Please join the North Central Grazers, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, and our hosts at the Nick and Lynn Hicks family on Thursday August 24, 2017 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. for a pasture walk featuring their grass based organic dairy operation. The farm is located in western Taylor County near Jump River Wisconsin. Nick and Lynn currently sell their organic milk to Westby Creamery. The Hicks are outstanding managers of their organic operation, their herd consisting of over 70 crossbred cows, with Jersey as the dominant breed influence, but also including Holstein, Shorthorn, Aryshire and Brown Swiss. Nick intensively grazes over 80 acres. Pastures annually are evaluated and no-tilled as needed with sufficient amounts of perennial rye, meadow fescue, festulolium, red clover and improved white clover to ensure good stands of forage. To set up a well-designed grazing system, components installed were high tensile fencing, along with a well built up-raised cattle lane crossing a very wet area. The Taylor County LCD and the local NRCS office provided cost sharing and design expertise for this grazing project. Nick does not have waterlines going to pastures, but daily trucks water to the herd’s grazing locations during the grazing season.
We will tour the farm and its components, along with having discussion on the strategies that Nick implements for maximizing forage management for the dairy cows. Joining us in this discussion and any other dairy nutrition related topics will be Rick Knopp (Agricultural Consultant - Short Lane Ag Supply) and (Independent Dairy Nutrition Consultant) Chuck Sillampa. While Nick and Lynn are very busy on the farm, Lynn also runs another small business (Lynn’s Barnyard Boutique) located on their farm and advertised on Facebook.
Westby Creamery is providing snacks for the afternoon event, so please join us rain or shine!
Directions : From Thorp WI., take Hwy 73 north 27 miles to the farm on the right hand side of the road, or from Medford WI., take Hwy 64 west for 22 miles, then take Hwy 73 north 15 miles to the farm on the right. Watch for pasture walk signs!
For more information or questions, please contact: Taylor County Land Conservation at (715) 748-1469, or Grazing Specialist Bob Brandt at (715) 965-6771