Fairview area rancher, educator and self-defined “grass farmer” Wayne Berry, will share insights into his holistic management approach to ranching on Friday, Feb. 3, as part of the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory’s (NPARL) 2012 BrownBagger seminar series. The one-hour session begins at noon and is open to the public.
Wayne’s talk is entitled “What I’ve learned since 1955” and describes the many tools and strategies he’s experimented with over the past five decades to accomplish his and his family’s goals of enjoying life, while ensuring that their ranch stays profitable and the land remains healthy and sustainable. An innovator, Wayne has experimented with a wide variety of tools and strategies over the years to convert his original traditional farming and ranching operation to a holistic, self-sustaining “grass farm” livestock operation.
Over the years, Wayne has initiated a successful study with the Natural Resources and Conservation Service to test the adaptation and performance of warm season grasses in Montana to extend the “green period” in his dryland pasture. He’s also developed a bale grazing system that allows him to keep cattle out on pasture through the winter months while at the same time fertilizing the soil for the following spring.
Wayne’s innovations earned him a teaching post at Williston State College, where for several years he taught a holistic management course. Although now retired from teaching, Wayne still readily shares his knowledge and experience with others, and will do so again this coming Friday at NPARL. Please join us for this fascinating discussion in the second of our 2012 Friday BrownBagger seminars. The lab is located at 1500 N. Central Ave., Sidney. All presentations begin at noon. For more information, contact Beth Redlin at 406-433-9427.
Don’t miss these remaining Friday BrownBagger presentations on topics as varied as wheat stem sawfly biocontrol; Russian olive management, and managing habitats in agroecosystems for biocontrol:
Feb. 17: Jon Lundgren, Entomologist, ARS-Brookings, SD - Managing habitats to promote biological control in agroecosystems
March 2: Erin Espeland, Plant Ecologist, ARS-Sidney, MT - Getting information from weed eradication: a case study of Russian olive removal at Ft. Keogh
March 16: Kevin Delaney, Entomologist, ARS-Sidney, MT - Wheat stem sawfly – wheat interactions with spring wheat, and classical biocontrol of weeds
March 30: Tatyana Rand, Entomologist, ARS-Sidney, MT - Factors influencing wheat stem sawfly infestation levels and parasitism by native biocontrol agents
April 13: Upendra Sainju, Soil Scientist, ARS-Sidney, MT - Irrigation system and crop rotation effect on soil carbon and nitrogen fractions
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