Numbered Publications by Sarah Wightman
AEN-107: Paved Feeding Areas and the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan
Steve Higgins, Sarah Wightman | Jul. 28, 2011 (New)
Kentucky's abundant forage makes it well suited for grazing livestock. Livestock producers can make additional profits by adding a few pounds before marketing calves; however, adding those pounds requires keeping calves during the winter months, when pasture forages are dormant and supplemental feed is required. The areas used to winter calves need to be conducive to feeding and need to avoid negatively impacting the environment, especially water quality.
AEN-106: Reducing Stormwater Pollution
Carmen Agouridis, Joe Luck, Jonathan Villines, Sarah Wightman | Jul. 15, 2011 (New)
Stormwater is excess water from rainfall and snowmelts that flows over the ground and does not infiltrate the soil. It is a concern not just in urban areas but in suburban and agricultural locations as well. As stormwater runoff flows over the land or impervious surfaces, it picks up and transports trash and debris as well as pollutants such as pathogens, nutrients, sediments, heavy metals, and chemicals. This publication reviews some of these techniques and provides a list of recommended resources for additional information.
AEN-105: Pasture Feeding, Streamside Grazing, and the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan
Carmen Agouridis, Steve Higgins, Sarah Wightman | Jul. 13, 2011 (New)
Kentucky's abundant forage makes it well suited for grazing livestock, but the pasturing and pasture feeding of livestock need to be managed. Allowing cattle to behave as they would naturally can lead to overgrazing, congregation in sensitive areas, buildup of mud, loss of vegetation, compaction of soils, and erosion.
AEN-101: Stream Crossings for Cattle
Carmen Agouridis, Steve Higgins, Sarah Wightman | Jul. 13, 2011 (New)
This publication provides livestock producers with instructions on how to install a stream crossing that provides animal and vehicular access across streams. This best management practice (BMP) is intended for use with exclusion fencing that restricts cattle access to the stream. Implementation of a stream crossing with exclusion fencing will improve water quality, reducing nutrient, sediment, pathogen, and organic matter loads to streams.
AEN-104: How to Close an Abandoned Well
Steve Higgins, Sarah Wightman | Jul. 7, 2011 (New)
Abandoned wells are often the only structures remaining after an old house or barn has been removed. If left unmanaged in agricultural areas, these abandoned wells can pose a serious threat to livestock and human safety because of the large surface openings they often have.
AEN-100: Building a Grade Stabilization Structure to Control Erosion
Steve Higgins, Donald Stamper, Sarah Wightman | Jun. 15, 2011 (New)
Gully erosion creates large eroded channels that become problematic for many farms. Gullies form in natural drainage swales when vegetation in the swale is lost through overgrazing or tillage practices. They cause valuable soil to erode, and they form large channels that drain runoff into streams. This runoff can carry sediment, nutrients, and pathogens that can degrade the water quality.
ID-187: Woodland Winter Feeding of Cattle: Water Quality Best Management Practices
Steve Higgins, Jeff Stringer, Sarah Wightman | May. 5, 2011 (New)
Cattle maintain their body temperature in winter by burning more calories, which requires them to consume more feed. Livestock producers use wooded areas to provide protection for cattle from wind and low temperatures. That protection enables the cattle to conserve energy and eat less. Using wooded areas for winter feeding makes practical sense, but producers need to consider several environmental issues when planning for it.
AEN-98: Alternative Water Source: Developing Springs for Livestock
Steve Higgins, Donald Stamper, Sarah Wightman | May. 5, 2011 (New)
Water supply is a key component in livestock production. One option producers have when providing water is to develop an existing spring, which occurs when groundwater running along an impervious rock layer hits a fracture and discharges on the surface.
AEN-99: Shade Options for Grazing Cattle
Carmen Agouridis, Steve Higgins, Sarah Wightman | Mar. 29, 2011 (New)
Shade is a must for pasture-based grazing systems. It curtails heat stress, which is detrimental to cattle and causes a decrease in milk production, feed intake, weight gains, and fertility.
ID-185: Planting a Riparian Buffer
Carmen Agouridis, Chris Barton, Amanda A. Gumbert, Sarah Wightman | Sep. 28, 2010 (New)
Actively creating a riparian buffer typically consists of six steps: site assessment, planting plan development, site preparation, species selection, planting, and protection and maintenance.
