Jul 21, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – In partnership with several other counties in the region, the Greene County Conservation District is co-sponsoring the 2014 Southwest Project Grass Grazing Bus Tour in Western Pennsylvania.

The tour runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10. Buses will depart from the Butler Farm Show in Butler and stop at two Butler County farms in the morning and two Beaver County farms in the afternoon. A hot lunch will be provided at the Butler Farm Show. Registration is $20, and seating is limited.

All four farms to be visited practice rotational grazing by implementing a Grazing Plan written by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Each farm will showcase grazing for a variety of livestock including dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep and poultry. Highlights of the systems include an overwintering barn, watering systems, different types of fencing and strategies for drought conditions. The Grazing Bus Tour is being hosted by the Allegheny County Conservation District.

“This is a boots-on-the-ground event showcasing four of the best managed grazing operations in the tri-county area,” said Jeff Leindecker, agricultural conservation technician with ACCD. “If you’re a farmer interested in raising grass-fed livestock, this is a great place to learn how, why and the impact on your bottom line. How these farmers manage their livestock operations not only saves them money, it protects the environment by reducing sedimentation and nutrient loading into local streams.”

ACCD received a $2,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts to host the bus tour. In March, the association announced that 26 projects in 25 counties received more than $46,000 to promote water pollution prevention strategies through the Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program. Greene County received $2,000 to produce a brochure about conservation partnerships to reduce NPS pollution.

Greene County is one of 14-member counties of the Southwest PA Project Grass chapter. Southwest PA Project Grass is an activity in rural development to assist farm operators in utilizing and protecting the land, according to its capability for forage production. Project Grass promotes improved pasture and rotational grazing systems for better forage production, quality and utilization. The coordinating committee meets bimonthly and includes county Conservation District staff and agricultural producers.

Financial and other support for this project has been provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc., through a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information, or to register for the bus tour, call ACCD at 412-241-7645, or visit www.swprojectgrass.com.