By Blake Jackson
Kentucky livestock producers and agribusiness professionals will have two opportunities in October to learn about grazing strategies, pasture management and small-ruminant production at the 2026 Kentucky Grazing Conference.
The Kentucky Master Grazer Education Program, supported by forage specialists with the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Cooperative Extension Service, will host conferences on October 28, 2026, in Elizabethtown and October 29, 2026, in Winchester, according to Jennifer Elwell, Agriculture and Communications Specialist with the University of Kentucky.
This year’s conference theme is “Rooted in Resilience: Grazing Small Ruminants in Kentucky.” The program will feature sessions covering regenerative grazing practices, livestock nutrition, custom grazing opportunities, mixed-species grazing and other approaches designed to support sheep and goat producers operating pasture-based enterprises.
“We are excited to provide another Kentucky Grazing Conference for producers across the state,” said Chris Teutsch, Extension Forage Specialist and Associate Professor at the UK Research and Education Center at Princeton.
“This year we are fortunate to hold the conference in partnership with the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office. We hope to see new and returning faces at our conference. Exciting things are in store for this year’s conference, and we cannot wait to share them with Kentucky’s forage and livestock producers,” Teutsch added.
The speaker lineup includes Troy Bishop, known as The Grass Whisperer; Abbigail Hines of Kentucky State University; John Scarborough of Goats on the Go; Cam Maierle and Tom Perkins of The Grazing Sheep Podcast; Justin Adams of Nurtured Land Farms; and Greg Brann of Big Spring Farm.
The October 28 event will take place at the Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown, while the October 29 conference will be held at the Clark County Extension Office in Winchester.
Both events are structured to provide practical information for beginning shepherds, experienced livestock producers, and grazing managers.
The Winchester conference will also include annual business meetings for the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association and Kentucky Goat Producers Association.
Registration costs $45 for general admission and $15 for students. Lunch and a sponsor trade show are included. Participants should arrive between 7:30 and 8 a.m. ET.
The conference is presented by UK Forages, the Kentucky Master Grazer Educational Program, Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, in partnership with the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office.
For registration, visit https://2026KYGrazingConference.eventbrite.com or contact Katy Trimble at katy.trimble@uky.edu or 270-625-5366.
Photo Credit: istock-heebyj
Categories: Kentucky, Education, Livestock, Goats & Sheep