Spring Pasture Walk
Dairy & Livestock Manager Brian takes a walk out to pasture with us to explain what we look for before letting the cows out to pasture for the season. He shows us the grazing stick they refer to throughout the season to check on grass length and density. This helps the farmers determine how much dry matter is available to the cows while they’re out grazing, how much acreage is needed to fulfill the cows’ dietary needs per herd size, and how often the paddocks (fencing) need to be moved.
It is important for the farmers to know all of these details and make adjustments accordingly, as they use a “Take Half, Leave Half” method: letting the cows graze on about half of the harvestable grass and saving some as residual to regrow. Regular pasture checks are a vital component of our rotational grazing/management intensive grazing system.
