Equine Environmental Stewardship Program Offered In Armstrong County

What Are Environmental Short Courses?

Are you a horse owner or barn manager that wants to do your best for your horses and the environment? Are you aware that all farms with animals in PA are required to have either a certified nutrient management or a manure management plan? Do you know when grazing may put some horses at risk? Can you manage your pastures to increase forage quality and reduce weed invasion and toxic plants? Do you want to know how to compost manure and turn it into a resource rather than a problem? 

To help you get the answers to these questions, the Penn State Extension Equine Team is partnering with the Armstrong County Extension to offer an exciting four-night “Equine Environmental Stewardship” short course that provides practical hands-on experiences that will help horse owners adopt environmentally sound farm management practices. 

• The short course will benefit all horse farm owners and managers, from one-horse farms to large equine operations.
  
• The workshop will cover topics such as pasture management, weed control, manure management and soil fertility.
  
• This course will provide all the information and tools needed to create an individualized Manure Management Plan - a regulatory requirement for all farms with animals in PA!
• Participants in this short-course will be made aware of new and emerging information that will benefit their horses, their farms, and the environment.

• Participants will learn how to: reduce grazing health risks; rotate and rest pastures; identify grasses, weeds, and toxic plants; properly fertilize soil; properly store, compost, and apply manure; develop feeding programs for horses that meet but do not exceed nutritional requirements. Participants will also learn how the manure and nutrient management regulations will impact their farm. 

What is included in the sessions?

Session April 4, 2013 “Pasture Plants & Grazing Management”

• Nutritional benefits and health risks associated with grazing; basics of forage growth and biology; benefits of rotational grazing and heavy use areas; pasture evaluation; identifying pasture grasses and legumes; pasture seed selection.

Session April 11, 2013 “Weed & Toxic Plants: How to Keep Them Under Control”

• Learn why there are weeds in pastures; basic weed biology; common weeds in PA pastures; management strategies; toxic plant identification and their effects on horses.

Session April 18, 2013 “Fertilizing Pastures & Pasture Renovation”

• Learn how collect a soil sample and interpret the results; lime benefits and requirements; organic versus inorganic fertilizers; how to choose the correct fertilizer based on soil test results.

Session April 25, 2013 “Manure Management”

• Storing, composting and spreading manure; nutrient and manure management regulations; how to prepare a manure management plan for your farm.

Times & Location

•  7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  
•  Armstrong County Cooperative Extension Office, 124 Armsdale Road, Room B11 Kittanning, PA 16201-3738.

How do I register?

• Preregistration is required and participants are strongly encouraged to attend all four sessions. 
• Registration deadline is March 28, 2013.  
• The cost for the workshop is $35 per person, which includes all four sessions, materials, and a soil test kit.
  

For additional course content information or to receive a registration brochure, contact Armstrong Extension: Alicia Spangler ajs5201@psu.edu, 724-548-3447 or Penn State Extension Equine Team: Helene McKernan hbm10@psu.edu, 570-660-3150.