Livestock Resources
Are you interested in raising livestock? There are many ways to get involved in raising animals for meat, fiber, dairy, as breeding stock, and for many other purposes. Our program supports new producers who want to learn about or transition to sustainable livestock production. Our trainings focus on grass-based or pastured-based livestock management systems that provide benefits to the environment, give animals the highest quality of life, and provide quality products for consumers.
New Entry is part of a statewide Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) consortium, called Mass Grass that promotes grazing and raising animals on healthy pastures. Mass Grass hosts annual events (pdf) to educate producers about the benefits of grazing. Mass Grass is a newly formed statewide group of Massachusetts’s livestock farmers, leaders and educators from agricultural organizations, including New Entry, NOFA, UMass Extension and the USDA-NRCS. The goals of Mass Grass are to serve as a resource for new, beginning and experienced graziers in Massachusetts to help them start and maintain a sustainable and profitable grass-based livestock operation and incorporate management practices that protect the state’s natural resources.
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w Entry has also been involved in creating opportunities for small-scale poultry producers to access on-farm processing facilities through a mobile poultry processing unit (MPPU) a processing trailer that travels from farm to farm. The Massachusetts MPPU has received state approval for producer-processor use to sell poultry to direct markets. If you are interested in learning more about the MPPU and using it on your farm, please visit our MPPU page for more information or to attend our annual MPPU training (pdf).
With funding from the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, New Entry is partnering with the Tufts Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine to host a series of Livestock Field Schools that offer practical skills in raising livestock. The Field School series will cover poultry, swine, sheep, and beef cattle with an emphasis on pasture management, nutrition, breed selection, preventive health care, and marketing. Please contact Jennifer Hashley to register for the Field Schools or with any livestock inquiries. She can be reached at (617) 636-3793 or by email at: jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu.
Livestock Resource Links
Here you will find links to articles, resource guides, programs, and services about a variety of livestock topics that can help you learn more about raising livestock. We include rotational grazing and pasture management resources as well. If you have other suggestions of links that have helped you become more informed about raising livestock on pasture, please let us know which additional resources you’d like to see added to this list.
If you are interested in raising livestock or want to learn more about our upcoming trainings, please subscribe to our newsletter contact list and select Livestock Training Workshops or contact nesfp@tufts.edu.