Piedmontese Cattle
Monday, July 21, 2025 • 9:30AM - 11:30AM
2300 Carolina Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322
This triple-purpose breed was historically raised for draft power, originating in a secluded pocket, naturally protected by the Alps mountains, in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Today, the Piedmontese is valued for its meat, and milk - especially for Castelmagno, Bra, and Raschera cheese. Prized for its uniqueness with naturally-occurring genetic makeup, the Piedmontese develop extra muscle mass and very little fat due to having an inactive myostatin (muscle growth regulator) gene. The calves are born with a “fawn” (tan) coat and change to the grey-white color as they mature. The farm owner will talk about his experiences with this breed and day-to-day care such as grazing, herd health and management, calving season, and future plans.
Please wear boots for muddy field conditions as we will be interacting closely with the cattle during this workshop.
For more information, contact Ben Dukes at Email: bdukes@vsu.edu, or (804) 731-7916.
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Small Farm Outreach Program office at smallfarm@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-3292 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.