Man speaking to group of participants in a field.
Forage Educator Jaime Garzon (center), from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will lead a pasture walk at Sparkplug Farm in Leeds on August 14 where he will discuss difficult environmental challenges like heat, drought and rough terrain.

UMaine Extension to host pasture walk in Leeds at Sparkplug Farm

July 22, 2026 Agriculture, Androscoggin-Sagadahoc, Business and Community, In-Person, Livestock, Natural Resources, News

LEEDS, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host the fifth and final event of the annual Pasture Walk Series from 11 p.m.–1 p.m. on Friday, August 14, at Sparkplug Farm, 198 Campbell Road in Leeds.

The closing event of the season will tackle some of the toughest environmental challenges Maine livestock producers face: late-summer heat, drought conditions and managing rough, hilly terrain. Sparkplug Farm specializes in producing high-quality, grass-fed beef from a hardy herd of Milking Shorthorn and Devon breeds, utilizing intensive rotational grazing to keep the cattle thriving on a vertical landscape.

Led by UMaine Extension Forage Educator Jaime Garzon, attendees will examine how to prevent overgrazing during the late-summer “slump” when cool-season grasses slow down. The walk will demonstrate how to build resilient root systems that hold soil on steep hillsides and prevent erosion. Producers can talk with the hosts about breed selection for rougher pastures and the day-to-day logistics of moving temporary fencing across uneven, sloped terrain.

The Maine Pasture Walk Series is free and open to all, including both beginner and experienced farmers. To register, visit the 2026 Pasture Walk Series page. For additional event details or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Libby Babcock at 207.581.2788 or melissa.libby1@maine.edu. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety, and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H, which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture, and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.