Pasture Management and Native Prairie Seeding Field Day

September 16th, 5 pm to 8:00pm

@Violet Prairie Seed Farm: 17843 Gibson Rd., Tenino WA 98589

Field Day Topics

• Overview of Seed Farm production
• The sustainability of grazing rangeland and prairie habitat
• All you need to know about native seed: seed mixes, sowing methods, sowing timing, site prep., post-seeding mgmt.
• Easement and incentive programs
• Tour of seed farm and Fisher Ranch

Farmers, ranchers, and interested citizens are invited to a pasture management and native seeding field day on September 16^th at Violet Prairie Seed Farm and Fisher Ranch in Tenino, WA. This field day will focus on grazing management for forage productivity and habitat, and native seeding in grazed pastures, and incentive programs that support actions to enhance native habitat.

Attendees will learn about the sustainability of rangeland and rotational grazing systems from Washington State University (WSU) Extension, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM), WSU Conservation Biology Lab, and the Thurston Conservation District (TCD). Attendees will also learn about appropriate native seed mixes, sowing rates and methods and opportunities to enhance the ecological value of working lands by seeding native species in pastures, and rotational grazing.

This field day is co-hosted by the WSU, CNLM, NRCS, and TCD, and will be held at Violet Prairie Seed Farm (17843 Gibson Rd., Tenino, WA 98589), with a visit to neighboring Fisher Ranch, on July 16^th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

Grazing lands can make meaningful contributions to habitat and species conservation, while providing viable business opportunities for farmers and ranchers in south Puget Sound and southwest Washington. We’ll talk about opportunities to recognize these twin contributions of working lands, and ways to sustain viable farms and ranches while improving habitat value at the same time.

Dinner will be served, and registration is free. Please RSVP to Sarah Hamman, Center for Natural Lands Mgmt. (360) 790-4180. shamman@cnlm.org.