Hello, everyone!
Over the last week, I have visited and assessed two farms. The first farm was a private, local operation. The second farm was a boarding and training operation located near Rochester.
When conducting a visit, I typically ask questions to farm managers by category. I start with Horse Health and check at health record documentation and organization. Throughout the summer, I hope to become more comfortable in asking questions to farm managers. I am actively working on asking On-Farm Questions to farm personnel in a more conversational matter, rather than bluntly asking questions. The HFIP teams hopes for farm visits to be fluid so that farms do not feel intimidated by the program.
The largest category of the On-Visit Questions is Facilities. One section of this category is assessing and offering suggestions on stalls.
After going through a couple more categories, I conclude with Manure Management.
I was intrigued to find both farms sought or could benefit the most from further information on pasture management and business management. I thought it would be beneficial to also share a couple suggestions on the blog!
Both farms currently employ continuous grazing on their pastures, but this method can lead to overgrazing and can be hard on forage growth. Instead of continuous grazing, rotational grazing could be implemented to address these issues, as well as assist in controlling parasites. Another alternative grazing method is a track system, where a designated pathway or track is created around the perimeter of a pasture. The center of the pasture is left for grazing. This method also promotes exercise and can be beneficial for controlling horse weight and providing mental stimulation. Furthermore, both farms stated they did not utilize budgets and did not have financial viability to make ongoing farm improvements from an income plan. Our program suggests creating a budget, and instead, the farm should set money aside to be used for improvements on the farm and avoid purchases and upgrades as money becomes available.
Both farms have received their feedback forms, and I hope the suggestions made were found helpful.
In the meantime, I have begun to prepare a poster board to advertise the Horse Farm Improvement Program at the Hemlock “Little Worlds” Fair, which is the oldest and largest fair in Livingston County. Additionally, Ken and I are currently brainstorming ideas for a short animal biosecurity presentation for the fair.
Until next week,
Molly