There will be a couple field days in July that might be of interest to local farmers.

- On July 8, Jefferson County Conservation District will host a grazing event that will be held at Gary Yeany’s farm from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. about the benefits of intensive grazing and the use of biochar.

Yeany is a contract grazier who runs 100 stockers on 63 acres from May to November and by moving once a day is averaging 1 to 1.25 pounds per day.

The event also will feature Tim Elder, NRCS grazing specialist, giving a soil health demonstration and Gary Gilmore, woodland program specialist with DCNR, talking about the benefits of biochar.

Registration is free and lunch will be provided to the first 50 registrants.

For more information and to register, contact Megan Whitlatch at 814-849-7463 or at mmwhitlatch@windstream.net.

- Southwest Project Grass in conjunction with the Beaver County Conservation District will host an Adaptive Gazing Field day in Darlington on July 30.

The event will feature Mike Carreon from McRoberts Farm and Bill and Sally Patton.

Carreon runs a cow/calf operation while the Pattons are contract graziers currently running 60-plus stockers on their operation. After visiting a high-stock density grazing operation last year, both have adopted many of the high-stock density practices on their own operation, using frequent daily moves, reduced paddock size and tall grass grazing.

The event will look at what they’ve learned one year into this transition by taking an NRCS grazing plan to the next level and showing the benefits of high-stock density grazing, with improved soil health and the increased economic gain from increasing stocking rates.

This field day also will feature Russ Wilson, an adaptive grazier from Forest County as well as several NRCS and conservation district staff talking about adaptive grazing’s benefit on soil health and the long-term goal of improved pasture production throughout the growing season.

The cost to register for the Adaptive Grazing Field Day is $25 and includes a hot lunch. To register or for more information, contact Jeff Leindecker at the Beaver County Conservation District at 724-378-1701 or at jeff.leindecker@bccdpa.us.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.