The Goal: Simplify pasture management to lower the barrier to entry for aspiring grass farmers raising any type of livestock. Or more simply, the goal is to grow more grass on the same amount of land.
The Value (to you): Following this simple grazing system you will grow more grass, have a more profitable farm, be able to schedule vacation days, be more resilient in the face of climate change, and learn to more deeply appreciate the little things and their affect on the big things.
4 Simple Tools to Start Grazing Livestock
#1 - Grazing Map
A grazing map is a 8.5”x11” printed aerial picture of your farm with all of your grazing resources overlaid on top. This map acts as an inventory of your available resources that you may utilize to improve the balance of productivity and recovery on your farm.
Creating a Grazing Map:
I take screenshots of Google Earth and edit them to make maps of my farm. I also use drone photography when it is available.
You can then use PowerPoint, Gimp, Photoshop, Procreate, MS Paint, or some other fancy editor to add in the information we discuss below.
Grazing maps will vary greatly from farm to farm based on the many variables that go into a farm property. The goal of a grazing map, for any farm, is to define the various resources so that they can be accurately measured over time.
Elements of a Grazing Map
property lines and fences
hard infrastructure
location(s) of water, natural and man-made
pasture segmentations
acreage
organic matter
ph
Your soil types and composition are going to determine the potential productivity of your pasture. Your management style is going to determine your actual productivity.
Soil = Potentail
Management = Actual
#2 - Grazing Plan
A grazing plan gives you the simple math to meet your grazing goals based on your available resources. It will help you determine how much dry matter you will need to grow for your specific operation.
This plan will walk you through:
How much your animals are going to eat each day
How much forage you can grow on your land
What the ideal paddock size is
How often to move your animals while resting your land
How close you are to a perfect balance of too much or too little
#3 - Grazing Chart
A grazing chart lets you take the simple math from your Grazing Plan and map it out on a calendar. You can plan ahead for when your grazing periods are, and when your rest periods are. Not only can you plan for the future, but this will create a record of the past so that you can look back and improve your management year-over-year.
#4 - Linger Grazing
Linger Grazing: The act of observing the little things, and how they affect the big things. Then using that information to optimize for happiness.
Pausing to observe the effects of your management choices is paramount to success. Otherwise how are you goign to know if it is working? You must stop, look, and listen! Measuring, recording and analyzing data is necessary for continued growth. Record keeping also means taking pictures with your phone.
With those moments of observation will come moments of peace and gratitude. With gratitude, optimism is sustainable. You should like what you do, and you should be valued for your impact on the animals, and the environment.
