Native Warm Season Grass Tour at Southern Piedmont AREC
June 3, 2021 @ 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Pleasepromote this evening forage tour to your farmer and landowner clients in thisregion of VA. The target audience is livestock producers as well as landownersinterested in establishing wildlife and pollinator plantings. People mustpre-register to attend (it is free) and a boxed dinner is provided, the flyeris attached with those details. This is a great learning opportunity for ourproducers and technical service providers as well.
ANative Warm Season Grass Tour is scheduled for 5:00 to 8:30 pm at the SouthernPiedmont AREC in Blackstone, VA on June 3, 2021. This evening, outdoorevent will include an field review of 4 native species (Eastern gamagrass, BigBluestem, Indiangrass and Switchgrass) with a total of 20 different varietiesin a replicated small plot research trial that was planted in May of2020.
Thetour will also visit a 15 acre field of a 3-way mix of big bluestem,Indiangrass and little bluestem planted March of 2020 that established verywell last season. We will discuss what steps go into a successful 1-yearestablishment of these native grasses that provides a consistent, vigorousstand ready to graze the next year. A grazing study will begin on thisfield the following week.
ThePiedmont SWCD which serves Nottoway, Amelia and Prince Edward will be promotingtheir new seed drill with a native seed box specifically designed for plantingthese types of grasses that is available for rent by landowners in theDistrict.
Thistour is highlighting work funded by a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.
Registrationwill be available starting tomorrow at www.vaforages.org/eventsor by calling Margaret Kenny at (434) 818-5545 between 8:00am and 4:00pm.