Early in 2020, the Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference team decided to host the winter 2021 conference virtually. They got to work tackling the learning curve that is virtual event hosting.
Mid-January, 306 participants logged on for three days of webinars, discussion boards and virtual trade shows.
65,279 hours of educational content were viewed!
Farmers were able to balance chores and live webinars, knowing anything they missed was being recorded. Being together to share stories and plan the next grazing season was greatly missed but the virtual event proved to be a great substitute.
The conference theme was embraced by the staff, speakers and participants:
As Above, So Below: Taking stock of what we see to care for all we grow
The line-up of speakers presented via Zoom and shared their expertise on subjects such as silvopasture, slaughter infrastructure, etymology and soil science. The content focused on the different evaluations and observations farmers make to assess the health of their farm business, livestock, forages and soil ecology.
The session recordings and are available to participants until July 2021. If you are interested in the recorded content, contact meghan@vtgrassfarmers.org to learn how to access the online platform.