2009 Field Day

Shenandoah Valley

Agricultural Research & Extension Center

The Virginia Tech Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center will hold their bi-annual Field Day on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Field Day Program is listed below for your information.

During the Field Day, researchers will be on-hand to review and discuss on-going research projects being conducted at the Shenandoah Valley AREC. Of particular interest will be a review of the "Forage Systems" research project which is a cooperative effort between Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, Clemson University, and the USDA-ARS. Several components of this forage-based production system will be discussed including the cow-calf grazing system and calf creep grazing. We will be looking at several new forage species and participate in a hands-on forage evaluation exercise. There will also be several topics covering sheep production and forest management.

This is going to be an excellent educational program, especially for beef cattle, sheep, and forestry producers in the Shenandoah Valley interested in forage production, grazing, and forest management. We are asking persons interested in attending the Field Day to contact the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center at (540) 377-2255 on or before Friday, July 31, 2009 to sign-up.

Field Day Program

Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

1:00 – 1:30 Registration

1:30 – 1:35 Welcome, David Fiske, Superintendent, Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center

1:35 – 1:45 Load wagons and travel to the east end of McCormick Farm Circle

1:45 – 2:00 Forage Species Demonstration Plot – Jon Repair, Virginia Cooperative Extension

2:00 – 2:30 Forage Research Plots - Dr. Ozzie Abaye, Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Tech, and Christina Newman, Graduate Student, Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Tech

Forage Chains for Year Around Grass Finishing Systems – Dr. Chris Teutsch, Extension Agronomist, Southern Piedmont AREC

2:30– 2:45 Load wagons and travel to Big Meadow

2:45 – 3:30 Overview of the Pasture-Based Beef Systems for Appalachia Project – Dr. William Clapham, USDA-ARS and Dr. Joe Fontenot, John W. Hancock Jr. Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

SVAREC Cow / Calf Forage Systems Project - Dr. Terry Swecker, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech and Dr. Ron Lewis, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

Overview of Calf Creep Grazing Systems - Dr. Ben Tracy, Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Tech and Dr. Terry Swecker, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech

Using Residual Feed Intake (RFI) to Predict Animal Performance – Dr. Gene Felton, Department of Animal Science, West Virginia University

3:30 – 4:00 Poisonous Plants – Dr. Ozzie Abaye, Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Tech

Botanical Composition of Pastures – Dr. Ozzie Abaye, Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Tech

4:00 – 4:10 Load wagons and travel to Forestry Demonstration area

4:10 – 4:40 Overview of Sustainable Forest Management Project at SVAREC – Matt Yancey, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Dr. John Munsell, Department of Forestry, College of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech

4:40 – 4:55 Load wagons and travel to Ram Evaluation Center

4:55 – 5:30 Strategies to Improve Carcass Composition in Sheep – Dr. Scott Greiner, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

Visual Overview of SVAREC Cow / Calf Forage Systems Paddocks - Dr. Terry Swecker, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech and Dr. Ron Lewis, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

5:30 – 5:40 Load wagons and travel to the McCormick Memorial

5:40 – 6:00 Poster session and visit with sponsors – Memorial Grounds

6:00 – 6:15 Pasture-based Production Systems: Much More than Wholesome Beef - Dr. Floyd Horn, Former Administrator, USDA-ARS

6:15 – 6:45 Panel Discussion – Current Issues Impacting Agriculture and the Forage Livestock Industry – Moderated by Dr. David Gerrard, Department Head, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

Jim Saunders, President, Virginia Agribusiness Council

Bill Tucker, Immediate Past President, American Forage & Grassland Council
Hank Maxey, Board Member, Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board

6:45 – 7:00 Introductions and Comments from Special Guests

7:00 Dinner

To help facilitate meal planning, please contact the Shenandoah Valley AREC at (540) 377-2255 by Friday, July 31st to register for this meeting.