by Read Collins, CFSA Intern
Greg Judy
Greg Judy, a featured speaker at this year’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference, will offer an on-farm workshop covering the finer points of the livestock system known as mob grazing. Judy left an off-farm job more 30 years ago, to pursue his passion for sustainable agriculture. He now owns Green Pastures Farm in Missouri, an expansive operation that is centered on the principles of mob grazing, and is recognized as an iconic leader in the mob-grazing movement.
At Green Pastures Judy raises a variety of pastured livestock including pigs, chickens and cows without the use of fertilizers and chemicals. He has authored two books, Comeback Farms: Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management and No Risk Ranching: Custom Grazing on Leased Land. He has also given numerous talks and visited schools across the U.S. educating others on the advantages of mob grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing, custom grazing and wildlife management.
Mob grazing is recognized as a productive way to control grasses and feed livestock healthy diets. It is a rotational pasture system in which the livestock is left to graze in one pasture but moved almost daily to another pasture. Mob grazing can increase the health of livestock animals without use of chemicals, hormone implants or grains. Increased amounts of native animals often function as a system of natural pest control, while building up nutrient rich soils.
Mob grazing can be a huge asset for both beginning and veteran farmers in the Southeast region. In the preconference workshop at Greenbrier Farms with Greg Judy, new farmers will learn the basics and veteran farmers will take away ideas for integrating this technique into their current farm systems to increase efficiency.
The practice is not yet widespread in the Southeast, but with education and awareness it may become more prevalent, increasing economic benefits for farmers and increasing farm efficiency. There are a few spots left in this popular workshop, click here to register now.