Whether you are managing a rotational grazing free-for-all, or analyzing every inch of your forage and pastureland, there is room to grow in honing a grazing strategy that maximizes your land and resources and turns them into a bottom-line success for your operation and the environment.
In previous articles in this State of Grazing Management series, we examined differing rancher perspectives on written grazing management plans and learned where the industry stands on data-keeping. In those stories, we shared the value of connecting multi-generational ranch leaders to one unified plan and the unique relationship between the environment and grazing planning. We examined ranching at every level and dug into what is holding ranchers back from writing down their plan to keep their strategy in check.
These barriers are something that Hugh Aljoe, Noble Research Institute Director of Ranches, Outreach & Partnerships, assesses every day when he works with grazers that fall into different mindsets.
“First are those that don’t believe planning will make a difference in the outcome - basically they believe the climate and the land resources have the biggest role in outcomes,” he says. “Second are those that don’t want to take the time because there isn’t an easy method to use. Then there are those who know they are doing a pretty good job, but are not sure what additional value planning and monitoring will bring. Lastly are those that just don’t know how to get started.”
We brought together industry leaders to share top ways you can take action today - from those interested in taking the first steps in beginning a written grazing management plan to producers who have a plan but feel it needs a closer look.
Think Big but Start Small
Kason Haby, a contractor with Texas Grazing Lands Coalition who worked with Suzanne Schuchart at Running V Ranch on development of her ranch’s first written grazing management plan, believes that the value of grazing planning lies in helping ranchers to think holistically about their operations and their goals.
“As ranchers, we are in our operations all day, every day,” he says. “You get in the day-to-day grind, and you’re just doing these jobs and tasks. Being able to step back and think about our operations as a whole is beneficial from the standpoint of being able to make your operation more efficient.”
When Haby works with ranchers like Schuchart, he begins with the basics, narrowing down what is the most appropriate stocking rate for the resources available.
“Suzanne was close to that mark, but a lot of producers that I work with are not,” he says.
Once stocking rate is determined, Haby turns to grazing system analysis, looking at establishing a rotation in their system that would allow pastures to rest.
“Those are my two main focus points first because if we don’t get that right, then everything else we do is not going to work,” Haby says.
Producers who begin with that foundation can then incorporate other aspects of their unique operation including soil health practices, brush control, prescribed burning, weed management, nutrient management and livestock nutrition.
Haby suggests thinking of grazing and stocking rate as the jumping off point for holistic land management.
“Improving grazing management is one of the best ways to improve soil health and protect important land and water resources,” says Troy Goldhammer, CEO, PowerFlex. “When grazing management is led by a well-thought-through grazing plan, it results in a coordinated approach to land management.”
Pro Tip: Start with stocking rates and grazing management as a foundation, but don’t forget to scale your plan to include resource management that achieves other operational goals.
Just Write It Down
Written grazing management plan advocates stress the importance of getting the plan out of an operator’s mind and onto paper, whether that’s a written plan using pen/paper or a software or web-based platform.
“While writing down the plan may seem tedious or just like another box to check, the reality is that writing down your grazing management plan provides you with the dedicated space to reflect on how you are managing the land, your animals and your business,” says Dr. Samantha Werth, Executive Director of U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. “It helps you to place a critical eye on the process, determine what your operational goals are and the resources you need to see success.”
Writing down the plan provides more than an opportunity for introspection, though.
At the ranch-gate, Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado, says his digital planning process allows for better management at his multi-generational ranch.
“Writing it down helps you remember it and gets everybody engaged with it,” he says of the process, which includes he and his wife, along with their daughter and son-in-law.
“When everybody has a say in it, you’re more apt to hold to those trigger points,” he adds.
Wooten says that his digital plan allows the family management to consistently analyze its efficacy and use the data to make more sound operational decisions, a perk that is echoed by Werth.
“A written grazing management plan isn’t intended to be something you fill out once and come back to once a year,” Werth says. “It is intended to be a tool that supports a producer making the best possible decisions for their enterprise as they possibly can. It’s a living document that should be referred to frequently as you work to set goals, monitor progress and learn from your decisions – then adapt and adjust as needed to keep working toward your goals.”
Pro Tip: Making sure your plan is written down ensures that it will help achieve goals that are both short and long term for your operation.
Factor In Your Whole Operation
Standalone farms and ranches are increasingly becoming rare as operators understand that stacking enterprises can increase diversity and profitability.
Like many others, both Wooten and Schuchart also operate wildlife enterprises that use their land to capture opportunity.
Successful written grazing management plans take the whole business into account, factoring in management of resources that apply to those other enterprises as well.
On Running V Ranch, Schuchart’s grazing plan helps her to ensure that her mix of open land and native land will be conducive to wildlife. Her newly established grazing plan means she can use her cattle to keep brush down in some areas while ensuring that native habitats thrive in others.
Wooten uses the same philosophy on Beatty Canyon Ranch, ensuring that his management plan shores up natural resources for use by wildlife and biodiversity.
Pro Tip: Don’t limit your plan to only grazing. Make your plan work for your whole operation to ensure maximum impact for your ranch.
Take Advantage of Resources
A number of resources are available to help get you started on a new plan or help you maximize the efficacy of your existing plan, including:
U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef GMP Module and Producer Toolkit
These online tools take the guesswork out of grazing planning with step-by-step guides that take you through planning for your unique operation.
Noble Research Institute Courses
Online and in-person courses like Noble Grazing Essentials, Noble Land Essentials and Noble Profitability Essentials can provide access to experts that present information in a straightforward manner and cut to the heart of your operation’s bottom line.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
USDA-NRCS conservation officials in your local office can provide access to technical and financial assistance to achieve your conservation goals. Their grazing specialists can advise on tactics that are dialed-in for your local climate and ecosystem and provide access to financial incentives to make those goals possible.
National Grazing Lands Coalition and statewide chapters
Haby recommends tapping the expertise of the National Grazing Lands Coalition as well as statewide chapters like the Texas Grazing Lands Coalition, who often have grazing experts that can visit your operation and provide guidance on a number of conservation aspects.
Powerflex Ranchers Success Program
“Powerflex’s Ranchers Success Program allows grazers to visit one-on-one with grazing experts to review their goals and receive guidance on infrastructure that is needed to achieve those goals,” says Goldhammer. “With the help of Powerflex’s Rancher Success Program and Powerflex partnerships, including leading grazing individuals and organizations, we match those goals with the right products that help set them on the right path forward.”
Ducks Unlimited
The nation’s leading implementer of wildlife conservation efforts is also a leader in protecting the nation’s working and grazing lands. Their grazing experts can provide technical expertise as well as connections to financial incentives to implement conservation practices that benefit ecosystems as a whole.
Pro Tip: There are a host of opportunities available for you to learn more about grazing opportunity and get the technical assistance, and sometimes financial assistance, that you need to take the next step in your grazing planning journey today.
This article is part of an ongoing State of Grazing Management series brought to you by Trust In Food and U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. You can learn more by visiting www.trustinfood.com or www.usrsb.org.
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