Winter Feeder Fact-Finding
Tour
The Georgia Grazing Lands Conservation Coalition,
in partnership with the Oconee River
RC&D, hosted a Winter Feeder Fact-Finding Tour on March 8, 2005. The
tour was organized to visit two winter feeders that were installed as
demonstrations on working livestock operations in the Oconee River RC&D area. The
first stop of the tour was Danny Duvall's Greene County farm where a wooden
winter feeder structure was cost-shared through the Lower Lake Oconee 319 water
quality project administered by Oconee River RC&D. The second tour
stop was George Lohr's Morgan County farm where a steel structure was
cost-shared through the Sugar Creek 319 water quality project administered by
the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Local offices of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service provided technical assistance to install
both structures.
The objective of
the tour was to provide an overview of how neighboring states, such as North
Carolina, are implementing the winter feeder practice. Success stories,
planning and ranking documents, and quick facts concerning the demonstration
structures were provided to the participants to educate and help make
recommendations on how Georgia should proceed with promoting the practice
through cost-share programs available in the state.
Our appreciation is
extended to all of those involved in the tour, from the conservationists and
engineers in neighboring states that shared information with us, to the
conservationists and engineers in Georgia that provided planning and design
information for our demonstration winter feeders, to the participants of the
tour that provided their thoughts on the practice. It was generally agreed
that the winter feeder practice promotes environmental quality, while sustaining
production and economic efficiency.
The information and
discussions that resulted from this tour will pave the way for implementing the
Winter Feeder practice in Georgia.
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