Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group

The Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group’s mission is to facilitate an increase in land used for pasture and perennial forage production in the Upper Midwest, and to improve the environmental performance of farming systems, while maintaining agricultural production and profitability.

About Us

Co-Chairs:
  • Laura Paine | lkpaine@gmail.com | University of Wisconsin Grasslands 2.0
  • Jim Paulson | jcp@umn.edu | Consultant
Core Group Members:

This group has committed to involvement in Working Group operations:
participating in quarterly meetings (three conference calls and one in-person meeting),
and participating in and advising on projects on an ongoing basis.

  • Nadia Alber | nalber@wisc.edu | Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems | University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Robert Bauer | bauer321@umn.edu | TN Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Jeff Duchene | jeff.duchene@usda.gov | MN Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Meghan Filbert | meghan@practicalfarmers.org | Practical Farmers of Iowa
  • Jacob Grace | jacobjgrace@wisc.edu | Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, UW-Madison
  • Doug Gucker | dgucker@illinois.edu | University of Illinois Extension
  • Vance Haugen | vjhaugen@gmail.com | Consultant
  • Pete Huff | Pete.Huff@winrock.org | Pasture Project| Wallace Center at Winrock International
  • Caleb Langworthy | Caleb@mosesorganic.org | Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
  • Gene Schriefer | gene.schriefer@ces.uwex.edu | University of Wisconsin Extension
  • Denise Schwab | dschwab@iastate.edu | Iowa State University Extension & Outreach
  • Kent Solberg | sevenpinesfarmandfence@gmail.com | Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota
  • Elisabeth Spratt | elisabeth.spratt@winrock.org | Pasture Project| Wallace Center at Winrock International
  • Terry VanDerPol | tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org | Land Stewardship Project
  • Caroline Van Schaik | caroline.ikesumri@gmail.com | Consultant
  • Diomy Zamora | zamor015@umn.edu | Agroforestry Program, University of Minnesota Extension
Emeritus Members:
  • Richard Cates | Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems | University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Warren King | Pasture Project | Wallace Center at Winrock International
  • H. Joe Sellers | sellers@iastate.edu | Iowa State University Extension & Outreach

Beginning Graziers

Contract Grazing

Cover Crop Grazing

Dairy Grazing

Managed Grazing graphic of milk jugs corn to grassMidwest Perennial Forage Working Group conducted this project in 2017 – 2018 with funding from USDA-Risk Management Agency.

Fair Use:

You may download, print, and distribute any of these materials for educational purposes. These are open-access; you do not need to ask permission. Please do not charge recipients more than the actual cost of printing and distribution.

 

PowerPoint slides may be downloaded and used in any manner for educational purposes. Proper credit is already included on the slides.

Fact Sheets & Slide Sets
7 case studies of grazing dairy operations in IL, IA, MN and WI
Project Team
Support for the Project
    • This project is funded by the Risk Management Education Partnership, USDA-Risk Management Agency.
Dairy Grazing Programs & Organizations
Center for Dairy Profitability Grazing Economics Papers

Forage & Grazing Resources

Grazing & Pasture Resources
Iowa
Kentucky
Minnesota
Missouri
Wisconsin
Forage Selector Tools
  • Cornell University has a web-based forage selector tool to help farmers choose the appropriate forage plants for their site.
  • Penn State also has a forage selector tool, where you can chose your soil type/land type by selecting a region on a map.
Grazing Planning Tools
  • The Wisconsin Natural Resources Conservation service (WI NRCS) has links to a variety of grazing planning tools, including a rotational grazing worksheet.

Grazing Educator Webinar Series, 2015

2015 Webinars:
Contacts for more information about the webinars:

Are you a grazing specialist, land manager, or grazing educator? Want to be involved in the development of grazing education? Join the Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group!

We meet approximately quarterly by conference call and once or twice per year in person.

Co-Chairs are Laura Paine of Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship and Jim Paulson, grazing consultant.

Contact the co-chairs:

Laura Paine |  lkpaine@gmail.com | 608-338-9039

Jim Paulson | jcp@umn.edu

Slide Library
Related Image Collections
Sponsors:

Sessions at Conferences

The Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group has organized perennial forage and grazing sessions at Green Lands Blue Waters conferences.

Proceedings of those conference sessions are available online:

Slide Library

Grazing Educator Slide Library

Slide Collections:

Teaching the Basics of Grazing

Grass-Based Farm Financials

Adaptive High Stock Density Grazing

Grazing for Conservation and Soil Health

Integrating Livestock Into Cropping Systems

Teaching Resources Roundtable

 

2015 Webinars

Are you a grazing specialist, land manager, or grazing educator?

Want to be involved in the development of grazing education?

Join the Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group!

We meet approximately quarterly by conference call and once or twice per year in person.

Co-Chairs are Laura Paine of Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship and Jim Paulson, grazing consultant.

Contact the co-chairs:

Laura Paine, lkpaine@gmail.com, 608-338-9039

Jim Paulson, jcp@umn.edu

2015 Webinars:

Teaching the Basics of Grazing

Grass-Based Farm Financials

Adaptive High Stock Density Grazing

Integrating Livestock into Cropping Systems

Grazing for Conservation and Soil Health

Teaching Resources Roundtable