By DEBORAH BEHRENDS Indiana Correspondent MADISON, Ind. — Grazing for the Future is scheduled for Aug. 17-18 at Clifty Inn in Madison. The first-time conference is presented by Historic Hoosier Hills Watershed Projects, in cooperation with Jefferson and Ripley counties’ Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).
“We decided to hold this in the Southeastern part of Indiana because nothing like this has been held here before,” said Casie Auxier, program director for Historic Hoosier Hills Watershed Projects. “There is a lot of grazing going on in our area, and we thought it would be a benefit to landowners.”
She said about 93,000 actively-managed acres are used for grazing in Jefferson and Ripley counties. Attendance is not limited, however, to residents of the two counties.
Along with sessions on animal nutrition, adaptive grazing, grain prices and more, the keynote speaker at dinner on Aug. 17 is Dr. Jan Pol, start of NatGeo Wild’s “The Incredible Dr. Pol.”
A veterinarian from Weidmann, Mich., Pol believes he has seen it all. Specializing in large farm animals, this senior is anything but retiring as he takes an old-school, no-nonsense approach to veterinary medicine. The show follows Pol on his routine 14-hour days treating livestock and pets.
A graduate of Utrecht University Veterinary program, he emigrated to the United States in 1971. After 10 years of practice, he moved to Weidman in 1981 and founded Pol Veterinary Services in his garage with his wife, Diane.
The couple grew the practice from its humble start to one with more than 20,000 clients. Pol works with many 4-H groups and believes every child should grow up with a furry friend. With his Dutch accent, signature mustache and vintage 1981 DeLorean, he is nothing short of a local legend.
On his website at http://thedrpol.com Pol writes: “The question I ask myself when I see a patient is: ‘What do I have to do to reach the best possible outcome, in the fairest and most economical way possible?’ No owner wants an animal to suffer because medical care is unaffordable, and there are far too many animals abandoned or euthanized as a result.
"Affordable care means that I let my clients make the choice that is right for their family. And for me, the animal always comes first. Always.”
More than 200 people already have registered for the conference, Auxier said, and space is limited. For more information, call Ripley County SWCD at 812-689-6410, ext. 3; Jefferson County SWCD at 812-265-7609; or Historic Hoosier Hills at 812-689-4107.
To register for the conference, or just for the dinner and keynote address, visit https://grazing-conference.eventbrite.com |
