Friday, July 29, 2011

Ohio Forage & Grasslands Summer 2011 Dairy Tour

This year’s OFGC dairy tour will consist of 2 grass based dairy stops, on September 10. We will caravan this tour starting at Sylvia Zimmerman’s Fulton Creek Jersey Farm, with the second stop at Phillip Bauer’s Farm about 40 min away.

Meet at Sylvia’s at 10:00 am, lunch will be provided at her farm.

Stop #1: Sylvia Zimmerman – 10:00 am - 518 Welsh Rd, Richwood, Ohio, 43344
Fulton Creek Jersey Farm “grew out of an idea that a bit of the good life is released when one works in harmony with the land and its fruits. And nothing is more fruitful that the Jersey cow!”
Join us for a tour of Sylvia Zimmerman’s grass based Jersey farm where she works in partnership with herdsman/cow owner, John Van Gundy & wife, Kelly, to turn fresh Jersey milk into Fulton Creek Jersey Cheese and Ice Cream!
The farm consists of 840 acres of row crops, farmed by her husband, Ed and his son, 50 acres of grass for the cows and produces cheese, fluid milk and ice cream from Riverside Ice Cream in Marion, Ohio. A flock of chickens and a few Red Devon beef cows also earn their keep on this diversified north central Ohio farm.
After lunch, we will make a quick stop at Sylvia’s neighbors, the Oman Family Farm. See how three brothers have divided their interests and labor to manage this successful operation. One brother has livestock (cow/calf, stockers, hair sheep), the second is making hay, and the third grows organic row crops and vegetables utilizing a greenhouse.

Stop #2: Philip Bauer – 2:30 pm - 16548 Tr 65, Belle Center, OH 43310
Phillip Bauer’s 144 acre (92 tillable/22 grazable/30 rented) farm supports 80 pure bred Jersey cows and their young stock. He is moving towards a hybrid system of grazing and limited confinement. Hear how he takes pasture measurements to make whole farm decisions for farm management. He, his wife and children are the labor force with limited off farm assistance. Philip depends on high quality forage production using a Krone baler with self-contained wrapper. If conditions cooperate, we will see a demonstration!

For more information or to call in your reservation, call Sara Duvall at 740-775-0860.

Tear off and send to: Ohio Forage and Grassland Council,
849 Ault Rd. Chillicothe, OH 45601 or email to duvall@horizonview.net
Please reserve your spot by September 10, 2011
Name: ________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________________
Number Attending: ______________________________________
OFGC Members @$10.00 Non-members @ $15.00