South Area Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI) Tour

Eric Shafer Farm

Eric and Martha Shafer with their daughter and twin sons own a poultry and cattle farm near Gillsburg, MS.  Eric bought the farm in 2001 after retiring from his job of 25 years as a marine engineer.

Eric is discussing building a digester to reduce dependence on outside power sources and better utilize the poultry waste.  He got the idea after seeing similar digesters in Australia while working in the oil field.  Utilizing a mixture of the litter and water, methane gas is produced that can be used to heat the poultry houses and provide electricity for the farm.  The by-products of the process can be sold as fertilizer.  This will be the second digester utilizing poultry waster built in Mississippi.  Eric received a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from USDA-NRCS to help build a digester.

Hunt Hill Cattle Company

Cooper and Katie Hurst hosted a program on forage based systems that utilizes electric fencing, intensive grazing and stock piling of pastures with as little hay feeding as possible.  His home raised replacement heifers are developed, synchronized and artificially inseminated.  Non-replacement heifers and steers are pre-conditioned 45 days, retained through  the feedlot and sold on a value-based grid.  He spoke to the attendants about forage management, breeding programs and adding value to livestock with marketing strategies.

Cooper worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to install erosion practices, apply lime and fertilizer, and build fences through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Barthe Cattle Operations

Wedge and Sammy Barthe own Richland Hill Plantation.

The cattle operation today consists of about 100 Crossbred cows, Black Angus bulls, and replacement heifers.  They use a managed grazing program utilizing electric fencing technologies.  The Barthes allocate a specific ration of forage to a specific number of cattle twice per day.  This type of intensive grazing rotation allows them to maximize forage utilization especially in drought conditions.

South Mississippi Farmers saw the diversity of their operation from forage production and utilization to the genetic improvement of the cattle and the use of the pine plantations for agro-forestry.

 Barthe said, "Richland Hill LLC, is a dynamic, living, working environment.  Planning and adaptation should lead us to success in the changing industries, in which we are involved.  We shall always be thankful to our families for showing us the opportunity in putting down our roots as they did on this home place."

Dr. Cassandra Vaughn, DVM, Alcorn State University, attended the GLCI Tour.  Alcorn State University is one of the state partners who has membership on the State GLCI Steering Committee.  

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