Released Feb. 26, 2008

ITHACA, N.Y.- What does iron bending and phone book ripping have to do with grazing?

Well, according to strongman/grazier Kevin Fulton of Nebraska, the strength he needs to compete or farm comes from grass-fed beef and raw milk from pastured cows. He needs this power being a one man "lean, mean, green frying pan rolling machine" grazing and haying 2800 acres and taking care of 1000 head of beef cattle. His status as 3 time IAWA champion and 2nd American to lift the legendary Dinnie Stones of Scotland lends credence to his love of grass farming and its importance on the health of a nation. His interest in the health benefits of grass-based meats and dairy can be contributed to a friendship with Loren Cordain PhD, author of the Paleo Diet, a book that studies what our stone-age ancestors ate.

Cordain’s research inspired Fulton’s move towards providing raw milk to his family after consulting with a doctor about his children coming home sick many times from day care. "Since providing raw milk to my children they have not seen an antibiotic in 3 years. I'm a firm believer in Cordain's conclusions about what is best for American eaters, said Kevin.” Kevin will expound on how to stress the connections between healthy food and pastured animals in product marketing at the Grasstravaganza.

Kevin brings a wealth of very practical strategies from grass-finishing to custom grazing beef that has allowed him to work with national companies such as U.S. Wellness Meats, Thousand Hills Cattle Company and Tallgrass Beef Company. He is also actively transitioning his land base into organic production and has a cow/calf operation comprised of registered Galloways.

In addition to farming and being a family man, he is a board member for the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and a member of his local RC&D Council. Kevin is a passionate voice you won't want to miss on the importance of sustainable grass-based systems and family farms. His leadership at the Grasstravaganza is made possible by Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

Join Kevin and other inspiring speakers for over 35 practical workshops, local grass-fed meats, vendors and more at the 2008 Grasstravaganza in Binghamton, New York March 28 and 29. To see a full conference line-up, visit http://www.cnyrcd.org or contact the Central New York RC&D office at 1-877-384-8829 or (607) 334-3231 Ext. 4

The 2008 Northeast Grasstravaganza is co-sponsored by the Cornell Small Farms Program. For more small farm related news, events and resources, visit http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

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http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/news/

Contacts: Anu Rangarajan, ar47@cornell.edu

Joanna Green, jg16@cornell.edu

Erica Frenay, ejf5@cornell.edu

Fay Benson,afb3@cornell.edu