In January of 2024 Levi was asked to present at the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council annual meeting about how we manage our grass and grazing on the farm. That opportunity blossomed into the opportunity to share about our farm and grazing management at the American Forage and Grassland Council annual conference last week in Florida!
AFGC is made up of state councils, mostly east of the Mississippi River, dedicated to researching and promoting good grazing management and grassland stewardship. This often includes livestock as a part of building soil health and grass management. As part of the conference, states nominate a producer to compete in the Forage Producer contest. Levi was nominated to represent Ohio and competed against other producers from Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana and Georgia.
Each producer had 15 minutes to present about their operation, share their forage management style and answer questions from the audience. We loved getting to hear how other farms across the nation are using their grass to the betterment of their farm and livestock. We also had a chance to talk with most of the other producers and get some clarification about the practices they are using that we may be able to use on our farm.
Levi received third place against some incredible producers. I'm so proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone and up to the challenge.
After the conference we attended some farm tours to learn more about Florida's important agricultural industry. We visited Archbold Station, the Seminole Tribe reservation and Milking R Dairy & Sutton Milk.
We had such a great time and are grateful to have had the opportunity to travel off the farm and meet other like minded producers. The conference helped us realize that what we are doing - even if it is weird to our neighbors - is making a difference and benefiting our ecosystem and soil health.
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