All Things Grazing

Intensive Management for Land & Livestock

Grass Farmers First

We have been rotationally grazing for a long time, and in 2020 we started to manage it intensively. Through intensive rotational grazing we were able to minimize hay production and better utilize the forage our land produces.

Daily Moves

Animals are moved every one to three days to fresh paddocks — enough area that nothing is overeaten, but concentrated enough that everything is grazed or trampled.

Soil Building

Trampled grasses form thatch that rots down and is consumed by earthworms, sequestering carbon and improving soil structure and organic matter.

Moisture Retention

Healthy, covered soils absorb rainwater far better in the summer drought season, reducing runoff and keeping forage growing longer.

Recovery Periods

Greater recovery periods between grazing allow for more forage growth and production. This allows for far less hay production — which is expensive!

The Basic Idea

Put a lot of animals on a small enough area that everything is eaten or stepped on, but yet big enough they don't eat it down too much. By doing this we protect the soil and increase its ability to retain moisture in the summer through trampling some of the grass.

This also sequesters carbon as some of the trampled grasses turn to a thatch that rots down and is consumed by earthworms and all the other things living in the soil. Daily moves allow for greater recovery periods, which allows for more growth and production.

The cattle stay in great condition without the extra cost of supplemental feed, and even in the dead of winter stockpiled grasses can provide more nutritional value than they need. Less financial inputs, happier healthier cows, and you are improving the soil with better root development and more evenly spread manure!

Infrastructure in Place

We already had the infrastructure to make intensive grazing work well: stream exclusion fencing projects, water troughs all around the farm, and electric fencing for temporary paddock division.

Stream Exclusion

All our streams are excluded from grazing, creating wildlife habitat and riparian zones. This protects water quality and provides natural corridors for local wildlife.

Year-Round Grazing Goal

We strive to graze year round with some hay supplementation in winter as needed. Stockpiled grasses in winter can provide exceptional nutritional value — far beyond what many expect.

Pastures & Paddocks

We are members of the Virginia Forage & Grassland Council and stay engaged with the latest research in grazing management and forage production.