By Jordan Barnes

Before putting your cattle out to pasture, come to Ag Expo at Michigan State University (MSU) and learn how to make simple improvements that can enhance your environmental profile and add to your bottom line.

Mat Haan, project coordinator at the MSU Kellogg Biological Station Pasture Dairy Research and Education Center (visit www.kbs.msu.edu for more information), will discuss ways to reduce runoff from pastures and show farmers how a constructed stream crossing can save both time and money.

“Spending a little extra up front can save a lot of money in the long run,” Haan says. “When cattle have to pass through a stream, they need a solid walkway to prevent excess silt and sediment from entering the water supply.”

Silt and sediment in the water supply not only affect the surrounding areas but can affect drinking water, other animals and the environment. Haan says something as simple as managing grass height can not only reduce runoff from pastures but also provide benefits to the soil and improve forage production.

The event, “Profitable Environmental Options for Livestock Producers,” will feature demonstrations at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. July 21—the first day of the annual Ag Expo at MSU. It’s all happening at the Beef Cattle Research and Teaching Center, at 3200 Bennett Road, Lansing, less than a mile from the main Ag Expo site. Transportation to the center will be available from Ag Expo, and there is also parking at the center.

“Our goal is to have special programming for livestock producers but not to monopolize their time,” explains Natalie Rector, MSU Extension nutrient management educator. “We want to make sure that visitors have plenty of time to talk to our experts and tour the Ag Expo grounds.”

But Rector warns that the event will take place only on the first day of Ag Expo—July 21.
“If you come on July 22 or 23, you’re going to miss it,” she cautions.

This article is from the May 2009 issue of The Scoop. To read the full issue click here.