Grasstravaganza 2024 Conference Reminder

Don’t Miss Out – Registration Due Saturday, March 2^nd

Morrisville, NY – Grasstravaganza 2024: Plant Graze – Growing Resilient Grazing Systems will be held Saturday, March 9^th at the SUNY Morrisville campus from 8 am to 4:30 pm, starting in Charlton Hall. Registration is due by Saturday, March 2^nd and is available online at https://grasstravaganza.morrisville.edu/ or by calling Kathy at 315-684-6993.

The conference is one of the few opportunities for NY farmers to hear Colorado rancher Kit Pharo of Pharo Cattle Company. Kit is well-known for his down-to-earth and no-nonsense perspective on what it takes to make a successful farming or ranching business that can be passed on to the next generation. He’ll challenge your thinking, encourage you to become a Herd Quitter, and inspire you to make positive changes for your farm and family.  For a taste of Kit’s philosophies, you can sign up for his weekly newsletter at https://pharocattle.com/.  It’s truly exciting to have Kit on our agenda – don’t miss out on this chance to hear him speak!

Attendees will have the chance to delve into other aspects of how to keep our farms resilient to future changes, with sessions on soil health, climate impacts, diversification through agritourism, pasture ecosystems, virtual fencing technologies, and more.

Breakout session speakers include Dan Smith from Nofence and Jenn Colby from Howling Wolf Farm and the Choosing to Farm podcast in Vermont.  Local farmers John Burns and Juliana Quaresma will share their experiences with silvopasture and other practices they use to improve resiliency on their farms, and an in depth look at what those insects are really doing to help our soil will be discussed by Ken Wise and Erik Smith from Cornell.  See the website for more speakers and topics – there’s so much to learn!

Registration is $40 per person and includes lunch – registration is due by March 2^nd at https://grasstravaganza.morrisville.edu/ or follow the conference on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/grasstravaganza2024   For those without internet please call 315-684-6993 to register over the phone.  A trade show will also be held, and vendors can register on the website as well.

The conference is sponsored by USDA-NRCS and SUNY Morrisville, with support from Cornell Cooperative Extension and NOFA-NY.