A two-day Advanced Grazing School, hosted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialists Sept. 19-20, will provide a deeper understanding of grazing systems to those in attendance. 

The first day will focus on low-cost fencing and portable watering systems. On the second day of the program, specialists will cover grazing management influences on soil health.

The program will be held at UGA farm properties near the Athens campus. Training will take place in both classroom and field settings and will include many hands-on learning experiences.

The first day of instruction will be held at the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Extension Center on Experiment Station Road in Watkinsville, Georgia. Participants will learn how to allocate pastureland and provide portable water and shade in a rotational grazing system.

The group will also visit the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences’ Iron Horse Farm, off of Georgia Highway 15, near the line for Oconee and Greene counties, where participants will take a close look at the roots of diverse forage species as they explore the soil by stepping into soil pits. They’ll see how roots and microbes interact with the soil and learn how dung beetle and earthworm populations are improved in well-managed grazing systems. 

The cost of the two-day program is $150 for the first person from each farm, then $75 per person for each additional individual from a farm or family. The registration fee includes a 250-page notebook full of resources on the subject matter taught, lunches and breaks each day, and dinner on the first night. Registration is limited and participants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested should register soon.

For more information on the grazing school program, visit georgiaforages.com.