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Grazing Events and Pasture Walks

August 21, 2006 -Valley Shephard, Long Valley, NJ

Pasture Walk at Valley Shepherd sponsored by the Garden State Grazing Coalition

Come all Graziers

Milking 250 ewes in the heart of Long Valley, NJ, you’ll find ‘The Cheese Master’ himself, Eran Wajswol, reading the recipes, pressing the curds and filling the molds. Valley Shepherd Creamery has been milking sheep and making sheep for just about a year now on this site. Wajswol’s operation now focuses on educating the consumer as well as making quality sheep cheeses and other sheep products. Agri-tainment is as important to the success of the operation as the sheep products themselves.

This state-of-the-art facility can not produce enough sheep’s milk to meet their demand for cheese, so Wajswol is now incorporation milk from a nearby bovine dairy to produce varieties of cheese with both cow and sheep milk.

Join the Garden State Grazing Coalition as we visit Valley Shepherd Creamery in Morris County on August 21st at 10 am. We will tour the facilities, including over 40 acres of pasture, a composting facility, rotary milking parlor, observation gallery, processing room, aging cave and retail store and gift shop.

For more information on the event or to reserve your spot on the tour, call 908-735-0737 x108.

August 31, 2006 - Northkill Creek Farm

  • Address: 665 Shartlesville Road, Bernville, PA 19506 (Northwestern Berks County)
  • Owner: Wilson Balthaser and Randy Balthaser

About the Farm: This dairy farm of 100 mostly Holstein milk cows has been grazing since 2000. Forty acres of permanent orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass is used for grazing. Dry cows and heifers graze on another farm.

SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. Kathy Soder, Animal Scientist from the USDA-ARS Pasture Systems Research unit at University Park, will be with us to share her research on "Animal Behavior in Grazing Systems" and "Incorporating a TMR into a Grazing Dairy Herd."

Highlights:

  • New tunnel ventilated tie stall barn with 750,000 gallon concrete manure storage.
  • NRCS PL-566 program participant.
  • Thirteen acres of sorghum-sudangrass for summer grazing.
  • Two-acre paddocks using polywire.
  • Past experiences with small grains, brassicas, and different varieties of sorghum-sudangrass.
  • 2006 Berks County Conservation Farmer of the Year.

Directions: From Rt. 183 north from Reading, turn right on Shartlesville Road (at the end of Bernville, just before the Penn Bernville Elementary School). Travel about 3.5 miles to the farm on the right.

(Phone 610-721-8605)

September 7, 2006 - Norton Family Farm

  • Address: 227 Dietrich Road, Halifax, PA 17032 (Northern Dauphin County)
  • Owner: William Norton, Jr.

About the Farm: The Norton family farms 145 acres, of which 45 are grazed with the remainder in corn, small grains, and hay. In addition to 40 beef cow pairs on a grazing system, three turkey houses with a capacity of 10,500 animals complete this farming operation.

Highlights:

  • NRCS EQIP program participant.
  • Pastures feature stream bank fencing, stream crossings, and spring development.
  • Rotational grazing initiated in 2001.
  • 2003 Dauphin County Conservation Farmer of the Year.

Directions: Located south of Elizabethville. Travel on Rt. 225 to top of Berry Mountain, approximately 9 miles north of Halifax or ˝ mile south of Elizabethville. At top of mountain, by the stone quarry, turn east on Quarry Road. Travel to foot of mountain. First farm on left. (Phone 717-362-8411/Randy)

September 21, 2006 (Starts at 6:00 p.m.) - Pastures Pride – Natural Meats Farm

  • Address: 1555 Crystal Cave Road, Kutztown, PA 19530 (Northeastern Berks County)
  • Owner: David and Joy Stutzman

About the Farm: Dave and Joy started grazing in 1998 with ten acres. They now have 80 acres in permanent pasture and 20 in annuals.

Highlights:

  • Uses a variety of annuals including sorghum-sudangrass, oats, peas, turnips, and soybeans.
  • 55 feeders are grazed, finished, and marketed as pasture fed beef.
  • Evaluated carcasses to determine quality and uses consumers' feedback to improve program of finishing steers on pasture.
  • Pasture poultry and turkeys for meat.
  • Started a cow/calf herd of Angus bred to Red Devon.
  • 14 ewes of Katahdin and Dorper Hair sheep with lambs direct marketed as grass fed.
  • 2006 research on grazing corn to finish steers.

Directions:

From Rt. 222 – At Moselem Springs, turn north on Rt. 662 towards Shoemakersville. Go about 1 mile and turn north (right) on Rt. 143. Proceed 2 miles to Virginville. At post office in Virginville, turn right on Crystal Cave Road. At Y (one block), keep right on Crystal Cave Road. Go the second farm on the left (about one mile from Virginville).

From I-78 – At Lenhartsville exit, go south on Rt. 143 to Virginville. At the post office, turn left onto Crystal Cave Road. At Y (one block), keep right on Crystal Cave Road. Go to the second farm on the left. (Phone 610-683-5436)

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Last Modified: October 24, 2006