PULLMAN, Wash. — Results from the second year of a three-year study on multi-species grazing to control Russian olive, bulrush, perennial pepper weed and other invasive plants will be highlighted during a field tour scheduled August 16 at the Barker Ranch near West Richland.
The event is being sponsored by private landowners, a contract goat grazer, Washington State University, and state and federal agencies who are partners in the study.
The tour will involve interactive, participant-driven tours of vegetation management trials, discussions of methods used and testimonies of grazers and land managers.
Presenters include Don Nelson, WSU Extension beef specialist; Craig Madsen, owner of Healing Hooves LLC ; Michael Crowder, manager of the Barker Ranch; Skip Stonesifer, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Kevin Guinn, range conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Amy Hummer, WSU graduate student.
The study is designed to observe the effects of grazing by cattle, sheep and goats on targeted weeds. It is being funded by the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education program.
Participants in the study are examining forage quality of the weeds, enterprise evaluation, livestock management and treatment effectiveness. The contract grazer also is evaluating the feasibility of raising hair sheep, cashmere fiber producing goats and meat goats.
The tour is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Barker Ranch is located at 85305 Snively Rd., West Richland, along the north side of the lower Yakima River in Benton County. Snively Road is located south of Highway 240 and Horn Rapids Off Road Vehicle Park via Grosscup Road.
The tour is free. Bring your own lunch and a high clearance, multi- passenger vehicle.
Contact Andrea Mann in Ephrata at (509) 754-2463, extension 115 for more information.
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