Southeastern Indiana Forage and Livestock Association is a volunteer organization of local farmers involved in the livestock industry. Our purposes are to:

• inform area producers of the latest developments in forage production and utilization through field days, tours, programs, field demonstrations, and cooperative efforts with other related organizations and agribusinesses.
  
• identify needs for expanding research and education in the production, utilization, and marketing of forages in southeastern Indiana, as well as cooperate with other local and area livestock organizations in determining needs for the region.
  
• encourage cooperation of forage activities among the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Services Agency, the Historic Hoosier Hills RC&D Council, and other interested groups and organizations.

The Association's Board of Directors consists of one producer from each of the nine Historic Hoosier Hills counties and three at-large directors. We plan and carry out a program each spring and a field day each summer to teach and demonstrate the latest in forage management and production.

We work closely with Cooperative Extention Service educators and with Natural Resources Conservation Service Agronomy and Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative staff.

We also carry out projects that benefit the forage and livestock industry in the region and the state. The group is currently working on a statewide Grazing Manual and on various watering systems that allow for maximum flexibility in intensive grazing of our rolling hills in southeastern Indiana.

The Forage and Livestock Association is a resource committee of Historic Hoosier Hills and an affiliate of the Indiana Forage Council and the American Forage and Grassland Council. For more information please complete our Information Request Form.

Grazing Land Water Quality Improvement Project

This partnership between the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Clark, Scott and Jefferson Counties and Historic Hoosier Hills provides a full time staff person and a cost sharing program to encourage producers to convert marginal cropland to forages. Another educational focus is to upgrade the management (and soil protection) of existing pastureland in the three-county area. The goals are water quality improvement and improved income through management intensive grazing.

• Indiana Grazing Manual Project

We seek funds to develop and print an Indiana-wide grazing handbook for forage and livestock producers which will promote management intensive grazing and explain how to adopt the components of an intensive grazing system.

• Portable Watering System Promotion Project

This is a statewide effort to promote management intensive grazing by providing demonstrations of various watering systems that can be used with a small paddock grazing system. The emphasis is on the forage management.

Click here for Purdue forage reference information for producers.