Pasture Walk Series #3: Small Ruminants, Pastured Poultry, and Perennial Pasture Establishment

Join us for a packed evening at the Jessie Farm. In their third season of operation, Kilpatrick Land & Livestock will raise over 2,000 pastured broilers this year alongside a growing flock of sheep and goats focused on seedstock production and local market sales.

Their operation manages over 200 acres of leased land, including 85 acres devoted to crops that creates opportunities for grazing crop residues and cover crops as part of a comprehensive forage chain. During the pasture walk, we’ll visit two fields recently converted from grain production to perennial forage using funding from MDA’s Ag Water Quality and Climate-Friendly Agricultural Practices (CFAP) Incentive Program. We’ll discuss the conversion process, perennial establishment, and how these systems fit into the farm’s broader grazing strategy.

Led by SFA Grazing Education Lead Patrick Toomey and Farmer Education Director Jonathan Kilpatrick,

topics will include:
– Building a forage chain with perennials and annuals
– Fencing and facilities for small ruminant production
– Converting cropland to perennials and designing diverse perennial seed mixes for productivity and soil health
– Annual forage options
– Small ruminant challenges and opportunities
– Grazing warm-season native grasses: pros and cons
– Growing and marketing pastured broilers
– Economics, marketing, and much more

Portions of this pasture walk will highlight projects funded by the Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (SW RSDP). Join us for an evening of learning, discussion, and networking — you won’t want to miss this pasture walk!

Registration: It is free to attend. Registration requested, walkups welcome.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2004.25.085287 “Expanding Regenerative Grazing in the Upper Mississippi Watershed.

This project is in partnership with the UMN Extension Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership: Community-University partnerships for sustainability serving Southwest Minnesota.

Inherent Risks of Agritourism        Inherent Risks of Livestock Activity

SFA staff and volunteers occasionally take photos during our events for promotional purposes and to use as documentation to share with our funders.  If you do not wish to be photographed, please let our event host know — we’ll make every effort to make sure you are not photographed.