Thursday, July 17, 9:00 am 3:00 pm. Fayette County, Mulberry Grove, IL,
The 2014 Illinois Forage Expo will be held on Thursday, July 17, hosted by the Tony Snow family, near Mulberry Grove, Illinois. The operation is a forage based, intensive grazing dairy which includes a 70 feet by 260 feet hoop shed compost barn using cornstalks for bedding. The event will be held about 6 miles west of Vandalia, IL in Fayette County. The Expo will start at 9:00 am and conclude at 3:00 pm.
The Forage Expo will include field demonstrations of forage harvesting equipment and commercial displays of forage related products and equipment. In addition, there will be a tour and discussion of the intensive grazing dairy operation and demonstration plot containing spring seeded annual forage that can be used for grazing. Educational sessions will be presented that focus on reducing livestock feeding costs by grazing annuals and cover crops and utilizing forages in a dairy based ration. For information concerning exhibiting a commercial display contact Dave Gentry, phone (309) 846-8320 or email at davegentry50@gmail.com.
Also, a Quality Hay & Haylage Contest will be available for producers to enter 2014 harvested bales and haylage. Entries in the Quality Hay & Haylage Contest must be delivered on site from 8:30 am to 10 am. There is no entry fee and NIRS analysis will be provided free of charge. Bales weighing over 100 pounds will need an official scale weigh ticket. Four hay and one haylage class will be available and class winners will receive a certificate.
Specifically the Forage Expo site can be reached by exiting I-70 at Mulberry Grove, then go north to the four-way stop, then east 2 ½ miles on Route 40 to 100E Road, then go north 1 ½ miles. Watch for signs. Additional information concerning the Illinois Forage Expo will be available in several weeks at http://www.illinoisforage.org/.
The Forage Expo is co-sponsored by the Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, University of Illinois Extension and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
6.30.2014