Grazing workshop blends research, field exercises, and farmer expertise

The Catawba Sustainability Center hosted about 50 farmers, researchers, and Extension specialists recently for a daylong workshop focused on nutrition in pasture-based livestock systems.

The center, a 377-acre Virginia Tech property in Roanoke County, serves as a living laboratory for sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Through research, education, and partnerships with regional producers, the center helps connect Virginia Tech expertise with practical approaches that support farms, communities, and the local food system.

Hosted through the Grass-Fed Beef Partnership, a long-standing collaboration between the Catawba Sustainability Center and Roanoke County Economic Development, the event explored how forage quality, supplementation, grazing management, and emerging research can support animal performance in grass-fed operations.

The workshop featured presentations from nationally recognized speakers Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm and Matt Poore, professor and Extension specialist in ruminant nutrition at North Carolina State University.

Participants also took part in a pasture walk and field exercises designed to connect research and on-farm practices with real-world grazing strategies.