The Capital Resource Conservation & Development Area Council and Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance will host an October 18 Winter Feeding Pasture Walk at Nature’s Nook Farm in Newville, Cumberland County from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Autumn is an excellent time for graziers to assess their requirements for late winter feeding. It allows time for adjustments to livestock numbers and to identify alternate nutrition sources while there is an abundance available, which ultimately benefits both livestock and grazier.

Preparing for late winter feeding in both single and multi-species grazing operations will be the primary topic at an upcoming pasture walk

Don and Lois Leatherman, and their daughter Lori Witmer, own and operate Nature’s Nook Farm in Newville.

Don transitioned the 96 acre farm from a conventional dairy to rotationally grazed beef operation in the early 1990’s and converted remaining crop acreage to pasture in 2001.  Lori joined the farm operation when her family returned to the farm in 2003.

They increased the livestock diversity in 2005 by adding goats and again in 2023 with sheep. Today they raise approximately 19 goats, 100 sheep, and 30 beef cows and calves on 84 acres of pasture.

The pasture walk will showcase how they utilize their available acreage to provide quality nutrition for their livestock into late winter through their lambing and calving season.

Lori Witmer will be joined by Dave Hartman, PA Grazing Land Applications Program Director, and Titus Martin, Capital RC&D Grazing Advisor, who will lead discussion about land carrying capacity and assessing late winter feeding needs.

The Walk is based on work supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Assistance Agreement No. CB96358101) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, which promotes community-based efforts to develop conservation strategies to protect and restore the diverse natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay.

There is no charge for the pasture walk but registration is requested by October 17 and can be made online, via email to events@capitalrcd.org,  or by calling 717-241-4361.

Capital RC&D is a locally led non-profit organization operating in South Central Pennsylvania with a mission to network people, resources and projects to promote responsible use and conservation of our region’s natural, community and economic resources.

Capital RC&D serves Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties.

[Posted: September 24, 2024]

9/30/2024