Awful lot of awesomeness! It’s reliving to see other farms have the same grazing practices as I do. Sometimes guys like us are the odd balls in the community. Even though we’re a few states away it’s comforting to know someone shares the same passion I do. Thanks for sharing.
it does matter. on new land you want at least first rotation correctly done. You are correct, lot of people want a label that has value but not the action that has consequences for both the health and life of the planet and there local economic system. Reminds me about what happen to organic as when I first got into food in the late 90s. It use to be about civil justice, civil rights, food rights and a lot of different levels of change. Change that could have saved us from the worst of climate change and a lot of current problems. But it got hike jacked and turn into something completely different. Instead of improvement it got locked in trying to figure out ways for big ag to slap it on as a empty label. Ya, I don't care if they are family farms or corporate farm. 10,000 milking cows on a "family" farm near me. And they spoil the water, land, and fouled the water table so wells couldn't work without making little kids sick. And technically they are organic. But calling it organic is laughable.
Hey Josh, Thanks for another great video! How do you manage the spring flush when you total graze like this though? Doesn't most of it just go to seed and forage quality become poor because you are taking so much time to graze right down and don't get through it very fast? Maybe you have a video on that I should look back for?
We don’t worry about trying to keep everything vegetative during the spring flush. I think that’s a fool’s errand. We will start to graze spring grass when it gets tall enough that the blades want to fall over since it will then have the best protein to fiber ratio to prevent scours. We will do a high harvest efficiency Nonselective graze and we will keep progressing across the farm until the first paddock we started on is ready to regraze then we will stop and turn around and start over. This usually amounts to about half the farm the other half of the farm is allowed to stockpile the whole growing season to be grazed during the winter or a possible drought if needed. This stockpiled area is where you will see the biggest soil improvement as it allows the plants to really put down some deep and strong roots. It also allows them to recharge the seed bank in the soil. We will alternate the half of the farm that is stockpiled every year to maximize the benefits across the farm. Hope this brief explanation helps a little!
What a great video!! Hard one to understand. Im trying to figure this out on my property with wild blackberry, undesirable forage like golden rod goat week and others. Mine take the grest grass all the way to the dirt and really struggle when i make them take enough of the weeds. But i also live 1.5 hours away and cant move 4 times a day and struggle to move every 3 days
Blackberry is extremely tough to deal with in pastures we are dealing with some as well. Haven’t found the answer just yet. We will mow the blackberry after every grazing it seems to at least it not to spread.
@runningtfarmsnc thankfully it doesnt look to be spreading but it is probably 25% of the property which is hard to deal with. I like to put a bale of hay on top of the large thickets
Congratulations on your new lease. I know they are hard to come by. Thank you for explaining nutrient transfer, very interesting. What is your favorite type of reels? We have the Tractor Supply ones but are looking to upgrade.
I move our cattle every 12 hours I find it harder to do what you’re saying with 12 hour moves seems as though it’s hard to give them enough forage and still keep them tight enough have any suggestions on that
Grazing short is not overgrazing. Overgrazing is coming back to graze a plant before it is fully recovered. We aren’t seeing any regrowth currently until about 3 days post grazing so as long as they are moved to a new paddock or a back fence set by the third day we can’t over graze. What we are looking for is high harvest efficiency(90% +)and Nonselective grazing (equal grazing of all plants in the sward). In my experience it will require higher stock density and multiple moves per day to achieve this. You can achieve good harvest efficiency with twice daily moves but it won’t be as high as say 4 times a day at a higher density. But if that’s what your schedule allows just know that you’re doing better than say 90% of other grazers. So keep on keeping on!
Keep them coming, Josh. Im learning lots from you.
Nice job
I think it looks great. I can't wait to see it this winter. I didn't see any flies.
Awful lot of awesomeness! It’s reliving to see other farms have the same grazing practices as I do. Sometimes guys like us are the odd balls in the community. Even though we’re a few states away it’s comforting to know someone shares the same passion I do. Thanks for sharing.
it does matter. on new land you want at least first rotation correctly done. You are correct, lot of people want a label that has value but not the action that has consequences for both the health and life of the planet and there local economic system. Reminds me about what happen to organic as when I first got into food in the late 90s. It use to be about civil justice, civil rights, food rights and a lot of different levels of change. Change that could have saved us from the worst of climate change and a lot of current problems. But it got hike jacked and turn into something completely different. Instead of improvement it got locked in trying to figure out ways for big ag to slap it on as a empty label. Ya, I don't care if they are family farms or corporate farm. 10,000 milking cows on a "family" farm near me. And they spoil the water, land, and fouled the water table so wells couldn't work without making little kids sick. And technically they are organic. But calling it organic is laughable.
Hey Josh, Thanks for another great video! How do you manage the spring flush when you total graze like this though? Doesn't most of it just go to seed and forage quality become poor because you are taking so much time to graze right down and don't get through it very fast? Maybe you have a video on that I should look back for?
We don’t worry about trying to keep everything vegetative during the spring flush. I think that’s a fool’s errand. We will start to graze spring grass when it gets tall enough that the blades want to fall over since it will then have the best protein to fiber ratio to prevent scours. We will do a high harvest efficiency Nonselective graze and we will keep progressing across the farm until the first paddock we started on is ready to regraze then we will stop and turn around and start over. This usually amounts to about half the farm the other half of the farm is allowed to stockpile the whole growing season to be grazed during the winter or a possible drought if needed. This stockpiled area is where you will see the biggest soil improvement as it allows the plants to really put down some deep and strong roots. It also allows them to recharge the seed bank in the soil. We will alternate the half of the farm that is stockpiled every year to maximize the benefits across the farm. Hope this brief explanation helps a little!
What a great video!! Hard one to understand. Im trying to figure this out on my property with wild blackberry, undesirable forage like golden rod goat week and others. Mine take the grest grass all the way to the dirt and really struggle when i make them take enough of the weeds. But i also live 1.5 hours away and cant move 4 times a day and struggle to move every 3 days
Blackberry is extremely tough to deal with in pastures we are dealing with some as well. Haven’t found the answer just yet. We will mow the blackberry after every grazing it seems to at least it not to spread.
@runningtfarmsnc thankfully it doesnt look to be spreading but it is probably 25% of the property which is hard to deal with. I like to put a bale of hay on top of the large thickets
Congratulations on your new lease. I know they are hard to come by. Thank you for explaining nutrient transfer, very interesting. What is your favorite type of reels? We have the Tractor Supply ones but are looking to upgrade.
Gallagher reels I have found to be the very best! Probably the most expensive but also the best! That would be the 3:1 geared reels.
I move our cattle every 12 hours I find it harder to do what you’re saying with 12 hour moves seems as though it’s hard to give them enough forage and still keep them tight enough have any suggestions on that
In other words I feel like I get too much consumption and they overgraze
Grazing short is not overgrazing. Overgrazing is coming back to graze a plant before it is fully recovered. We aren’t seeing any regrowth currently until about 3 days post grazing so as long as they are moved to a new paddock or a back fence set by the third day we can’t over graze. What we are looking for is high harvest efficiency(90% +)and Nonselective grazing (equal grazing of all plants in the sward). In my experience it will require higher stock density and multiple moves per day to achieve this. You can achieve good harvest efficiency with twice daily moves but it won’t be as high as say 4 times a day at a higher density. But if that’s what your schedule allows just know that you’re doing better than say 90% of other grazers. So keep on keeping on!