Grazing cattle have the unique ability to upcycle, or convert, low-quality forages into high-quality, nutrient-dense protein. Most grazing lands are either range or pasture, accounting for roughly 36% of the contiguous United States, with 409 million acres of privately owned rangelands, 361 million acres of public rangelands and 119 million acres of pasture (USDA). These lands are diverse, providing not only feed for grazing cattle but also supporting a wide range of plant and animal species. Grazing cattle are an integral part of these unique ecosystems and grazing management plans (GMP) are key to maintaining productive working lands.
A successful GMP will result in grazed forages with enough leaf left to maximize photosynthesis and promote regrowth. However, due to the vast differences in landscapes as well as cow-calf operations across the U.S., there is no “one size fits all” GMP. A producer on federal lands in Idaho is dealing with different geographical challenges, levels of rainfall and ecosystems than a producer on private lands in Georgia.
While this does present a challenge for producers, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has laid out some key criteria and planning steps in their Sustainability Framework (see Building Beef Sustainability) that will help ensure the success of a GMP, regardless of location:
1. Assess current resource conditions (e.g., make a ranch inventory), relative to potential optimum conditions
2. Set ranch goals and objectives designed to move conditions toward optimum
3. Select management actions to achieve goals (e.g., stocking rate, timing, duration, rest, intensity, pasture size and number, infrastructure management and/or improvements, business management changes)
4. Make contingency plans for drought and other risks
5. Conduct regular and repeated monitoring of key indicators and compile resulting information
6. Take actions or make operational adjustments based on monitoring results
Beyond these general guiding principles of a GMP, some regional conservation considerations might also include:
1. Native plants, animals - and habitats/ecological systems
2. Rare or unique plant or animal populations
3. Soil health and soil erosion risk
4. Water quality and water cycle evaluation
5. Range/pasture condition or health
6. Streamside/riparian areas and wetlands
7. Invasive species/weeds
Following these guidelines, GMPs can enable producers to maintain open spaces, natural habitats and thriving ecosystems while maintaining or even boosting the financial health of an operation. With optimization of land resources, producers also ensure the longevity of their operations, creating something that can be sold or passed on to future generations in a prime condition.
The benefits of a well-executed, regularly measured GMP are far-reaching, leading not only to profitability necessary for economic sustainability for a producer but also to positive effects on water resources, land resources and air and greenhouse gas emissions, including:
1. Maintained or improved native ecosystem
2. Protected and/or improved riparian areas
3. Reduced soil erosion and particulate emissions
4. Optimized plant cover, relative to fuel loads
5. Improved access to water for cattle on pasture
6. Increased forage production and improved utilization
7. Increased water infiltration and retention
8. Improved wildlife habitats
The USRSB offers a new tool to aid producers in creating their own written grazing management plan. This and other free resources are available in the USRSB Learning Center.
Building Beef Sustainability
Established in 2015, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) is a multi-stakeholder initiative developed to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement in sustainability of the U.S. beef value chain with a focus on environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic viability. Together with our members, we’re connecting the beef industry in a common goal: to be the trusted global leader in environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable beef.
The USRSB is comprised of individuals and organizations from five constituencies: producer, allied industry, packer & processor, retail & foodservice and civil society. Each constituency receives equal representation on the Board of Directors, regardless of size. Our membership represents a robust and diverse group of U.S. beef industry stakeholders.
Find out more about USRSB, its goals, framework and free producer resources at USRSB.org.
