The Grasslands Partnership invites forage-based livestock producers in southern Indiana to become partners in a demonstration/research effort that will assist in the implementation of grasslands management practices.
The goal of this effort is to improve the productivity of farms dominated by tall fescue, a cool-season grass. Partner-producers must have a farm operation located within the “fescue belt” region; southern Indiana is on the northern edge of this area.
To get started, interested participants should fill out an interest form online. Purdue University Extension staff will review the form and contact those who qualify for the project. Extension staff will then work with producers to implement one or more of the following grasslands management practices in their farm operation:
The practices will be tailored to each partner-producer’s farm and farm management goals. The implementation of these practices will be evaluated by Extension staff over a four-year period. Implementation costs will be subsidized by the project’s budget.
More details about partner-producer and Extension roles can be found on the Grasslands Partnership’s website. The deadline to fill out the interest form is June 30.
This research project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. In addition to Indiana, eight other states are involved: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“Participating in the Grasslands Partnership on-farm project is a great opportunity to be part of a dynamic and inquisitive team in the ‘tall fescue belt’ region of the country,” said Keith Johnson, Purdue professor of agronomy and Extension forage specialist.
For more information, email Johnson at johnsonk@purdue.edu or grasslandspartnerships@tennessee.edu.
About Purdue Agriculture
Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life and natural resource sciences. The college is committed to preparing students to make a difference in whatever careers they pursue; stretching the frontiers of science to discover solutions to some of our most pressing global, regional and local challenges; and, through Purdue Extension and other engagement programs, educating the people of Indiana, the nation and the world to improve their lives and livelihoods. To learn more about Purdue Agriculture, visit this site.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Writer: Ashvini Malshe, 765-496-7480, malshea@purdue.edu
Sources: Keith Johnson, 765-494-4800,, johnsonk@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415