East Region Farmers Connect at National Grazing Conference

By Troy Bishopp

Tucson, AZ-- Farmers from around the East Coast fed their animals, put another log on the fire, packed their bags and took to the friendly skies, joining over 540 farmers and ranchers at the sold-out, 9th (NatGLC) National Grazing Lands Coalition Conference on December 4th -6th. The journey suggested, “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”

The theme of “Expanding Grazing Horizons” served as a venue for science-based advocates and practitioners in the field of grazing management to share innovative ideas and best practices from the ground up; connect and renew bonds with producers, partners, and other stakeholders across the nation; and progress toward the common goal of caring for and sustaining grazing lands.

NatGLC Chairman, Rob Cook emphasized, “What makes this venue truly special is that the majority of our sessions are led by practical, farmers and ranchers who live and work on the land every day. Their experiences highlight real-world opportunities and challenges which help guide future decision-making and applying research priorities. The life-long connections we make here are a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision.”

The East-coast group of diverse farmers representing dairy, beef, small ruminants, pastured poultry and multi-species operations joined peers from 36 states and 6 countries, including 244 first-time participants, 145 expert speakers and attended 75 educational sessions, 2 keynote addresses, a grant writing workshop, 5 professional development opportunities and certifications, and 39 trade show booths within the El Conquistador Hilton Resort over the 3 day event.

Engaging Southwest tours included visiting Santa Rita Experimental Range and the neighboring Santa Rita 62,000 acre ranch with a trip further south to third-generation rancher, Dan Bell’s 40,000 acre ranch and ZZ Cattle Corporation’s approximately 10 miles of border wall and surveillance; to learn about grazing federal lands on the U.S. Border. Another group visited the Tohono O’odham Nation, the second largest Native reservation in Arizona in both population and geographical size (4,453.307 sq mi) and experienced Indigenous culture, ranching approaches, traditions and food.

The group of 35 East coast farmers gathered to provide an important grazing practitioner “needs assessment” for the region facilitated by NatGLC Board Member at Large, Jenn Colby of the Northeast Pasture Consortium, to guide grazing initiatives and activities for the future. Many were also guest speakers and moderators on the topics of multi-species grazing management, solar grazing, getting started in the business of grazing, marketing, mental health, equine grazing, mindfulness on the farm, virtual fencing and building grazing networks.

Building community across the nation for grassland stewardship was universal and left guests feeling inspired as they boarded the jet planes home. Nick Weinstock of BOTL Farm in Ashford, Connecticut commented, “I took away a stronger connection with my regional and national farming peers. I realized that we do things differently here in the Northeast and that’s okay. We have a very different climate and marketplace that sets us apart from the rest. We should embrace the regional community we have and help customers understand the merits of grass farming all around the country cause we’re all connected.”

Jessica Newman and Jess Aeppli from SouthView Station Farm in Athens, Pennsylvania chimed in that “The opportunity to network with experienced and other first generation farmers was worth the ticket. We met folks right in our own region who could help us, especially on the topic of solar grazing logistics. We left with inspiration for the future”.

“I had several deep conversations with peers about how easy it is to talk about cows and grass, and how hard it is to talk about personal things…but talking about the personal things and making connections with other people doing what we do IS what keeps us---and our land--healthy, whole, and alive”, said Jenn Colby of Howling Wolf Farm and the Choosing to Farm Podcast. “I walked away from the conference driven to find more ways to talk about the deep and important issues that farmers and ranchers grapple with,---and I was inspired to find out that I wasn’t the only one thinking along these lines”.

Carly Bass from UVM’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture said, “It was great to explore a new part of the country and learn about what grazing in New England looks like compared to other states. While we in the Northeast have experienced higher levels of rainfall, a lot of the country has been experiencing drought, so it was interesting to hear speakers talk about the same soil health principles we use to prevent surface run-off but in the perspective of retaining water in the soil.”

Many of the Eastern farmer’s travel expenses benefited from scholarships provided by the Northeast Pasture Consortium using USDA-NRCS GLCI funds and the New England Grazing Network through funding from the Cedar Tree Foundation. Look for the 9 th NatGLC Grazing Conference sessions that were recorded for YouTube at youtube.com/@TheNatGLC. For questions regarding this experience, click here.