A new “Native Grass College” is a free resource that takes viewers into the field, giving them comprehensive information and detailed visuals on a variety of subjects related to managing native grass forages.
Developed by Patrick Keyser, professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries and director of the UT Center for Native Grasslands Management, the online resource will be a series of video courses on managing native grass forages.
With this new tool, viewers can gain training and knowledge from the comfort of the home or office. The first course, Native Grass Establishment 101, is available now and provides training on how to successfully establish native grass forages, including best practices to implement before, during and after planting. Additional courses, such as weed control and grazing management are in the works and will be added to the course library upon completion.
In this age of online tutorials on almost any subject imaginable, Keyser and his colleague Gary Bates, UT Extension forage specialist and director of the UT Beef and Forage Center, had considered developing this type of educational tool over the past several years. “It allows forage growers to attend a virtual field day, or professional educators to attend a virtual in-service training, without taking time out of their busy schedules for travel”, said Keyser. This approach also takes students “straight to the field” for training on the latest research-based guidelines for managing native grass forages. “Our hope is that we can train many times more people on how to use this forage tool on their farms by making it easily accessible”, Keyser added.
In addition to the videos, viewers will see a list of other resources that supplement each course topic. To view the first course and access other resources, visit nativegrasses.utk.edu.
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The Center for Native Grasslands Management was established in 2006 by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture to provide the scientific background needed by producers and land managers to enable them to effectively establish and manage native grasslands. The center is housed within the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, which focuses on a mastery learning approach, emphasizing practical, hands-on experiences. FWF’s faculty, staff and students conduct research and extension that advances the science and sustainable management of our natural resources.
