SHA Day 2-Adaptive Grazing

Day 2 of the Soil Health Academy covered adaptive grazing and cover crops; two of the most profitable tools in a farmer’s toolbox. My favorite quote from the day was “A purist mindset can make you go broke.” Since we're currently primarily a grazing operation at Wild Type Ranch, I'm going to focus on the grazing portion.

Adaptive grazing is controlling livestock density and duration to achieve specific goals in alignment with the 6 principles of soil health. It’s important to know what you’re trying to accomplish: Are you grass-finishing? Trying to rehabilitate a sparse pasture? Control or reduce brush? Generate supplemental income off cover crops? Adaptive grazing typically involves high concentrations of grazing animals with frequent moves in relatively small paddocks created through the use of temporary fences made with poly wire and step-in posts. Adaptive grazing is one of those amazing practices that simultaneously increases profitability AND improves soil quality.

Adaptive is the key word. It has to work in your context, which means taking into account forage stage and density, type and number of livestock, your available time, and what you’re trying to achieve through grazing. If you’re just getting started, you may want to get your feet wet by using larger paddocks (3-5 days worth of forage in each). At its most intense, it may mean moving animals several times a day.

There's a week's worth of learning on adaptive grazing, and we just touched the surface.

Here's some "sound bites" from my pages of notes:

• Q: What should I plant to improve my pasture? A: Fenceposts! Pasture subdivision, livestock density and impact can do more to improve a pasture than almost anything else.

• Don't go broke being a purist You may need some props starting out (like wormers). Use sparingly, cull the most affected and change your management practices to prevent the problem in the future.

• Have diversity in your grazing plan. Change up stock density, type/species, seaons grazed, paddock shape, paddock size. Avoid determining grazing and rest periods by the calendar or a set schedule.

• Stock for your worst year and add livestock later.

• Pinkeye often has an underlying metabolic component and is commone ~6 weeks after cattle are on pasture with too much protein and exacerbated by poor mineral nutrition.

• Grazing cover crops adds value to crop rotations through nutrient cycling and income from livestock gain. Terminating cover crops with grazing is difficult.

• When it comes to fencing components, cheap is more expensive. Use quality for long-term value.

• If possible, graze for 3 years with temporary fencing before puttin in permanent subdivisions. Same for water points.

• Swine can be good solutions for utilizing odd places, wooded areas.

• Don't let water be a limiting factor. There are many solutions using portable water. Even in the winter.

If you want more information, check out Understanding Ag’s online Adaptive Grazing course or the Pasture Projects' 35-part Adaptive Grazing Tutorial.