Monday, January 19
Cheyenne will be in the area for a meeting in Maryland and offered to come up to Lancaster to speak with farmers interested in forage only milk production. Here is more information about Cheyenne and topics to be covered.
Cheyenne Christianson and his family run a 70-cow organic dairy in northern Wisconsin. They have been successful using intensive rotational grazing since 1994 and feeding no grain for 15 years to their Holstein herd. He also writes articles for Graze and shares what works on his farm to all that are interested. Cheyenne will cover methods used on his farm in the production of forage only milk, including grazing height and protein balance, the use of annuals (oats, rye, triticale, sorghum sudan Japanese millet and turnips) to fill in and extend the grazing season, mob grazing to build organic matter and drought resistance, and fertility improvements to add
nutrient density to the forage.
Additional topics for discussion:

• Economics of organic forage only dairy and comparing small to moderate grain feeding models
• Viability in the Northeast
• Molasses or other energy supplementation – yes or no?
• Market demand and availability. Ned MacArthur from Natural By Nature will be present to answer
questions and give feedback about current 100% grass-fed milk prem1ums.

Cheyenne will give a presentation about his farm experience. The floor will be open for questions
and discussion. The goal is for an informal meeting with plenty of opportunity for questions and
input by all in attendance. The meeting is open to anyone,currently grass-fed or not,who is
interested in this production paradigm.

The market demand for 100% grass and forage (zero-grain) milk is increasing and shows exciting potential. Another benefit in attending this meeting will be the increased awareness for local grassfed producer opportunities!

Date & Time: Monday, January 19 at 9:30 AM until finished.
Light lunch provided.
Location: Houston Run Community Center
835 Houston Run Dr. Gap, PA
Cost: $20 (includes lunch).

Space limited so please pre-register to reserve a spot and to ensure a lunch. Mail the form below to Lancaster County Graziers by NO LATER than January 12.

Lancaster County Graziers
1142 Gap Road
Kinzers, PA 17535
CITY ST: ZIP

Make checks payable to Lancaster County Graziers
Registration and payment may be combined with Grazing Conference as long as both forms are
included.
Questions? Contact Roman at 717-278-1208 or romans@springwoodfarm.com

Which Fence Charger should I purchase? The Gallagher Electric Fence Charger selection Guide 

We help in all aspects of electric fencing. If there anything you need when it comes to electric fencing, WE are the experts that can help! We specialize in the repair of electric fencers, fence chargers, and fence testers. We also help trouble shoot your electric fence, and offer advice on fence charger sizing! We'll work on any brand of fencer, or tester. From the old ones of yesteryear, to the new ones of today. Having problem with your livestock weigh scale systems? We offer troubleshooting and repair with that as well. We can also repair some cattle prods. We do offer after hour help, including holidays and weekends. You can reach us by calling, or emailing! Please Visit our page at Fencerfixer.com to learn more!

Electric Fence for security: Ohio's prisons could get electrified fences installed in an effort by officials to boost security.

The idea is one of many Director Gary Mohr said they are reviewing as methods to keep inmates from escaping and prevent people from throwing contraband, such as drugs and cellphones, into the prison yard. If officials install the electrified fences, they would deliver enough electricity to knock the person down, Mohr said in an interview with Gannett Ohio editors and reporters.

"We had an issue at Allen and at Mansfield (correctional institutions) where inmates were able to overcome the fence," Mohr said.

Officials also are looking at other technologies, such as sensor-based systems and drones, as possible additions to security. Other possible security solutions include installing a secondary fencing perimeter or nets that would impede the ability of people to throw contraband-stuffed balls far enough to reach inmates.

Mohr is concerned about drugs in the prisons, noting that nearly 3 percent of random drug tests in November came back positive.

"If we don't work every month to come up with new ideas ... we fall behind because there's too much money in this, and where there's money, there's corruption," Mohr said. "We've got to be on the cutting edge of this stuff."

jison@gannett.com

Here's a trick of trade from the old days for testing the electric fence without using a tester and without grabbing the wire with your bare hand. What you'll need to get is a longer piece of green grass about 8 or so inches long. Squat down to a knee, pinch one end of the blade of grass between your thumb and index finger and lay the other end on the fence wire. You should feel a slight ping in the blade of grass. As you move the blade of grass inwards the ping will get stronger, so be wary of moving the blade of grass to close if you can already feel it. The green blade of grass will eat up about 90% of the shock.

We lost a good friend today who worked for us in customer service with a company we deal with that sells electric fence products.... Really upsetting to come to know a person as a friend and also someone we depended on for our business needs. We wish her the best in her future. We hope to talk to her soon and will give here a great reference if needed.

By Kathy Voth  /   December 1, 2014  /   1 Comment

- See more at: http://onpasture.com/2014/12/01/gift-ideas-for-the-farmers-and-ranchers-in-your-life/#sthash.Jr9537eb.dpuf

The Gallagher B1200 electric fence charger has a high (H), medium (M), and low switch on it (L). If you have it set on high the fencer will read around 6Kv to 7Kv or a little higher. You need to make sure that you're using an electric fence tester that's designed to test for electric fence voltages and not using a standard AC DC volt meter, you'll either burn up the meter or get a fluctuating of numbers, which won't make any since. You'll take the ground probe of the tester and put it on the Green terminal of the B1200 and the other part of the tester on the Red terminal of the B1200, then turn it on to the high switch setting and see what voltages you're getting on the screen of your tester. If it's upwards to 6Kv or higher your fencer is good, if it's quite a bit lower then there's something not quite right with the B1200.


The fence voltage can vary in a good way or bad way.You'll use the same tester you used one the B1200 to test the fence. You'll take the ground probe of the tester and push it into the ground and lay the hot part of the tester on the fence itself. If it shows 6Kv or higher then you're fence is in good shape. If it's between 4Kv and 5Kv, you're fence is in OK condition, but you may have some shorts dogging down on the fence or your ground system is inadequate for that size of charger. If the voltage is below 4Kv, then you definietly have some issues going on with the fence.


The B1200 is quite a powerful fencer, definietly don't want to grab the wire espescially if the B1200 is working good. There's a trick of trade from the old days for testing the electric fence without using a tester and without grabbing the wire with your bare hand. What you'll need to get is a longer piece of green grass about 8 or so inches long. Squat down to a knee, pinch one end of the blade of grass between your thumb and index finger and lay the other end on the fence wire. You should feel a slight ping in the blade of grass. As you move the blade of grass inwards the ping will get stronger, so be wary of moving the blade of grass to close if you can already feel it. The green blade of grass will eat up about 90% of the shock.


If I was to be looking into a good fence tester that will do fine for reading voltages I would go with the Gallagher DVM3. You can look at your local farm store that carries Gallagher or go to the following link.

Hopefully this helps you out and points you into the right direction.

Unfortunately you can't use a regular volt meter for testing electric fence chargers, they're just not designed for the high voltage (7Kv to 9Kv) pulse. You have to use an electric fence tester, preferably a digital one, to test any kind of fence charger or the fence itself. We recommend the Gallagher DVM3 for a tester. They work great and will work almost any brand of fencer from the very old to the very new, big and small.