ADS is excited to announce our latest educational opportunity, “Got Grass? An Equine Grazing and Pasture Management Event.” This event will take place on August 26, 2023, at 10 am at Eloraleah located at 10306 Tadpole Road, Cabot, AR 72023.
“Got Grass?” is an informational seminar on best grazing practices to increase grass production and limit parasite burden in horses. Horses are notoriously inefficient grazers and keeping grass in front of them during harsh growing conditions is a challenge. The seminar’s goal is to present up to date research-based information to horse owners and pasture managers to maximize grass production and limit parasite burdens in our animals. The seminar is free and open to the public.
Presenters include Steve Jones, Elizabeth Sutton, Andrew Bolton, and Dr. David Fernandez. After presentations, the floor will be open to questions from those attending.
Steve Jones has been involved with agriculture since childhood. He grew up at Winfield, Louisiana working cattle on his family’s ranch and worked his way through college as a day-work cowboy. During his graduate education, he studied animal behavior and as a result scratched the old ways of starting horses and developed a philosophy of communication with horses from the horse’s perspective. He served as University of Arkansas Extension Horse Specialist for 21 years prior to his retirement. At his own ranch, he has implemented rotational grazing and small pastures with a focus on production of cool season grasses. He will share his experiences on these practices during the seminar.
A Soil Conservationist with National Resource Conservation Services, Elizabeth Sutton has over 30 years of agricultural experience in research, education, and conservations. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, majoring in Urban Horticulture and Agricultural Education. Her passion at NRCS is in grazing and pasture resource concerns, especially prescribed grazing. She raises and trains Missouri Fox Trotters in Central Arkansas. Sutton will discuss resources available for grass producers in Arkansas as well as relay her experiences with prescribed grazing, grass production, and parasite infestations.
Andrew Bolton currently serves as a cooperative extension agent with a focus on agriculture and youth development in Pulaski County. A central Arkansas native, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Extension Education from the University of Arkansas. After two years as a high school agriculture instructor in east Texas and another 2-year stint in trucking logistics, his career at the Cooperative Extension Service began in 2020. Since then, he has helped serve farmers and ranchers across Pulaski County adopt and implement research-based practices to help optimize their farming operations and utilize their resources to the maximum. Bolton will discuss resources available to grass ranchers through the county extension services.
Dr. David Fernandez is a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff parasitologist and is an Extension Specialist IV of the 1890 Cooperative Extension Program. He enjoys working with small, limited resource and socially underrepresented farmers and ranchers to improve sustainability and profitability of livestock operations. His current research is the investigation of the effectiveness of “natural” anthelminthics in small ruminants. Dr. Fernandez will discuss controlling parasite burdens in horses.
Come join us Saturday, August 26th at 10 am. Bring a lawn chair, kick back and learn about pasture management to improve your pastures now!
Please register for the event here. Let us know if you are interested in lunch for a small fee.
