Native Virginian J.B. Daniel recently received the American Forage and Grassland Council’s Pastureland Conservationist of the Year award for his exceptional education and outreach to promote sustainable grazing practices statewide.
This annual award recognizes a natural resources conservation service employee who has exemplified outstanding service to the agency, our clients, and the science of grazing land management. Daniels received this recognition for excelling in five categories: communication, training, partnerships, conservation application, and job complexity.
(Left to right) J.B. Daniel receives his award from NRCS National Rangeland Management Specialist Sid Brantly and AFGC President Gary Wilson.
As the state’s forage and grassland agronomist, Daniel is committed to education and outreach. He serves as an advisor to the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council, providing key support to the annual VFGC winter conference series with an annual attendance of more than 500 producers and grazing advisors. He also spearheaded the development of the Beginning Grazier School, a multi-day, immersion-style training course on management-intensive grazing.
Demonstration farms are another key component of his outreach strategy to promote sustainable practice implementation. In 2010, Daniel began working with Shenandoah Valley farmers to launch a project promoting year-round grazing and reduce the need to feed stored hay. Many other demonstration farms have now been added throughout the state, and other initiatives followed to explore the use of annuals in livestock grazing systems and the silvopasture practice, which integrates forage grazing and forest production.
