Come on down & kick the bales in 2026

“Coming down and kicking the tires” on something is a colloquial invitation for someone to come and inspect or test a product or service before buying it. For farmers and the folks who help them, this premise extends to the practice of bale grazing on the land.

Whether in a checkerboard pattern, rolled out or fed in rings, there’s lots to learn from practitioners and value in seeing field level management considerations.

Join fellow farmers at Jacob and Alexa Newton’s Hillside Farms for a “kicking” bale grazing workshop on Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. – noon in Truxton, NY.

This morning program will be a hardy, on-farm winter weather event – dress accordingly. Space is limited for this workshop so it’s first come, first served. There is no cost for the event, but pre-registration is required at scnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event_preregistration_new. php?id=2678.

Hillside Farms is a direct-to-consumer farming operation that specializes in grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and forested pork. Their grass-based operation supplies protein for roughly 320 families, two farmers markets and three restaurants. They utilize bale grazing primarily for the beef cow and yearling herds. They supplement feed with bale grazing during drought periods, optimal frozen winter conditions and in areas of reclaimed pasture on our farm in need of nutrient application. The winter pasture walk will be on established pasture and reclaimed pasture areas.

Questions can be directed to Betsy Hicks at bjh246@cornell.edu or Troy Bishopp at 315.749.4528. In the case of cancellation due to extreme winter weather (think: road closings and emergency weather declarations), a cancellation email will be sent to those who have registered by 7 p.m. on Jan. 9.

This workshop is a collaboration between the Northeast Region National Grazing Lands Coalition, Hillside Farms and the South-Central New York Cornell Cooperative Extension Team, which is part of a USDA-NRCS CIG Grant by the University of Kentucky Research Foundation titled “Bale Grazing: A Practical, Low-Cost & Environmentally-Sound Management Strategy to Winter Beef Cattle.”