakdown of fence types that they at one time felt to be unaffordable but now see that they come out to be the same as "good enough" fence types. Hosting the program at a new producer's farm in the county has led to further partnerships with him with forage and beef programs as well, setting him up for success as he gets started in his new venture.