Marathon County Cloverbelt Grazing Community

03/03/2026

10 days to go until the Heart of WI Grazing Conference! Register today using this registration link: https://forms.gle/46jXLBxuToepUJ97A

01/07/2026

REGISTER TODAY and mark your calendars for the 32nd Annual Heart of WI Grazing Conference!
Friday, March 13th, 2026, from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Lake View Conference Center in Wausau, WI.
Link to Register: https://forms.gle/46jXLBxuToepUJ97A

10/31/2025

This Halloween, the real horror isn’t ghosts — it’s PFAS in your pasture.
Don’t spread sludge unless you know what’s in it! 👻💩
Read the full article here: wpr.org/news/sludge-spread-wisconsin-farmland-unclear-tainted-pfas

Sludge and septage are spread across around half a million acres in Wisconsin, but most of it has never been tested for PFAS.

07/10/2025

Do you want to take your grazing knowledge to the next level?
🚜 GrassWorks Presents: Wisconsin Schools of Grazing – Marshfield 🌱
📅 August 8–9, 2025 | 🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Marshfield Ag Research Station, 208356 Drake Ave N, Stratford, WI 54484

GrassWorks is proud to host this two-day, hands-on learning experience designed to help farmers and graziers build better, more productive pasture-based systems. Whether you’re new to managed grazing or want to fine-tune your operation, this is the place to be!

🔍 What You’ll Learn:
✅ Principles of Managed Grazing
✅ Soil Health & Pasture Productivity
✅ Paddock Design & Layout
✅ Animal Genetics & Herd Health
✅ Pasture Establishment & Renovation
✅ Designing Your Own Grazing System
…and more!

🐄 While the focus is on large ruminants, the concepts apply to all grazing species.

💵 Cost: $175 for the first person from your farm/household & cheaper for GrassWorks members!
📌 Registration required by August 3, 2025!

👉 Don’t wait—reserve your spot today and grow your grazing knowledge!

Hosted by GrassWorks, in collaboration with USDA-NRCS, UW-Madison Extension, Marshfield & Lancaster Ag Research Stations, and with support from Oneida and the Oneida Farm.

06/30/2025

🚜 Thinking About Rotational Grazing? Come See It in Action! 🐂🌱
Join the Wood County Land Conservation Department on Tuesday, August 12th, from 9AM–1PM for a pasture walk at Luke Kueffer’s farm.
Luke started converting his cropland to pasture just two years ago. Now he’s rotationally grazing 65 acres and has installed a solar water pump system to keep cattle watered in the field, plus a stream crossing to help with access and water protection.
This is a great chance to:
✔️ See how pasture conversion is working in real time
✔️ Ask questions about grazing management, fencing, and water systems
✔️ Connect with other farmers who are making the shift
🆓 It’s free, and lunch is provided!
📍 Full details in the flyer below.
👉 Bring your boots, your questions, and a neighbor who’s curious about grazing!

04/30/2025

Thanks to all who came out to our No-till Demo Day! If you want to rent the no-till drills in Marathon County, check out our website for the rental agreement. https://www.marathoncounty.gov/services/conservation/equipment-rentals

04/04/2025

🌾🐑A huge thank you to all the incredible speakers and attendees who made it to the 31st Annual Heart of WI Grazing Conference yesterday! 🐄🐕The conference was so good that this was the only photo we took! Thanks, Greg Galbraith, for the great quote! Drop a comment below with your favorite part of the day or share any photos you took! 😆

03/23/2025

🤠 Learn about the benefits of grazing on soil health at the Heart of Wisconsin Grazing Conference 🐮

🌟 Session Highlight: Cover Crops – They’re What’s for Dinner! by Chris Bandura
🌟
In this session, attendees will enhance their knowledge as to the positive impact that grazing and pasture-based systems have on soil health and function by reviewing key findings from a large statewide dataset. Additionally, audience members will receive an overview of how cover crops can bolster cash-crop and grazing operations. Who knew cover crops tasted so good?! Chris Bandura is a statewide Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist with UW Madison, Division of Extension based in the Wausau, WI area. He focuses primarily on farmer and agronomist education, helping them to learn and explore solutions to overcome challenges that prevent the successful adoption of conservation cropping practices. The intersection of soil conservation and soil fertility and nutrient management is a particular area of emphasis. He also spends a great deal of time in the soil health testing arena, trying to bring context as to what these indicators mean for on-farm decision-making. Before joining Extension, he spent 7 years managing an agronomy testing laboratory in Stratford, WI for Dairyland Laboratories and AgSource Laboratories.
This is just one of the many exciting sessions at the Heart of Wisconsin Grazing Conference with over 13 expert speakers and 16 sessions, there's something for every type of grazer.
📅 Date: Thursday, April 3rd from 9 AM to 4PM
📍 Location: 1000 Lake View Conference Center, Wausau, WI, 54403
🎟️ Register Now: https://forms.gle/nLngvLDaHTk75RZi9
Hurry, the registration deadline is March 26th! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to network and learn.

03/21/2025

🎉 Exciting Conference Agenda is Here! 🎉
Get ready for the 31st Annual Heart of WI Grazing Conference!
Register today for this FREE one-day conference here (registration is required):
https://forms.gle/nLngvLDaHTk75RZi9
Here is a sneak peek at what you can expect for the day!