Liz Ridenour

 This week, I spent a lot of time outdoors, and I have the sunburn to prove it (I'm currently nursing an icepack on sunburnt arms as I write this!).

Here I am moving the sheep!

At WMREC, we practice an intensive system of rotational grazing with our sheep and cattle. While we have outer perimeter fencing which is permanent, we use temporary electric fencing to separate the areas within the outer fencing into grazing pastures. This allows for the most efficient use of the land and forage available, as well as the overall health and sustainability of the pastures. 

On Tuesday, Amanda and I spent the day setting up a temporary fencing system in a new grazing area across the road from where the animals were currently being grazed on the WMREC property. This was an involved process, as these animals are relatively new to temporary electric fencing, and require multiple strands of polywire to keep them in the desired section of the pasture. The grasses in the pastures where we were moving the animals was above our waists in many places, and it was quite the workout to wade through it as we pounded in fence stakes and strung up the lines of polywire. Thankfully, there was a good breeze, and it wasn't very hot, so it made for a lovely day overall as we worked.  

The sheep content in their new pasture.

 Following the preparation of the pasture on Tuesday, Wednesday morning was the big move for the animals. We set up an alleyway of electric fencing from the animals' current grazing area to their new pasture, and I walked in front of them with their mineral feeder, which the sheep gladly followed. The cattle took a little more convincing to move, but before too long both the sheep and cattle were in their new pasture and happily munching on the tall grass. 

This week, I also had the opportunity to participate in a pasture and farm walk with a group of dairy farmers in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area. This group meets monthly to trade questions and advice on pasture, farm, and animal management, and they discussed topics such as when to mow a pasture, how to effectively manage a given weed problem, and ideas for pasture watering systems. 

    I gained a lot of knowledge by simply listening to them have a discussion. In our weekly connection this week, we spoke about the importance of listening and understanding the wide variety of perspectives people bring to the table in a field like extension. It was really helpful for me to practice that at this dairy walk, as I am not experienced with dairy animals, and I have a lot to learn. By showing up with an attitude of curiosity, I was able to learn a lot and have a great time with these people. Being there, it also struck me what a wonderful group this is as both a community and a resource for the farmers involved. I think it is a great example of how tight-knit and caring the agricultural community in Maryland can be.

Here I am, assisting in the seeding of a pasture!

Back at WMREC, I helped to reseed a summer annual pasture this week. This was my first experience seeding a pasture, and it was super interesting to learn how the machinery on the tractor works to deposit the correct ratios of seed mixtures in the desired sections of the field. This precision is especially necessary since we conduct research using these pastures, so knowing exactly what went into each section helps in the measuring of the most effective seeding mixes and forage species for pasture. 

Although much of my time this past week was spent outdoors, I also had the opportunity to assist Jeff in writing an article on summer annual forages for the Washington County Extension newsletter, and to assist Amanda in writing an application for a grant. These were great opportunities to practice my professional writing skills in the context of extension education, and to learn about how grant applications work, a skill that will likely prove invaluable to me in the graduate school beyond. 

Overall, while I do have a sunburn to show for all the time spent outside this week (my own fault for not re-applying), I also have a variety of new experiences and new knowledge to show for it, too. I am beyond excited to continue to learn and experience new things this summer!